Archives for the year of: 2013
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Voodoo Education or Zombie Education?

By dianeravitch
April 13, 2013 //
29

The Chalkface blog says that we have had a steady diet of “miracles” for at least the past dozen years, starting with the “Texas miracle.”

He calls this Voodoo Education Reform.

I tend to see the ideas of the past dozen years as Zombie Education Reform.

I use the term to refer to policies that have no evidence to support them, that fail and fail again and again, but that are imposed repeatedly by powerful people, despite their failure.

Merit pay is a Zombie Reform.

Evaluating teachers by student test scores is a Zombie Reform.

Privatizing public education for fun and profit is a Zombie Reform.

Hiring inexperienced and uncertified teachers for the children with the greatest needs is a Zombie Reform.

Closing public schools and calling it “reform” is a Zombie Reform.

Putting a single letter grade on a complex institution like a school is a Zombie Reform.

Giving academic tests to pre-school children is a Zombie Reform.

We live in an age where zombies run our nation’s education policy.

Categories Accountability, Childhood, Pre-K, K, Education Industry, For-Profit, Merit pay, Teacher Evaluations

John Merrow on Chris Hayes Discussing Rhee

By dianeravitch
April 12, 2013 //
54

A reader sent this comment and a link to Chris Hayes’ interview with John Merrow:

“MSNBC’s Chris Hayes had John Merrow on his 4/12 evening show, ALL IN and the conversation was simply brutal towards Rhee….Chris very articulately pointed out how M Rhee rose to the top of the Ed Reform movement with only 3 years of limited personal experience in education. He ended his commentary by noting, in detail, how DC schools are in far worse condition today because of Rhee’s questionable policies……… like a cool breeze in a desert!
John was fabulous….Chris Hayes noted he would be following up with John Merrow in the future…stay tuned! ”

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/all-in-/51362794#51523921

Categories Accountability, Rhee, Michelle

Strauss: Time to Subpoena Witnesses in DC Cheating Scandal

By dianeravitch
April 12, 2013 //
17

Valerie Strauss writes that it is time for a thorough investigation of allegations of cheating during the tenure of Michelle Rhee as chancellor.

The leaking of the “smoking memo” to John Merrow shows that Rhee apparently was informed of likely cheating but chose not to investigate it.

Many questions are unanswered: what did she know and when did she know it? What did Adell Cothorne discover when she became principal? Why did no one follow up when she reported a cheating ring? Why was Cothorne forced out and by whom?

A professional and thorough investigation would get to the bottom of this mess.

It’s time for accountability.

Categories Accountability, Rhee, Michelle

How a School Board Candidate Beat the Billionaires

By dianeravitch
April 12, 2013 //
6

Please read this statement by Bennett Kayser.

He ran against a heavily funded candidate for the Los Angeles school board, and he won.

He is a public school parent.

He is endorsing Monica Ratliff, because she too is running against the billionaires’ candidate.

He believes that the LAUSD school board should have another independent voice.

Local school board elections should not be bought by outside interests who have no connection to the district, the community or the city.

The only thing that can beat them is an informed public.

Categories Los Angeles

USA Today on Rhee Cheating Scandal: LINK ADDED, BLAME MY STAFF

By dianeravitch
April 12, 2013 //
42

USA Today was first to report the cheating scandal in the District of Columbia.

Here is the follow-up story by Gregg Toppo, about the memo first leaked to John Merrow.

Eventually, the allegations were investigated by the DC Inspector General, who decided not to look at the erasure analysis or to interview many people. It was not the kind of full-scale investigation carried out in Atlanta by professionals. The DC Inspector General decided the cheating, if it happened, was not widespread.

This was confirmed by the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Education.

But suspicions lingered, as did the cloud over the district, and the cloud refused to go away.

Categories Michelle Rhee, Testing

Tennessee: Starvation Bill Deferred for Now

By dianeravitch
April 12, 2013 //
15

Good news from Tennessee: The Legislature will not consider a bill to cut the welfare benefits of families whose children do poorly in school. At least not this year.

Senator Stacey Campfield took note of the fact that several prominent Republican senators planned to oppose the bill, as did the governor.

And Senator Campfield said “we all have true passion to get parents involved.”

So, now we understand his motive. He actually believes that starving the family would encourage parental involvement!

One of the opponents of the bill worried that if the family lost income, the children might be blamed and beaten.

This may be another heartening example of the power of public outrage, the letters, phone calls, and outreach that convinced legislators in Tennessee not to make themselves a national laughing stock.

Getting Jon Stewart’s attention may have turned the tide on this dreadful proposal.

Categories Tennessee

Who Is Funding Privatization in Texas?

By dianeravitch
April 12, 2013 //
2

It won’t surprise you to know hat here is a lot of money behind the conservative agenda in Texas. But you might be interested to see the connections between the privatization advocates in Texas and national organizations like ALEC.

Julian Heilig Vasquez traces the connections in his series on the Teat, in which he reflects on what is known as neoliberalism.

Categories ALEC, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit, On-Line Education, Texas

Florida: Don’t Let a Charter Corporation Steal Your Neighborhood School

By dianeravitch
April 12, 2013 //
5

Bill Sublette is a former Florida state representative who is now chairman of the Orange County school board. He is a Republican.

In this excellent article, he explains how the parent trigger bill, which just passed in the Florida House, will allow charter corporations to grab neighborhood schools, public property paid for by local citizens. And once the corporation takes control, neighborhood children will have to enter a lottery to attend what was once their neighborhood school.

He asks the reader:

“Imagine you live in a neighborhood with a school your community has called its own for years. A school you and your neighbors take great pride in and in which you’ve invested substantial time and effort. A school you sent your own children to, and one which you hope your children will choose to send their children to.”

But then the political consultants arrive to collect signatures and sell your neighbors a bill of goods. Before you know it, the school is owned by a corporation, and you as a parent have no rights at ll.

Here is a true conservative, a man who loves his community and its history. He is standing up against the those in his party who flak for corporate interests.

Categories Charter Schools, Florida, For-Profit, Parent trigger

Who Holds State Officials Accountable When They Are WRONG?

By dianeravitch
April 12, 2013 //
13

In a brilliant post, Bruce Baker of Rutgers demonstrates that states are imposing teacher evaluation systems that are flawed.

This is what Arne Duncan and Bill Gates demanded, and this is what states are doing. And it is wrong, it is factually wrong.

Who will hold Duncan, Gates, and all those state officials accountable?

Chris Cerf in New Jersey and John King and Merryl Tisch in New York assure the public that the evaluation systems will work because they take many factors into account. But Baker demonstrates that they are wrong. The evaluation systems are fundamentally flawed and they will not work. They will do damage to schools, principals, teachers, and students.

Baker writes:

 

“The standard retort is that marginally flawed or not, these measures are much better than the status quo. ‘Cuz of course, we all know our schools suck. Teachers really suck. Principals enable their suckiness.  And pretty much anything we might do… must suck less.

WRONG – it is absolutely not better than the status quo to take a knowingly flawed measure, or a measure that does not even attempt to isolate teacher effectiveness, and use it to label teachers as good or bad at their jobs. It is even worse to then mandate that the measure be used to take employment action against the employee.

It’s not good for teachers AND It’s not good for kids. (noting the stupidity of the reformy argument that anything that’s bad for teachers must be good for kids, and vice versa)

On the one hand, these ridiculous rigid, ill-conceived, statistically and legally inept and morally bankrupt policies will most certainly lead to increased, not decreased litigation over teacher dismissal.

On the other hand… The anything is better than the status quo argument is getting a bit stale and was pretty ridiculous to begin with.”

Categories Accountability, Administrators, superintendents, Corporate Reformers, Teacher Evaluations, Teachers and Teaching, Testing

LA Times: Bill Gates Hath Spoken

By dianeravitch
April 12, 2013 //
39

The Los Angeles Times became notorious in 2010 when it commissioned its own ratings of thousands of teachers in the LAUSD and published them. The newspaper was condemned widely by educators and researchers. Even some who supported such ratings said it was wrong to publish them. The LA Times strongly defended its decision to create the ratings and to make them public.

Now the LA Times is expressing doubts about the overuse of test scores to evaluate teachers. It even scoffs at some of the more absurd practices now flourishing in some states.

Why the turnaround? Bill Gates says that test scores matter too much. He has changed his mind. Many states, following his earlier views about testing, are emphasizing test scores too much.

I guess we have to wait for his next op-ed to find out what the nation should do next.

Categories Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Teacher Evaluations, Testing
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