Archives for the month of: May, 2016
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Jeb Bush Resumes His Fight Against Public Schools

By dianeravitch
May 24, 2016 //
29

The Foundation for Excellence in Education announced the return of its founder, ready to fight for privatization, high-stakes testing, and the end of the teaching profession.

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 24, 2016 Contact: Press Office
850-391-4090
PressShop@excelined.org

 

JEB BUSH TO SERVE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

 

 
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd) today announced the election of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush as Chairman and President of its Board of Directors. Governor Bush replaces Dr. Condoleezza Rice, who has served as Chair since January 2015 and remains a member of the Board of Directors.

 

 

“One of the greatest challenges and opportunities we have in America today is to create a 21st century education system that ensures all students have the skills, teachers and educational options they need to succeed in life,” said Governor Bush. “Too many children right now are failed by a deeply flawed bureaucratic system, but I’m optimistic about the future because I’ve seen the great results produced by states across the country. It is an honor to rejoin ExcelinEd as we continue to support states in bringing choice, innovation and accountability to the classroom. I am thankful to Dr. Rice and this exceptional board for their leadership over the past year.”

 

 

Since 2008, ExcelinEd has worked in 48 states across the country to champion state-driven, proven transformational education reform policies that lead to rising student achievement. Because of these reforms and hard work by state leaders and educators, students have achieved remarkable academic success. Last year, as a result of active engagement by ExcelinEd and ExcelinEd in Action, 43 education laws were adopted in 15 states to improve or enact new reform policies.

 

 

Governor Bush also has been elected to the Board of Directors of Excellence in Education in Action (ExcelinEd in Action). The sister 501(c)(4) organization to the Foundation for Excellence in Education, ExcelinEd in Action helps advance legislation at the state level to improve the quality of education for every child. Governor Bush launched ExcelinEd in Action in 2014 and will serve as the organization’s Chairman and President.

 

 

*****

 

 

BIOGRAPHY: Governor Jeb Bush

 

 

Jeb Bush was elected the 43rd governor of the state of Florida on November 3, 1998, and was re-elected by a wide margin in 2002. His second term as governor ended in January 2007.

 

 

Jeb earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and moved to Florida in 1981. With partner Armando Codina, he started a small real estate development company, which grew to become the largest, full-service commercial real estate company in South Florida.

 

 

Jeb served as Florida’s Secretary of Commerce under Bob Martinez, Florida’s 40th governor. As Secretary of Commerce, he promoted Florida’s business climate worldwide. Following an unsuccessful bid for governor in 1994, Jeb founded the nonprofit Foundation for Florida’s Future, which joined forces with the Urban League of Greater Miami to establish one of the state’s first charter schools. He also co-authored Profiles in Character, a book profiling 14 of Florida’s civic heroes–people making a difference without claiming a single news headline.

 

 

After his election in 1998, Governor Bush focused on reforming education. Florida students have made the greatest gains in achievement, and Florida is one of a handful of states that have narrowed the achievement gap. In addition, he cut taxes every year during his tenure as governor, and Florida led the nation in job growth seven out of eight years. Governor Bush put Florida on the forefront of consumer healthcare advances by signing Medicaid reform legislation “Empowered Care” in June 2006.

 

 

Before launching a run for the Republican presidential nomination in June of 2015, Governor Bush led his own successful consulting business, Jeb Bush and Associates, whose clients ranged from small technology start-ups to well-known Fortune 500 companies. He also served as the chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education; co-chairman of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy; and chair of the National Constitution Center.

 

 

He is the co-author of Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution (2013) and author of Reply All (2015).

 

 

Governor Bush is the son of former President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush. He lives in Miami with his wife, Columba. They have three children and four grandchildren.

 

 

For more on the ExcelinEd Board of Directors, visit: http://www.ExcelinEd.org/board-corner/board-of-directors/. For more on ExcelinEd in Action, visit http://www.ExcelinEdInAction.org.

 

 

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The Foundation for Excellence in Education is igniting a movement of reform, state by state, to transform education for the 21st century economy by working with lawmakers, policymakers, educators and parents to advance education reform across America. Learn more at ExcelinEd.org.
 

CONTACT US
P.O. Box 10691
Tallahassee, Florida
32302-2691
850.391.4090
info@excelined.org

Copyright © 2015
Foundation For Excellence in Education

Categories Accountability, Bush, Jeb, Charter Schools, Common Core, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Privatization, Testing

PARCC’s Vendetta: What the New York Times Left Out

By dianeravitch
May 24, 2016 //
8

 

The New York Times published a story today about PARCC’s efforts to remove all blogs and tweets that referred to items from their test. Leonie Haimson says the story is incomplete, and she fills in the gaps in her account. 

 

 

A friend in the education field told me that he was puzzled by PARCC’s actions. He said, “Why don’t they just release those three contested items?”

 

Maybe they are afraid of setting a precedent.

 

It is astounding that a test that has such weighty consequences (yes, Mike Petrilli, the tests are still used in many states for teacher evaluations and school closings) should be immune from review and discussion. How many hidden Pineapples are there behind the veil of secrecy?

 

Oh, well, PARCC has seen a dramatic decline in usage. The number of states has dropped from 24 to 7. If the trend continues, bye-bye PARCC.

 

By the way, I never got an explanation or even notice of the deletion of one of my posts I the middle of the night on May 13. Not so much as a “by your leave.”

Categories Education Industry, Testing

US Corporations Sheltering Billions Offshore to Avoid Taxes

By dianeravitch
May 24, 2016 //
11

From Bill Moyers report:

 

 

 

“Jill Treanor at The Guardian writes that a report from the ratings agency Moody’s calculates, “Some of the biggest US companies have accumulated cash piles worth almost $1.7tn (£1.1tn) – more than two thirds of it overseas… The five companies hoarding the most cash – Apple, Microsoft, Google, Cisco and Oracle – between them held $504bn by the end of last year. The tech sector held 46% of the total… “The figures will add to the controversy about companies sitting on cash as the data shows they are parking it offshore to avoid the tax bill that would be due on returning ito the US.”

 

About two trillion in untaxed earnings have been parked overseas.

 

So the tech companies want to sell their stuff to schools but avoid the taxes that pay for schooling. No wonder “the money is all gone.” It is hidden from the tax collector.

 

Shame on them!

Categories Accountability, Technology

Retired Teacher: Time for Bernie to Pack It In

By dianeravitch
May 24, 2016 //
196

Polls show a surprongly close race between Trump and Clinton. This is frightening. Trump is a con man, a blowhard, and a bully with zero governmental experience.

 

This retired teacher says the time has come for Bernie to pack it in. At this point, he has no mathematical path to the nomination, and he is hurting Hillary and helping Trump.

 

Does he want to be responsible for electing President Trump?

 

Before you say that Sanders has better poll numbers than Hillary against Trump, remember that the Republican attack machine has not touched Bernie. They are happy to let him do their job on Hillary. If he were the candidate, you would hear nonstop about his honeymoon in the Soviet Union, about Burlington’s sister city status, when he was mayor, with Yaroslavl and Managua (under the Sandinistas). This would not bother readers of this blog, but it will be catnip for the attack machine.

 

 

 

 

Categories Education Reform

Gates Foundation: Common Core is in Trouble, but It Works and We are Doubling Down to Make Sure Everyone Gets It

By dianeravitch
May 24, 2016 //
56

Here is an informative newsletter from Sue Desmond-Hellman, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reporting on the foundation’s big efforts around the world, including its program to fix US education.

 

 

The foundation remains convinced that Common Core works. The Gates Foundation was the funder of the Common Core standards. Bill Gates explained that the Common Core was valuable because standardization is necessary, just as standard electric plugs and outlets are necessary. Desmond-Hellman points to Kentucky as proof that it works. The letter does not mention that the black-white achievement gap has grown wider in Kentucky since the adoption of the Common Core standards. Did they not know?

 

 

She says that the problems are due to the complexity of the undertaking, and teachers’ need for more support and resources. The foundation intends to double down on its efforts to implement the standards, because it is convinced that high standards will produce equity.

 

 

She writes:

 

 

Unfortunately, our foundation underestimated the level of resources and support required for our public education systems to be well-equipped to implement the standards. We missed an early opportunity to sufficiently engage educators – particularly teachers – but also parents and communities so that the benefits of the standards could take flight from the beginning.

 

 

The letter underscores the foundation’s lack of understanding that standards are not enough to create equity. Holding everyone to the same standards while ignoring the vast inequities in the lives of children and the resources of their schools and communities will not produce equal academic outcomes.

 

 

The CEO writes:

 

 

Our learning journey in U.S. education is far from over, but we are in it for the long haul. I’m optimistic that the lessons we learn from our partners – and, crucially, from educators – will help the American school system once again become the powerful engine of equity we all believe it should be.

 

 

Now, I have been trying to understand that sentence. Help me. The American school system never produced equal outcomes, as the foundation seems to believe. It has always strived–and failed–to provide equality of educational opportunity.

 

 

And I wonder why the Gates Foundation thinks it is making the “American school system” better by pushing privately managed charter schools, which drain resources and motivated students from the public schools.

 

 

All in all, this letter is confusing because it appears to say that the Gates Foundation sees higher standards as the be-all, end-all of education, and that is not true. Even in districts and states (like Massachusetts) with high standards, there is a wide spread of outcomes.

 

 

When the CEO refers to “the American school system,” is she referring to public schools, or to the full array of public, charter, private, independent, and religious schools?

 

 

The only thing that is certain is that the Gates Foundation intends to keep trying to direct and lead what they think is best for other people’s children.

 

 

Categories Accountability, Common Core, Education Industry, Gates Foundation, Bill Gates

California Charter School Association: Gimmee, Gimmee

By dianeravitch
May 24, 2016 //
6

Here is an interesting list of the bills supported and opposed by the California Charter Schools Association, the most powerful lobby in the state.

 

It supports a bill to improve facilities financing for charter schools.

 

It supports a bill that would lower the requirement of school-based instruction from 80% to 60% to benefit blended learning schools.

 

It opposes a bill that would subject charters to open meeting requirements.

 

It opposes a bill that would prohibit charter schools from operating in a manner that conflicts with state accountability requirements for special education. The same bill prohibits charter schools that operate for profit. (This bill was vetoed by Governor Jerry Brown.)

 

It opposes a bill that “Requires charter schools to comply with due process requirements related to suspension and expulsion. Adds “the reason for a pupil’s departure” to the list of information that must be provided.” Such requirements, CCSA believes, would impose a burden on charter schools.

 

It also opposes a bill that “Prohibits authorizers in negative certification from approving charter schools to locate outside of district boundaries.” Thus, the CCSA wants charters that are in “negative certification” to continue to have the power to open charters in multiple districts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories Accountability, California, Charter Schools, Education Industry

Mercedes Schneider Tries to Explain NAEP to Campbell Brown

By dianeravitch
May 24, 2016 //
20

Mercedes Scheider followed the contretemps around Campbell Brown’s misuse of NAEP data. She decided she would try to educate Campbell.

 

Mercedes goes through NAEP scores over many years and shows how they went up nicely until 2015, when they stagnated at about 1/3 proficient. She patiently explains that until 2015, scores were going up, not declining as Campbell believes.

 

Now for Campbell to understand this, she is going to have to read it and think about it.

 

Will she?

 

Will she correct her error about 2/3 of US kids in 8th grade being “below grade level”? It is not true.

Categories Education Reform, NAEP

Carol Burris Tries to Correct Campbell Brown, Without Success

By dianeravitch
May 24, 2016 //
26

Carol Burris wrote a post for Valerie Strauss’s “Answer Sheet” blog at the Washington Post, in which she reported the numerous Twitter exchanges among herself, Tom Loveless, and Campbell Brown. Burris and Loveless fruitlessly tried to persuade Brown to retract her inaccurate statement that 2/3 of America’s eighth graders score below grade level.

 

Given an opportunity to respond by Valerie Strauss, Brown made an incomprehensible statement about how she should have referred to grade-level proficiency instead of grade level. Then everything would be okay. Instead of correcting her error, Brown insisted she was under personal attack.

 

Please read the last two sentences of her comments, which are hilarious. Especially the reference to “the age of Donald Trump and Diane Ravitch” (Sic)!! And then there is her laughable claim that those who disagree with her negative comments are profiting from school failure. I wish she–who received $4 million to start her website–would provide evidence for that statement!

 

 

Categories Accountability, Corporate Reform, Education Reform, NAEP, Testing

Tennessee: Testing is a Mess; Where Are the Grown-Ups?

By dianeravitch
May 23, 2016 //
17

TC Weber is a parent blogger in Nashville. He writes here about the testing chaos in Tennessee.

 

When the contractor didn’t deliver the tests in time, testing was canceled. Then came part two, the tests were delayed again, but eventually many kids took the tests. Tennessee fired the contractor, forced students to take the tests, then gave Pearson a contract for $18.5 million just to score the tests.

 

 

Just for scoring tests! How great is that! Way to go, Pearson!

 

Maybe some of the details are wrong. Read TC’s post.

 

Bottom line: Tennessee is squandering millions of dollars for useless tests. Wake up! End the nightmare!

Categories Education Reform, Tennessee, Testing

Education Writers Association Reviews Opt Out, Nationally

By dianeravitch
May 23, 2016 //
28

The Education Writers Association reviews the state of the opt out movement, nationally, presenting a variety of perspectives.  M

 

Once again, we hear the complaint that opt outs endanger the validity of the tests, but that’s nonsense if your concern is for individual living children, rather than data. No matter how many opt out, those who take the test will still get s score. The only thing that gets compromised is the ability to rank schools and districts on a bell curve. Tough.

 

 

Once again, we hear the complaint that opt out is concentrated among white families. So what? If families hate the over testing of their children, they should act on their concerns, whatever their race.

 

 

The article does not mention the reasons for lower rates of black and Hispanic participation in opt outs: fear that their school might be closed; fear of punishment; lack of information, which is spread through social media; and the Gates-funded disinformation campaign against opting out, which has misled some civil rights groups to support high-stakes testing that labels and stigmatizes children of color.

Categories Opt Out, Parents, Testing
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