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Does anyone know an authoritative source for the number of public schools closed because of NCLB and Race to the Top? Either turnarounds, turned over to charters, or just closed?
In one of the most powerful posts I have ever read, veteran journalist Bob Braun (retired after fifty years as an investigative reporter in New Jersey) bluntly declares that state policy in Newark is racist. He writes: “The eighth-grade graduation ceremonies at the Hawthorne Avenue School this morning–the last of their kind–provided an island of sanity and goodwill in the ocean of madness that i
Jesse Hagopian of Garfield High School in Seattle wrote this speech for the protest at the gates of the Gates Foundation a few days ago: “Comments from Jesse Hagopian For the Gates Foundation Protest:” Teaching in the shadow of the Gates Foundation is an ominous and treacherous endeavor. Everywhere you turn there is another so-called “expert”, funded by the Gates foundation–with very little, if a
Jack Hassard, professor emeritus of science education at Georgia State University, here reviews the ratings of the National Council on Teacher Quality and declares them to be “junk science.” He looks at the Georgia institutions of teacher preparation and finds that the ratings are haphazard, spotty, and inaccurate. The he gathers some of the major critiques by others and concludes that the ratings
The Pennsylvania legislature is hammering out the state budget, and it looks like education will once again face budget cuts. Why are legislators prepared to sacrifice the future? This letter was sent yesterday to all Pennsylvania state legislators in the 5-county region as well as to press representatives by Higher Education United for Public Education, a group of educators at colleges and unive
This comment came from a reader who signs as “NY Teacher”: They can’t prove it because they are all barking up the wrong tree. In fact their entire premise is wrong. The weakest link in the learning/achievement chain is rarely the teacher. I have one hundred students this year. I teach a subject that is new to all of them. This puts all of my 14 year old students on an equal footing as far as
Schneider: What Bill Gates Told the Washington Post About Common Core
On June 7, Lyndsey Layton of the Washington Post wrote a blockbuster article about how Bill Gates pulled off the Common Core coup, which the headline calls “the swift Common Core revolution.” In a short period of time, less time than it takes a state to write standards in one subject, the U.S. suddenly had “national standards,” written and then adopted by 46 states and the District of Columbia. Th
Greene: How Awful is Higher Education?
Up until now, we thought that American higher education was the best in the world. That’s why students come from all over the world to attend our colleges and universities. But wait! There is an OECD test that shows our college graduates don’t know much. That supposedly proves we need more tests, more regulation, motte evaluations. Peter Greene shows how crazy this is.
The Millions Wasted on Testing Could Be Spent on…..
Valerie Strauss ran this great article by Jim Arnold and Peter Smagorinsky. Jim Arnold recently retired from the superintendent’s position of the Pelham City Schools in Georgia. Peter Smagorinsky is Distinguished Research Professor of English Education at the University of Georgia. Arnold and Smagorinsky describe the many millions spent on testing, with no end in sight, and ask how that money mig
Teachout: It’s Time for 21st Century Trust Busting
Zephyr Teachout is running for governor in the Democratic primary against Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo has collected more than $30 million for his campaign, much of it from Wall Street titans. At the convention of the Working Families Party last month, Cuomo won over the union leaders, who delivered the WFP endorsement to him over Teachout. She must gather 15,000 signatures on petitions by July 7 from acro
Fairtest: Testing Resistance Continues to Grow Nationwide
FairTest National Center for Fair & Open Testing TO: Journalists Who Cover Education FROM: Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director RE: Testing Resistance & Reform News DATE: June 24, 2014 What a week! The impacts of “Testing Resistance & Reform Spring” protests reverberate across the nation with more states suspending testing requirements or pulling out of testing consortia. Bill Gat
YESTERDAY
Jeanne Kaplan: How Val Flores Beat the Reformers in Colorado
Veteran educator Val Flores pulled off a stunning upset when she beat a well-funded candidate for a seat on the state board. No one thought it could happen. Val spent $20,000. Her opponent spent $135,000. Val won by a margin of 59-41. Jeanne Kaplan, a former member of the Denver school board, explains what happened.
Detroit Free Press: When Charter School Board Members Are Powerless
In its continuing investigation of charter schools in Michigan, the Detroit Free Press published a stunning article about the powerlessness of charter board members. Jennifer Dixon writes: As president of the board of the Detroit Enterprise Academy, Sandra Clark-Hinton was pressing hard for detailed financial records from a representative of the charter school’s management company. His respo
Was John Covington Fired from Michigan EAA?
Jack Lessenberry, columnist for the MetroTimes in Michigan, says that John Covington was fired from his $325,000 a year job running Governor Rick Snyder’s Education Achievement Authority. EAA was created to run Detroit’s lowest performing schools, and it has been a huge disappointment, although Governor Snyder won’t say so and wants to expand it. What went wrong? Almost everything. Students and t
Susan J. Demas: Will Michigan’s Governor Snyder Admit He Was Wrong About Free Market Schools?
Susan J. Demas, publisher and editor of Inside Michigan Politics, writes that the exposé of charter school scandals by the Detroit Free Press should cause Governor Snyder and his allies to admit they were wrong about schools run without supervision by entrepreneurs. She writes: “Education should be about children, not adults. “For the past three years, Republicans wielded this powerful soundbite
Tom Scarice: The Greatest Crime Against Education, Educators, and Students Is….
Tom Scarice, superintendent of schools in Madison, Connecticut, here speaks out and names the criminal corruption of education into a test-taking industry that has no goal other than test scores. He knows that as the stakes go higher, people succumb to the pressure to teach to the test or even to cheat. Campbell’s Law is relentless. The same things happen in other fields, when the goal of profit b
Florida: Weak Charter Laws Permit Self-Dealing, Waste of Public Dollars
The Sun-Sentinel in Florida published a scathing series about charter school scandals, made possible by lax laws and almost no supervision. “Unchecked charter-school operators are exploiting South Florida’s public school system, collecting taxpayer dollars for schools that quickly shut down. “A recent spate of charter-school closings illustrates weaknesses in state law: virtually anyone can open
EduShyster: Barbara Madeloni, New President of MTA, Says It is Time to Fight Back
EduShyster interviews Barbara Madeloni, the recently elected president of the 110,000 member Massachusetts Teachers Association, and she warns that we either fight for public education or we will lose it. A former high school teacher, Madeloni was teaching teachers at the University of Massachusetts-Amerst, and she and her students refused to participate in edTPA. As she puts it, “The students wi
JUN 26
Connecticut: Charter Organization, Under Scrutiny Refuses to Release Information to Press
The FUSE (Family Urban Schools of Excellence) charter organization was shaken by two high-level resignations, following the departure of its CEO Michael Sharpe. Sharpe quit after the press revealed that he had served time in prison and had used the title “Dr.” Though he had never earned a doctorate. The Hartford Courant asked for information about FUSE’s finances, but got no response. FUSE runs t
Pennsylvania: Activists Holding a Sit-In in Governor Corbett’s Office to Protest Budget Cuts
A small group of activists is conducting a sit-in in Governor Tom Corbett’s office in Harrisburg to demand a restoration of $1 billion in budget cuts to public schools. Those of us who remember the 1960s recall that this tactic was frequently used by civil rights groups and anti-war activists to draw attention to their cause. It was effective in encouraging others to become involved and active.
Karen Lewis Denounces 1,150 Layoffs of Teachers and Other Staff
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Stephanie Gadlin June 26, 2014 312/329-6250 EMANUEL CONTINUES ASSAULT ON CITY’S TEACHERS CHICAGO—Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Karen Lewis released the following statement regarding today’s announcement of 1,150 teacher and school support staff layoffs by Chicago Public Schools (CPS): “The decision by the mayor and his handpicked Board of Educa
Breaking News: Jindal’s Lawyer Says Governor Has Right to Drop Common Core and PARCC
Stephanie Simon reports at politico.com that Governor Bobby Jindal’s lawyer advised him he has the right to withdraw Louisiana from the Common Core and the federally-funded PARCC tests. State Superintendent John White said in an interview that Jindal was wrong. He went even further and accused the governor of breaking the law: “State Superintendent John White has accused the governor of breaking
School Board Rejects Rural Charter School in Tennessee
I posted about a week ago about efforts by members of Teach for America to open a charter school in rural Cheatham County in Tennessee. The Cheatham County school board voted to deny the application for the Cumberland Academy Charter School, 5-0, with one member absent.
Huppenthal Apologizes for Internet Comments and Weeps
John Huppenthal called a press conference to apologize for his outrageous comments on the Intermet, posted anonymously. He said he would not resign as he faces re-election. He broke down and cried. “”I’m here to renounce those blog comments,” Huppenthal told reporters. “They’re not what is in my mind, they don’t reflect the love that is in my heart.” A sample of the comments that don’t reflect wh
What World Does the NY Times Editorial Board Live in?
Yesterday, the New York Times published an editorial vigorously agreeing with the Obama administration’s plan to give ratings to colleges and universities and agreeing with Education Trust that federal aid to colleges should be tied to those ratings. EdTrust was and remains one of the strongest supporters of NO Child Left Behind, having helped to write that abominable law. On principle, I oppose t
Why Michigan Charter Law is Weak: Money
The Lansing (Michigan) State Journal explains why the charter law lacks teeth. The law permits conflict of interest, nepotism, self-dealing and other scams. Why? Charters are a $1 billion industry annually. Charter chains and founders hire lobbyists and give generously to politicians. The charter lobby has given $1.3 million since 2003. It plans to spend $1 million for pro-charter candidates in th
Politico Reports: John White Blasts Governor Jindal
Stephanie Simon interviewed State Superintendent John White, who blasted Governor Bobby Jindal for dropping Common Core and PARCC testing. White said that Jindal was denying children their “civil rights.” Isn’t it weird how these privatizers like to use “civil rights” as a rhetorical weapon without any meaning? It used to refer to the right to attend a desegregated school, the right to vote, the r
The Shame of Philadelphia: The Slow Extinction of Public Education
The state-operated school district of Philadelphia bluntly admitted it could not afford to provide a sound basic education to the children of the district. It sought court approval for continuing to short-change the children of Philadelphia. The Education Law Center reports: “In March, Philadelphia’s state-operated school district filed an extraordinary legal complaint with the Pennsylvania Supr
John Thompson and Peter Greene Debate the Gates Moratorium
When the Gates Foundation proclaimed the need for a two-year moratorium on the stakes associated with Common Core testing, it created a lot of buzz. Was it a retreat? Was it a trick? We’re they trying to lull critics with a two-year delay? We’re they bowing to the outrage of testing opponents? Of course, most curious of all is that everyone accepts that Bill Gates is in charge of American educatio
Why Was Amy Prime Re-Assigned?
Regular readers of this blog are familiar with the work of Amy Prime. (See here and here.)For the past ten years, she has taught second grade at Berg Elementary School in Newton, Iowa. she has written several articles about the problems and challenges of protecting children from the negative effects of test-centric reforms, some of which have been published in the local newspapers and reposted on
Atlanta: Edward Johnson Denounces Vergara Decision
Ed Johnson is a longtime critic of test mania in Atlanta and in the nation. He was one of the few people who was not surprised when Atlanta’s nationally acclaimed superintendent Beverly Hall was ensnared in a cheating scandal. When test scores become the measure of everything, they assume far too much importance. In this letter by Ed Johnson (posted on Audrey Beardsley’s blog VAMboozled), Johnson
Detroit Free Press: In Clash, University Protects For-Profit Charter Management vs. Board
When the board of Metro Charter Academy in Romulus, Michigan asked too many questions of the for-profit management company running the school, the university that authorized the charter stepped in to discipline the board. Grand Valley State University defended National Heritage Academies. According to the latest installment by the Detroit Free Press in its series about charter schools: “Some boa
JUN 25
Why Was David Sirota Fired?
We know that David Sirota was fired. Why? Was it because Pando is funded by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs? Or someone close to Chris Christie? The owners deny it. When a news website fires its star reporter, it raises questions.
The Last Word: Peter Greene on What Arne Should Have Said
Comments have been intense about Arne Duncan’s plan to hold states accountable for higher test scores for students with disabilities. Peter Greene said his proposal was really bad. Really bad. That set off a vigorous debate. Here is the last word, from Peter Greene, on what Arne should have said (but didn’t).
Pando Fires Top Investigative Reporter: Beware of Offending Powerful
David Sirota has written a series of blockbuster stories for the website Pando. He went after the big fish: John Arnold, Bill Gates, Chris Christie. He was fired. JUNE 25, 2014 Friends: Just a quick note to let you know that as of this week, I’m no longer working for PandoDaily, so if you need to reach me, please contact me at my personal email address david@davidsirota.com. This news was unexpec
Protest to be Held Tomorrow at Gates Foundation in Seattle
PROTEST The Gates Foundation When: June 26th 5PM Where: Rally at Westlake Park (401 Pine St, Seattle) March to Gates Foundation (440 5th Ave N, Seattle) Our schools are under attack from the mega rich who seek to reduce education to standardized test scores while busting unions & denying at-risk youth a rich and holistic school experiences. To broaden and deepen public awareness about this, th
Jersey Jazzman Joins the Honor Roll as a Hero of American Education
Social media are the tools of grassroots democracy. It is through blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and other modes of communication that citizens have the ability to make their voices heard in an age when the mainstream media are owned by large corporate interests. Few bloggers have been as effective as Jersey Jazzman in writing about the travails and triumphs of education today. Earlier this year, Jers
Adam Bessie: How the Vergara Advocates Framed The Narrative
Adam Bessie, who teaches in California, writes here about the neat rhetorical trick of the people and groups behind the Vergara case. Although they were spending millions of dollars to attack the rights of teachers and workers, they cleverly positioned themselves as part of a campaign for civil rights. Even the decision was written in that frame. Bessie says that teachers must reframe the debate–o
Pelto: Why Governor Dannel Malloy Supports Charter Schools
Blogger Jon Pelto, who is running as a third party candidate for governor of Connecticut, reports here that Governor Malloy has received large contributions from Jonathan Sackler and the Sackler family. Jonathan Sackler is a leader of the charter school movement in Connecticut and elsewhere. Pelto writes: Jonathan Sackler helped Governor Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, crea
Peter Greene: Is This the “Stupidest Thing Ever to Come Out of the U.S. DOE?”
Peter Greene writes that Arne Duncan has figured out why children with disabilities get lower test scores: Low expectations. Greene writes: “In announcing a new emphasis and “major shift,” the US Department of Education will now demand that states show educational progress for students with disabilities. “Arne Duncan announced that, shockingly, students with disabilities do poorly in school. The
Arne Duncan Proposes New Accountability for Special Education
Arne Duncan proposed new accountability standards for students with disabilities. Claudio Sancez of NPR wrote: “The Obama administration said Tuesday that the vast majority of the 6.5 million students with disabilities in U.S. schools today are not receiving a quality education, and that it will hold states accountable for demonstrating that those students are making progress. “Education Secreta
Steve Nelson: Education “Reform” is a Mighty Hoax
This is a terrific article by Steve Nelson. I wish I could republish it in full but that is not allowed. He actually says that what is called reform is “a national delusion.” He writes: “As I watch the education “debate” in America I wonder if we have simply lost our minds. In the cacophony of reform chatter — online programs, charter schools, vouchers, testing, more testing, accountability, Co
Reading Professor Responds to NCTQ Blast at Her Post
Katherine Crawford-Garrett, a literacy professor at the University of New Mexico,wrote on this blog about how the rating system used by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) affected her own ability to assign readings; her dean warned her that her syllabus might offend them. After her post appeared, it was criticized by Arthur McKee, who directed the NCTQ review of teacher preparation ins
Detroit Free Press: Astonishing Story of Charter Founders and Their Lavish Contracts
This is the third in a series by the Detroit Free Press about the remarkable conflicts of interest, nepotism, and self-dealing in Michigan charter schools, which collect $1 billion a year in public funds. Read it and be amazed that legislators and law enforcement officials permit this blatant misuse of public funds. The story begins: “Alison Cancilliari was a Grosse Ile teacher making $64,000 w
JUN 24
Stunning Upset in Colorado: Educator Beats DFER Candidate
Valentina (Val) Flores, a career educator, won a surprising and decisive victory for a seat on the state board of education in Colorado. Flores won by a margin of 59-41, beating a candidate who was supported by the hedge funders’ Democrats for Education Reform, Stand for Children, and Education Reform Now. Her opponent had two years experience in Teach for America. Flores has more than 40 years
Breaking News: Oklahoma Superintendent Loses Republican Primary
Janet Barresi, state superintendent in Oklahoma, was defeated in the Republican primary by Joy Hofmeister, a former teacher and state school board member. Barresi was a member of Jeb Bush’s Chiefs for Change (which dropped from seven to six with Barresi’s defeat). . She supported Jeb’s A-F grading system for schools, which Hofmeister opposed. Like Jeb, Barresi supported Common Core until Oklahoma
Former Obama Spokesmen Join Attack on Teacher Tenure and Seniority
Stephanie Simon reports at politico.com that former high-level Obama advisors will help the fight against teacher unions and due process rights. Campbell Brown, a former CNN anchor who is highly antagonistic to teachers’ unions, is creating an organization to pursue a Vergara-style lawsuit in New York against teachers’ job protections. Her campaign will have the public relations support of an agen
The Onion on the New Charter Lottery System
The Onion has created a new system for selecting charter students that is even faster and more effective than a lottery. So much for those old-fashioned public schools that let anyone at all enroll.
NYC Educator: Why We Don’t Need Common Core
New York State is a hotbed of parent opposition to Common Core standards, but no one in charge in the state or in the city of New York seems aware of it. Governor Cuomo loves the Common Core, as does State Commissioner John King, most of the state Board of Regents, and the di Blasio administration. The conventional wisdom is that “the implementation was flawed,” but it may be more than implementat
Belleville, N.J.: Why Teachers Need Tenure
Belleville, New Jersey, is the scene of a major battle between a heavy-handed supervisor and the district’s teachers. Although the district has a financial deficit, and many classes lack up-to-date technology and textbooks, the administration spent $2 million to install a state-of-the-art surveillance system for students and teachers. Jersey Jazzman writes: “Perhaps the worst decision the distric
Louisiana: Untangling the State from CCSS and PARCC–or Not?
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal announced that he was withdrawing the state from Common Core and the PARCC test for Common Core. State Commissioner John White said that the governor was wrong and that the state is proceeding with both Common Core and PARCC. Governor Jindal cut the funding for PARCC. Mercedes Schneider tries to untangle the elaborate political standoff.
Detroit Free Press: Weak Charter Law Enables Scams, Nepotism
In a continuing series of articles about charter schools in Michigan the Detroit Free Press reports that the state’s weak charter legislation enables unscrupulous charter organizations to engage in self-dealing and conflicts of interest. The article yesterday said that Michigan’s nearly 300 charter schools collect about $1 billion and have almost no accountability. The Michigan charters do no ou
CCSS Writer Blasts CC Basic Reading Standards
Dr. Louisa Moats was part of the team that wrote the foundational reading standards for the Common Core. In “Psychology Today,” she strongly criticized the standards. Among other things, she said: “I never imagined when we were drafting standards in 2010 that major financial support would be funneled immediately into the development of standards-related tests. How naïve I was. The CCSS represent
JUN 23
For-Profit Charter Blankets Detroit Free Press with Ads
The Detroit Free Press is running a week-long series about Michigan’s charter sector. The first story was about a $1 billion industry with no accountability and poor results. Most charters in the state operate for profit. The industry’s response? National Heritage Academies, a for-profit charter chain, bought up the advertising space around the story to tout their wares. See the screen shot.
U.S. Department of Education Bails Out Failing For-Profit College Chain
Peter Greene comments here on the U. S. Department of Education’s decision to bail out Corinthian Colleges, Inc., a for-profit chain. Not so long ago, the U.S. DOE pledged to monitor predatory for-profit colleges. Not so, it seems. Not now. Greene writes: “Corinthian has a somewhat checkered past. Okay, checkered might be generous. They have grown prodigiously since being founded in 1995, a
Arizona: State Commissioner John Huppenthal as Sock Puppet
Arizona State Commissioner of Education John Huppenthal admitted he left many comments anonymously on blogs. This is causing him some problems in his re-election campaign, as some of his comments were highly insulting and inflammatory to various groups. The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry canceled plans to honor him at its annual awards ceremony. Here are what one blog calls his “top te
Peter Greene: What Is “Whole Brain Teaching?”
Yesterday I posted a clip of students at Nashville Prep chanting the answers to questions. I should have mentioned that chanting the answers to questions was a common practice in mid-nineteenth century schools. Students would chant their geography lessons, for example, singing out the names of continents or mountains or oceans. They did not necessarily knew where to find them on a map, but they kn
Jason Stanford: Former Texas Commissioner Robert Scott Was Right About Testing and Common Core
Texas journalist Jason Stanford says it is time to recognize one of the heroes of the Education Spring: former Texas Commissioner Robert Scott, who bluntly said that high-stakes testing had grown too powerful and who warned that Common Core was intended to create a national curriculum and testing system. He came under a lot of criticism at the time and had to step down, but he has been proven righ
BATS Vote “No Confidence” in Arne Duncan
On the eve of the national conventions of the two major teachers’ unions, the BATS–a voluntary association of 48,000 teachers–voted “no confidence” in Arne Duncan and called for his replacement. This is their statement: “Badass Teachers Association Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2014 More Information Contact: Marla Kilfoyle, General Manager, BATs Melissa Tomlinson, Asst. General M
The Catch in Starbucks’ Offer of Free College Education for Workers
Starbucks received wonderful publicity for its offer to pay the tuition of thousands of workers who took online courses at Arizona State University. But there is a catch. “Any Starbucks employee who works at least 20 hours per week will soon be able to complete his/her junior and senior years of college at Arizona State University (ASU) Online, thanks to a deal between the coffeehouse colossus and
Anthony Cody: Is Gates’ Moratorium Real or a Tactic to Defuse Opposition?
When the Gates Foundation issued a press release calling for a two-year moratorium on the use of test scores to evaluate teachers, its position met a mixed reception. Some saw it as a victory for the critics of high-stakes testing; others as an attempt to weaken the critics by deferring the high stakes. Anthony Cody says, don’t be fooled. The Gates Foundation gives no indication that it understan
Detroit Free Press Investigation: Michigan Charters Get Poor Results, Have No Accountability
After a year-long investigation, the Detroit Free Press published a scathing report on the state’s thriving charter sector. Charter schools receive $1 billion in taxpayer funding with virtually no accountability. They get worse results than traditional public schools. 140,000 children attend charter schools in Michigan. Michigan has more for-profit charters than any other state. The for-profit
JUN 22
Jonathan Pelto Running for Governor of Connecticut, Speaks to Working Families Party
Jonathan Pelto supported Dannell Malloy in the last election,but is now running against him as a third-party candidate. Pelto was not invited to address either the AFT or the AFL-CIO, but finally got his chance to speak to the Working Families Party. Will WFP in Connecticut follow the example of its counterpart in New York, which toyed with a progressive candidate but then endorsed Governor Cuom
Gary Rubinstein: How “Reformers” Responded to Vergara, Gates’ Moratorium on VAM
Gary Rubinstein wondered how the “reform” sector reacted to the two big events of the past two weeks: the Vergara decision and the Gates Foundation’s advice to suspend test-based evaluations for teachers for two years. Reformers like Arne Duncan, StudentsFirst, and The New Teacher Project were delighted by the Vergara decision, which strikes at job protections for veteran teachers (more openings f
Arizona School Chief Admits Posting Anonymous Internet Comments
John Huppenthal, state school superintendent in Arizona, admitted that he had posted many comments on conservative blogs using a pseudonym. Some of his comments were inflammatory. “He likened welfare recipients to “lazy pigs.” “He blamed the Great Depression on Franklin D. Roosevelt and said FDR’s economic policies gave rise to Hitler. “He said Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger was respon
Tulane Professor: Néw Orleans Choice Experiment Failed
J. Celeste Lay, a professor of political science at Tulane University, reviewed the results of the Recovery School District—which replaced all public schools with privately-managed charter schools—and concluded that the story of “the Néw Orleans miracle” is a Big Lie. She writes: “The Louisiana Department of Education’s recent release of the results of the LEAP and iLEAP testing is incontroverti
Stanton Lawrence: How Missouri Killed the Normandy School District
[I am reposting this because the original post earlier today seems to have disappeared.] Sixty years after the landmark Brown decision, school segregation is on the rise. The nation marks the anniversary of the decision every ten years but neglects its promise to end racial segregation. One of the most egregious examples of malign neglect occurred recently in the Normandy school district in Missou
EduShyster Interviews Jose Luis Vilson about His New Book
EduShyster interviewed Jose Luis Vilson, New York City teacher and blogger, about his new book, “This Is Not a Test.” Vilson has woven together the story of his own life with narratives about his students and classroom experiences. My impression, when I read his book, is that he has a fresh voice, a style all his own, and a compelling way of bringing together issues and personal stories. In resp
The Secrets of Success at Nashville Prep?
Nashville Prep boasts some of the highest test scores in Tennessee. Its singular goal is college preparation. Fortunately, we can see what the school considers good instruction by looking at a video that is posted on its website. It is called “6 Minutes with Ms. McDonalds’ 5th Grade Social Studies Class.” Watch it and decide for yourself. Are these students being prepared to be successfu
Paul Thomas: How Allegory Teaches Us Life Lessons
Paul,Thomas writes here about what we learn from fiction–some fiction–about life. Why do we keep reading George Orwell’s “1984″ or Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible”? They teach us important life lessons, which we value. In this post, he writes about other books, books that teach us lessons about scarcity and about our willingness to accept harsh conditions as inevitable. This is the book he explore
JUN 21
Colorado State Board Race: Will Big Money Win Again?
Colorado and Denver are very friendly territory for corporate reformers. They have poured big money into state and local school board races. It has one of the nation’s most extreme teacher-evaluation laws, with 50% of teachers’ rating based on test scores. The law was written by State Senator Michael Johnston (ex-TFA). U.S. Senator Michael Bennett is a stalwart of corporate reform. In recent elect
Connecticut: Charter School CEO Resigns
Michael Sharpe resigned as CEO of The Jumoke Academy, which runs charter schools in Connecticut and plans to expand to Baton Rouge, after revelations that he had been convicted of felonies many years ago and that he did not have a doctorate degree, as he had claimed. One of the schools managed by Jumoke, the Milner elementary school, will be returned to the Hartford public schools. “On Saturday,
Congratulations, Samuel Abrams!
Samuel Abrams, a researcher at Teachers College, Columbia University, was named a knight by the Finnish government. “The honor was bestowed before family, friends, and colleagues in recognition of Abrams’s advancement of the understanding of Finnish education in the United States. Abrams has conducted a vast amount of research on Nordic as well as American education systems. Much of this research
Law Professor: The Vergara Decision Was Weakly Reasoned
In an interview in Salon, UCLA law professor Jonathan Zasloff says that Judge Rolf Treu’s decision against tenure and seniority was weakly reasoned. If it were a paper in one of his law school classes, he would give it a B-. Among other curiosities, the decision represents an aggressive sort of judicial activism, which conservatives usually deplore. Zasloff says: “When we find a ruling we don’t l
Robert Reich: The Three Biggest Right-Wing Lies About Poverty
A coalition of billionaires, millionaires, corporations, and hedge fund managers have decided that the best way to cure poverty is to fire teachers whose students don’t get higher test scores. This coalition–whose leaders include Arne Duncan, Michelle Rhee, ALEC, and others associated with corporate reform, know that it is lots cheaper to blame teachers than to do anything that will really reduce
Peter Greene: If Competition Is So Great, Then Why….?
I am tempted to apologize for posting Peter Greene so often, but I won’t. He is consistently on the mark. In this post he wonders about a glaring inconsistency in the corporate reform project. The reformers love competition. They want students to compete. They want teachers to compete. They want schools to compete. But when it come to the Common Core, they want all states to have the same standa
Why Kentucky Dropped the PARCC Test
When Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal announced he was withdrawing the state from the PARCC tests, he expressed concern about competitive bidding, among other things. He was not the only one to have this issue. At the beginning of 2014, Kentucky decided to withdraw from the PARCC testing consortium. PARCC is one of two federally funded testing groups aligned to the Common Core. Kentucky’s main de
