Our blog poet writes a poem for Pearson:
Pearson cares deeply…
about what’s in their pocketses
“Stopping by schools on a doughy evening’ (with apologies to Robert Frost)
Whose schools these are I think I know
Their houses are in the village though
They will not see the Pearson test
And see their schools farmed out for dough
The classroom teacher thinks I jest
Reform without an expert guest
Between the test and Common Core
And iPads, VAMs and all the rest
She spots her pink slip on the door
And curses her value-added score
The only other sounds the sweep
Of janitor broom on hallway floor
The pockets are lovely, dark and deep
And I have promi$e$ to keep
And million$ to make before I sleep
And million$ to make before I sleep
Diane Ravitch's blog 
http://fox4kc.com/2015/05/11/non-profit-organization-provides-opportunity-for-those-interested-in-teaching/
Date: Mon, 11 May 2015 13:01:49 +0000 To: khomfeld@hotmail.com
Diane, I humbly offer another, and hope that Robert Frost forgives me.
The Tests Not Taken
Two tests to take, I’m told I should,
And sorry I could not stomach both
And hold my breakfast – long I stood
And turned down one for now – for good!
As per my penned refusal oath.
Refused the other; they’re not fair,
In spite of Arne Duncan’s claim.
With real instruction, they compare
As much as methane is like air;
They’re really not at all the same.
And both their faults equally lay
In testing to see if I’m on track
By using cumbersome display
And questions meant to lead astray;
Who wrote these tests? Some sort of hack?
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two tests administered, and I-
I resolved to not comply.
Perhaps we can all make a difference.
Dan Masi:
TAGO!
😃
A bit of doggerel from my youth:
You’re a poet
And you know
And your toes show it.
They’re longfellows.
😎
One of the good things that came out of the opt-out and anti-excessive testing advocacy in my state was lawmakers were forced to seat a panel on testing that wasn’t dominated by national ed reform groups. Instead the panel was composed of people who actually work in Ohio schools. That all by itself is big news.
Anyway, the panel members generated a list of questions for the contractor and the quasi-governmental entity that administers the tests. The questions are pretty good:
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/04/parcc_and_pearson_reps_to_face.html
Why continually bash the ‘market system’? It delivers goods and services effectively and competition assures the buyer gets what they’re after (or they don’t buy from the same supplier again). Of course there are abuses but what make you so sure education is/will be a victiim. Kids need to get a good education and the current non-profit arrangement isn’t working for too many. OMG, why not embrace the interest by for-profits and make them produce results or loose the contract. The kids deserve more than government run schools can provide.
Great defense. If ed reform politicians would simply run on what you’re proposing then we’d have a POLITICAL market that works.
People can’t vote on it if politicians find it convenient to lie about it.
Run on for-profit market theory applied to public schools. Let’s have a real debate instead of this mush we’re handed about “great schools!” that contradicts observable actions.
Privatizing US public schools is a radical idea. Promote it honestly. Who knows? Maybe people will “embrace” it, but they can hardly “embrace” it if they’re constantly told it isn’t happening.
“Of course there are abuses but what make you so sure education is/will be a victiim.”
Well, to anyone who’s been paying attention, the proof is in the pudding – the kids are already victims. You can start here, for instance: http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/05/charter-fraud-tip-of-iceberg.html
BTW, we’ve had a “market” system in education for, what, two decades now? Where are the results? Where is the “or else”?
“OMG, why not embrace the interest by for-profits and make them produce results or loose the contract. The kids deserve more than government run schools can provide.”
I’ll raise you OMG with an OMFG at your statements. You’re belief and confidence in this entity you call the market system belies intelligent analysis. First off you forgot the “free” before the “market system”-ha ha! But students and parents can’t afford to waste a year of their child’s education or more while the “market” determines that the private school isn’t viable due to not turning enough of a profit to survive.
And them gubmint run schools are actually run by your neighbors who have been elected to “govern” the particular public school district in which you live-you know one of over 13,000 different ones. I’m surprised that you didn’t add “gubmint run monopoly schools for better effect.
By the way are you allowed to reveal which edudeform group for whom you work?
Hate to disappoint but I’m retired living in Montana where Charter Schools aren’t permitted by law. I’m one of those guys who’s certain the private side can do anything better than the government. There are abuses in every organized endeavor but the difference comes because owner operators have the courage to make tough decisions when they’re needed. Schools have to be about kids…not teachers, not administrators, not school boards, not parents. Public schools have lost sight of this.
Kent,
WRONG!!!!
The public schools focus on kids. That’s why when I was teaching my local branch of the teachers’ union often sacrificed pay increases to keep class sizes down in addition to keeping the library open, drama, band and other programs that the kids enjoyed and wanted.
However, the overwhelming evidence is that a significant number of corporate Charters focus on profit and not the kids, the teachers or the parents. While a CEO like Eva Moskowitz pays herself as much as five times (more than $500,000) what an average public school superintendent earns, the average charter school teacher earns about $10k less than a public school teacher.
Lloyd Lofthouse: you write simple truths in plain English…
For example, today in another thread on this blog (“Why My Charter School Needs a Union”) I reminded folks that last year, Eva Moskowitz (edupreneur extraordinaire of $ucce$$ Academy fame) made $57.50@student for [rounding upward] 10,000 students, while Carmen Fariña (NYC School Chancellor) made less than 25¢@student for [rounding downward] 1,000,000 students.
In the accompanying thread to the abovementioned blog posting, Steve K points out:
“A neighbor complained that my school district superintendent made $215,000. Our district has nearly 12,000 students. While we were in the same conversation, I found the pay that Clark Durant received as CEO of Cornerstone Schools in Detroit six years ago. Cornerstone was then only K-5 schools and served fewer than 4,000 students. His compensation: $650,000.”
I give the first the benefit of the arithmetical doubt. Clark Durant: $162.50@student@year, while the public school district superintendent made approx. $18@student@year.
The hard data points in Rheephormish: Eva Moskowitz and Clark Durant are selfless saints of the “new civil rights movement of our time” while Carmen Fariña and her counterpart are greedy sinners of those awful big gubmint monopoly schools aka “factories of failure” aka “dropout factories.”
Rheeally!
😱
Or is that what the hard data points really say?
😏
If we go strictly by the numbers, who’s putting adult interests first and who’s putting student interests first?
Question, questions, questions…
“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.”
Word has it that Eva Moskowitz and Clark Durant are not fans of Ionesco.
Makes perfect ₵ent¢…
😎
“selfless saints”
I want to suggest that fallen angels might work better—the devil is a fallen angel.
Or maybe well paid demons who work for the devil.
:o)
Love it! I’m amazed by your creativity.
Powerful messages in poetry….here’s one of my favorite anti Common Core:
http://www.amazon.com/Common-Core-Protest-Poster-Listened/dp/B00KCZIBOA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400813958&sr=8-1&keywords=We+Should+Have+Listened+to+the+Lorax
So much fun!! Wonderful really. I love it.
Señor Swacker: you wrote—
“By the way are you allowed to reveal which edudeform group for whom you work?”
Don’t hold your breath waiting for an answer.
Pigs will grow wings and fly first. A certain very very hot spot will freeze over.
Or in the words of that never-to-be-forgotten free market fundamentalist hymn [“borrowed” from the old Joe Hill standard]:
“There will be fair competition bye and bye
In that glorious free market land above the sky.
Teach and slave, live on hay,
You’ll never get free market competition—
That’s no lie.”
This unforgettable ditty used to go under the moniker “$tudent $ucce$$” but Eva Moskowitz sued for copyright infringement. And no, I don’t know why…
😏
Now it’s known as “Money, money, money, I like” but edupreneur extraordinaire Mr. Armando “Pitbull” Pérez is suing, claiming that the new title is a shameless rip-off from his classic JUICEBOX.
😱
Since I’m a big fan of truth in advertising, how about “$$$$$$$$$$$$”—it’s seemingly unpronunceable but the usual unsubstantiated rumors have it that when the “thought leaders” of the self-proclaimed “education reform” talk amongst themselves, they call it “I’ve Got You Royally [expletive deleted]” — the, er, ‘royally” a play on the acronym ROI aka “return on investment.”
But what do I know? I’m all in for genuine learning and teaching. And all in for opting out of standardized tests.
And even at my best, I’ve only got dos centavitos worth while Mr. Bill Gates…
😎
Are you sure that we’d even have janitors to sweep the floors clean. They’re getting fired too and replaced by private sector janitors who don’t do much cleaning while the new boss makes money doing nothing but sleeping.
That’s good. Today after school the testing coordinator reviewed all rules and had us sign the security agreement. I couldn’t help but laugh. Everything is scripted, even if there were to some emergency, you must read from the script. Even though they said younger kids could go out to the tennis courts and have recess, I will choose to bring out the blocks for lunchtime recess. The whole thing is sickening!!!