Archives for the month of: February, 2014
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Grace Got It Right: What Education is for

By dianeravitch
February 16, 2014 //
11

After reading a letter by a student named Grace, this reader pointed out a crucial diggerence in purpose: the authors of the Common Core want to rank and rate everyone, but many educators have a humane vision, not of winners and losers, but of self-directed human beings.

“Even kids like Grace know that an individualized, self-directed, self-paced approach is the real future of education. Helping kids learn how to live happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives in support of themselves and others should be our real educational goals. If kids leave the public school educational system knowing how to make informed decisions, knowing how to solve real problems, knowing how to get along with themselves and others, knowing how to take care of themselves physically and emotionally, and with their curiosity and creativity still intact, they will be able to accomplish whatever they set out to do. Common Core does not promote any of these outcomes; we need to create a system of education that does.”

Categories Common Core

Why Does PBS Ignore the Assault on Public Education? Can You Guess?

By dianeravitch
February 16, 2014 //
53

In the aftermath of David Sirota’s exposé of PBS accepting $3.5 million for a series about pension reform, funded by the Arnold Foundation (and since returned), another question naturally arises: why has PBS shown little or no interest in the corporate takeover of and turmoil in public education?

I appeared on Charlie Rose last year for about 15-20 minutes. But otherwise the viewers of PBS have not had any in-depth investigation of the corporate-funded assault on one of our nation’s most crucial democratic institutions. Why isn’t PUBLIC television interested in PUBLIC education?

Here is one lead, sent to me by blogger Jonathan Pelto, who received it from Oakland parent activist Sharon Higgins. This was a letter she wrote in 2009:

It begins like this:

“Last summer you initiated a series of conversations, underwritten by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, about the “crisis” in our public schools.

“In the past nine months, it appears you have had three of these full-hour conversations: Wendy Kopp (with Bob Wise on 7/1/08), Michelle Rhee (7/14/08), and Arne Duncan (3/11/09). Have I missed anyone?

“As a longtime viewer, I am extremely disturbed that you are now limiting your education interviews to pro-charter school forces only. This clearly reveals a problem with your journalistic standards.

“I am even more disturbed, but sadly not surprised, to find that the funding for these interviews is being provided by a pro-charter school organization, The Broad Foundation. Either you have not researched how this organization is influencing the public’s view of charter schools, or you are intentionally delivering their propaganda to the American public.”

Since Higgins wrote, Charlie Rose has interviewed Bill Gates, Joel Klein, and other leaders of the corporate takeover.

Clearly, balance is needed.

Categories Broad Foundation, Corporate Reformers

The BATs Have Their Own Common Core

By dianeravitch
February 16, 2014 //
7

This is the BATs’ Common Core of beliefs and values.

It probably won’t go far because no one can make any money by adopting it. It won’t sell new hardware or software. It won’t sell new tests or textbooks. It won’t make any entrepreneurs rich. Not much of a future in this brave new market-based world.

Categories Common Core, Education Industry, For-Profit

Louisiana Principal: When I Had to Test a Boy Treated for Cancer in Memphis

By dianeravitch
February 16, 2014 //
23

After reading the tragic story of Ethan Rediske, the boy dying in hospice who could not be excused from taking the Florida state test without documentation, this principal wrote about a student in her school. Bear in mind: Nothing is more important to the State of Louisiana than the tests: Not the boy’s health, not his life: Just his test score. If the state didn’t have his test score, how would they know how to rate his teachers and his school? How would they develop the data for his cradle-to-grave record? What would it do to the state’s data warehouse if his data were missing? Data-data-data-data-data-data matter more than anything.

I have a similar story from Louisiana! I am the principal of a middle school in south Louisiana. Last year, while I was still the assistant principal, one of my 8th graders had to leave for Memphis to go to St. Jude for treatment of his Osteosarcoma, which had spread. In Louisiana, 8th graders must take and pass the LEAP test to move to high school. This child has his leg AMPUTATED to save his life.

I was unable to find anyone at the department of education who could help me with this child’s special circumstance. As a matter of fact, for him to have the option to move to high school, I had to complete a form that allowed me to administer the test to him in an alternate testing environment. I went to Memphis, LEAP test in hand, and administered his test over a four day period. He took his test while working around his chemotherapy and radiation appointments. He was a total champ about this absurd and offensive situation! And, to all of you who are wondering, he PASSED his test and is in 9th grade now. Although he is still in Memphis receiving treatments, when he returns he can go straight to high school.

Our community was so outraged by this story and the lack of human dignity attached to this insensitive requirement for this child to take the test, that the entire community came together. My trip, which was initially going to be self-funded, became entirely covered with the help of the local fire department, who drove me to Memphis, and generous donations from various businesses. Our student body was so supportive of their classmate that they raised and donated almost $10, 000.00 to St. Jude.

When I had the honor of handing the check to Richard Shadyac, the CEO of ALSAC (the organization that fundraises for St. Jude), even he was apalled that the child had to take the test. From what my very famous student tells me (you’ve seen him announcing the Saint’s first round pick at the NFL Draft, you’ve seen him on Kelly and Michael, and he is a always speaking on behalf of St. Jude), when he and Richard speak at fundraising events for St. Jude, Richard still mentions my trip to Memphis and what an entire community did to fight the good fight against wearhousing education!

Categories Louisiana, Testing

David Lyell Explains Why L.A. Is Jeopardizing the Future with Hasty iPad Purchase

By dianeravitch
February 16, 2014 //
21

David Lyell–a classroom teacher and UTLA officer– here describes the ongoing iPad fiasco in Los Angeles.

Why did the district commit to spend $1 billion on iPads? To test the Common Core.

Are tests more valuable to students than smaller classes, experienced teachers, and the arts, all of which are being sacrificed for iPads?

Was the Pearson content reviewed?

Who is investigating how decisions were made?

Why, the board. No, not the board. The Inspector General. Does he report to those who made the decision he is investigating?

He writes:

“The district only reluctantly admitted to paying for a three-year software license before it had even actually seen what it was purchasing (L.A. Times: http://lat.ms/1akJZgA).

“It was also recently revealed that some staff members were given free iPads a year before the board voted for Phase I of this project, at a pitch meeting by software peddler Pearson. (KPCC: http://bit.ly/1dKDm7S).

“So, who’s investigating? LAUSD’s Office of the Inspector General. In other words, when possible impropriety arises, the district has authority to investigate itself.

“As if all of this isn’t alarming enough, LAUSD announced this past week that the only committee charged with overseeing the iPad rollout is set to be disbanded. (LATimes: http://lat.ms/1aFsYeO).”

Categories Common Core, Los Angeles, Technology, Computers

Texas Parents Give Grades to Legislators: “It’s Ugly”

By dianeravitch
February 16, 2014 //
6

“Reformers” love to grade students, educators, and schools.

Parent-led Texas Kids Can’t Wait has turned the tables. It here gives grades to the state’s legislators. Parent groups should do the same everywhere else.

Newsletter

I didn’t want you to miss seeing this great blog by Kim Burkett:

IT’S REPORT CARD DAY FOR TEXAS LEGISLATORS … AND IT’S UGLY
February 13, 2014
By Kim Burkett, PTA Mom

Like many states, Texas loves grading its education system. The state has spent years slapping labels on public schools for standardized test results. We’ve labeled schools everything from “unacceptable” to “exemplary,” and next year we’ll even have a new A-F rating system used to brand our schools. Today, Texas Kids Can’t Wait turned the tables and labeled Texas’ state legislators by grading their support of public education in their first bi-annual legislative report card.

Texas Kids Can’t Wait is a statewide public education advocacy group founded by Democrats and Republicans to encourage equity, excellence, and adequacy for Texas’ students. The grassroots group works to educate citizens about challenges facing their schools and encourages legislative action to strengthen public education in Texas. After generations of school funding lawsuits, more than a decade of over-testing, and subversive attempts to undermine public schools through privatization efforts, Texas Kids Can’t Wait recognizes that Texas’ children don’t have the time to wait for legislators to find the political courage and will to finally do right by their schools. You can find more information about Texas Kids Can’t Wait here http://www.texaskidscantwait.org.

Using the same labels once used to grade public schools, (exemplary, recognized, acceptable, and unacceptable) the report card examines votes on 22 key bills from the last legislative session to identify each legislator’s support of public education issues. A team of researchers at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor evaluated voting records related to funding, privatization, various school voucher schemes, accountability and assessment, charter school expansion, and other education issues.

And the results? Let’s just say some of your elected representatives need to spend some time in summer school. According to Dr. Bonnie Lesley, co-founder of Texas Kids Can’t Wait, “What we saw in all these bills was a strong attack by about one-third of the legislators in the House and about one-fourth of the Senate on the vast majority of Texas’s five million public school students, on local control, on local school boards and educators, and on the whole concept of the common good.”

Here are some breakdowns of the ratings:
Unacceptable ratings were earned by 34% of House Representatives and 23% of Senators.
Positive ratings of Exemplary and Recognized were earned by 28% of House Representatives and 32% of Senators.
Senator Dan Patrick, Chair of the Senate Education Committee and current candidate for Lieutenant Governor, received the lowest ranking of any legislator in either chamber.
The strongest ranking in either chamber was earned by Senator Jose Rodriguez.
Representative Jimmie Don Aycock and Speaker Joe Straus received accolades for strong leadership in support of public education in the 83rd session.
How did your elected representative do? See the chart at the end of this blog.
So, what can you do with this data?
If you’re unhappy with your representative’s grade, ask them to explain why they didn’t make public education a priority last session. Encourage them to support public education issues in the future. You can find your state representative here.
If your representative’s grade doesn’t indicate a strong record for public education, re-consider your support or vote.
Seek and support pro-public education legislators. Thank them for their commitment to our schools.
Let legislators know that public education issues drive your voting decisions. (Education is one of the top issues facing the state according to polling data of Texans.)
Learn and share the names of the legislators who earned Unacceptable ratings. These are the politicians that seek to undermine public schools as demonstrated by their abysmal voting records. Let them know you will fight their attacks on the public education system that serves five million Texas children and employs 400,000 Texas teachers.
Be vocal in support of public education issues and legislation.
Above all – VOTE! Don’t miss a primary or general election. Texas’ students are counting on you.
There was a time, not so long ago, when it was expected that elected officials would support education. It was viewed as an important commitment to our future; vital to economic development. But times have changed, and today many for-profit and special interests have sought to undermine public education through a variety of legislative attacks. The outcome of those efforts is evident in this report card.

That’s why it has never been more critical to carefully evaluate legislators to ensure those who earn your vote will represent the interests of our children, our schools, and our teachers. Legislators without the foresight to see the disastrous impact a struggling public education system will have on Texas’ long-term economic future are not serving Texas’ interests. Legislators who ignore chronic over-testing and under-funding are not worthy of your support. It’s high time they’re sent home with a clear message that Texans demand better.
It’s time to support an education system worthy of a state like Texas. And it’s time to elect legislators committed to delivering it.

Texas Kids Can’t Wait Bi-Annual Legislative Report Card

House of Representatives – 83rd Legislative Session

Representatives are listed alphabetically.

For a listing based on ratings within each category as well as an understanding of the methodology used, please visit here.

http://www.texaskidscantwait.org/media-center

Exemplary

(7 of 150 representatives)

Collier, Nicole (District 95)
Farias, Joe (District 118)
Herrero, Abel (District 34)
Martinez Fischer, Trey (District 116)
Munoz, Jr., Sergio (District 36)
Pitts, Jim (District 10)
Reynolds, Ron (District 27)

Recognized

(35 of 150 representatives)

Allen, Alma (District 131)
Alonzo, Roberto (District 104)
Ashby, Trent (District 57)
Aycock, Jimmie Don (District 54)
Burnam, Lon (District 90)
Callegari, Bill (District 132)
Canales, Terry (District 40)
Cortez, Philip (District 117)
Dukes, Dawnna (District 46)
Farrar, Jessica (District 148)
Giddings, Helen (District 109)
Gonzalez, Mary (District 75)
Gutierrez, Roland (District 119)
Howard, Donna (District 48)
Huberty, Dan (District 127)
Longoria, Oscar (District 35)
Martinez, Armando (District 39)
McClendon, Ruth Jones (District 120)
Miles, Borris (District 146)
Moody, Joe (District 78)
Nevarez, Poncho (District 74)
Oliveira, Rene (District 37)
Patrick, Diane (District 94)
Perez, Mary Ann (District 144)
Phillips, Larry (District 62)
Price, Four (District 87)
Rodriguez, Eddie (District 51)
Rodriguez, Justin (District 125)
Rose, Toni (District 110)
Sheffield, J. D. (District 59)
Straus, Joe (District 121, Speaker)
Thompson, Senfronia (District 141)
Turner, Sylvester (District 129)
Vo, Hubert (District 149)
Walle, Armando (District 140)

Acceptable

(57 of 150 representatives)

Alvarado, Carol (District 145)
Anderson, Charles (District 56)
Bonnen, Dennis (District 25)
Coleman, Garnet (District 147)
Cook, Byron (District 8)
Crownover, Myra (District 64)
Darby, Drew (District 72)
Davis, Sarah (District 124)
Davis, Yvonne (District 111)
Deshotel, Joe (District 22)
Dutton, Jr., Harold (District 142)
Eiland, Craig (District 23)
Farney, Marsha (District 20)
Frullo, John (District 84)
Geren, Charlie (District 99)
Gonzales, Larry (District 52)
Gonzalez, Naomi (District 76)
Guerra, Bobby (District 41)
Guillen, Ryan (District 31)
Harless, Patricia (District 126)
Hernandez, Ana (District 143)
Hunter, Todd (District 32)
Johnson, Eric (District 100)
Kacal, Kyle (District 12)
Keffer, James (District 60)
King, Ken (District 88)
King, Susan (District 71)
King, Tracy (District 80)
Kleinschmidt, Tim (District 17)
Kuempel, John (District 44)
Larson, Lyle (District 122)
Lewis, Tryon (District 81)
Lozano, J. M. (District 43)
Marquez, Marisa (District 77)
Menendez, Jose (District 124)
Miller, Doug (District 73)
Murphy, Jim (District 133)
Naishtat, Elliott (District 49)
Orr, Rob (District 58)
Otto, John (District 18)
Paddie, Chris (District 9)
Perry, Charles (District 83)
Pickett, Joe (District 79)
Raney, John (District 14)
Ratliff, Bennett (District 115)
Raymond, Richard (District 42)
Sheffield, Ralph (District 55)
Smith, Wayne (District 128)
Stephenson, Phil (District 85)
Strama, Mark (District 50)
Turner, Chris (District 101)
Villalba, Jason (District 114)
Villarreal, Mike (District 123)
White, James (District 19)
Workman, Paul (District 47)
Wu, Gene (District 137)
Zerwas, John (District 28)

Unacceptable

(51 of 150 representatives)

Anchia, Rafael (District 103)
Bell, Cecil(District 3)
Bohac, Dwayne (District 138)
Bonnen, Greg (District 24)
Branch, Dan (District 108)
Burkett, Cindy (District 113)
Button, Angie Chen (District 112)
Capriglione, Giovanni (District 98)
Carter, Stefani (District 102)
Clardy, Travis (District 11)
Craddick, Tom (District 82)
Creighton, Brandon (District 16)
Dale, Tony (District 136)
Davis, John E. (District 129)
Elkins, Gary (District 135)
Fallon, Pat (District 106)
Fletcher, Allen (District 130)
Flynn, Dan (District 2)
Frank, James (District 69)
Goldman, Craig (District 97)
Gooden, Lance (District 4)
Harper-Brown, Linda (District 105)
Hilderbran, Harvey (District 53)
Hughes, Bryan (District 5)
Issac, Jason (District 45)
King, Phil (District 61)
Klick, Stephanie (District 91)
Kolkhorst, Lois (District 13)
Krause, Matt (District 93)
Laubenberg, Jodie (District 89)
Lavender, George (District 1)
Leach, Jeff (District 67)
Lucio III, Eddie (District 38)
Miller, Rick (District 26)
Morrison, Geanie W. (District 30)
Parker, Tan (District 63)
Riddle, Debbie (District 150)
Ritter, Allan (District 21)
Sanford, Scott (District 70)
Schaefer, Matt (District 6)
Sheets, Kenneth (District 107)
Simmons, Ron (District 65)
Simpson, David (District 7)
Smithee, John (District 86)
Springer, Drew (District 68)
Stickland, Jonathan (District 92)
Taylor, Van (District 66)
Thompson, Ed (District 29)
Toth, Steve (District 15)
Turner, Scott (District 33)
Zedler, Bill (District 96)

Senate – 83rd Legislative Session

Senators are listed alphabetically.

Exemplary

Garcia, Sylvia (District 6)
Rodriguez, Jose (District 29)

Recognized

(9 of 31 senators)

Deuell, Bob (District 2)
Davis, Wendy (District 10)
Ellis, Rodney (District 13)
Nichols, Robert (District 3)
Seliger, Kel (District 31)
Uresti, Carlos (District 19)
Watson, Kirk (District 14)
Williams, Tommy (District 4)
Zaffirini, Judith (District 21)

Acceptable

(13 of 31 senators) Carona, John (District 16)
Duncan, Robert (District 28)
Eltife, Kevin (District 1)
Estes, Craig (District 30)
Fraser, Tony (District 24)
Hancock, Kelly (District 9)
Hinojosa, Juan “Chuy” (District 20)
Huffman, Joan (District 17)
Lucio, Eddie (District 27)
Nelson, Jane (District 12)
Schwertner, Charles (District 5)
Van de Putte, Leticia (District 26)
Whitmire, John (District 15)

Unacceptable

(7of 31 senators) Birdwell, Brian (District 22)
Campbell, Donna (District 25)
Hegar, Glenn (District 18)
Paxton, Ken (District 8)
Patrick, Dan (District 7)
Taylor, Larry (District 11)
West, Royce (District 23)
Dewhurst, David (Lt. Governor)

Equity, Adequacy, Excellence

Learn more about Texas Kids Can’t Wait and how to become involved at http://www.texaskidscantwait.org.

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Categories Texas

Why PBS/WNET Returned $3.5 Million to John Arnold’s Foundation

By dianeravitch
February 16, 2014 //
22

Investigative Journalist David Sirota wrote a brilliant series of articles about PBS taking $3.5 million about pension reform from the foundation of billionaire JohnArnold, a former Enron trader. After stonewalling, PBS decided there was a perception of conflict of interest since Arnold has been a prominent figure in the public debate about public pensions. And PBS returned the money.

Here is an analysis of the imbroglio by Felix Salmon of Reuters. It is an open secret that PBS has become heavily dependent on corporate funding, as Salmon notes here:

“There’s a whole world of subtext in that phrase, “we thought we were following the guidelines” — a lot of which my former boss Jim Ledbetter teased out in his 1997 book Made Possible By…: The Death of Public Broadcasting in the United States. The big problem is that public broadcasting has become dependent on corporate financing — and has become very good at coming up with programming which represents corporate interests.” I was reminded of a conversation I had with a high-level executive of Maryland Public Broadcasting a year ago; she said to me, “We no longer can do investigative journalism, we go where we find corporate sponsors.”

Sirota’s original pieces were “The Wolf of Sesame Street” and “How PBS is Becoming The Plutocratic Broadcasting Service.”

Categories Pensions

Diagram of the Brain of a Reformer

By dianeravitch
February 16, 2014 //
14

These two teachers have discovered the brain of a reformer and can demonstrate the comparison between the brain of a reformer and the brain of those who need reforming. Very impressive.

Categories Common Core, Corporate Reformers

When the Rubric Goes Horribly Wrong

By dianeravitch
February 16, 2014 //
42

We are all aware of long sustained efforts to turn education into a jargon-filled technical exercise, overlooking such mundane goals as the joy of learning

I could not resist sharing this comment from a reader.

The reader writes:

“Once I was taking a writing course that featured a US Poet Laureate as a guest speaker. He was a grand speaker and told us about many experiences.

“He told us that he attended a university class incognito to see how some professors taught his poetry. An assignment callng for students to describe the purpose and reasons for one of his poems. He participated in the assignment. The professor examined all work submitted. He was told that he didn’t understand the true meaning of the poem…which he had written. So much for that assignment.”

Categories Humor

Teacher: When Test Scores Measure Nothing

By dianeravitch
February 16, 2014 //
27

A teacher writes to challenge the claim that teachers are never fired and to explain why it is wrong to judge teachers by test scores:

“Teachers do get fired. 3 in my own school in recent memory. Tenure only provides teachers the right to due process before they are let go for poor performance. And, how do you judge me on my students’ performance? I’m a special education teacher. I teach students with autism, with mental illness like schizophrenia, with dyslexia, with ADHD. I work just as hard as the AP Stats teacher down the hall. Guess what? A student getting electric shock treatments three times a week doesn’t have very good ACT/SAT scores. Neither does a student with autism with limited language skills. Neither does a child who reads letters upside down and backwards. Neither does a chronically truant child. Or one who comes lives in a home with drug addicted parents. Or who has post traumatic stress due to sexual abuse or parents who fight day and night. All of these things affect test scores, and all are beyond teachers’ control.”

Categories Special Education, Teacher Tenure, Teachers and Teaching
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