Jonathan Pelto: Guess Which Corporate Sponsor Pays for PBS’ “The Teaching Channel”?
Jonathan Pelto points out that one of the most powerful mainstream media voices promoting the Common Core is PBS “The Teaching Channel.” Who sponsors the program? One guess.
Grace Got It Right: What Education is for
After reading a letter by a student named Grace, this reader pointed out a crucial diggerence in purpose: the authors of the Common Core want to rank and rate everyone, but many educators have a humane vision, not of winners and losers, but of self-directed human beings. “Even kids like Grace know that an individualized, self-directed, self-paced approach is the real future of education. Helping
Why Does PBS Ignore the Assault on Public Education? Can You Guess?
In the aftermath of David Sirota’s exposé of PBS accepting $3.5 million for a series about pension reform, funded by the Arnold Foundation (and since returned), another question naturally arises: why has PBS shown little or no interest in the corporate takeover of and turmoil in public education? I appeared on Charlie Rose last year for about 15-20 minutes. But otherwise the viewers of PBS have n
The BATs Have Their Own Common Core
This is the BATs’ Common Core of beliefs and values. It probably won’t go far because no one can make any money by adopting it. It won’t sell new hardware or software. It won’t sell new tests or textbooks. It won’t make any entrepreneurs rich. Not much of a future in this brave new market-based world.
Louisiana Principal: When I Had to Test a Boy Treated for Cancer in Memphis
After reading the tragic story of Ethan Rediske, the boy dying in hospice who could not be excused from taking the Florida state test without documentation, this principal wrote about a student in her school. Bear in mind: Nothing is more important to the State of Louisiana than the tests: Not the boy’s health, not his life: Just his test score. If the state didn’t have his test score, how would t
David Lyell Explains Why L.A. Is Jeopardizing the Future with Hasty iPad Purchase
David Lyell–a classroom teacher and UTLA officer– here describes the ongoing iPad fiasco in Los Angeles. Why did the district commit to spend $1 billion on iPads? To test the Common Core. Are tests more valuable to students than smaller classes, experienced teachers, and the arts, all of which are being sacrificed for iPads? Was the Pearson content reviewed? Who is investigating how decisions were
Texas Parents Give Grades to Legislators: “It’s Ugly”
“Reformers” love to grade students, educators, and schools. Parent-led Texas Kids Can’t Wait has turned the tables. It here gives grades to the state’s legislators. Parent groups should do the same everywhere else. Newsletter I didn’t want you to miss seeing this great blog by Kim Burkett: IT’S REPORT CARD DAY FOR TEXAS LEGISLATORS … AND IT’S UGLY February 13, 2014 By Kim Burkett, PTA Mom Like m
Why PBS/WNET Returned $3.5 Million to John Arnold’s Foundation
Investigative Journalist David Sirota wrote a brilliant series of articles about PBS taking $3.5 million about pension reform from the foundation of billionaire JohnArnold, a former Enron trader. After stonewalling, PBS decided there was a perception of conflict of interest since Arnold has been a prominent figure in the public debate about public pensions. And PBS returned the money. Here is an
Diagram of the Brain of a Reformer
These two teachers have discovered the brain of a reformer and can demonstrate the comparison between the brain of a reformer and the brain of those who need reforming. Very impressive.
When the Rubric Goes Horribly Wrong
We are all aware of long sustained efforts to turn education into a jargon-filled technical exercise, overlooking such mundane goals as the joy of learning I could not resist sharing this comment from a reader. The reader writes: “Once I was taking a writing course that featured a US Poet Laureate as a guest speaker. He was a grand speaker and told us about many experiences. “He told us that he
Teacher: When Test Scores Measure Nothing
A teacher writes to challenge the claim that teachers are never fired and to explain why it is wrong to judge teachers by test scores: “Teachers do get fired. 3 in my own school in recent memory. Tenure only provides teachers the right to due process before they are let go for poor performance. And, how do you judge me on my students’ performance? I’m a special education teacher. I teach students
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 2-15-14 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGPeter Greene: Pearson Press Release, 2015:Peter Greene, a high school English teacher in Pennsylvania, has concocted a press release by Pearson, issued soon after it purchased the U.S. Department of Education in 2015. In this press release, Pearson announces the release of the Common Core 2.0. Here is a sample: “*We’re pr
