Please read Students Last, who noticed the absence of any real, actual teachers at the New York Times conference on “Schools of Tomorrow.”
He says there is a rumor that NBC’s “Medication Nation” might invite a physician, to add to the panel of pharmaceutical giants.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
LOL
As a teacher I am so sick and tired of being dismissed, of being ignored, of being marginalized, and of being blamed for no other reason than for the edu-corp profit margin. There is no chance they will have a real pro-public ed teacher on that program, or any program, because they would blow holes in all their rhetoric. They are so close to their fait accompli that they cannot take a chance by including any public ed people. I feel so betrayed by our President for endorsing this destruction.
What do you think of this article?
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/weekend-interview-michelle-henry-hillsborough-county-fourth-grade-teacher
This teacher loves the policies of Rick Scott, Jeb Bush and Arne Duncan. She wants to get a bonus if her kids’ scores go higher. She is definitely one in a million.
She’s not only one-in-a-million – but another celebrity teacher in the making. Oh well live by the test- die by the test. I don’t think her kids will be returning to visit her with fond memories of all the time they spent preparing and practicing for the test. Another teacher who worships the test. So sad, she isn’t the first and judging by the new recruits to our profession; she won’t be the last. I just hope the parents are on board and so too the kids. One thing I love about children- they have a built-in sincerity detector. If they sense something is amiss – watch out. No bonu$ for you.
One last thing, she needs to be called out on her remark, “added discipline”. I’m going to pretend to be clueless and ask rhetorically, Oh- what do you mean? If I were one of her students I’d be hurt that she thinks we need this and I would ask her why? Heck if I were one of her students I’d have an older sibling post this on Facebook and then send an email to the Principal and Board. Let’s see her dance around this one.
Michelle Rhee’s successor. Unless Rhee destroys her first.
I am not against other teachers disagreeing with us on these issues. However, I don’t like this idea of teachers being held responsible for test scores while simultaneously being told exactly how to teach. This is exactly what is happening in Florida with 31 of the 67 districts choosing to adopt Robert Marzano’s system for the observation side of our evaluations. This system (along with Charlotte Danielson’s system in other districts) were chosen by districts in order to comply with our state’s new merit pay law, which was essentially the state’s 2nd application for the Race to the Top Grant.
In all of the leadership books/articles I’ve read, they always note that the best delegators give an expected goal/result and then leave it up to the team to figure out the best ways to reach the goal. That is certainly not the case in Florida.
Here is a teacher whoo looks goood to those who don’t know what a good teacher is.
I noticed in Kate Walsh’s bio. It states that she “developed one of the nation’s premier programs in mathematics and science for middle and secondary public school students”. As a math educator, I am curious about the content of her program. I have not been able to find it. That seems a bit odd. I’m wondering if any of the readers of this blog know what this is.
Here is information about Kate Walsh and NCTQ: https://dianeravitch.net/2012/05/23/what-is-nctq/
Diane– I know that Kate is the head of NCTQ. I actually forwarded your link to others some time ago. There is that strange reference in her bio about developing “the nation’s premier programs in math and science” and I cannot find any reference to this. Frankly, like NCTQ, I think it is simply a load of b.s.
Kate must be a genius. Until today, I was unaware of her “premier” contribution. I hope she, unlike Michelle who came to DC with such a stellar resume and talent in raising test scores in Baltimore, shares this with teachers.To not do so would be selfish and unforgivable.
I was at the conference, Diane.
I stood up and asked a question that was intended to point out that testing and charter companies stand to profit more as more teachers are rated/ tested to be “ineffective.”
The NYT stands to profit with the privatization and computerization of schools. They can sell their content.
I am a real teacher in the Philadelphia public schools and I attended the Schools for Tomorrow event in NYC last week.
That being said, I did notice there were not too many of us around and there were a lot of questions from non-teachers. I did get to ask two – one that even got the panelists debating the merits of education on Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was quite fun and interesting to attend.
I can’t remember a time when the American mainstream media have been so co-opted by various corporate interests to help generate markets for commercial “reforms”.
I call it “Corporation Nation”.
Unfortunately, we as a people are so awash in consumerism, tech-dreck and “nonsense news” that no one seems to understand or even *see* what’s happening.