KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG 

A site to discuss better education for all

Slaying Goliath: The Passionate Resistance to Privatization and the Fight to Save America's Public Schools

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Peter Greene: Why the Education Disruption Machine Is Failing

by dianeravitch / 21min

This post by Peter Greene appeared in Forbes, where he is now a regular contributor, explaining the real world of education to non-educators. It is Greene’s perceptive review of SLAYING GOLIATH, which will be officially published on January 21. To my delight, he describes this blog as “the Rick’s Cafe” of the Resistance to what is wrongly termed “reform,” but which I have renamed Disruption. Call

YESTERDAY

Today is the Anniversary of the Worst Constitutional Amendment

by dianeravitch / 20h

Garrison Keillor posted this on his very engaging website “A Writer’s Almanac.” The daily newsletter is delightful, it’s free, and I recommend it. I was chastised by a reader for reprinting anything by Keillor, since he was credibly accused of #MeToo actions. I believe in redemption. I also believe in my freedom to post whatever I want. Keillor writes: It’s the 100 th anniversary of the beginning

What Happened When a 52-Year-Old Navy Seal Was Accepted as a Freshman at Yale?

by dianeravitch / 21h

James Hatch, Navy Seal, applied to Yale University and was accepted as a freshman at the age of 52. He was wary about how he would fit in. Were the students the “liberal snowflakes” he had heard about? Would he be able to do the work expected of a Yale freshman? Read his reflections on his experience. He was amazed, and you may be too. He began: In May of 2019, I was accepted to the Eli Whitney s

John Merrow: Insect-Based Teacher Training, Parts 1 & 2

by dianeravitch / 22h

John Merrow learned about the latest trending idea in teacher training. Give a teacher a script, put a “bug” in his or her ear, and let the teacher follow instructions. This is what he calls “insect-based” teacher training. He decided to visit some schools to find out how it was working. Part 1 begins like this: The latest development in the never-ending struggle to improve teaching involves “A b

ProPublica Exposes The Big Business of Lobbying

by dianeravitch / 23h

ProPublica is one of the most valuable sources of investigative journalism. I send them a regular contribution. They are truly on the side of the public, not the special interests. This is the latest entry in their series called “A User’s Guide to Democracy.” To save our democracy, we have to understand who is using big money to buy influence. Our votes can counter their money, but only if we are

Two Master Bloggers–Peter Greene and Steven Singer–Deconstruct the “National Parents Union”

200+by dianeravitch / 1d

Two of the best education bloggers in the nation weighed in on the nature and purpose of the new “National Parents Union,” which proudly announced that it would give parents’ “voice” in opposition to the teachers’ unions. Peter Greene asks, “Do You Smell Astroturf?” He provides a detailed history of the well-established “ed reform” credentials of its founders, as well as a scathing letter by a pa

JAN 16

Jennifer Hall Lee: In Pasadena, the Fund-Raising for Schools Reflects the Income Inequality in Society

by dianeravitch / 1d

Jennifer Hall Lee is a parent activist in Pasadena, California. She wrote this article about the different amounts of money available to different types of schools in Pasadena. Remember that one of the goals of American public education is “equality of educational opportunity.” How is this possible when children in public schools do not have access to the resources as children in other kinds of s

Sign Up Now for NPE Action Conference in Philly!

by dianeravitch / 1d

Time to register for the best education conference ever! Meet your allies and leaders of the Resistance! I will see you in Philly March 28-29!

Florida: Are Violent Kids Protected by Law?

32by dianeravitch / 1d

The Sun-Sentinel in Florida wrote about the problem of “violent students,” who can’t be removed from school because they are protected by law. I hope to hear from Florida teachers about this investigation. In an eight-month investigation, the South Florida Sun Sentinel found that a sweeping push for “inclusion” enables unstable children to attend regular classes even though school districts sever

Gary Rubinstein: The Collapse of the Tennessee “Achievement School District”

30by dianeravitch / 2d

Gary Rubinstein has been following the Tennessee Achievement School District since its inception and reporting annually on its failure. The ASD was funded by $100 million from the Obama-Duncan “Race to the Top.” The theory behind the ASD was that students had low test scores because they attended public schools with bad teachers. Take the same students in the same schools, turn them over to chart

JAN 15

Teresa Hanafin: New Evidence on the Ukrainian Affair

42by dianeravitch / 2d

Teresa Hanafin, writer of the Boston Globe’s Fast Forward, writes today: Before we review what’s scheduled to happen today at the Capitol re: the articles of impeachment, there is truly stunning new evidence that strengthens the Democrats’ accusations against Trump: Dozens of pages of notes, text messages, and other records that detail the work that Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and Giu

Maurice Cunningham: Why the Waltons Fund the “National Parents Union”

200+by dianeravitch / 2d

Maurice Cunningham is a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts who specializes in shining a bright light on Dark Money, the money insidiously inserted into political campaigns under false pretenses, where the donors try to hide their identity. In the instance described below, the identities of the donors are mostly known, so technically it is not Dark Money, but the pur

The “Patriotic Millionaires” Who Want to Pay Higher Taxes

26by dianeravitch / 2d

The New Yorke r published a very interesting article about an organization that calls itself Patriotic Millionaires. They want to pay higher taxes because they believe that inequality is a blight on our society. The focus of the article is Abigail Disney, who developed a social conscience in college and has deepened her commitment to social and economic justice. Excerpts: Abigail Disney remembers

Tom Ultican: The Takeover of Providence Public Schools

20by dianeravitch / 2d

Tom Ultican, retired teacher of physics and advanced mathematics, is a specialist in the Destroy Public Education movement. In this post, he describes the effort underway to take over the Providence public schools, a tactic that has not worked anywhere else. He begins: November 1, 2019, Angélica Infante-Green, Rhode Island’s new Commissioner of Education, announced the state was taking over Provi

JAN 14

California: County Board of Education Denies Renewal of Troubled Charter School

31by dianeravitch / 3d

The Los Angeles County Board of Education has denied renewal to a troubled charter school in the Inglewood school district. The school has a long history of self-dealing, conflicts of interest, and a mixed academic record. This charter demonstrates that even “non-profits” can be very profitable to its owners. The California Charter Schools Association is on high alert because of a change in state

Gary Rubinstein: More Reform-Funded Nonsense About KIPP Graduation Rates

by dianeravitch / 3d

Gary Rubinstein is the Myth-Buster of the Resistance. He has achieved this eminent position because of his intolerance for hype, propaganda, and lies. In this post, he bust the myth that low-income charter school graduates have a dramatically higher college graduation rate than low-income public school graduates. In fact, he shows, charter school graduates have the same college graduation rate as

Steve Hinnefeld: Indiana’s School Rating System Is Worthless

58by dianeravitch / 3d

Steve Hinnefeld is a veteran reporter on Indiana education. In this post, he describes the shift from a simplistic A-F rating system (the one devised by Jeb Bush) to the federal rating system, which includes more factors. The problem with both ratings systems is that they accurately measure student income. The highest rated schools have students with the highest income. The lowest rated schools h

Arizona: Goldwater Institute Sues to Invalidate Regulation of Voucher Money

29by dianeravitch / 3d

The far-right Goldwater Institute has filed a lawsuit claiming that the state has no right to regulate how parents spend their voucher money, the money that is paid by taxpayers. Goldwater says that if the parents misspent the money, it should be refunded to parents so they can try again. The Goldwater Institute, along with the DeVos family and Charles Koch, have sponsored efforts to expand the v

Jersey Jazzman: The Hoax of “Choice”

31by dianeravitch / 4d

Jersey Jazzman, aka New Jersey teacher Mark Weber, analyzes the false promises of choice advocates . He demonstrates their repeated claims that charters and vouchers will give poor kids “the same choices” as rich kids. This is nonsense. Wealthy Right-wingers have been trying to destroy public education for decades. This is their latest hoax. The private schools where rich families send their chil

JAN 13

New York: Will Democrats in State Senate Sell Out to Hedge Fund Billionaires?

100+by dianeravitch / 4d

The New York Daily News reports that lobbyists for billionaires who support charter schools had a cozy meeting with Democrats in the State Senate. Even though pro-public education progressives swept control of the State Senate away from the charter-crazy Republicans in the State Senate, the lobbyists know that money is still green, no matter who is in power. Jeffrey Cook-McCormac, a lobbyist work

Sign Up Now for the Network for Public Education Action Conference in Philadelphia, March 28-29!

by dianeravitch / 4d

Join your friends, allies, and other members of the Resistance in Philadelphia, March 28-29. Now is the time to register!

Sanders Speaks Out for Public Schools and Their Teachers in Florida

100+by dianeravitch / 4d

Thousands of teachers in Florida are rallying at the state capitol today to demand higher wages and better working conditions. The Republican-dominated legislature has been handing out public monies to charter schools and for voucher programs, but ignoring the public schools that enroll 85% of the state’s students. Several of the key legislators are related to charter operators. Conflicts of inte

Hooray! The Astrology Book Club Recommends SLAYING GOLIATH!

by dianeravitch / 4d

SLAYING GOLIATH will be published one week from tomorrow! I can’t wait for you to read it and send your comments. Meanwhile, the latest kudo came from an unexpected source: LITHUB. Its Astrology Book Club selected SLAYING GOLIATH as one of its annual recommendations . CAPRICORN Diane Ravitch, Slaying Goliath (Knopf, January 21) If you really need something to get done, call a Capricorn. These tou

Arthur Goldstein: Albany Hands Down the New 10 Commandments to English Teachers

by dianeravitch / 4d

Arthur Goldstein, veteran teacher of many decades, thinks he knows a thing or two about teaching English. The State Education Department doesn’t trust him or other English teachers. So they have distributed new mandates about how to teach “advanced literacy” to make sure that he does what he is told. And he doesn’t like it. Frankly, it sounds like Common Core in a new dress. Goldstein writes: For

Larry Lee: The Colossal Charter Mess in Alabama

by dianeravitch / 4d

Larry Lee, native Alabaman, follows the charter confusion in his home state, where the law describes precisely how charter schools should be authorized. But, as Lee notes, the actual process of creating new charters has proceeded with complete disregard for the law, and no one seems to care. Public schools in Montgomery will be replaced by charter schools, but the local board did not agree (the l

Domingo Morel: The State Takeover of Houston Schools Is about Race and Power, Not School Improvement

57by dianeravitch / 4d

Domingo Morel is a professor of political science at Rutgers University who has studied school takeovers across the nation. He is the author of Takeover: Race, Education, and American Democracy. In this post, he describes the proposed state takeover of the Houston Independent School District as a hoax. It is a manufactured crisis. It is a theft of political power, and it is based on race. If the

DeVos Ignores Judge’s Order: Will She Be Punished?

44by dianeravitch / 5d

During the Obama administration, Congress passed legislation to protect students who had been defrauded by for-profit colleges. In most cases, the “colleges” made claims about their success in placing their graduates in jobs. As a result of these misleading claims, thousands of students paid for a worthless degree. The Education Department attempted to help them get restitution. The Education Dep

JAN 12

Register Now for NPE Action Conference!

by dianeravitch / 5d

Now is the time to register for the best conference you have ever attended! You will meet the bloggers you read here regularly. You will meet leaders of the Resistance from across the country. You will have to choose among amazing panels. Join me in Philadelphia, March 28-29!

My Book Tour Dates for SLAYING GOLIATH

40by dianeravitch / 5d

This is the current (and evolving) list of my speaking engagements in connection with the publication of my new book: SLAYING GOLIATH: THE PASSIONATE RESISTANCE TO PRIVATIZATION AND THE FIGHT TO SAVE AMERICA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I am trying not to wear myself out. Ten years ago, I hopped from city to city like a mountain goat. But now I am 81 years old, and my knees are worn out. I have to pace myse

Philadelphia: Principal Says, “My School Needs Support, Not Competition”

86by dianeravitch / 5d

Nimet Eren, principal of the public Kensington Health Sciences Academy, runs a public school for 465 students that is open to all and offers four career pathways. Recently the school learned that a new charter would open nearby offering the same program. The principal was told that the competition would “help” her school by providing a “model” of what her school was already doing successfully. Sh

New Hampshire Democrats Again Reject $46 Million for New Charters

68by dianeravitch / 6d

A few weeks ago, Democrats in the New Hampshire legislature’s Fiscal Oversight Committee rejected $46 million from Betsy DeVos and the federal Charter Schools Program. The vote was 7-3 on partisan lines. The grant would have doubled the number of charters in the state at a time of declining enrollment statewide. The Republican State Commissioner of Education, Frank Edelblut, came back to the comm

New York: State Drops “Achieve” as Testing Consultant

24by dianeravitch / 6d

The New York State Board of Regents received a grant of $100,000 from the Gates Foundation to hire a consultant to evaluate its testing illness. The Regents hired Achieve, an organization devoted to standardized testing and it’s proliferation. In addition, Achieve was deeply involved in the development of the Common Core. After hearing outrage from constituents, the Regents broke ties with Achiev

JAN 11

Michael Kohlhaas: Charter Leader Embarrassed to Admit That He Took Money from the Waltons and Broad (“Great Public Schools Now”)

53by dianeravitch / 6d

Michael Kohlhaas, the blogger who has used the California Public Records Act to obtain emails among charter leaders, the California Charter Schools Association, and their enablers, reveals here what happened when protestors shut down a charter board meeting last March , accusing the charter school of taking money from the nefarious Eli Broad and the Waltons. Broad and Walton have a shell takeover

Waltons and Broad Fund a “Grassroots Parents’” Group

53by dianeravitch / 6d

If you believe that any genuine parent organization is funded by the Waltons, Eli Broad, and the City Fund (which was funded by the Reed Hastings, John Arnold, and other billionaires), please contact me at once, as I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I can sell you for a reasonable fee. Really! I’ll even print up a gen-u-wine bill of sale! One of the leaders of the National Parents Union, Keri Rodri

Charter Chains Try to Lift College Graduation Rates By Sending Dropouts to Online “College”

by dianeravitch / 6d

The Texas-based IDEA charter chain, along with the Noble Network in Chicago and the Match charter school in Boston, is trying to boost its college graduation rates by encouraging its former students who dropped out of college to enlist in an online college program where requirements are minimal. By partnering with Southern New Hampshire University, which enrolls tens of thousands of students from

Bob Shepherd Reviews “SLAYING GOLIATH”

by dianeravitch / 6d

Bob Shepherd is a polymath, a man of remarkable learning, an author, a scholar, and at the capstone of his career, a classroom teacher. Regular readers of this blog know him as a frequent contributor and a source of wisdom and humor. Here is his review of my new book, SLAYING GOLIATH: THE PASSIONATE RESISTAMCE TO PRIVATIZATION AND THE FIGHT TO SAVE AMERICA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS , which will be release

Wisconsin: Taxpayers Angry About Supporting Two School Systems

400+by dianeravitch / 7d

The Eau Claire County Board was asked to endorse a resolution saluting “School Choice Week,” but homeowners turned out to denounce the loss of money from their public schools that was sent to voucher schools. One after 

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

John Thompson: The Hit and Miss of Education Reforms - TulsaKids Magazine

The Hit and Miss of Education Reforms - TulsaKids Magazine

The Hit and Miss of Education Reforms

Occasionally, I post pieces on my blog written by others. The blog I’m posting today was written by John Thompson, a retired Oklahoma City educator and writer. Thompson, who has a Ph.D. in American History from Rutgers University, has been honored with several teaching awards, is a Fulbright Scholar, and is a regular contributor to many of the nation’s most influential educational policy blogs, including pro-reform blogs, as well as the Huffington Post, the Washington Post and The Progressive Magazine.

Mr. Thompson’s observations offer historical context to many of the current reforms happening in public education in Tulsa.

The Hit and Miss of Education Reforms

TTulsans don’t need a retired Oklahoma City Public Schools teacher to remind them that since 2015 the Tulsa Public Schools have cut $22 million from its budget, even dipping into its reserve fund to balance the books. Now it must cut another $20 million. As the Tulsa World noted, the budget is due in February, but only 15% of the proposed cuts have been revealed.

Despite the assistance of the outcome-driven “Billionaires Boys Club,” the TPS has lost 5,000 students in recent years, especially to the suburbs and online charters. But urban educators need to engage in a dialogue about why Chief for Change Superintendent Deborah Gist and her staff of Broad Academy administrators have produced such awful outcomes.

I know from three decades of experience that when the underfunded Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) is presented with contradictory “good cop, bad cop” mandates, district leaders say nice CONTINUE READING: The Hit and Miss of Education Reforms - TulsaKids Magazine

An Upcoming Supreme Court Ruling Could Starve Public Schools—In Favor of Religious Ones

An Upcoming Supreme Court Ruling Could Starve Public Schools—In Favor of Religious Ones

An Upcoming Supreme Court Ruling Could Starve Public Schools—In Favor of Religious Ones

On January 22, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, a case that could result in the massive expansion of public funding for private religious schools. The petitioners in the case—which will be litigated by the conservative law group, Institute for Justice—are asking that the court rule unconstitutional the denial of "public funds' to religious schools, invoking the First Amendment "freedom of exercise" clause to defend the position. In the event that the court rules in favor of the petitioner, the result, argue its detractors, would be tantamount to a mandate for religious voucher programs in every state.

Through voucher programs and tax relief for private school donors, more than 20 states are already redirecting public funds into private education. Public schools, already strapped for resources, face increasingly limited budgets when public money is diverted to private schools. In Illinois, a so-called “school choice” state, public school teachers and staff went on strike for 11 days beginning on October 17  to demand support staff in every school and smaller class sizes. The Chicago Teachers Union has identified voucher programs as a cause of underfunding in the city’s public schools. Michelle Gunderson, an activist in the Chicago Teachers Union, says that in her school—where she teaches first grade—persistent underfunding, exacerbated by CONTINUE READING: An Upcoming Supreme Court Ruling Could Starve Public Schools—In Favor of Religious Ones

Ed Notes Online: Gayle Lakin Reviews Ravitch New Book, Slaying Goliath

Ed Notes Online: Gayle Lakin Reviews Ravitch New Book, Slaying Goliath

Gayle Lakin Reviews Ravitch New Book, Slaying Goliath

Ravitch explains myriad ways that charter school operators have earned extraordinary salaries at tax payer expense!     Gayle Lakin 

I'm really looking forward to reading Diane's new book. Here Gayle gives us lots of reasons to do so. Since I believe I created the term "ed deform" I'm so happy to see Diane use it instead of the misleading "ed reform" even when put in quotes. Just look at how Bloomberg/Klein deformed education here in NYC.

Gayle Lakin Review
Slaying Goliath: The Passionate Resistance to Privatization and the Fight to Save America’s Public Schools.

No words can possibly convey the degree of spin, erroneous data and persistent support of outright fabrications that became “truths” under a relentless “ed reform” mantra; say it enough, spin it enough, publish it enough, work the system enough and it will become “true” enough. But “enough is enough”! Ravitch heroically and successfully wades through this complicated decades-long haze in her book, Slaying Goliath with her trademark attention to detail. She brings clarity as to how “ed reform” (she prefers “ed deform”) birthed charter schools with the intention of privatizing our national education system and how and why this “grand scheme” is currently and fortunately starting to burn out!

What might a reader’s first reaction be? There isn’t a rock big enough for “ed deformers” to crawl under to escape the raw truths exposed in this book. Ravitch names people and companies (and there are many). She thoroughly explains the tactics of those ultra-wealthy hedge-fund managers, philanthropists, CEO’s, big CONTINUE READING: Ed Notes Online: Gayle Lakin Reviews Ravitch New Book, Slaying Goliath

House rebukes DeVos plan to protect predatory for-profit colleges - Education Votes

House rebukes DeVos plan to protect predatory for-profit colleges - Education Votes

House rebukes DeVos plan to protect predatory for-profit colleges

By Mary Ellen Flannery

Betsy DeVos’ attempts to protect predatory for-profit colleges that have defrauded students—and to sabotage students’ ability to get debt relief from the federal government—hit a major roadblock in the U.S. House on Thursday.

By a 231 to 180 vote, the House passed a resolution to block DeVos’ efforts to gut protections for student borrowers and taxpayers in the nearly 30-year-old “borrower defense rule.”

“By passing this resolution, the House made clear that we care more about defending defrauded students than enriching predatory schools,” said U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV). “We told Betsy DeVos that we’re not going to sit on the sidelines while these institutions scam our families, our friends, our neighbors, and our veterans while they’re trying to get an education.”

The borrower defense rule dates to 1992, when Congress reauthorized the Higher Education Act. It was strengthened during the Obama administration after the abrupt collapse of the massive, for-profit Corinthian College chain in 2014, which left tens of thousands of students CONTINUE READING: House rebukes DeVos plan to protect predatory for-profit colleges - Education Votes

Ohio’s Budget Bill Multiplies School Vouchers, Leaves Local School Districts in Crisis | janresseger

Ohio’s Budget Bill Multiplies School Vouchers, Leaves Local School Districts in Crisis | janresseger

Ohio’s Budget Bill Multiplies School Vouchers, Leaves Local School Districts in Crisis

On Tuesday afternoon, I went to a meeting of my monthly book discussion group—all of us retired and over 70.  But as we sat down with our coffee and before we discussed the book we had all been reading for the month, we found ourselves distracted by the topic that is tearing our community apart: the changes the Ohio Legislature made last summer in the fine print of the FY 20-21 state budget—changes that exploded the size of the state’s EdChoice school voucher program.

I wonder whether legislators have any real understanding of the collateral damage for particular communities from policies enacted without debate. Maybe, because our community has worked for fifty years to be a stable, racially and economically diverse community with emphasis on fair housing enforcement and integrated schools, legislators just write us off as another failed urban school district. After all, Ohio’s education policy emphasizes state takeover and privatization instead of equitable school funding. The state punishes instead of helping all but its most affluent, outer ring, exurban, “A”-rated school districts, where property values are high enough that state funding is not a worry.

What this year’s EdChoice voucher expansion means for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school district where the members of my book discussion group all live is that—just to pay for the new vouchers—our school district has been forced to put a property tax levy on the March 17 primary election ballot. Ohio’s school finance expert, Howard Fleeter explains that in our school district, EdChoice voucher use has grown by 478 percent in a single year.  CONTINUE READING: Ohio’s Budget Bill Multiplies School Vouchers, Leaves Local School Districts in Crisis | janresseger

Lawmakers Demand Accountability for Funds Earmarked for Disadvantaged Students | Ogo Okoye-Johnson

Lawmakers Demand Accountability for Funds Earmarked for Disadvantaged Students | Ogo Okoye-Johnson

Lawmakers Demand Accountability for Funds Earmarked for Disadvantaged Students

On January 6, 2020, Assemblywomen Shirley Weber of San Diego and Sharon Quirk-Silva of Fullerton introduced Assembly Bills 1834 and 1835 as a result of the California State Audit that revealed that the funds earmarked for disadvantaged students for the purpose of closing the achievement gap under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) are not being used for these students as intended. Both bills will correct two deficiencies of the LCFF recommended by the audit.

Assembly Bill 1834 “would require the State Department of Education to develop, on or before January 1, 2021, a tracking mechanism for school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to use to report the types of services on which they spend their supplemental and concentration grant funds. The bill would require each local educational agency, commencing July 1, 2021, to annually report to the department the types of services on which it spends its supplemental and concentration grant funds using the tracking mechanism developed by the department.”

Assembly Bill 1835 would require each school district, county office of education, and charter school to identify unspent supplemental and concentration grant funds by annually reconciling and reporting to the department its estimated and actual CONTINUE READING: Lawmakers Demand Accountability for Funds Earmarked for Disadvantaged Students | Ogo Okoye-Johnson

CARL J. PETERSEN: LAUSD Candidate Profile: Lydia Gutierrez + Tanya Franklin

LAUSD Candidate Profile: Lydia Gutierrez

LAUSD Candidate Profile: Lydia Gutierrez

I am a strong supporter of meeting the needs of Special Needs students and finding the best environment for their educational success.”– Lydia Gutierrez

The last time Lydia Gutierrez ran for this seat, she unexpectedly forced incumbent Vladovic into a runoff. In the general election, the fiercely independent candidate earned the distinction of being opposed by both the charter school industry and UTLA. She still managed to win 43.7% of the vote. She is an underdog who should not be underestimated.

Gutierrez is a 2nd-grade teacher in Long Beach Unified School District and serves as the California Teachers Association co-chair of the State Legislative Committee for Adult, Alternative, and Career Technical Education. She also served for seven years as an elected member of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council.

Since she is running as “a strong advocate for parent voices to be CONTINUE READING: LAUSD Candidate Profile: Lydia Gutierrez

LAUSD Candidate Profile: Tanya Franklin

The current board meeting time prevents the board, Superintendent and their staff to observe and learn with school staff during the most common adult learning time across our district.”
– Tanya Franklin

Like current Board Member Nick Melvoin, Tanya Franklin was displaced from the classroom as a result of the Great Recession and ended up in law school. It was during this time that she became associated with the Partnership for LA Schools, an organization that was “the brainchild of former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa”. Two-time State Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate, Marshall Tuck, was its first CEO. Franklin still works for the partnership, focusing “on restorative justice, social-emotional learning and teacher CONTINUE READING: LAUSD Candidate Profile: Tanya Franklin

BESE Special Meeting Includes Process for Selecting La.’s Next Superintendent | deutsch29

BESE Special Meeting Includes Process for Selecting La.’s Next Superintendent | deutsch29

BESE Special Meeting Includes Process for Selecting La.’s Next Superintendent

On January 16, 2020, Louisiana’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) held a special meeting, which included the swearing in of the 2020 BESE members; election of officers, and discussion of how to proceed with hiring Louisiana’s next state superintendent. (See video below.)

The BESE president is Sandy Holloway; vice president is Tony Davis, and secretary-treasurer is Kira Orange-Jones (which might prompt her to address her chronic absence from 38 percent of BESE meetings last term).

Regarding the process for selecting the next superintendent, Holloway proposed the following:

The Board president will establish a work group made up of four BESE members, including a work group chair, which shall serve as the nominating and screening committee, regarding the minimum qualifications and process relevant to the appointment of the state superintendent and will inform the BESE executive director of the nominees no later than January 27th. The work group will meet to develop a process for the selection of an appointment of the state superintendent. The process will be presented to the Board at the January 28th or 29th meeting for the Board’s consideration.

So, the governor apparently will not be submitting his recommendation for BESE to vote on. Instead, BESE will form a committee to nominate, offer info on minimum qualifications (which I hope includes at least five years as a classroom teacher; experience as a district superintendent, and a preference for in-state CONTINUE READING: BESE Special Meeting Includes Process for Selecting La.’s Next Superintendent | deutsch29