Archives for the month of: October, 2012
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Michigan’s Emergency District About to Expand

By dianeravitch
October 10, 2012 //
17

Michigan created an emergency district for schools with low test scores, administered by Broad Academy alum John Covington, who decamped from Kansas City after making no improvements there.

The emergency district is about to become the largest district in the state. By adding low-perming districts from across the state, the EAA will have 46,000 students.

The salient feature of the new district is that it is non-union. The assumption of the conservative Rick Snyder administration and the EAA is that unions are the major obstacle to improvement.

The US Department of Education just gave the district a grant to install performance pay in its schools. Never mind that performance pay promotes teaching to the test and has never worked. Why is the Obama administration encouraging an attack on unions?

Categories Accountability, Broad Foundation, Education Industry, Merit pay, Michigan

Florida School Boards Resist Aggressive Expansion of Virtual Charters

By dianeravitch
October 10, 2012 //
6

The online for-profit corporation K12 wants to grow its business in Florida but school boards are opposing it. The online charters poach students and funding from public schools while providing a poor quality of education.

They do, however, have one big political advantage. They have the fervent support of former Governor Jeb Bush, who is a political powerhouse in the state.

Independent studies have found high dropout rates, low test scores, low graduation rates, and inflated billing at the virtual charters. K12 is under investigation in Florida. But it is so profitable that it is undeterred by little issues like poor results and the harmful effects on the entire structure of public education. These guys are corporate raiders of the public purse. A “school” that recruits only 10,000-15,000 students will draw $100 million in revenues while having no maintenance costs, no nurses, no social workers, no library, nothing like the fixed costs of real schools. And what profits!

Categories ALEC, Bush, Jeb, Education Industry, Education Reform, Florida, For-Profit, Privatization

Tumult in NOLA

By dianeravitch
October 10, 2012 //
17

Two months into the school year, the head of the Recovery School District abruptly fired the principal of Walter L. Cohen High School as well as several teachers and announced that he was turning the school over to a charter operator called the Future Is Now.

Students reacted angrily and protested the disruption in their school. They issued their own demands, which included the funds to repair the building, reinstatement of the fired staff and a full report from the charter about its record, its test scores, suspensions, police reports, graduation rates, attrition rate and other data about its performance.

The Future Is Now is a charter chain led by Steve Barr (formerly of Green Dot in California) and real estate developer Gideon Stein of New York City, who has been associated with Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy schools.

The following exchange of letters between Tracie Washington, a prominent civil rights attorney in New Orleans, and Gideon Stein, shows the heat of the controversy. In New Orleans, the wishes of parents, students, and communities count for nothing. All decisions are made elsewhere.

From: “Tracie Washington”
Date: Oct 9, 2012 6:02 PM
Subject: RE: Walter L. Cohen High School
To: “Gideon Stein”
Cc: “Vaughn R Fauria” , , , , , , , , “Mary Joseph” , “Judith Browne-Dianis” , “Tracie Washington”

Gideon:

The problem is the presumptions made that started this web of deception and mess. That web continues, even today with Recovery School District (RSD) and FINS-Nola backdating a contract (it’s a public record folks; that’s a big ‘no,no’). Apologizing to me means little. You and your Board and the RSD did something that really is unforgiveable. You entered a community and said “I know what’s better for you and your children. I will not consult with you, but instead take over your community.” I’m saddened not because you did this. You are not a member of my community. But Black folk in this community did it to other Black folk. And yesterday, when these students were exercising civil disobedience the likes of which I had not seen from our young folk, RSD threatened them with the declaration of truancy, which is criminalization in our community.

On Sunday, the students told our community they felt like slaves. SLAVES. It’s 2012. FINS-Nola and RSD made a group of Black children feel like slaves. We have Congo Square. I guess we should have simply sent the kids there on Friday.

I don’t know how you resolve the lies told to take away the rights of these parents and students. You all have been paid. So it’s all better because now you say you’re sorry? Really.

You get to fly out of here. So it’s up to Black women to clean up this mess? My grandmother worked for $3/day and carfare so that I would not have to clean up behind white folk. Not today. This is your mess Gideon. Stick around!

I’m just sick!

Tracie L. Washington, Esq.
President & CEO
Louisiana Justice Institute
Every day without fail — Make Justice Happen
1631 Elysian Fields Avenue | New Orleans, Louisiana 70117
p 504.872.9134 | f 504.872.9878 | c 504.390.4642
Admitted to Practice in Texas and Louisiana
tracie@LouisianaJusticeInstitute.org | tlwesq@cox.net
http://www.LouisianaJusticeInstitute.org
Visit our blog and comment: http://www.JusticeRoars.org
Learn about LJI’s Project Transparency: http://www.NolaPublicRecords.org

From: Gideon Stein [mailto:gstein@finschools.org]
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2012 5:42 PM
To: Tracie Washington
Cc: Vaughn R Fauria
Subject: Re: Walter L. Cohen High School

Tracie,

I’m replying to you and Vaughn and bcc’ing the rest of the FINNOLA board and other people cc’d on your email. First, let me state that FINNOLA is very sorry for any disruption and hurt caused to the Cohen community. As with John McDonogh, FINNOLA recognizes the important history of New Orleans schools and the unique identity that students, alumni, parents and the community all share with respect to their schools. FINNOLA is committed to working with all stake holders at Cohen to hear concerns and ensure that community interests are considered along with our commitment to providing the best possible education for children.
I spent time at Walter L. Cohen today and can report that the protests are over, the kids are back in class and we are working with the RSD and NOCP to address many of the issues raised by the Cohen students.

Sincerely,

Gideon

—
Gideon Stein
President
Future Is Now Schools
646.373.3888

Categories Charter Schools, Education Reform, New Orleans, Privatization, Students

Ms. Katie Reviews Paul Tough

By dianeravitch
October 10, 2012 //
7

The readers of this blog know Katie Osgood as a teacher who works with young people in a psychiatric hospital in Chicago. She writes brilliantly, from her experience. Here, she writes a critique of Paul Tough’s new book How Children Succeed.

Categories Education Reform

How to Join the Campaign for Our Public Schools

By dianeravitch
October 10, 2012 //
4

As a result of many comments on this blog, and in response to a great yearning to raise our voices, many teachers, parents, students, administrators and concerned citizens plan to join together in a mass letter-writing campaign to the President.

We want all letters submitted here to this blog or to Anthony Cody no later than October 17.

You may write to the White House directly, and the mail address is in the instructions link. But if you do, you will be required to disclose your identity in full. Knowing that many educators are fearful these days, you may send Anthony and me your letter without disclosing your name.

Please add as much detail as possible about your concerns. Be clear. Be specific.

Categories Education Reform

Playing Games with Data in Louisiana

By dianeravitch
October 9, 2012 //
18

Yesterday I wrote a post about how the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education was pulling a few fancy tricks to inflate the scores of charter schools. This makes it easier to claim that they are incredibly successful (when they are not) and persuade the Legislature to add many more.

But it turns out that Louisiana is even slicker than Pennsylvania when it comes to playing games with the data. One of our readers, whom I deduce is or was an employee of the Louisiana Department of Education, has the goods.

Read this post and please be sure to open the link for more chicanery in Baton Rouge. The bottom line: Now that Bobby Jindal and John White control the State Department of Education, don’t trust the data they produce.

Actually, John White and Louisiana have already perfected several of these techniques and added a few twists of their own. I’ve documented some of the tricks being used here:

Louisiana Managing Expectations and Manipulating the Public – for example: “T” isn’t for Terrible Schools, it’s for Turnaround Schools!

Basically they are defining schools they take over and/or turn over to charter operators as “Turnaround” schools for two years and don;t report any data on them. If the scores don’t improve they plan to reassign them to a new charter. Only schools that do well will ever get reported. Additionally, all of the recovery school district in New Orleans is defined as a small school district, less than 1000 students. Even though taken together they easily exceed that coun. Several of the sub-districts like Algiers have multiple sites and exceed that number, but for purposes of reporting the data for these districts LDE has decided to count the schools as their own district. I’m pretty sure even then we have one or two schools with more than 1000 students, but this has been reported by our departing accountabilty folks to USDOE with no apparent effect.

PA’s only mistake is not reporting what they were doing, USDOE doesn’t care if you cook the numbers, as long as you tell them you are I guess.

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit, Jindal, Bobby, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Privatization, Vouchers

23 Texas Districts Get Test Waivers

By dianeravitch
October 9, 2012 //
2

A group of Texas superintendents have been developing a different vision of what education ought to be. Different from the test-and-punish approach of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top.

With the full-blown revolt against high-stakes testing in Texas, the superintendents now have a chance to show their stuff.

At the last session, the Legislature gave permission for a small number of districts to development a new approach to accountability.

These 23 districts have a chance to change the national obsession with standardized testing.

A lot is at stake. Texas cut $5.4 billion from its public schools last year; but it was able to scrape up nearly $500 million for a five-year contract with Pearson for testing.

And, as you will see from the link, the business leaders of the state are bound and determined to shove testing on every school from now until the end of time, no matter how useless and harmful all that testing is.

Categories Pearson, Testing, Texas

Hats Off to Tacoma!

By dianeravitch
October 9, 2012 //
11

I asked readers to tell me about good school districts that manage to offer a good education despite the testing mania. This reader in Tacoma explains what is happening there.

I am adding Tacoma, Washington, to the honor roll because it is an exemplar of good public education:

In Tacoma Public Schools, some schools do better than others, but overall I think we’ve done as best we can to follow the laws while also ensuring that the students are well-served. We are innovative. We have a high school extended day program modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone program. We have a School of the Arts, a Science and Math Academy, and two Montessori programs (1 that’s K-8 and 1 that’s K-5). We have an arts focused elementary school, IB high school and middle school, and AP options in all 5 high schools. We have middle and high school sports programs and after school clubs in all levels. We do what charter schools propose but we include ALL students – SpEd, ESL, 504, everyone.

We still give the tests mandated by the state and it does take a great deal of instructional time, but rather than teach to the test, we focus on AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) strategies throughout the district so that students learn both the skills to succeed in any subject area and the subject area content necessary to progress to higher level.

Our state is fighting a charter school initiative for the fourth time. I suspect (strongly hope?) that it won’t pass. Kevin Johnson came to speak and while the Tacoma mayor was there to support him, only about 100 people showed up and many of them just came to see a former NBA player and didn’t even stay for the whole show. Our district has proven we can be innovative, get results, keep kids in school and do it all without charter schools as an option.

Categories Education Reform, Honor Roll, Washington State

Can You Answer This Question?

By dianeravitch
October 9, 2012 //
35

I am often asked whether there are any districts that have managed to do the right thing despite all the federal mandates.

Are there any districts that have managed to minimize the harmful consequences of high-stakes testing?

Are there districts that have managed to protect the arts, physical education, recess, history, civics, foreign languages and necessary services to students?

Are there districts that do not waste money on test prep but expend their resources on good instruction?

Are there districts that recognize that teamwork matters, not merit pay?

Are there districts that address the needs of children instead of opening privately managed charters?

Please send me your thoughts.

Diane

Categories Education Reform

If This Newspaper Gets It, Why Can’t the NY Times?

By dianeravitch
October 9, 2012 //
4

The Reading (Pa.) Eagle has a smart editorial questioning the state’s rating system for schools. It seems that quite a few local schools did not make “adequate yearly progress.”

The editorialist wrote:

“…we do not believe this is a sign local districts suddenly are doing a poor job. It’s a sign of an incomprehensible system that sets up schools to fail and encourages an educational structure focused on getting high test scores rather than well-rounded learning.

“Only a bureaucrat could comprehend the regulations involved. Some schools on the warning list achieved higher scores than others that were judged to have met the standard…

“It is noble to say that schools should aim for every child to succeed, and they should, but the reality is that for a variety of reasons some students will not, regardless of what educators do. The current system of arbitrary benchmarks does not seem to recognize that.”

How remarkable that the Reading Eagle understands that the system itself is fundamentally flawed and that it sets up schools to fail? Sooner or later, the newspaper will realize that this predictable failure is part of someone’s business plan.

How is it possible that the Reading Eagle understands what is happening, while the influential New York Times stubbornly supports the metrics, no matter how absurd they are?

Maybe someone who writes for the Reading Eagle has children in the public schools. Maybe they have talked to real teachers.

Categories Teacher Evaluations
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