Archives for the month of: March, 2014
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Fred Smith: Parents Should Say NO to Field Tests

By dianeravitch
March 21, 2014 //
15

Fred Smith is a testing expert in New York City who has been advising parent organizations about their rights and explaining the technicalities of the tests to laymen.

He writes here:

“There are many reasons to refuse to participate in the field tests. They are summarized here–concerning New York State’s stealthy field testing practices, but having wider application to field testing, in general.

“http://changethestakes.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/whyfieldtestsareaknow-no1-22-14-bw-docx-10-reasons.pdf

“It all comes down to parents becoming informed about when the tests are coming–where, what schools are involved–and acting in the best interests of their children’s education. Parents must insist on having this knowledge, as a simple matter of transparency. Then, it is THEIR choice alone on whether to allow their children to spend time taking field tests.

“As I see it, neither the state nor local educational entities have any legitimate authority in a matter that is entirely up to parents to decide on. Field testing carries no mandate demanding compliance. By arrogating to themselves the right to dictate actions that are in all ways voluntary (and must, at least, require informed consent) officials are simply usurping power to which they have no claim.

Fred Smith”

Categories Resistance, Testing

Breaking News! Florida Voucher Expansion Bill Withdrawn!

By dianeravitch
March 20, 2014 //
16

Great news! The sponsor of the Florida voucher bill withdrew it, as it sailed through the Florida House, after the State Senate insisted that voucher schools would have to take state tests.

“After promising a “massive expansion” of school choice options this session, House Speaker Will Weatherford retooled his rhetoric Thursday after the Senate dropped plans to take up a proposed build-up of the state’s private school voucher program.

“Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said he was withdrawing his version (SB 1620) of the voucher bill advancing in the House. At least part of the dispute is rooted in Senate President Don Gaetz’s demand that students taking part in the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program undergo testing in private schools similar to that in public schools.

“It’s a shame. A terrible shame,” Weatherford said. “Thousands of children seeking more opportunities for a better life will be denied. I cannot see any reason why we’d quit on these kids.”

“The bill (HB 7099) sailing through the House would make the scholarship program eligible for sales tax money for the first time in its 12-year history. With the new cash, the 60,000 students now getting private-school scholarships could double in four years, rivaling the size of larger public school districts in Florida.”

There was also criticism of the political payola that the expansion would bestow on the voucher program’s administrators:

“The Palm Beach Post also reported that there was rising criticism of what the legislation would mean to the politically connected nonprofit that oversees the scholarship program, created under former Gov. Jeb Bush.

“Step Up for Students could more than triple the amount of money it collects under the voucher legislation. The 3 percent fee it collects now brings in $8.6 million but could more than triple to $26.2 million when the program reached its full capacity envisioned under the legislation.”

Categories Florida, Vouchers

Breaking News: Worcester, Mass., Supports Parents Right to Opt Out!

By dianeravitch
March 20, 2014 //
12

Although Mayor Joe Petty lobbied hard to reverse the school committee’s decision to allow parents to opt out, the school committee stuck with their original decision. Parents mounted a “say no to Joe” campaign, and the school committee agreed with the parents who elected them. Parents are free to opt their children out of PARCC Common Core field testing.

Categories Massachusetts, Testing

Where Is All That Money Going?

By dianeravitch
March 20, 2014 //
8

A teacher writes in response to an earlier post about the vendors making lots of money these days, but not schools or classrooms:

hahaha… I can laugh now, but, until I retired, I taught in a portable classroom, where termites would fly from the walls and I had to get rid of the smell of cat urine when I moved in.Yet, I had a smartboard, responders, laptop along with desk computer (T1 line plus wifi), and other electronic devices. However, once a device had problems (or needed batteries), well, things might not get fixed (I never did get a replacement hub for the one device I actually found extremely useful).

I was better off than my colleagues, one whose portable had mold, another whose portable had rotten flooring ready to cave in at the doorway, and then the ones who had no heat or cooling for much of the year (teachers complained, but it was only when a parent group complained, that the heat/cooler system was finally fixed). But, hey, we all had these electronics that were going to give us more points on tests!

At the last workshop I attended, the presenter certainly gave us some useful information, but when we asked her to help us with some specific problems, she drew a blank, not knowing how to respond. We told her, that we had 15 feeder schools, only three of which were in our district. She lowered her voice and informed us, “Oh, then I’m sorry, I cannot help you.” Then she quickly gathered up her materials and left. (I wondered why she couldn’t help us, until I discovered she was from an area with no out-of-district feeder schools.)

Yep. Lots of money out there to “fix” those poverty area schools.

Categories Education Industry, For-Profit

David Berliner Testifies at the Vergara Trial

By dianeravitch
March 20, 2014 //
15

The distinguished education researcher David Berliner testified yesterday at the Vergara trial in Los Angeles. The issue is whether teachers should be permitted to have tenure; the plaintiffs say that job protections for teachers deny the civil rights of children. Last week, the teacher of the lead plaintiff testified; he does not have tenure. He has never had disciplinary proceedings or any negative evaluations. The case seems ludicrous on its face since Vergara’s teacher, who allegedly violated her civil rights, has never had tenure.

This is what David Berliner said, according to a source who was in the courtroom (I have no link; if I can get Berliner’s testimony in full, I will post it):

Yesterday, David C. Berliner, Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Education at Arizona State University, took the stand. He spoke at length about the out-of-school factors that impact in-school performance. He said,

“The public and politicians and parents overrate the in-school effects on their children and underrate the power of out-of-school effects on their children.” He noted that in-school factors account for just 20 percent of the variation we see in student achievement scores.

He also discussed value-added models and the problems with solely relying on these models for teacher evaluation. He said,

“My experience is that teachers affect students incredibly. Probably everyone in this room has been affected by a teacher personally. But the effect of the teacher on the score, which is what’s used in VAM’s, or the school scores, which is used for evaluation by the Feds — those effects are rarely under the teacher’s control…Those effects are more often caused by or related to peer-group composition…”

Categories Teachers and Teaching

Shocker! North Carolina Does Not Deserve Duncan’s Congratulations for Improving Teaching

By dianeravitch
March 20, 2014 //
13

As I reported earlier today, Arne Duncan reviewed the results of the $4.3 billion competition called “Race to the Top,” and he lauded four states for making the most progress: Hawaii, Delaware, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Note that two of the four states are controlled by legislatures and governors that are to the far-far-far right: North Carolina and Tennessee. The commissioner of education in Tennessee is Kevin Huffman, ex-husband of Michelle Rhee, who spent two years in Teach for America, and has been pushing hard to expand enrollment in privately managed charter schools. Huffman’s egregious indifference to the views of experienced educators has provoked rebukes, including a letter to the governor signed by about 40% of the state’s district superintendents in opposition to Huffman’s tin ear. North Carolina has, frankly, been a tragic state in the conscious effort of its legislature and governor to demoralize teachers, authorize vouchers, expand charters, and allow for-profit charters. It is one of the worst states in the nation to be a teacher; teacher pay is 46th in the nation. The governor has responded to teachers’ complaints by raising teachers’ salaries–but only for new teachers, which will benefit the large cohort of Teach for America that he is importing. Governor McCrory’s senior education advisor is Eric Guckian, an alum of TFA.

For the record, the most widely read post in the history of this blog came from Kris Nielsen, a teacher in North Carolina, who wrote “I Quit.” Kris’s post went worldwide. It was viewed 323,000 times on this blog alone, and it was reflagged many other places.

On February 10-11 of this  year, I was invited to participate in a major state-wide forum in Raleigh, where state leaders of both parties, civic leaders, education leaders, nearly 1,000 people met to discuss education in North Carolina.

One of the major concerns of the conference (if not the legislature) was the ongoing, alarming exodus of experienced teachers from teaching and from the state.

Before I spoke, John Merrow moderated a panel in which six experienced and very articulate teachers explained why they quit. The common theme was that they could not afford to live in North Carolina because of the low salaries paid to teachers. No raises since 2008. One teacher said she moved to Maryland, immediately got a job, and her salary was $20,000 more than in NC.

Others talked about how much they loved teaching, but the onerous conditions created by the legislature and the governor made it impossible to stay.

I was the keynote speaker on February 11. Drawing on the extensive reporting by Lindsay Wagner at NC Policy Watch and the research of Helen Ladd of Duke and her husband Edward Fiske, former education editor of the New York Times, and news reports from across the state, I gave the speech that was recorded here by the conference organizers. It is only 34 minutes long. Watch if you have time.

The idea that Duncan would single North Carolina out for its stellar improvement during the past few years is beyond my understanding.

Was he misinformed? Does he think that the erosion of teachers’ job stability is the right way to go? Does he think that the flight of experienced teachers is a mark of progress? Is that an accomplishment for Race to the Top? Sound like Race to the Bottom or Race to Oblivion.

This one beats me.

Categories Education Reform, North Carolina, Teachers and Teaching

The “New York Times” Misses the Big $tory about Millions for Charter TV Ad Campaign

By dianeravitch
March 20, 2014 //
21

A reader notices that the New York Times discovered that $236,000 of private money was spent to advocate for Mayor de Blasio’s plan for universal pre-kindergarten. But the Times did not find it newsworthy that $3.6 MILLION was spent to dramatize the plight of Eva Moskowitz’s charter schools. From a confidential source, I know that the Times’ reporters had the information about the $3.6 million but either didn’t understand it or didn’t care about it.

And here’s what the NYTimes reported on today: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/20/nyregion/familiar-consultants-hired-by-the-mayors-pre-k-drive.html?emc=edit_tnt_20140319&nlid=26825267&tntemail0=y
Here’s the question the Times needs to answer: why are they harping on $236,000 of PRIVATE funds being used to “promote” pre-kindergarten— a bona fide need for children that clearly promotes learning— while missing the story that for-profit charter proponents are spending $3,600,000— FIFTEEN TIMES AS MUCH— to promote the use of space funded by taxpayers to subsidize their schools???

Meanwhile, the $3.6 million ad campaign has driven de Blasio’s poll numbers down. Just a few months ago, he won in a landslide. Now, the latest poll shows the public disapproves of his handling of education. The public has been bombarded repeatedly on television with slick ads showing adorable black and brown children “evicted” from their charter school, making the implicit and preposterous claim that the Mayor–who is married to a black woman and has biracial children–is a racist. Two of the charters that were turned down had not opened; no one was “evicted” from them. In the one school that was not allowed to expand into a middle school, those “evicted” children are being exploited. If the mayor allowed their school to expand inside a public school in Harlem, as Eva demands, children with disabilities would have to be evicted from the public school to make room for the charter middle school. Meanwhile, Eva is outraged that the mayor expects her to pay rent, yet her friends could have bought a new building for her with that $3.6 million.

Categories Charter Schools, Education Industry

Erica Bryant: How NASA Differs from NY State Education Department

By dianeravitch
March 20, 2014 //
9

The Rochester Teachers Association is suing the state for its flawed evaluation system, which unfairly judges teachers.

Erica Bryant explains why in this article.

“Years ago, I visited the Kennedy Space Center and bought a coffee mug from the gift shop. It is decorated with some NASA equations, including one used to calculate the speed an object needs to escape Earth’s gravity. This formula fits on one line.

“By contrast, the document that describes how to measure student growth for the purpose of evaluating New York’s teachers and principals is 112 pages.”

Even in 112 pages, the teacher evaluation system is unfair and senseless and penalizes teachers who work with the poorest students.

Categories Poverty, Students, Teacher Evaluations

California: The Language Police Are on the Job!

By dianeravitch
March 20, 2014 //
49

A teacher in California sent me the latest state testing guidelines and was disturbed to see the large number of forbidden topics.

I was not surprised because in 2003, I published a book called “The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn.” I reported that testing and textbook publishers, the federal government and state education agencies collectively adhere to a long list of banned words, topics, and graphics (Do Not Show a Rainbow! Do Not Show a Female in a Tank Top! Do Not Show the Sole of a Shoe! Do Not Show a Cow with Udders! Do Not Even Mention Sex, Poverty, Religion,Violence, War, Witches, or Evolution!)

Actually, the only new addition to the list of banned topics is “complex discussions of sports,” and I assume this was added on the assumption that boys are likely to know more about sports than girls. So the topic is gender biased.

You might well wonder what material is permissible on the state tests once all if the below has been deleted. Me too. Maybe a discussion of the healthfulness of grains and vegetables?

Here are the current guidelines, no different from what I wrote about in 2003:

“To keep the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) free from potentially biased, sensitive, or controversial content, the following topics are avoided on the examination:

“Violence (including guns, other weapons, and graphic animal violence)

“Dying, death, disease, hunger, famine
War

“Natural disasters with loss of life

“Drugs (including prescription drugs), alcohol, tobacco, smoking

“Junk food

“Abuse, poverty, running away

“Divorce

“Socio-economic advantages (e.g., video games, swimming pools, computers in the home, expensive vacations)

“Sex

“Religion

“Complex discussions of sports

“Slavery

“Evolution, prehistoric times, age of solar system, dinosaurs

“Rap music, rock concerts

“Extrasensory perception, witchcraft
Halloween, religious holidays

“Anything disrespectful, demeaning, moralistic, chauvinistic

“Children coping with adult situations or decisions; young people challenging or questioning authority

“Mention of individuals who may be associated with drug use or with advertising of substances such as cigarettes or alcohol

“Losing a job, home, or pets

“Rats, roaches, lice, spiders

Dieting, other concerns with self-image
Political issues

“Any topic that is likely to upset students and affect their performance on the rest of the test.

“It is important to note that these guidelines are applied in the context of the purpose of the test as well as the overall passage or item. For example, some topics (e.g., the socio-economic advantages) may be mentioned in a text, although an entire passage would not focus on these topics.”

Categories California, Testing

Congressman Supports NPE’s Call for Congressional Hearings on Testing

By dianeravitch
March 20, 2014 //
7
PRESS RELEASE
March 19, 2014

Contact:

Robin Hiller

phone: 520-668-4634 email:

robin@networkforpubliceducation.org

Anthony Cody  phone: 510-917-9231 email: anthony_cody@hotmail.com
Member of Congress joins with  

The Network for Public Education and calls for public hearings on the misuse and abuse of standardized tests. Massive social networking campaign to be waged in coming days.
On March 2, 2014, following their highly successful National Conference, The Network for Public Education(NPE) sent out a call for members of Congress to hold public hearings on standardized testing. This call came in response to the onerous testing regime that has enveloped schools across the country and threatens to create a generation of students who possess less creativity and problem solving skills than previous generations.
Answering NPE’s call, Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-3), a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, responded with a sentiment that has been echoed by parents and educators throughout the United States. The six-term Representative said, “The need for an impartial and transparent hearing on mandatory testing and privatization efforts directed at public education, is critical.  We need to have an open discussion about the dismantling of public education. I hope the leadership of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will hold hearings that allow our public schools and the families they serve the opportunity to have an open and honest hearing.”  
Bolstered by Congressional support and a network of thousands of grassroots activists, NPE has taken to social media to apply additional pressure on lawmakers to hold hearings. NPE’s executive director Robin Hiller explained the goal of the Wednesday, March 19 Twitterstorm.
“We are taking our message to Twitter because while we lack access to paid media, we have thousands of passionate educators, students, parents and citizens across the country who care deeply about our schools, and are truly concerned about the colossal waste of resources now being directed to standardized tests. We hope to raise awareness among the public, media and elected representatives around our call for Congressional hearings into the abuse of standardized tests,” Hiller said.
The Network for Public Education, which is led by education scholar and former Assistant Secretary of Education, Diane Ravitch, is asking for support for these hearings and hopes that other members of Congress will step up for America’s children as did Congressman Grijalva. The organization will follow up Wednesday’s social media blitz with a Day of Action on Monday, March 24, and is asking members of the public to join in contacting their elected representatives and media outlets.
About The Network for Public Education:
The Network for Public Education is an advocacy group whose goal is to fight to protect, preserve and strengthen our public school system, an essential institution in a democratic society. Our mission is to protect, preserve, promote, and strengthen public schools and the education of current and future generations of students. We will accomplish this by networking groups and organizations focused on similar goals in states and districts throughout the nation and share information about what works and what doesn’t work in public education.

 
Contact:

Robin Hiller phone: 520-668-4634 email: robin@networkforpubliceducation.org
Anthony Cody  phone:  510-917-9231 email: anthony_cody@hotmail.com
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Categories Education Industry, Education Reform, Network for Public Education, Testing
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