Charters kill unions. Ninety percent of charters are nonunion. Their sponsors want it that way..
Personally, I am completely opposed to for-profit charter schools. I think they are an abomination. I believe that every cent paid by taxpayers should be dedicated to the needs of children and their teachers, and not a single cent should be paid to investors.
https://dianeravitch.net/2015/07/12/bernie-sanders-on-education/
Q. What are your views on private school vouchers, tuition tax credits, and charter school accountability and transparency?
BS: I am strongly opposed to any voucher system that would re-direct public education dollars to private schools, including through the use of tax credits. In addition, I believe charter schools should be held to the same standards of transparency as public schools, and that these standards should also apply to the non-profit and for-profit entities that organize charter schools.
This is what was on her blog from our questionnaire for HRC:
https://dianeravitch.net/2015/07/12/hillary-clinton-on-education/
Q. What are your views on private school vouchers, tuition tax credits, and charter school
accountability and transparency?
HRC: I strongly oppose voucher schemes because they divert precious resources away from financially
strapped public schools to private schools that are not subject to the same accountability
standards or teacher quality standards. It would be harmful to our democracy if we dismantled
our public school system through vouchers, and there is no evidence that doing so would
improve outcomes for children.
Charters should be held to the same standards, and to the same level of accountability and
transparency to which traditional public schools are held. This includes the requirements of civil
rights laws. They can innovate and help improve educational practices. But I also believe that
we must go back to the original purpose of charter schools. Where charters are succeeding, we
should be doing more to ensure that their innovations can be widely disseminated throughout
our traditional public school system. Where they are failing, they should be closed.
Again, these are not the views held by Chicago’s mayor, Rahm Emanuel, which she seems to be having a little love affair with.
What a cheat that Rahm is…he is already having an affair with our Republican Governor Rauner…didn’t you see them on their cozy wine trip. Hmmm maybe they could make it a threesome, after all party doesn’t matter anymore, does it?
I’m all for Bernie!
How does Hillary Clinton explain the Clinton’s many years relationship with Eli Broad?
http://www.defendpubliceducation.net/eli-broad-and-the-clintons-upd
Guilt by association?
Guilt by donations & favors.
http://laschoolreport.com/broads-support-of-clinton-raising-concerns-within-teacher-unions/
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-broad-museum-clinton-20150919-story.html
http://www.epi.org/publication/grading_the_education_reformers/
“The reformers’ arrogance is best on display when Brill gloats about the charade of appointing anti-reformer Linda Darling-Hammond to lead Obama’s official post-election education planning, while DFER, with funds from Eli Broad, wrote a secret memo for the “informal yet real education transition team.” Jon Schnur organized the effort and strove to calm his nervous fellow-reformers, assuring them that the Darling-Hammond appointment was only a sop to a faction that would have no real influence, while DFER’s secret memo set forth the Administration’s actual policy – including the naming of key Gates Foundation and Teach for America operatives for crucial administration policy posts, and calling for use of student test scores to evaluate teachers.”
If you take money from Eli Broad, it means he believes you will support his positions. So, of course there should be guilt by association in politics.
I agree. This is guilt by association. Broad has been a major donor to Democratic candidates, liberal causes, and the arts, besides his terrible education efforts. We should talk to all candidates about opposing his education crap.
I am sure if Bernie won the nomination, he would get contributions from Broad.
Broad has been active in the movement to raise the minimum wage in LA to $15 per hour. Should we now oppose that movement, due to Broad’s involvement. He has given money to support gun control and stem cell testing. So now we oppose those? Almost all arts organizations in LA, the symphony, etc., have received much money from Broad. So are they now suspect? Are Arts now bad, because Broad has supported them?
We should be talking to the candidates thoroughly to make sure what their positions on education issues are, to educate them about it, etc. But the guilt by association stuff is absurd.
Bernie said:
” In addition, I believe charter schools should be held to the same standards of transparency as public schools, and that these standards should also apply to the non-profit and for-profit entities that organize charter schools.”
So he does believe in for-profit charters as long as they are transparent? Does he believe that these for-profit charter schools should be able to take over “failing” public schools?
I guess what I am asking is does he actually believe in privatizing public schools? If so, what kind of socialist is he? Or does the word “socialist” mean something different than I thought it did?
He’s better than most though because he recognizes that there’s “the charter” and then there’s either one or two entities or organizations or companies that sponsor and run (“organizes”) the charter.
I don’t know why “authorizers” and “operators” in Ohio get this cloak of invisibility , where we get the names of the organization but never a person’s name. They take a cut of every charter school dollar. They should be held accountable in the same way public school superintendents or school board members are named and have to answer questions. Who works there? What are they paid? What do they do to earn the cut they take?
But how can he call himself a socialist when he believes in privatizing public education?
I get the thing about accountability and transparency and I agree. But really, should private entities be taking over public schools in the first place? How can I believe that Bernie really is what he says he is when he’s OK with that?
I don’t think it’s about him believing in privatizing public education. The privatization has already happened. The Charter “System” is already here. It’s more about fixing the system (Charter Education) already in place to make it better. Whether or not it can be fixed is very debatable. Maybe to fix the system is to make it function more like public education? I don’t think it’s about replacing the entire public education system.
Last time I heard Bernie label himself, he said he was a social democrat. He’s not a socialist, the type that would want to nationalize the airlines and railroads. He believes in a single payer healthcare system because it is cost effective.
Bernie is opposed to privatization. From the same questionnaire that Diane quoted above:
“Q. What are your views on the privatization and contracting out of public services, including school services and state and local government services?
BS: I am strongly opposed to the outsourcing and privatization of public services. The reality is that many private contractors provide jobs with low pay and no benefits with little or no training. It is not a surprise that initially these private contractors out-bid their government competitors because the federal government provides better pay, health care, pension benefits and quality training to their employees. But, in the long-term, in most instances, privatization leads to poor service, high turnover, and an overall increase in taxpayer dollars.
For example, on the state government level, the State of New Jersey thought they were going to save taxpayer dollars by privatizing their vehicle inspection program. What happened? According to a 2002 report, this program turned into a “mammoth boondoggle” that ended up costing taxpayers $247 million more than it would have cost if it were run by the state.
As President, I would do everything I could to reverse the privatization of public services and support the creation of more good-paying public sector jobs.”
See the questionnaire in full at the AFT website: http://www.aft.org/election2016/candidate-questionnaire-bernie-sanders#sthash.QZVLYe9b.dpuf
Now if we can get him to apply this logic to schools…he would realize that his discussion of transparency for charter schools doesn’t quite cut it. He can’t hedge his bets and say that if they are transparent, it’s okay for them to take money from the public school system. We don’t have the resources to fund a separate privately managed school system.
G, To say that a legal entity should be held to specified standards is not the same as saying that one believes the entity should exist/be operating.
When voting for a candidate we don’t just vote for the individual, we vote for their entire team of advisers & benefactors. One look at Hillary’s team and we see the same neoliberal, privatizers (DFER, Wall St, Broad, the Banks) who will impose the death knell to public education if she is elected.
“Of his friendship with the Broads, Clinton turned to them and asked, “What year did you come and sit in the living room with me?” Edye Broad noted that Clinton daughter Chelsea, now an active figure in the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative, had been a baby at the time and that Hillary Rodham Clinton, a Democratic presidential candidate and former secretary of State, had been Eli’s lawyer. After settling on 1983, Clinton said, “I looked up one day and Eli was in my living room, and my life has never been the same.”
Sanders is firmly opposed to privatization & has taken no donations from Wall St or billionaire boys club. He has no allegiance to them.
When she say’s charters should be accountable I don’t expect action from her team. Arne makes similar noises but then gives millions & millions of public money to charter chains & for-profit univerisities. I would expect another Arne Duncan if Clinton is elected.
Who would you trust to appoint the next Sec of Education?
My view: Because he said that he believes that they should … does NOT mean that he endorses them, only that those now in existence should be held to those standards. He flatly says he is not in favor of them.
Right, this is also the impression I got. It seems that people have a very strong inclination to find something wrong with the candidate, rather that the system that the candidate is trying to improve. Killing off all charter schools is also cutting off many children from an education that they didn’t even personally choose to pursue – and I know i might get responses saying that the children will be distributed into surrounding public schools, but that’s best case scenario. It probably would take weeks for most kids to find a school that has room and is not completely desecrated.
But I’m going off on a tangent. Bernie for president 2016!
If you fully understand Bernies’ core platform position as being emphstically against billionaire and corporations’ control of government, legislation, policy and communities,…you know he is vehemently against privatization of public services including public education (question 17 of his AFT Q &A) He is against obscene profits of CEO’s and money flowing to the top and away from workers. He believes capitalism must be strictly regulated and audited to decrease the abuses and excesses of criminality. He sees unfettered capitalism as being destructive to a democratic society, people’s lives and the environment. He has advanced worker controlled small businesses in Burlington Vermont that are not managed by traditional totalitarian .corporate principles but by democratic corporate principles where the workers are the shareholders.and are decision makers..Small businesses are still booming there today. Because they were/are so successful, the owners and workers have no desire to change the management principles that Bernie worked out with them when he was mayor. Why would they?… He believes that when public services are privatized, they lose their focus as service providers and become profit motivated,where quality decreases, and corruption increases. There are no charters in VT, but they do have ‘nonprofit independent’ schools. He would be appalled with the privatization debacles going on in urban areas.that we are oh so familiar with our school districts. He also is interested in decreasing the high stakes testing and has encouraged “alternative methods of assessing student achievement, school quality and teacher evaluation in order to move away from the overuse of ” high stakes” nature of testing. He believes in well rounded curriculum and wants to b known as the Arts President”. He believes that charters MUST be held to the same accountability standards and practices as public schools. and has even gone as far as saying they should NOT be f unded from public revenues because that drains money from public schools. When I read his entire AFT Q &A and also studied his positions on business and government. it is clear to me that his positions are exactly what we as educators have been fighting for….His enemy is BIG money profiteering at the demise of social good. What strikes me as phenomenal is that these are not merely positions of political convenience for him…These have been his beliefs his entire adult life. His belief that unions and bargaining rights are absolutely necessary are so basic to him that as a Senator he has marched on picket lines,while campaigning in towns and cities. The best sources of information about his platform that I have found are old newspaper articles about how he transformed the city of Burlington, his AFT Q &A (19 pages) and the website his supporters have set up at http://www.FeelTheBern.org . I did find a few inaccuracies at the site regarding his position on charters and wrote to the site administrators pointing out the errors…Bernie is not aganst charters, but believes they MUST be firmly regulated,controlled and supervised by local school boards,.The site makes it sound as if he has no problem with charters functioning as autonomous entities. I am watching to see if they adjust their wording. This is the AFT Q&A I copied and highlighted…
Yes!! Great comment, JoJoFox… Thanks!
Bernie truly is the best option, easily, if you have been following what he says and does.
Ok, they have similar statements on the issue. In order to make the right choice, we need to know which candidate has more integrity and conviction behind their words.
Because of this, when Hillary and Bernie say the same thing, the answer is Bernie.
Ed, I get this feeling that you don’t like Hillary.
Well, she is bought and paid for, just like virtually every other candidate. She is for war, she is for crony capitalism, she is for big money in politics, she is for private prisons, she is weak on environmental issues, she uses subtle attack ads, she is against expanding social security, she has no clear stance on progressive tax policy, she was against gay marriage until a few years ago. She dodges questions and refuses to address specific issues.
Hillary is out of touch with the vast majority of Americans. She changes her opinion based on public opinion, rather than being guided by values. The best points of her platform are simply her stealing what Bernie said months before.
She’s more of the same. Dirty politics, and marginal improvement if any.
I will admit she is slightly better than a GOP candidate. But Bernie is 100x better. I am yet to hear one good reason for supporting her over Hillary. And I am shocked when I hear you educators on the fence about this one. It is completely, absolutely clear who will be a better ally of teachers, public education, and democracy.
*I meant, “supporting her over Bernie”
Ed, there is no evidence that Bernie is better on education. In fact his votes on recent ECAA amendments were totally wrong, as were most Democratic senators, including Elizabeth Warren. I don’t question his integrity due to that, I think that those two and others were convinced by the fake “civil rights” talk of the deformers, the civil rights groups that went along with them, etc. But if in office as President, he might still be influenced by them, as was Obama. Don’t assume anything. I don’t know if Hillary would be better either. (I think she is much more likely to be elected President though.)
I think it shows we need to be educating the politicians though. (I am sure the other side is heavily lobbying all the candidates. We need to talk to them too, not sure how.) When someone goes along with the deform agenda, I do not think we can always assume they were “bought off”, but many liberals actually fall for their civil rights talk. We need to educate the general public and politicians better about this.
Although I generally agree that Sanders seems to have high integrity, there is one issue on which I question that–a very important issue–gun control. Due to the many gun owners in his state (who are influenced by NRA), and his concern for being reelected, he has sometimes taken very bad votes on gun control, including opposition to the Brady bill, opposition to a bill to allow liability to gun manufacturers, etc. To me that does not seem like integrity, but politics as usual.
On education, I really do not know who would be better at this time. We should be talking to all the Dem candidates though.
I agree with the similar statements. I don’t think Hillary has any convictions. However, the idea of another old white man in office in this country really doesn’t speak to me. Neither can motivate me to really vote their way and I’m a really political person. This election is already extremely disappointing to me.
People really need to look into Jill Stein. Of course if Bernie is supposedly “unelectable”, I guess that means Stein is far out in left field. But if there were a way to get the word out about her I really think that everyone who’s so frustrated with politics as usual could unite behind her.
Who would you want appointing the next secretary of education? The damage done by Arne will take a generation to undo & I don’t see any hope for a change if Hillary or any Republican is elected.
Given Bernie’s history I think his Sec of Ed appointment would be an educator, not a privatizer.
I’m a female but I have no loyalty to any female candidate who will damage public education. Vote your job.
The old white man in office mindset is racially based, yes? Is that wise?
“I don’t think Hillary has any convictions.”
Lots of charges… just no convictions (so far).
” However, the idea of another old white man in office in this country really doesn’t speak to me.”
Prejudiced are ya? My oh my! I thought your parents taught you better (or at least not to leave yourself open to criticisms like this-ha ha!).
“the idea of another old white man in office in this country really doesn’t speak to me.” 🙂
Being an old white woman, I am marginally more enthusiastic, but Bernie has potential.
“However, the idea of another old white man in office in this country really doesn’t speak to me”
What does it matter the color of his skin, his age, or his gender… if he’s the right person for the job…?
Dienne said:
“But if there were a way to get the word out about [Jill Stein] I really think that everyone who’s so frustrated with politics as usual could unite behind her.”
Why shouldn’t Bernie be that person to unite behind? He’s been the counter to “politics as usual” his entire career. A huge portion of Bernie supporters have this exact sentiment.
Mike said: “Ed, there is no evidence that Bernie is better on education.”
I believe you are incorrect. If you’re looking at votes, he voted against NCLB. If you’re looking at what he stands for and has consistently voted for in all arenas, he is strongly against privatization of public rights and resources (far more than Hillary), even if he does not yet understand the subtleties of the privatization movement in K-12.
Bernie has been asked about standardized testing on several occasions, and his responses were both intelligent and aware. And he means exactly what he says, unlike Hillary, who often does not respond to peoples’ questions, and does “politi-speak” around others. So even if Hillary has spoken with the same intelligence and awareness on the topic (she hasn’t), she is far less likely to follow through. Finally, Bernie has the genuine capacity and drive to improve from where he currently stands. If he sees a new truth, he updates his views. This is unique in politics.
I wrote the following in a chapter about understanding leadership:
“Our greatest leaders have transcended personal motives, including power and money, as the main driving force of their ideas and work. At the core of their being, they want to see a better system of education and a better world — not just a new yacht, more votes, or more prestige.”
Which is Bernie, and which is Hillary? Who’s running to improve our schools, and who’s running Because They Really Wanna Be President? I follow these candidates closely, and already know the answer. One of them cares much more about your kids.
Bernie has a bit of freedom since he is from s liberal state and an independent not connected with a political party.
While that allows him to speak freely, and I do Like many of his ideas, there are some drawbacks. Loyalties tend to go along party lines and he might have some difficulty working with others since he tends to be a loner.
He’s not going to work along party lines. He’s going to propose what is best for the American people. It’s up to us, the people, to pressure the legislature into action.
Good luck with that idea. It hasn’t been working lately.
“Good luck with that idea. It hasn’t been working lately.”
Lately? I don’t understand this comment.
People need to get involved in the political process. It’s what must happen… now more than ever.
What’s the point in doubting the only way out of this mess?
For example – massive opt outs in NYS – but the testing continues.
Outcry for gun control (or at least banning automatic weapons) especially after mass shootings – NRA wins
Women clamoring for health rights – closing of Planned Parenthood
Well, yeah. That is what happens if you give up and walk away. Our mistake is in thinking that we can go home and put our feet up and just expect everything to be okay. It just doesn’t work that way. If you think anti-gun control people are home doing nothing,… If you expected the testing mania to collapse just because a lot of people chose to opt out this past year,… If you think the health services that Planned Parenthood provide were safe,… The least we have to do is participate in the political process by educating ourselves about the issues and where candidates stand and then VOTING. Politicians have gotten so slick that it is hard to tell what they really believe and what is for the camera or the poll numbers, but they all have a history. If we want a democratic society, then we had better be ready to fight for it even if we don’t always win a clear victory.
“For example…. ”
Incorporate a more long-term view. Losing some battles doesn’t mean the war is lost. But if we give up, we will certainly lose.
thank you for nailing them down on this…..we might need to draft Jerry brown….according to whether or not he signs the bill to ban for profit charters and also takes some actions against the non profits.
Hillary gave the sort of cover all bases for everybody answer that a lot of us find offensive….but maybe people can live with it.
I believe the Clinton Foundation supports Teach For America.
They do.
And Mrs. Clinton was on the board for Wal-Mart.
and she was on the board of Monsanto…
She wasn’t on the board of Monsanto. That appears to be an untrue, but oft repeated lie.
Maybe not on the board, but it doesn’t really matter. She hired one of their lobbyists to run her campaign: http://www.nationofchange.org/2015/04/26/hillary-clinton-hires-former-monsanto-lobbyist-to-run-her-campaign/ Her ties are deep enough, even if she wasn’t on their board.
“Where charters are succeeding, we should be doing more to ensure that their innovations can be widely disseminated throughout our traditional public school system. ”
I know that’s a really popular thing for politicians to say, but I’m not comfortable with their definition of “success” being “widely disseminated” in public schools without some consensus or consent or buy-in from parents who may not define “success” in the same way.
The Obama Administration are crazy in love with Rocketship, for example, and I didn’t “choose” classes of 100 kids with lots and lots of screen time and I wouldn’t consider that an improvement in my son’s school. I also don’t want my son’s school turned into a “no excuses” school.
Arne Duncan thinks “success” is starting with 100 9th graders and then graduating “100%” of the remaining 70 students. I don’t want that “widely disseminated”, nor can it be, because the 30 kids who didn’t make it had to go somewhere else to school.
what if their cherry picked students get pretty good test scores….will that be widely disseminated? will they voluntarily choose the more difficult and expensive to educate students, or would they worry that if they do, then they might not match the performance of the “successful” schools? Hilary’s concept makes about as much sense as Donald Trump’s we will all get wealthy tax plan.
Thank you, Chiara, for your perspicacity and eloquence.
Just got back from my new sixth-grader’s curriculum night. I cannot imagine ONE of the parents in that overwhelmingly affluent audience putting up with ANY of that “no excuses” crap. Thank you for always thinking of ALL students. Where do they go, indeed.
Agreed with this. Arne Duncan has done much to ruin public education in this country as well. Obama was really a major disappointment in this issue and I believe, considering again her support of Chicago’s destructive mayor, Hillary would be much of the same.
Have you heard the latest? Arne is stepping down. It is unclear to me, would be interested in Dr. Ravitch reply, on his successor. I wonder if he will be any better or possibly worse than Arne.
2 Words – John King
So the answer is YIKES!
No one has yet been able to answer what charter schools’ “innovations” are, except brutal labor management and child abuse.
Agreed. I’ve been waiting for something from the chains other than SLANT and chants.
Well there is
“Charteracketeering”
One hand pays
The other grabs
Charter ways
To launder cash:
Rent to self
At sky-high rate
Accrue the wealth
For later date
That’s worthy of a mention in the Harvard Business Review
“Gayaneh
October 1, 2015 at 11:23 pm
But how can he call himself a socialist when he believes in privatizing public education?
I get the thing about accountability and transparency and I agree. But really, should private entities be taking over public schools in the first place? How can I believe that Bernie really is what he says he is when he’s OK with that?”
I see your point but in his defense the question was… “and charter school
accountability and transparency?” not “should there be charter schools?” The question includes charter schools as a given and then asks about accountability and transparency.
I see what you mean. Thanks for pointing that out.
I’d still like to see Bernie make his position clear on the matter.
Hillary, in my opinion, is not even a serious contender since my main concern for the upcoming elections is the survival of public schools. She seems too corrupt. The testing companies and charter corporations will have no problem purchasing her.
I’m hoping Bernie will be a more viable choice, but he has to be clear where he stands on the privatization of public schools. He’s already raised doubts in my mind due to the votes he cast a few months ago opposing the rights of parents to opt their children out of testing. Something doesn’t smell right. I hope I’m wrong.
“I see your point but in his defense the question was… “and charter school
accountability and transparency?” not “should there be charter schools?” ”
Right, which is why someone needs to ask the question, “should there be charter schools?” Of all candidates.
“should there be charter schools?” Will Jerry Brown be doing anything to address that question when he either signs or vetoes the bill to ban for profit charters……which is only a start……non profits have a negative impact on public education too….but start somewhere.
Yes, that was the one. Thank you, Dr.
Why is it not illegal to profit off of children? Oh wait!it is. We decided years ago with child labor laws that it is NOT ok to profit off of children.
So can some legal eagle please explain how “for profit” charters get around breaking
child labor laws?
Either way it is morally reprehensIble in my book.
Good point, Bob in So. Cal.
Bernie’s take I think, is an acknowledgment of a few facts for his base
A) Charters aren’t going anywhere – Congress will never ever send him a bill to abolish them. To directly oppose them is to unleash a lot of money and hate in his direction for little direct political gain.
B) substantiated or not, there are many people disillusioned with public schools and are buying the hype – alienating then by sending the message that he is so firmly in the union’s pocket would be denying that very popular sentiment and reinforcing the beliefs of many of those who choose charter.m schools.
That means the only viable path is to let them exist, fail, and restrict their growth. Right now, per their original premise they are not being allowed to fail even if their own data says so. We need that move to exposing the truth so that people see why they should oppose charters – that is how you build support from those who don’t support you.
I think Bernie has strong consistent principles but he also picks his battles and chooses winning strategies to be more broadly appealing while still working towards his progressive views.
He could go tea party/ de blasio on charters but that kind of ideological posturing will not suddenly make congress progressive.
His way is to build popular support while not aiming to piss people off needlessly (1% excluded) and build positions he can get buy in from with both congress and the people.
He is just very intelligent – I hope he sticks to what he says and I believe he will.
But Bernie needs to understand that all the battles are intertwined. He needs to understand that charters are just one more front in the battle to privatize the Commons and undermine unions. He needs to understand how charters, Common Core, testing, etc. are all part of the battle to set public schools up to “fail” and use that failure against them.
Exactly. Every time I get an email from his campaign asking for money, I write back and challenge him to oppose the privatization of our public schools. It should be a part of his campaign to restore our democracy in the face of the billionaire assault. I can’t understand why he won’t do it.
Bernie Sanders is still working full time as a Senator.of Vermont..voting on every vote in Congress and on weekends campaigning flying coach across the country and doing interviews. Working to defeat TPP . I dare anyone younger than he to keep the pace he keeps. Oh and he does NOT have a superpac…only individual donations. The average donation is $30.00…last quarter he raised 26 million dollars for indivdiual donors and Clinton raise 28 million with $ 2,700 plate fundraisers. I urge you to watch his youtube videos of his campaign…speeches ..and understand that this man has a moral ompass that does not waiver or flip flop…on isssues never has…his entire career. https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=315&v=cAO66tIhPjQ
What a contradict expression from HRC!
There is certain PRINCIPLE in life like conscientiousness that is ONE TRANSPARENT PATH to live without contradiction.
With or without political incorrectness, transparent democracy should be expressed in short, simple and clear way AS IT IS. Back2basic
“. . . ONE TRANSPARENT PATH to live without contradiction.”
Quite correct m4potw! Or as Andre Compte-Sponville puts it “fidelity to truth”. Have you read his “A Small Treatise on the Great Virtues”?
Hope all is well with you and yours!!
Thank you señior Swacker,
I cannot wait for my cataract eyes to be fixed one by one which was delayed more than one and half years since January 2014. I will definitely enjoy reading your recommended Treatise book by Andre Compte-Sponville
The last two months, my internet provider had internal vandalism, so I intermittently missed reading this website too much.
People, who do not have humanity mind-set, will be easily manipulated to be cruel and rude to other human beings due to selfishness and ideological brain-washing.
Also, people, who do not cultivate their logical mind, but being fancily occupied with money minded, will be easily manipulated by con-artists and inadvertently become useful tools for puppet masters.
The majority of business background presidential candidates in USA fall into the second category.
I just pray God who will use as many techniques as possible to awaken/cultivate spirit of humanity in “”money minded people”” so that people can unite and care for each other in peace and harmony.
Best health to you and yours, May.
Good luck with your eye surgeries. I’d say that your “vision” is quite fine, more astute than most! Look forward to your healing and coming back more often with your always insightful comments. Take care!!!
What is most interesting here is what is left out of Dr. R’s initial posting. I strongly suggest that the original sources of the responses to all of the questions posted by the AFT be read in their entirety before forming opinions based on only one of several questions about education that had been posed to both candidates.
For Hillary Clinton’s responses, read here: http://www.aft.org/election2016/candidate-questionnaire-hillary-rodham-clinton
For Bernie Sanders’ responses, read here: http://www.aft.org/election2016/candidate-questionnaire-bernie-sanders
After getting a fuller picture of the candidates’ positions on education, then make up your mind.
(And yes, I do support the positions taken by Sen. Sanders. His responses may be more concise, but they are much more consistent and supportive of equity in public education, fewer standardized tests, and a well-rounded curriculum, without the kind of waffling that appears evident in Secretary Clinton’s replies.)
The one thing Bernie Sanders has and has always had “at the end of the day” is a genuine sense of integrity” that is not dependent on the political purse strings of uber rich business tycoons. He has lived by his philosophy throughout his career. I may not always agree with him but that is not the point. With respect to education issues I do feel that when he sorts out all the bullshit that has been so heavily spun over the past decades, HE WILL AND CAN MAKE sound policy. I base my belief on how he has lived his life and how he has progressed in his career – with honesty in his values and beliefs and leadership ability. I think he truly resonates with so many suffering Americans. He made it within 2 million dollars of Clinton in campaign contributions from his supporters (his supporters being common people digging money out of their pockets – no big business PAC contributors – like Clinton). This is telling in my opinion! I would love to see a Sanders/Reich ticket! These two (as improbable it might seem on the surface), have vision that seems aligned and first and foremost a vision that is – By and For THE PEOPLE.
I am so glad that Sanders was interviewed in this blog – YEAH. I now am hopeful that he will do more reading of some educator’s blogs that are not about “ed reform spin”! He can read the diversity of thought represented in so many quality blogs like this one. Blogs with REAL PRACTICING TEACHERS who are responding to the daily trials and tribulations of being forced to adhere to very “big business-centric” policies coming from the very top of national education policy. What we have been going through is indicative of the larger picture – what this nation is going through under increasingly top down business control!
How about Sanders/Teachout as a dream ticket?
You got it, artseagal. Bernie has integrity.
Their written positions on charters are not that different. Measurement is driving this train… where do these candidates stand on the use of standardized tests as the sole metric for school performance? For teacher performance? Read Bernie’s direct answers to this question using the link above and contrast it to HRC’s “tap dance” response, which is found here:http://www.aft.org/election2016/candidate-questionnaire-hillary-rodham-clinton…. and feel the Bern
If I may correct one statement: “PSEUDO-Measurement is driving this train…”
But your question is a good one to be asking. Not only that but “Do you believe we can “measure” the teaching and learning process?”
“Crazy Pols” parody of Casey Jones by The Grateful Dead
Driving that train, with out a brain,
Crazy Pols, you better, watch your speed.
Parents ahead, teachers behind,
And you know that testing just crossed their mind.
This Common Core makes it on time,
Leaves Gates Foundation ’bout a quarter to nine,
Hits White-House Junction at seventeen to,
At a quarter to ten you know it’s travelin’ again.
Driving that train, with out a brain,
Crazy Pols, you better, watch your speed.
Parents ahead, teachers behind,
And you know that testing just crossed their mind.
Trouble ahead, states are in red,
Take my advice, plug for Opt-out instead.
Coleman is sleeping, the Common Core’s poo, it’s
Gone off the rails and done-for, that’s true.
Driving that train, with out a brain,
Crazy Pols, you better, watch your speed.
Parents ahead, teachers behind,
And you know that testing just crossed their mind.
Trouble with you is the trouble with Rhee,
Got two good eyes but you still don’t see.
Come round the bend, you know it’s the end,
Pearson schemes and manure just steams
For those of you who don’t always make it to the end of a post….I am a Bernie Sanders supporter. And now about charters….Charters should be declared unconstitutional. I don’t understand how the dismantling of public education is being allowed at the scary pace that it is. The supposed original intent was to allow innovation which could then be brought back to the public school. The problem is that every one of these charters is an excuse to pay the founders a ridiculous compensation package and rip off the students. With a federal education budget of $600 billion, there are some greedy eyes on the last frontier of capitalist greed. Saying that charters are okay if we hold them to the same accountability defeats the purpose because if they have to prove themselves with the same ridiculous testing and teacher evaluation systems then they can not be innovative! They will teach to the test and tie scores to teacher evaluations just like everybody else. Why not allow public schools to be innovative by giving back classroom autonomy where it is proven to be most effective. Keep public schools public. Give education back to the teachers and the students and clear out the greedy hands of the policy makers and administrators and especially keep public school out of reach of the misguided idiot plutocrats like Bill gates and the Walton family!!
They’re just going to have to show me some of these “innovations” that I might consider an improvement.
I don’t think Ohio charters paying teachers 40% less is an improvement. I also don’t think getting rid of school boards is an improvement, and the whole “measuring grit” theory or their defining what constitutes “character” for children gives me the creeps, so I don’t want that in my public school either.
Which “innovation” am I supposed to be yearning for? Maybe Hillary Clinton could point to one.
The Obama Administration’s big give-away to Ohio charters is actually getting some scrutiny in DC, which may be a miracle all by itself, since Duncan gets absolutely no oversight or pushback, ever:
“The money is meant to expand public charter schools in Ohio, which have been rocked by recent scandals involving fraud, oversight failures and the resignation of a senior official at the state education department after it was discovered he manipulated performance statistics to favor some charters”
Reading the statements from Team Duncan charter promoters and the GOP legislature and Kasich appointees, it becomes clear that they have no intention of changing course.
The plan is that the “good” charters will knock out the “bad” charters by the magic of markets. Not one of them mentioned any concern for what happens to the existing public schools in these cities and counties when they continue to expand the “choice” sector, even though 93% of children in this state attend those public schools.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/ohio-congressman-questions-arne-duncans-32-million-charter-grant/2015/10/01/5e16f50e-687e-11e5-9ef3-fde182507eac_story.html?wprss=rss_education
Talk from Sanders and Clinton ignores the expensive costs and opportunity for fraud in charter school enforcement. If charter schools are held to “standards, accountability and transparency”, it necessitates another layer of tax-funded bureaucracy. Ohioans have learned that state investigations, litigation for recovery and loss of unrecoverable assets carries a high price tag. Charters, as operated in Ohio, are an attractive nuisance that encourages wrong doing. If charges are brought against Hansen and, if he is convicted with a sentence of incarceration, it will be the taxpayer’s burden.
Public schools have a system of checks and balances that have stood the test of time, minimizing opportunity for tax-payer fleecing.
Talk from Sanders and Clinton about spending money exclusively on students, ignores the expensive costs and opportunity for fraud in charter school enforcement.
The people pulling the strings in the reformy movement oppose spending on regulatory enforcement. They are using charters as a step to defunding defunding public education.
“Public schools have a system of checks and balances that have stood the test of time, minimizing opportunity for tax-payer fleecing.”
A big AMEN to that sista Linda! (couldn’t help the sista as it flows with Linda).
The Walton Foundation is funding measures of character and grit, $6.5 million over three years. One grant goes to the grit professor Angela Duckworth, a 2013 winner of a Mac-Arthur genius award. Another grant goes to the Character Lab that Duckworth co-founded with KIPP charter school founder Dave Levin.
A third grant will allow MIT and Harvard researchers to test “social-emotional interventions” in Boston charter schools. Socail-emotional learning–SEL is the new hot topic in education.
Last month Educational Researcher published an article by Duckworth and others arguing that testing for social-emotional learning (SEL ) was not ready for prime time. It can now be read as a perfect or pitch for grant money to support valid and reliable testing of grit, social emotional learning, and mind sets.
Mindset is a concept popularized in teaching by Stanford Professor Carol Dweck, another researcher looking at the role of so-called “soft skills” in learning and in success in life ( sucess is rarely defined).
The commentary in EdWeek September 23, 2015 allowed Carol Dweck to wax on about her concept of “fixed versus growth mind sets,” and “false growth mindsets” all of these distinctions bolstered by claims about student and/or teacher beliefs about the role of talent, effort, and practice in learning.
The Commentary ends with much talk about growing your brain, growing your understanding through repeated practice, growing your math brain. The Commentary ends with bubble graphics in two columns, one with a happy face for having a “growth mindset” and one with the unhappy face for having a “fixed mindset.”
These images and four examples of what teachers should say, or not say, conclude the article…and they were provided by the author, Carol Dweck.
Not disclosed is the package of “Brainology” goodies that Dweck markets to schools with teacher training and student handouts available online at $6,000 for the works and with tiers of other packages and pricing.
The Brainology handouts for middle school show images of neurons, including neurons of rats given an environment for growth via toys, space, and social interaction versus rats deprived of those benefits. The handouts include images of blood flowing to specific areas of the brain and representing “brain growth” achieved through repeated practice. Elaborated diagrams of neural networks, also repressing “brain growth, ” are also included.
The educational point is that explicit instruction about “growing your brain” is needed to overcome fixed mind sets such as ” I am not good in math.” Dweck’s book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, strikes me as another version of countless others arguing for the power of positive thinking. Add plenty of grit. That will sustain practice and refreshes the slogan “practice-makes-perfect. ”
I think it is a good time to be skeptical of the foundation-funded experiments conducted on charter school students for the purpose of improving psychological tests. Readers should also be aware that EdWeek reports on social-emotional learning, promoting this focus in schools, are funded by the NoVo Foundation.
If I may add to your first sentence Laura: “The Walton Foundation is funding PSEUDO-measures of character and grit, $6.5 million over three years.”
The problem to me seems to be not the theorizing but the mad rush to market the ideas. Just imagine how much money Piaget could have made if some company decided to commercialize his ideas and produce educational kits focused on his theories about the development of thinking. It used to be that these ideas would lead to the development of graduate research projects to test out ideas and their possible applications. Now, how fast a thought can make it to market is key. That is what Teach for America has become: “How to Teach Anything in Five Easy Weeks.” How about, “Kipp: Send your Child to College the No Excuses Way!” Or, “Test for Success,” with Pearson Education. Maybe, “Check Marks to Superior Teaching,” by Charlotte Danielson.
Freudian slip? Should be neural networks representing brain growth, not repressing.
Can anyone spot the secret message to all the hedge funders, privatizers and privateers in HRC’s response?
Duncan has left!!!!
I have good news and bad news.
Duncan is leaving his post at the end of the year.
But John King (the former NYS Ed Commisioner) will be the interim Head of the Department of Education.
I
To quote Ellen Lubin: I think I’m going to vomit
In California, legislation (AB 787) passed by both houses of the state legislature would make for-profit charter schools illegal and would furthermore clarify that all charter school employees are public, not private, employees, thereby enabling them to join teacher unions and to collectively bargain. The bill has been sitting on Governor Brown’s desk for almost a month and won’t become law unless he signs it before October 11. Californians should besiege his office with emails telling him to sign AB 787 into law.
Diane I recall you once told me you were trying to get a meeting with Hillary Clinton to discuss education. Were you ever able to do that? I think it would be great if you could, and also have meetings with Sanders and O’Malley as well, to find out in person (better than a questionnaire) about their education views, and hopefully able to help educate them about the issues.
Possible?
Tells me all I need to know about who to vote for. Not Hilary!
To mscrabtreenyc:
Truthfully, if 23 millions viewers will follow Dr. Ravitch’s endorsement, then it cannot be democracy.
However, if each presidential candidate offers to be separately interviewed by Dr. Ravitch’s list of 5 exactly same questions in education, economy, defense, arts, and stem, then 23 million viewers will vote in this website with or without following Dr. Ravitch’s endorsement. Now, this is transparency and democracy.