My website is dianeravitch.com. I write about two interconnected topics: education and democracy. I am a historian of education.
Diane Ravitch’s Blog by Diane Ravitch is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at dianeravitch.net.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I am the superintendent of Mt Pleasant Blythedale, http://www.mpbschools.org the public school, special act district that educates the patients at Blythedale Children’s Hospital. The majority of my students come from the five boroughs of NY. These are children recovering from cancer, organ transplants, invasive viruses and traumatic brain injuries. Our goal is to help students understand their changed competencies and return to their community schools able to function independently and succeed.
My district, although public, is funded as though it is private. The tuition is set by the State Education Department and certified by the Division of Budget. We have not had a rate increase in five years.
The state education department has presented the legislature with a request to include in the 2014-2015 budget language that would give special acts districts an annual increase equal to the state aid increase received by community public schools. There is significant support in both houses but I fear not enough to move the proposal for inclusion in the Assembly’s one house budget.
There were originally 21 special acts districts, now there are 10. Three have closed in the last two years. Our students have all been removed from their community public schools through no fault of their own. They are all entitled to free, public education. Yet, the state seems willing to ignore the needs of these, the most challenged children.
There is a petition on http://www.change.org. We need 2000 signatures by Tuesday to make the necessary impact. Please help
Please use the following link to a CHANGE.ORG petition.
http://chn.ge/1ijydXa
Share this link with students, staff, teachers, Board Members and families who support Special Act Public School Districts
PLEASE LOG ON AND SUPPORT!!
LikeLike
Hi, I am the asst superintendent at Hawthorne Cedar Knoll, also a special act school. I also signed the petition on change.org. I sent it out again to all of the directors and CSE Chairs in NY state hoping to get their attention. We are desperate. Thank you for any help you can generate.
LikeLike
I too have just signed the petition “New York Governor: Support language in the 2014-15 NYS Budget to extend annual school aid growth to tuition rates for Special Act Public School Districts and 853 Schools serving school age students with disabilities.” on Change.org. .
It’s important. Will you sign it too? Here’s the link:
http://www.change.org/petitions/new-york-governor-support-language-in-the-2014-15-nys-budget-to-extend-annual-school-aid-growth-to-tuition-rates-for-special-act-public-school-districts-and-853-schools-serving-school-age-students-with-disabilities?recruiter=20653765&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition
Our students and our programs need your support!
LikeLike
We need 2000 New Yorkers to care. Please sign the petition to give special act public schools funding parity.
http://www.change.org/petitions/new-york-governor-support-language-in-the-2014-15-nys-budget-to-extend-annual-school-aid-growth-to-tuition-rates-for-special-act-public-school-districts-and-853-schools-serving-school-age-students-with-disabilities?recruiter=20653765&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition
LikeLike
Hello,
I have also signed the petition on Change.org. Our students deserve the same educational opportunities as their peers. We need your help to sustain these programs so that students with disabilities are provided the education they desserve. Please sign!
LikeLike
Here are the parents responses to all of the NC changes. Drs. Robert Smith and Scott Imig have done it again with a follow up survey to the one they conducted on educators. I am not surprised that parents are not happy with the changes. I am also glad that the researchers pulled out parent/educators so readers can see it is not just educators who are unhappy. But it is also interesting to see how many parent/educators there are. I think the legislature did not realize that the teachers are taxpaying, voting, parents too! http://people.uncw.edu/imigs/documents/NCReact_ImigSmith.pdf
LikeLike
I recently received an email from a colleague who works within the local government asking this veteran teacher my opinion on the charter school schedule she has for her child as follows…
” I would like to ask you for advice on the following situation:
My 1st grader is enrolled in [shall go unnamed] Charter School. Currently, the Superintendent has implemented a radical change in the schedule. The reason is because of the school’s low reading levels. Prior to this change, the school offered tutoring for reading in the morning from 7:45-8:20, that was taken away. The children are not receiving Art, music and technology. They are not learning Science or Social studies, yet he receives a grade.
According to the Superintendent, the changes below will help the children. They now have a three (3) hour reading period where they will be incorporating Art, music, technology, science and Social Studies. However, my child states that that is not true. My child is being read to and does reading for 3 hours. My child cries and states that he/she hates the school. My husband and I believe the best option is to discharge him from the school and transfer him to local Public Schools in my resident district. From your teaching perspective, what do you think about these changes and do you think it’s smart to transfer him in the middle of the school year?
I will appreciate any insight you can offer. Their schedule follows:
M-F
7:45-8:20 – Teacher Planning
8:30-11:30 Reading
11:30-12:20 Lunch
12:30-1:25 Math
1:40-2:20 PE
2:30-3:30 Math
3:30-4:00 Dismissal” End of email…
This is just one of many off-balanced rationales for children that seems to be taking place in charter and for-profit schools when their bottom line replaces sound educational policy for children and profit before people. Thoughts?
LikeLike
As an Early Childhood specialist, I would recommend that the parent take the child out of the charter and send him/her to their local public school. This is way too young for children to lose their love of learning due to pressures to succeed.
LikeLike
Call Me Unreliable
New grading models are based on the premise that a standards-based system requires that scores on assessments be both valid and reliable.
Many believers in standards-based grading claim a score is valid when the score represents a student’s performance on a standard and that a score is reliable when students who demonstrate the same understanding of a standard receive the same score.
This is all very “scientific” sounding. How much real science is involved, though?
Reliability is the central issue—so what makes an assessment reliable? Well, a measurement made once should be replicable; if we are measuring distance, we use a tool that accurately measures it, like a ruler. If we are measuring time, we might use a “reliable” stopwatch. Doing so should make replicating measurements simple and practical. Both distance and time can be measured reliably because we agree that each has an objective reality and a corresponding system for its measurement.
So what are we measuring at school? I assume we are measuring student learning.
I’ve never seen an objective measurement of learning. Learning is not an objective construct. It has been operationally defined by some as “What you know and can do,” but a remarkable number of educators and psychologists reject that notion as a convenient reductionist fallacy. That definition is based on the belief that learning is an outcome. Learning can be described in a variety of ways—as open-ended inquiry, for example. If we view learning as primarily a process or journey that has no distinct conclusion, learning might best be judged by the unexpected outcomes that accompany it—and not accept authoritarian demands that outcomes conform to pre-ordained “standards” or “proficiency scales.”
Since it isn’t possible to measure or observe learning directly, it must be inferred from the performance of students. We give tests; we ask students to respond to questions or to solve problems or perform some skill relevant to a content area. We create scales to clarify how performance is to be evaluated—in the hope and belief that we’ll all “measure learning” reliably. We create “common formative and summative assessments” so that students can be “guaranteed” a specific experience and outcome.
But it doesn’t work.
Human beings seldom see things in exactly the same way as other humans. Tools like proficiency scales are subject to variable interpretation and application. Humans make subjective judgments of non-objective realities, using measuring tools that are blunt instruments. Judging complex thought and performance—even with established standards—is a messy, awkward process that ought to caution against certainty, guarantees, or claims of “objectivity.” Taking the illogic of standards-based evaluation to its nadir, proponents also want to use these unreliable scores for evaluation of a second party—teachers themselves.
In the end, education itself is inherently un-reliable. That’s one reason it holds fascination for both teacher and student. Acknowledgement of this fact may free us from the discomfort that trying to shoehorn objective measures into a subjective framework produces.
And if reliability eludes us, validity is out the window as well.
Just ask a scientist.
We’d be better off with an honestly un-reliable system.
© David Sudmeier, 2014
davidsudmeier.com
LikeLike
20 reasons why the majority of HS History students are learning much less history content as compared with a decade ago: (according to Jim Buxton: 32 years teaching Social Studies at South Kingstown HS; currently an adjunct Prof. in the URI Political Science Dept. and in the Salve Regina Education Dept.) http://www.rihssocialstudies.blogspot.com
There seems to have been a dramatic decline in the breadth of content taught in World and US History classes in the past decade. The following list is my opinion as to what has caused the decline. Each item is a well-intentioned initiative, but collectively they have decimated the amount of history and geography knowledge our children graduate with. This will not help our democracy! As FDR said, ““Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” – FDR
(1) For a variety of reasons, there are no national or state US History or World History content standards that have been approved by states, like Rhode Island (2) We’re spending so much time testing more and more and, therefore, we have less and less time to teach (3) In high schools, generally, there is less lecturing /less teacher presentations/less direct instruction (4) Student presentations are more common
(5) Cooperative learning groups are being used to a much greater extent
(6) Heterogeneous grouping / de-tracking (7) Differentiated instruction (8) Alternative assessments are being used more frequently; instead of a test, the student can produce a poster (9) Graduation by Proficiency in many schools involves the production of a Portfolio, which doesn’t really challenge most students in regard to content learned
(10) Re-writes of papers, essays, etc. and re-takes of tests (11) Flexible deadlines for handing in work (12) Extensive use of pre-assessments, and formative assessments (13) Extensive time spent by the student reflecting on what has been learned (14) The introduction of Advisory period into the school day (15) Limits on the percentage that homework can account for in a student’s grade: many high schools are adopting a 10% maximum policy (16) Common Planning Time (17) Block Scheduling
(18) Teachers are not evaluated in regard to their own breadth of knowledge (19) much less use of History textbooks (20) In general, there is an increasing “less is more” philosophy!!?????
Please add a 21st reason for content breadth decline
You’ll find further elaboration of the items above by going to my Blog: http://www.rihssocialstudies.blogspot.com
You’ll find the post in the right hand column archives: “The Reduction in Breadth of Content in RI high school Social Studies courses”
LikeLike
Teachers got another slap in the face in New Mexico. The governor raised the beginning teacher salary $2000. She vetoed the $2000 raise for the rest of the teachers. I’m glad that my twenty six years in the district are so appreciated.
LikeLike
Dear Diane,
A tip for you: the new New York State Social Studies frameworks for teaching global history and geography (Grades 9 and 10 in all New York State public schools) mention only one woman by name — Mary Wollenstonecraft — in its entire 10,000-year curriculum. And women, as a group of people who matter in history, or gender as a historical topic, are mentioned only two other times: on the first page of the curriculum in a section devoted to the Neolithic Revolution, and in a one-line sub-topic of results of the industrial revolution in England in the 19th century.
That’s it: 10,000 years of world history, only one woman. No Cleopatra, no Indira Gandhi, no Margaret Sanger, no suffragettes, no Eleanor Roosevelt, no Margaret Thatcher, neither of the Queen Elizabeths, no Queen Isabella, no Catherine the Great, no female saints, no Helen Caldicott, no Raisa Gorbachev, no Rigoberto Menchu, no Evita Peron, no Wu Di, no Madame Chiang, no Borte, no Ci Xi, and on and on.
The frameworks were submitted to social studies teachers for open comment in December, and revised and published in February. They’ll form the basis for the 10th-grade Global History and Geography Regents Exam, starting in 2015-2016. Anything that isn’t mentioned on the frameworks cannot by the subject of an exam question.
Thought you would like to know,
Yours,
Neal Shultz
LikeLike
Anyone see this Yahoo news article trashing de Blasio?
http://news.yahoo.com/hates-minority-children-070000437.html
LikeLike
Hello, everyone. I am adding my voice to the white noise of education writing…I have more passion than answers and am asking some questions. Thank you for your time.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stuart-gunter/qualitative-analysis-educ_b_4924958.html
LikeLike
http://cnyteacher.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/iannuzzi-lives-like-a-king-with-albany-elite/comment-page-1/#comment-71
LikeLike
VAM: The Scarlet Letter
LikeLike
Dr Ravitch you must get Dr Tom Eamon’s book “The Making of a Southern Democracy.” It is excellent. Anyone fighting for NC public education right now should read it.
UNC Press. Get it!!
LikeLike
Great article in the Nation today about Moskowitz’s political grandstanding from the perspective of some of her teachers: http://www.thenation.com/blog/178844/teachers-students-pushed-charter-school-fight-success-academy-employees-say
LikeLike
Arne Duncan gave an interview to the Blaze yesterday. He said states do not have to follow common core. Did you see it? Also have you been following what is going on in Oklahoma?
LikeLike
Opening the Door: An Alternate Way for Public Education
Our public education system is truly at a crossroads. The question is, do we just passively sit and watch big business tycoons, lawmakers and our elected educational leaders at the state and national level to continue the perpetuation of unproven lies? The over standardization of curriculum and testing as well as their stripping teachers of their professionalism and dignity is not what’s best for kids. There is another way…
Three Long Island superintendents, Mr. David Gamberg, Dr. Steven Cohen and I co-organized an Education Forum that focused on solutions to the broken New York State Regents Reform Agenda. School district administrators, teachers and parents gathered on Thursday, March 13th at Stony Brook University for a panel discussion about “Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School.” Book co-authors and education advocates Dr. Michael Fullan and Dr. Andy Hargreaves joined the panel along with school superintendent Dr. Steven Cohen of Shoreham-Wading River, renowned Finnish education expert Dr. Pasi Sahlberg, South Side High School principal Dr. Carol Burris, and Plainview-Old Bethpage assistant superintendent Dr. Tim Eagen. Southold superintendent David Gamberg moderated and I represented the Shelter Island School District as a panelist.
“The worst teachers teach alone” and don’t collaborate with others. “How hypocritical to put them in competition?” Dr. Hargreaves said, in reference to proposed teacher incentive programs tied to student test scores. Dr. Hargreaves and Dr. Fullan explained that the “professional capital” approach toward education is about creating a comfortable atmosphere for teachers to encourage curiosity and creativity in students. They also described the U.S.’s current direction with education as “business capital” since the focus of measuring academic success has shifted toward the reliance of test scores and unproven methods to evaluate teachers and principals.
From a practical sense, teachers need time to collaborate. Most respected professions do this. School leaders must break the industrial revolution public school model of how schools operate and find ways to alter the internal structure (schedule) of their school day to promote “social capital”. Our east end Long Island school districts are partnering together to begin a district collaboration process to promote our human and social capital capabilities. Dr. Cohen, Mr. Gamberg and I are committed to walk the walk of this alternate and research-based path for public education.
In an effort to change the state’s current path toward their misguided view, we are forming a new lobbying effort called “Summer 2014 Education Action Institute.” It is currently in the conceptual stages. Its purpose is to rally parents and community members to encourage elected officials to participate in future workshops and events.There will be more to come regarding our Summer Institute.
Public Education is at a crossroads but it is not broken. Many will lead you to believe it is. Private sector business tycoons do not have the answer nor do our elected Regents in New York State. The answer is not through testing, standardizing and evaluating every single little thing within our public schools. It’s about trusting and building the capacity of our teachers. The door is open to a better way of educating our children. The question is… will you enter and join us?
Dr. Michael J Hynes is the Superintendent of Schools for the Shelter Island School District.
Twitter:
@MikeHynes5
LikeLike
Opening the Door: An Alternate Path for Public Education
Our public education system is truly at a crossroads. The question is, do we just sit passively and watch big business tycoons, lawmakers and our elected educational leaders at the state and national level to continue the perpetuation of unproven mandates and lies? The over testing of our children and super standardization of curriculum, coupled with stripping our teachers of their professionalism and dignity is not what’s best for our kids. There is another way…
This past October, I found myself becoming more and more frustrated with NYSED’s rollout of the Common Core implementation and the rest of their reform agenda. Not only that, I saw firsthand how this “reform agenda” was beginning to suck the life out of creativity inside the classroom and leave in its place anxious children and discouraged educators.
Interesting enough, there were two other Long Island superintendents, Dr. Steven Cohen from Shoreham Wading River, NY and Mr. David Gamberg from Southold, NY who not only felt the same way I did, but were already having conversations about the book Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School by Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan. As we met and discussed the book, we decided to provide a platform for a constructive discussion about what successful schools do in other countries, namely Canada and Finland. Three months later, the three of us co-organized an education forum on March 13th at Stony Brook University. It was called Public Education at a Crossroads.
Book co-authors and education advocates Dr. Michael Fullan and Dr. Andy Hargreaves joined our panel which included Dr. Steven Cohen, renowned Finnish education expert Dr. Pasi Sahlberg, award winning South Side High School principal Dr. Carol Burris, and Plainview-Old Bethpage assistant superintendent Dr. Tim Eagen. Mr. Gamberg moderated the event and I represented the Shelter Island School District as their superintendent. Our panel spoke about an alternate narrative for public education but interesting enough, many educators and parents don’t realize there is alternative. We do not have to settle for what the U.S. Department of Education and NYSED continues to feed us.
Dr. Fullan and Dr. Hargreaves focused on building the capacity of teachers and the positive use of their talents. They also articulated how New York State’s model for evaluating teachers was designed as a deficit model construct. Our panelists had much to say about how little teachers have opportunities to work together and how they usually teach in isolation. “The worst teachers teach alone” and don’t collaborate with others. “How hypocritical to put them in competition?” Dr. Hargreaves said, in reference to proposed teacher incentive programs tied to student test scores.
Dr. Hargreaves and Dr. Fullan explained that the “professional capital” approach toward education is about creating a comfortable atmosphere for teachers to encourage curiosity and creativity in students. They also described the U.S.’s current direction with education as “business capital” since the focus of measuring academic success has shifted toward the reliance of test scores and unproven methods to evaluate teachers and principals.
From a practical sense, teachers need time to collaborate. Most respected professions allow for this. School leaders must break the industrial revolution mental models of public schools and how they operate as a system. Now more than ever leaders need to make difficult decisions and find ways to alter the internal structure (schedule) of their school day to promote “social capital”. This is where teacher collaboration comes into play and why it is so important.
The Shelter Island School District has taken the bold step of designing a schedule which provides our teachers with forty minutes every other day to meet with their peers. They meet to discuss best practices, share ideas and focus on the type of programs they would like to design for our students. I do not micro-manage them while they meet. The results have been nothing short of astounding. Imagine that!
Since our education forum, three of our eastern Long Island school districts decided to partner together and begin a district-district collaboration process to promote our human and social capital capabilities. Dr. Cohen, Mr. Gamberg and I are committed to walk the walk of this alternate path for public education.
In an effort to change the state’s current path toward their misguided view of public education, we are also forming a new lobbying effort called “Summer 2014 Education Action Institute.” It is currently in the conceptual stages. Its purpose is to rally parents and community members to encourage elected officials to participate in future workshops and events.
Public Education is at a crossroads but it is not broken. Many will lead you to believe it is. Private sector business billionaires do not have the answer nor do our elected educational leaders. Our answer and solution is not through over-testing, standardizing and evaluating every single little thing within our schools. It’s about trusting and building the capacity of our teachers. The door is open to a better way of educating our children. The question is… will you enter and join us?
Dr. Michael J. Hynes is the Superintendent of Schools for the Shelter Island School District.
Twitter:
@MikeHynes5
LikeLike
The Common Good for Sale?
“Where we demand rights and deny obligations, we assert Entitlement. We secure our rights when we accept matching obligations.“ Robert Fripp
Persons who have never heard of Robert Fripp have likely heard his music. He is guitarist extraordinaire for the likes of King Crimson and David Bowie. Mr. Fripp has been fighting a lengthy battle against piracy of his music by both individual listeners and corporations who enable that piracy, like Grooveshark. He justifiably bristles at the notion that persons feel entitled to deprive him of earnings by illegally “sharing” digital files of his music.
But Mr. Fripp’s quotation is one-sided, and requires a corollary:
Where we prescribe obligations and violate rights, we assert Tyranny. Where rights are demanded, or obligations are pronounced by one party without consent by the other – citizen taking advantage of society or unilateral demands of citizens by government – both individual rights and the common good are endangered.
We need to acknowledge the reciprocal relationship between individuals and society that democracy demands. For example, students have the right to expect an appropriate educational program in the public schools as long as they respect the institution and facilities that serve that purpose. Another student obligation is to do a reasonable amount of work to justify the investment society makes in their pursuit of happiness. As adults, they should also support that society by paying reasonable taxes and contributing to the improvement of government through active participation in public affairs.
Society, on the other hand, should accept that the student and their family will have a reasonable level of input into the determination of the purpose and process of the educational experience. The rules of education should not be changed midstream; the benefits of the educational experience should be primarily to the student. Society must also accept that this investment meets a public obligation to support the individual’s rights to a true “education,” and that this education is not guaranteed to produce compliant workers. A society’s only “profit” from education is in creating a population committed to democratic principles that sustain the social order.
When organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations make remarks like “students are leaving school without the math and science skills needed for jobs in modern industry…These efforts build on President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, which was the first federal effort to measure and publicize student test results, and the success of charter schools and voucher programs, which allow families to choose the best school for their children,” they reveal the dark undertones of their vision. John Ralston Saul calls such statements indicators of “an anti-public sector campaign that has created a sense of panicked urgency around the subject of privatization and cuts.”
The current “Standards Based” movement is a cause that threatens Tyranny. It is being implemented despite the fact that it is less than likely that such a plan will facilitate the pursuit of happiness by any individual. It is excessively focused on producing what the corporate structures that rig the game demand—obedient taxpayers who will strive to maintain American economic dominance in a world economy.
But education has never been a sufficient means to that end. It is a necessary part of the equation, but is distorted in purpose when an economic outcome becomes the measuring stick for success. Economists wrongly argue that anything and everything has its price—that learners (or their tax-paying parents) are simply consumers of the ”product” of education, and that cost/benefit analysis is sufficient criteria for assessing its value.
This distortion exposes the inappropriate role of corporations in educational policy. Bill Gates feels entitled to use his wealth to reform schools. His attempts, however, do nothing to amplify the voice of the individual who obtains an education and much to increase the obligations of the individual to accede to the prescriptive approach for schooling that the Standards Based movement represents.
It is time to make schools a place where democracy is not just “taught,” but practiced. When we make that commitment, alienation of students and teachers from the institution they share will lessen. Educators and legislators need to tell Bill Gates that America’s schools are no longer for sale, and they then need to build democracy by providing students with direct experience of that fundamental value during their twelve years of public education.
© David Sudmeier, 2014
http://davidsudmeier.com/2014/03/17/the-common-good-for-sale/
LikeLike
March 17, 2014
Dear Diane,
Every child deserves a free and appropriate education. If a child needs remedial help there are laws in place to enable that child to succeed. Conversely, if a child is precocious and has a keen understanding and grasp of materials that child’s needs should be encouraged and fortified. My son Jake received a 99% on the G & T NYC test last April. We were thrilled by this and had high hopes of enrolling him in a Delta Program at our community school or G & T school in our district. Unfortunately, for Jake and many other students in his same position, there were no seats available in any programs. So, my son is coasting along in a regular class, where he is not challenged and is growing bored. I have seen little improvement in his writing, reading comprehension and math abilities this year. His report card reflects 3’s and 4’s and he is on the Principal’s list at school. But is he getting the support he needs to become the best student he can be?
I wanted to ask for your advice and recommendations on G & T programs and there importance in the quality of education. How can I pursue the issue and fight to get my son into a G & T program? What is your take on separating students based on their abilities and giving them the tools necessary to become curious and creative thinkers? As a parent what can I do to help my child love school again?
Thank you for your time and feedback.
Sincerely,
Michelle
LikeLike
Michelle, I am not a big supporter of G&T programs. I believe that your son should be challenged by his teacher to read more, do more, learn more. Separating him from his peers on the basis of an IQ test is not a terrific idea. There are many things that you can do as his parent to stimulate his love of learning. Find his interests and encourage them. Go to museums and libraries and expose him to many different experiences.
LikeLike
Hey everyone, I was reading this article on Common Core curriculum and wondered what are everyone’s thoughts on this?…
http://www.naturalnews.com/044338_Common_Core_math_education_Americas_children.html – Common Core math education intentionally designed to make America’s children mentally ill
LikeLike
Diane was awesome at AACTE the comments were right on time and reminded me of the speaker on the Steve Harvey Show Dr. Oglesby-Pitts. Followers please read “To Teach Like Mary: Getting it Right at First.”
LikeLike
“American Educators Find Surprises in Helsinki and at Home in the United States”
On the basis of Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores, Finnish public schools have ranked at the top, or very near the top in the world in the areas of mathematics, reading and science. Seven teacher education seniors and three teacher education faculty at The University of Tampa traveled to Finland to determine the nature of Finnish success with public education. We visited three public schools; 1) grades K-8, 2) grades 1-6, and 3) grades 9-12. We also visited Metropolia University and the University of Helsinki. At U.H. we had an extended conversation with a teacher education professor.
Prior to our visit, we understood that Finland prides itself for creating school equality across the nation. During our visit, we felt we were able to develop a realistic perception of Finnish public schools. We also spoke with Finnish students, teachers, administrators and parents. We expected to see extraordinarily dynamic, innovative teachers and pedagogy. We anticipated being dazzled with Finnish approaches to instruction, teaching strategies and techniques……such was not the case.
We observed examples of group inquiry/investigation, interdisciplinary thematic instruction, content-driven flexible conversation as well as the use of film for instructional purposes. Approaches such as these are not novel and are modeled, taught and practiced in multiple teacher education courses and internships at The University of Tampa. In terms of teaching strategies, nothing we viewed seemed visionary, extraordinary or new. Rather we noted that some teachers were using very traditional methods such a lecture/question and answer.
What Is Different About Finnish Schools?
Surprisingly for several of us, we did not see technology used in classrooms at all. We saw no use of standardized testing. In fact, we verified that there is no standardized testing in Finland unless the classroom teacher requests such a test for her or his own diagnostic purposes; but never for accountability. Progress is monitored, but the design and timing of exams are left up to the classroom teacher. We saw an egalitarian curriculum that includes substantial coursework in the fine arts, social sciences, the humanities and physical education in addition to mathematics, science and reading. High quality learner-created artwork adorns classrooms and all hallways. Not unlike the United States just a few decades ago, pianos are found in elementary classrooms.
We found that learning environments are noncompetitive. Instead of competition, the focus is on group learning pursuits and class multilogues. Physical education courses focus on fitness rather than competitive gaming. Finnish students do not even compete in inter-school athletics.
Finnish Culture and The Classroom
We did see significant cultural identifiers that directly impact the functioning of the school community and learning pursuits. Finnish learners are afforded a great deal of autonomy and freedom. Correspondingly, significant levels of maturity are expected of learners. Learners are trusted and expected to complete tasks without policing. Starting in first grade, students are expected to serve themselves at lunch and breakfast (free of charge) and to clear after themselves- regardless of their developmental level. Learners spend a significant amount of time in the out of doors pursuing projects and play regardless of temperatures (for Finns, there is no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing). They know how to manage their frigid climate well. Learners act autonomously on a frequent basis and are free to take their time during transitions and while they are engaged in various projects. For example, there is no lining up and single -file –silent- walking between locations at the elementary level.
Just as cold temperatures predominate the weather, mutual trust predominates Finnish human interaction. As teachers trust learners, learners trust teachers to have their best interests at heart. School administrators trust teachers and learners, and Finnish communities trust teachers and principals to do their jobs well. Just as teachers trust learners, the Finnish government trusts Finnish teachers to structure facilitate and maintain successful learning environments. One principal shared, “I trust that teachers are going to do their own work in their own way.” Another principal indicated to us, “The focus is on trust, instead of accountability, and there are no high stakes tests. What happens in the classroom is up to the teacher.” Schools are never ranked and teachers track their own students. Finns trust their teacher credentialing process. Unlike many United States charter schools, Finns who have no credentials in education do not meddle in school affairs. Due to the prestige and free teacher preparation at the universities, Finland is able to admit only ten percent of the applicants into the teacher preparation programs. The Finnish government does not police schools in terms of learner performance, and the national standards for the various content areas are a succinct few pages.
All Schools Equal in Finland
There are no charter schools in Finland, no school vouchers, no “grading” of schools and no magnet schools. Unlike the United States, the intent in Finland is to assure that all schools are of equal quality. Again, that quality certainly does not owe it’s success to test driven instruction and curricula, nor does it have to do with “teacher accountability” campaigns as they have been called in the United States. Such approaches would have no place in a trust -centered nation like Finland. As has been made clear by their world ranking, Finnish schools are successful without the above questionable practices. Finnish teachers are highly respected and their prestige ranks with that of doctors and lawyers. Again, Finnish teacher preparation is paid for by the Finnish government. All teachers are prepared traditionally through a five year university preparation program. There is no alternative teacher certification in Finland.
Finnish teachers are fully unionized and they earn decent wages. We learned from faculty and administrators in Finland that there is no place for a scripted curriculum if administrators hire well qualified, traditionally prepared teachers. Moreover to be effective in their profession, teachers must be afforded professional autonomy and academic freedom. Many of these essential, teaching success-inducing components have been eroded in the United States over the past few decades.
Naturally, as educators we found Finnish schools to be very attractive, and yet we never lost our faith in the American public schools that had prepared us- the very schools to which we had also dedicated our professional lives. Quite plainly, the successes we saw in Finland should occur in the United States. Not only that, we were made aware that the entire design and implementation of the Finnish school system was based on American education research! As a matter of fact, the United States generates eighty percent of the research in education worldwide. If American education research is a good enough to base the design of one of the very most successful public education systems in the world, why is it not good enough to use in the United States? Furthermore, if we had the answers in the United States, why were we traveling to Finland to find our own answers?
Return to the United States
Not long after we returned to the United States, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools was published. Diane Ravitch’s carefully researched book contradicts the rabid negative mythology that surrounds American Public Education. Ravitch is a research Professor of Education at New York University and was appointed to the National Assessment Governing Board by President Bill Clinton. In short, she reveals that American Public School high school dropouts are at an all-time low, high school graduation rates are at an all-time high and that test scores are at their highest point ever recorded. In fact, when compared as a nation “the states of Massachusetts, Minnesota and Colorado … ranked among the top-performing nations in the world” (p. 67). Further, “if it were a nation, Florida would have been tied for second in the world with Russia, Finland, and Singapore” on the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (p.67). Not only that, “American students in schools with low poverty-the schools where less than ten percent of the students were poor- had scores that were equal to those of Shanghai and significantly better than those of high-scoring Finland, the Republic of Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, and Australia.” (p. 64) Most significantly, Ravitch confirms that the single biggest source of low academic achievement is poverty. Poverty impacts learning in dramatic ways and for learners to transcend that barrier, they must first overcome the overwhelming and debilitating effects of poor nutrition, poor health care, inadequate clothing and housing. Child poverty in Finland is 5.3 % but child poverty in the United States 23.1 % according to the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Report Card 10; the highest rate of poverty amongst all of the advanced nations in the world. It should also be noted that unlike the United States, many PISA high scoring nations do not school learners in an egalitarian fashion past certain ages; which is to say that, in those nations, by the time students take the PISA, underperforming students have already been “weeded out” or eliminated. Ravitch is justified when she asserts that American public education is an extraordinary success.
In light of Ravitch’s meticulous research, one can only wonder why seemingly sinister forces have conspired to stigmatize American Public Schools. Not to be forgotten, however, is the role that American Public Schools have played in the success of this nation. When we act to stigmatize or to condemn that bulwark, we are actually working to condemn ourselves. If the American people allow their public schools to be undermined by powers that have only their greed and self interest in mind, we do so at our own peril. If the day arrives when public schools are lost, the middle class will surely be lost as well. We must all value, support and protect American Public Education.
Ravitch, D. (2013). Reign of Error. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
LikeLike
CREDO is out with another of its promotional materials for the charter movement. This time with a focus on LAUSD. Same problems with methodology and the dubious metric of additional days of instructiion. But the effect sizes are as dismal as inprevious reports .07 SDs for reading and .11 for math. The performance of more than half of the charters are the same or worse than public schools. Yet Deasy crows about the apparent success.
Report here:
Click to access Los_Angeles_report_2014_FINAL_001.pdf
District propaganda reported here:
http://laschoolreport.com/stanford-report-shows-advantages-lausd-charter-students
Previous NEPC review here
http://nepc.colorado.edu/thinktank/review-credo-2013
LikeLike
I know today is a busy day, but I found this article this morning. It sounds oh so reasonable, but it is written by Michael J. Petrilli, the executive vice president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. I know you like that place.
I thought you might like to read it. It still supports the common core, but it also very subtly suggests having a 2 tier school system.; at least at the high school level.
I think I am getting better at this tech stuff so I hope you get this, and can read it when you have time.
“Kid, I’m Sorry, but You’re Just Not College Material”
SLATE | MARCH 18, 2014
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/education/2014/03/college_isn_t_for_everyone_let_s_stop_pretending_it_is.html
LikeLike
Are multiple choice tests given in other countries or is this an American phenomenon?
LikeLike
Multiple choice tests are given sparingly in other countries but never annually to all children. In Finland, they are not offered at all. We are the most over tested nation in the world.
LikeLike
Hi Diane
I sent an email with an attached formal letter to my daughter’s school informing the principal that my daughter will be refusing to take the state math and ela tests. This was last Thursday. I called today because I never heard back from the principal. She emailed this evening saying she received my email and that the district is checking with their attorneys and state ed. I’m a little worried that this is going to be a problem with the school. Any advice? I live in NY.
LikeLike
Diane, from your bio, I assume you are not always opposed to sectarian education, as your own offspring have experienced some. However your quote “The main goal is to break public education, crush the unions, and fund every backwoods church school where kids can learn 17th century STEM skills”. could certainly be seen as an attack on religious affiliated schools in general. I have been enjoying your blog, and thinking of recommending it to relevant decision makers. Such strong language will, I believe, negate the really valuable information you are disseminating.
I am a public school teacher, and former homeschooling mom, who has sent kids to both public, private, and parochial schools. I think keeping the focus on what is best for the kids is the way to go.
Thanks,
Lynn Hazen
LikeLike
I am not opposed to religious education. I am opposed to using public funds to pay for it. My grandchildren went to religious schools. Their parents paid the tuition.
I am not opposed to homeschooling, though I am not a fan of it.
I am opposed to paying public funds to corporations to send a free computer to homeschoolers and collect full state tuition for their services.
LikeLike
http://superintendentlps.blogspot.com/2014/03/enough-is-enough.html?m=1
LikeLike
Hi Dianne, Have you seen this blog post by another very courageous superintendent? Amazing how he succinctly lays out the problem of new testing, reform initiatives, and mandates from outside each school system.
http://superintendentlps.blogspot.com/
LikeLike
Ms. Ravich-
My name is Natjan Sun-Kleinberger. I am a high school English teacher and blogger on the CCSS. I posted an Open Letter to College Board President David Coleman on the Puget Sound Education Service District website. It was later taken down because the PSESD determined their website was the wrong forum to post content they deemed too harsh in tone.
My intent was not to criticize Coleman (though he has many detractors).
Rather to expose him to how all the testing he has iniatiated is affecting our kids.
I’d appreciate if you would be willing to read what I wrote and suggest a forum that would be willing to publish it.
Sincerely,
Nathan Sun-Kleinberger
LikeLike
Ms. Ravitch-
My name is Nathan Sun-Kleinberger. I
am a high school English teacher and a blogger about the CCSS. Earlier this week I wrote an Open Letter to College Board President David Coleman on the Puget Sound Education Service District CORElaborate blog. My intent was not criticize Coleman (though he has many distractors including yourself), but rather illuminate him how all his testing initiatives are affecting students in the trenches. Yesterday , PSESD removed the post from their website. They felt I was using too strong of a tone for their forum .
Their prerogative. Interesting enough, I am getting requests to read it on social media.
I was wondering two things:
1. If you would read what I wrote?
2. If you could suggest a forum who would be willing to publish it?
Sincerely,
Nathan Sun-Kleinberger
LikeLike
Nathan, send your comments and I will look at them.
LikeLike
Diane, Chicago Public Schools brought in their LAWYERS to interview opt-out children without their parents’ knowledge in an attempt to discipline teachers. Further proof that testing is not about learning– as it was not enough to take time away from learning for the tests, now they took time away from learning to question students about the tests.
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140320/bucktown/cps-lawyers-question-bucktown-kids-over-opting-out-of-isats-source-says
LikeLike
Happened again today: http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140321/little-village/cps-turns-isat-probe-of-students-saucedo-rattling-parents
LikeLike
I am getting ready to go with a group to our capital, Jefferson City, next Wednesday. March 26. Two bills against Common Core are going up – any advice on what is the very best thing I could say if I am asked to speak for 3 minutes? I have some ideas, but my mind is swirling with so much information, it is difficult to make a choice.
LikeLike
The objection should be that these standards were developed without transparency, without participation of concerned parties, and that there is no appeals process to revise them. They are written in stone, which is wrong. All standards, according to the American National Standards Institute, must be built on consensus, developed transparently, and subject to revision and appeal.
LikeLike
So proud that the delegates of the Buffalo Teachers Federation support me! The teachers can and want to take the challenge. This is us letting parents know that we are on their side, and we would like the Superintendent to make some decisions.
LikeLike
Diane – I would encourage you to post more about the edTPA. I don’t see anything since the piece from Julie Gorlewski last July.
Unfortunately, it’s spreading rapidly, and promises to do a lot of damage. My state, Oregon, just adopted it, over the protests of much of the teacher educator community. As a high-stakes test, it will likely produce all the predictable results that other such tests have – teaching to the test, a turn away from what matters in teacher education, high rates of failure of marginalized people.
Below is what we presented to the state licensing agency.
Jeff Edmundson, Eugene Oregon
TSPC should not adopt the edTPA
The edTPA was created by some very capable people. They are earnest about “professionalizing” teaching. But they fail to see the unintended consequences of making edTPA a high-stakes assessment. These consequences mean that it would be a mistake for TSPC to adopt the edTPA as a requirement for licensure.
First off, it’s important to understand that the edTPA is not a performance assessment. It’s a writing assessment. Students are scored primarily based on their writing about their planning, teaching and assessment. There is one short segment of video included, which is scored for several specific behaviors on a few of the 15 rubrics. But the large majority of edTPA is based on student writing about the teaching of as few as 3 lessons (in fact, only 3-5 lessons are allowed).
Next, it needs to be very clear that there is no evidence whatsoever that the score on the edTPA predicts the quality of teaching any better than existing assessments. The existing validation studies of edTPA only indicate that it aligns with standards and the tasks of teaching, but these studies do not demonstrate that high scores predict highly competent teaching. Based on our experience at the University of Oregon, I question whether they ever will.
Our institution participated in the pilot test. We recruited 8 volunteers, who turned out to be among the 8 strongest candidates in our program – according to the supervisors who had actually seen them teach. These students volunteered because they wanted to try a challenge beyond the work sample. The Assistant Dean and Education studies staff gave personal attention and feedback to the students as they drafted their responses, trying to decode the expectations from the task descriptions. Even with these advantages, none of the students would have passed the edTPA under the original rules, which required all scores be 3 or above. Three of our students, and only 1 elementary student would have passed under the new proposed cut score.
Yet at last count, all of them are successfully employed. One of the lowest scorers, an experienced and outstanding teacher even before being in the program, has been selected as lead teacher in his department.
Experiences in other states
Faculty in states that have adopted edTPA have consistently reported that the focus of their program has switched to preparation for the test. Wayne Au, who teachers at the University of Washington, Bothell, notes:
“Instead of focusing on good teaching, our conversations are quickly turning to how to prepare our students for the edTPA. Our student teaching seminars increasingly emphasize the test’s logistics, choosing the right kind of video segment for the test, choosing the right kind of unit for the test, making sure everyone is using the same language as the test.” (Au, 2013)
Teacher educators in Massachusetts and New York describe the same impact as anxious students focus only on what they need to do for the test. They note:
“Preparing teachers requires intellectual rigor, emotional openness, psychological understanding, physical energy, and interpersonal wisdom. A standardized national assessment limits the questions we ask about our work to those privileged by the instrument.” (Madeloni and Gorlewski, 2013)
We have personally talked with teacher educators from New York who have indicated that they had to rewrite every syllabus in their program to teach to the test. They also noted that significant amounts of money had to be spent for the cameras and other technology to support the required video segments, which have very specific technical requirements, and also pointed out that they needed to spend staff time (sometimes hiring additional staff) to support students in dealing with the technical difficulties. Our own eight students in the pilot study had to repeatedly consult College technical staff in order to upload their videos.
Predictive data from the edTPA Field Test Report
The data from ed TPA’s own pilot study are highly revealing. The study, titled “2014 edTPA Field Test: Summary Report,” was released in November 2013 by the Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity (SCALE, 2013). It provides data on the scores of those in the pilot study and proposes a cut score between 37 and 42.
With a cut score of 42, SCALE itself estimates that only 57.9% of candidates will pass, and this rises only to 78% if the cut score is dropped to 37 (SCALE, 2013, p. 28). Further, this predicts that a majority of elementary teachers would fail with the proposed cut score of 42, as the average score in elementary literacy, for example, was 40.72 (SCALE, 2013, p. 32).
Indeed, this is happening in New York. According to a letter from the Vice President of the New York State United Teachers, at one branch of the State University of New York (SUNY), 9 of 18 elementary education teachers had recently failed the edTPA. She notes “this leaves us with questions about the feasibility of obtaining an initial teaching certificate in New York.”
Are you interested in reducing the number of teachers of color? The edTPA will be the quickest way to do it. According to the Field Test report, the average score of Black candidates was 39.67, and of Native candidates 39.74 (SCALE, 2013, p.22). Thus, even a cut score of 39, on the lower end of the proposed range, would fail nearly half those candidates.
Impact on multicultural education
Further, the rich perspective offered by multicultural education is nowhere supported by edTPA. As Au and Madeloni/Gorlewski indicate, under edTPA pressure conversations move away from complex conversations about the classroom towards technical requirements of the test.
Thus, the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), one of the most important organizations supporting culturally competent education, released a statement on January 21, 2014 opposing the use of the edTPA for high-stakes decisions. Among NAME’s concerns were that it imposes “a common and pre-determined curriculum on teacher education that severely limits faculty ability to enact their commitment to preparing teachers to promote critical multicultural education, social justice, and democratic citizenship” (NAME, 2014). Oregon is rightly focusing on cultural competence – why would we want to provide incentives to turn away from that?
Consequences – direct and unintended
So the edTPA is a high-stakes assessment, with enormous consequences. What happens to these large numbers who may fail? It’s not clear whether students would have to repeat student teaching, or simply revise the edTPA. At the very least, students who have already paid $300 for the initial assessment will have to rewrite, pay another $100 per section (up to $300 per rewrite) and wait for at least a month for the scores to come back, potentially delaying their employment opportunities beyond the annual hiring cycle. But if the decision is that students have to repeat student teaching, they will have to spend thousands more dollars and wait many more months before they have a chance to earn their license and look for a job. How many working class and minority students will simply say “to heck with this” and give up?
Further, putting these kinds of stakes on a written assessment says in effect that the judgments of supervisors and cooperating teachers over a period of months matter less than the judgment of a scorer who has never seen the candidate in the classroom, but has seen only the candidate’s writing about their teaching.
Finally, it is likely that as potential students hear about the hurdle of passing the edTPA, they will opt to take their teacher training in states that do not require it. At the UO, we get many talented candidates from outside of Oregon, including Native American students who come for our Sapsik‘ʷałá
grant program. Why would we want to provide a disincentive for such students to come to Oregon?
Only two states so far, NY and Washington, are using the edTPA as a licensure exam. There are clearly problems. Why experiment on our students with an unproven high-stakes exam? Let other states make the mistakes that we can learn from. There is no urgency to rush in to adopt a risky test when we have the existing Oregon Work Sample, which has been a national model. Given the demonstrated ability of Oregon to create the OWS, why not let Oregonians create a new instrument that avoids the flaws of the edTPA?
References:
Au, W. (2013). “What’s a nice test like you doing in a place like this?” Rethinking Schools, Vol. 27, no.4 (Summer 2013)
Madeloni, B. and Gorlewski, J. (2013). “Radical Imagination, Not Standardization: Critical Teacher Education and the edTPA”, Teachers College Record, accessed at http://www.tcrecord.org/PrintContent.asp?ContentID=17163
NAME, 2014. NAME Position Statement on the edTPA. Accessed on February 17th, 2014 at http://nameorg.org/2014/01/position-edtpa/
SCALE (2013). 2014 edTPA Field Test: Summary Report. Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity.
LikeLike
Jeff, write about EdTPA and I will post it.
LikeLike
Dianne: Did you see the puff piece on Eva Markowitz in the March 24 New Yorker, Talk of the Town section. It has a couple of interesting statements. She says she is well paid because they believe in “rewarding excellence”. It also repeats tabloid gossip that moving her charters out is due to personal animosity. There is a claim that on state tests their students score far above average. I have no idea of the veracity of the claims, but I can assume if the last is true, it is because they have pushed out the poor test takers. You may want to send a response letter to the editor.
LikeLike
Diane, just thought you should know that at my school here in Va. a fifth grader had to stay until 8pm one night in order to finish the standards writing test. Is this legal? I am a special ed teacher who is also on the spectrum. I am passionate about developmentally appropriate curriculum. I just am concerned that this is not a best practice.
LikeLike
Mary,
It sounds like child abuse. File charges against your district.
LikeLike
I thought you and your readers might be interested in reading about my attempt to opt my son (4th grade) out of State tests here in Texas. http://educationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/03/are-texas-parents-allowed-to-opt-their-kids-out-of-staar-tests-a-waco-couple-is-trying.html/
LikeLike
Anyway, Diane, how do I send you a message about a topic I think you might find interesting?
LikeLike
Stevecoh, you can always leave comments here. I read them all.
LikeLike
Would someone please respond to Jennifer Finney Boylan’s op/ed in the NY Times today (3/23/14)? She makes it sound as if all opposition to the Common Core Curriculum is coming from reactionary parents who are afraid that their children will end up “different” from them. I’ve seldom seen a piece in the Times that misses the point so completely.
LikeLike
Stephen, watch for my post tomorrow morning at 8 am. It is not in response to Jennnifer F. Boylan’s article, but it answers the questions.
LikeLike
Sign of the times?
This is part of an interview in today’s Chicago Sun-Times by Natasha Korecki with Gov. Pat Quinn (http://politics.suntimes.com/article/springfield/exclusive-sitdown-interview-gov-pat-quinn/sat-03222014-1200am). Paul Vallas is of course a big “education reformer” who was just run out of Bridgeport CT on a rail after his charter program angered the community – and picked soon after by Quinn to be his running mate.
Q: Paul Vallas supports charter schools. Since you picked him as a lieutenant governor, does that mean you’re open to charter expansion?
A: No, Paul Vallas believes in public education. So do I. We believe in funding public education. A very, very important issue this year, we’ll be talking about that soon. … He’s committed to a fair, open budget to properly fund education.
Noteworthy because it’s the first time I’ve seen Quinn asked about his choice of Vallas to be his running mate. Hats off to Korecki for that. That’s good journalism.
Noteworthy also because of Quinn’s response. Not sure it’s truthful, but he knows which side of the coin he needs to be on. I STILL would like to know why he thought picking Vallas was such a great idea.
LikeLike
Don’t forget that Pat Quinn gave Juan Rangel $98 million to expand his UNO charter network. Rangel had to resign after the stories were reported on how many millions went to relatives and friends of the leadership of UNO and its lobbyists.
LikeLike
Not saying Quinn is trustworthy – just saying he knows which way the wind is blowing in 2014. He knows he has to support “public education” as opposed to “charter schools”. It shows the movement here is having an effect. He’s trying to run a “populist” campaign and he can’t just parrot the charter line. Watch him like a hawk if he gets re-elected, but relish the fact that this little movement is having an effect.
LikeLike
Here’s a recent e-mail, a mere 6 days ago, from one of my 12 year-old son’s 7th grade teachers here in Washington State:
“As we are nearing Spring Break, I wanted to inform everyone of a few changes that will be occurring in my classroom over the next few days that will place a strong focus on instruction.
First, there will be few, if any, assignments graded for completion in my
class. Assignments will be scored only to assist in determining a students’
understanding of the material.
Second, the focus in class will be direct instruction. We will have a
daily objective. That objective, alone, will be the focus of that class.
Third, there will be little, if any, group work in class. Again, the goal
will be instruction and assessment of the learning.
Fourth, agenda checks will no longer be required starting the week of
March 24. The ‘backboard’ will be completed just like before. I will
continue to come in every weekend to complete and display the week-long
schedule. However, students will neither be required to write it down,
nor have a parent sign the agenda. The schedule will simply be displayed
for student/parent informational purposes.
Fifth, Friday Warm-Ups (a type of review) will no longer be used. The
time used for Friday Warm-Ups will now be used for direct instruction
instead.
Sixth, I will not be available before school, at lunch, or after school
starting the week of March 24. This time will now be used for curriculum
preparation and assessment scoring.”
God I hate this teaching to the test. Should I contact his teacher and ask for a chance to chat about what’s going on?
LikeLike
Testivus fȕr Alluvus
It is with pride and importunity that I declare the Testivus Season open!
Festivities throughout the nation begin on the evening prior to the “window of testing” in each state, city or district. Actual dates may be adjusted locally to ensure the greatest disruption of learning and sufficient failure rates.
For those of the audience unfamiliar with the traditions and activities of Testivus, a brief description of the events to be endured:
The Testivus Breakfuss
It is best to begin the ceremony with the spooning of the pabulum. This ensures that all else imbibed, devoured, masticated, swallowed or otherwise consumed is swathed in a flaccid layer of tasteless gruel. Celebrants often comment on the direct comparison to our annual testing marathon, which is wrapped in a film of educational obeisance to the god of mammon and the lesser god, Marzano the Minimal.
If you can swallow that (along with the pabulum), the rest is easy:
Querical Cannelloni—questions about black holes, right whales, and Mylie Cyrus are baked into narrow pasta tubes and served with vinaigrette. Devotees swallow the pasta whole and belch their answers to each edible query. Loose interpretation of vocalizations is encouraged. This event is rumored to be a possible replacement for the SAT essay next year.
Toasts to Testivius—Nods of disapproval are directed toward effigies of politicians, wealthy “philanthropists,” Pearson officials and others who have advanced the cause of standardized testing. Doses of cod liver oil are distributed between nods to facilitate the feelings of discomfort these persons have bestowed upon teachers. Lucky winners receive an effigy for their school honor societies to use as a night-light for pretest cramming.
Testivus Miracles are verified and ridiculed. In the past year, two astounding singularities were subject to catcalls at Breakfusses around the nation:
▪ A Bleating Miracle—The absolute absence of a general uprising of teachers against all standardized testing was recently announced as the Department of Education’s greatest accomplishment by Randi Weingarten, who subsequently accepted the Medal of Confounding Compliance on behalf of her zombified teacher’s union in a very private ceremony.
▪ The Where’s William? Oddity— In what can only be classified as a miracle escape, Bill Gates failed to debate the doughty Mercedes Schneider concerning his abuse of democracy and public education. He did, however, did appear to shill for his CCSS offspring in Washington, DC. It will be a miracle for the ages if Gates can avoid public humiliation by means of either his avoidance tactics or his debating skill during the Inter-Testivi Doldrums.
Fusstivus Interruptus
Following the Breakfuss, no discussion or mention of the events related to standardized testing is permitted until the final #2 pencil is re-sharpened, the computer labs are re-opened to daily desecration, and final attempts to get opt-out parents to rescind decisions have been abandoned.
Guilt and self-loathing are appropriate throughout.
The Testivus Hole
The final, and most sacred event of the season is the digging of a Testivus hole, excavated by hand with an entrenching tool on public land or by backhoe on Gates Foundation property (there are those who believe that popping the top of the nearest sewer hole is a righteous alternative) …into which is placed all evidence of personal participation in the past year’s federally mandated tests, including, but not limited to:
▪ Mandatory staff training notices
▪ Proctor training session sign-in sheets
▪ The cremated remains of any U. S. Dept. of Education officials or state assessment coordinators who are at hand
▪ Disturbing—Do Not Test signs once posted on classroom doors
▪ Copies of testing protocols
▪ Student bathroom passes (placed in Ziploc® bags for safe handling)
▪ Losing Lotto tickets, purchased in moments of lucid desperation
▪ Official testing calendars and class schedules
▪ Receipts for snacks issued to students—(may not include items for personal use)
▪ Testing tickets for logging on to malfunctioning electronic test sites
▪ Test booklets smuggled home for pre-reading and lesson-planning
▪ Sheets of lined yellow pre-writing paper (with student names at top)
▪ Lists of pupils to be sent to alternate testing areas or for make-up tests
Under no circumstance should lists of students who have opted out of testing be included. No ceremony is to be wasted here, a wanton disregard for used testing materials is considered de rigeur, and fresh splashes of effluvia on the discarded documents prized.
Musical Accompaniment
During the dumping of the documents, a sacred chant is performed (customarily muttered under the breath to the rhythm of the Horst-Wessel-Lied or any ABBA tune):
Blessed be our Gatesmeister,
For he provides the fodder for the Testivus season!
And hail the Duncanology that the hole represents:
Dark, empty, vapid, and utterly without merit.
© David Sudmeier, 2014
http://davidsudmeier.com/2014/03/24/testivus-fȕr-alluvus/
LikeLike
Review of “Reign of Error,” by Diane Ravitch, Chapter 4
[My apologies to my readers for the delay in fulfilling my commitment to review Reign of Error, by Diane Ravitch, chapter by chapter. My holidays were sandwiched by bouts of illness that played havoc with all of my efforts to achieve a long list of goa…
LikeLike
Printed in The Hamtramck Review, 3/14/14
Other Voices: Guest Editorial
page4image62832
page4image63112
Another man-made disaster from Lansing
By Nancy L. Erickson Hamtramck Public Schools Teacher-Media Specialist
There’s another manufactured disaster coming out of state government these days. The Michigan Depart ment of Education is responsible. If it were practicing medicine, the MDE would be sued for malpractice.
Why? Because it withholds effective treatment from patients suffering from a life-threatening condition. But in the MDE’s case their “patients” are children. The life-threatening condition? It’s poverty.
The effects of poverty on a child’s performance in school are profound. Yet specific strategies proven to reduce the achievement gap between wealthier students and those living in lower income families are well known.
The MDE’s leaders could easily have pushed for their implementation years ago. But they did not.
Is this a case of institutional classism? You be the judge. But here are some facts:
Fact #1: Most students, even those living in poverty, make academic progress at about the same rate during the school year. Summer is when the less privileged usually fall behind.
Fact #2: The effects of summer learning loss accumulate. Most children in question will read more than 2 years below grade level by the start of middle school. They will not come close to achieving their aca- demic potential. Yet the MDE will inform the publicthat the schools those children attend fail to educate them.
Fact #3: Starting in third grade, reading well is es- sential for learning all sub- jects.
Fact #4: The effects of summer learning loss have been known for decades.
Fact #5: Researchers Richard L. Allington and Anne McGill-Franzen write in their book, Summer Read- ing: Closing the Rich/Poor Reading Achievement Gap, “Too many current educa-tional reform initiatives ignore ease of access to books, reading volume, and summer reading loss…Schools that serve many poor children must play a substantive role in ensuring that each and every child has year-round access to a generous supply of books to read in school and out, books the children cannot wait to read.”
But what leadership is the MDE providing? Glance at a few issues of their online newsletter, Education Con- nection.
Parents are informed they should take their children to public libraries — or buy their kids books as gifts.
Seriously?
Because here are only a few of the harsh realities faced by many low-income families: lack of transporta- tion; unsafe conditions for children walking to a public library; often no public library within walking distance. Parents should buy books? That’s an impossibility in homes experiencing shortages of food and other basic necessities.
The MDE leadership needs a lesson in basic arithmetic as well. Because it’s obvious public libraries are not equipped to support the hundreds of thousands of children across Michigan living in poverty. Some of those libraries aren’t much larger than a shoebox. Their staffing is minimal. So is their funding.
Mike Flanagan, State Superintendent of Schools, re- cently announced another strategy. Donations for book purchases will be solicited and coordinated at the state level. But will all children who need books have access to them? On the MDE website we are in- formed that the number of books available will be de- termined annually by the level of donations raised.
Folks, that’s like saying, “Let’s hold a bake sale to buy medicine. But not all kids in desperate need will benefit. That depends on how much money is raised.”
Meanwhile, our state budget has a nearly billion dollar surplus.
Real Solution #1: Mr. Flanagan, ever heard of a school library? A student could borrow a dozen books a week — if the doors were open through the summer. No new layer of bureaucracy or grant writing need be cre- ated. School libraries are close to home; students and parents trust in them. Despite severe budget cuts, most school libraries are still managed by highly-qual- ified teacher-librarians. These specialists are experts at supporting the literacy needs of hundreds of children per day. The cost of keeping school libraries open all year is nominal; the benefits for children are enormous. Nonetheless, the leaders of the MDE refuse to promote increased use of these existing re- sources. In doing so, they make a choice — to deprive struggling children of opportunities they need and de- serve.
Action Strategy #1: Readers, please send a copy of the above article to each member of the State Board of Education listed below. Use a postage stamp, email, fax, social media — and whatever else you can get your hands on.
Mr. John C. Austin (D) jcaustin@umich.edu
Mr. Daniel Varner (D) dsvarner@comcast.net
Ms. Michelle Fecteau (D) mfecteau@aaupaft.org
Mrs. Eileen Weiser ® eileen_weiser@msm.com
Ms. Lupe Ramos-Montigny (D) lrmontigny@yahoo.com
Dr. Richard Zeile ® drzeile@juno.com
Ms. Kathleen N. Straus (D) strausk@michigan.gov
Ms. Casandra E. Ulbrich (D) ulbrichc@michigan.gov
Mr. Mike Flanagan, Chairman flanaganm@michigan.gov
Mrs. Marilyn Schneider schneiderm@michigan.gov
Gov. Rick Snyder Rick.Snyder@michigan.gov
LikeLike
Just received this letter from our superintendent of schools in Philadelphia. Love how he signed his name “Bill”, as if to be more ‘personal’. We are being turned into workers with no rights. Who in their right mind would go into teaching anymore, at least in Philly.
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing today to share with you several actions the School District is taking to help ensure that students have every opportunity to succeed, which is my top priority. These steps will give school leadership teams the ability to best match staff skills and other resources with student needs – and ensure that our students no longer have to lose a highly effective, cherished teacher just because he or she is the least senior.
At the outset, I want to emphasize that we believe in and are excited about our teachers – when the right students are partnered with the right teachers that have the right skills, our students succeed. We know that both experienced and new teachers contribute meaningfully to the success of their students. We also know that school leadership teams need input into the staffing of their schools.
Accordingly, as we must begin the planning and staffing process for the 2014-2015 school year, the District is issuing new staffing guidelines that will allow us to ensure:
We have the right teachers with the right skills aligned with specific school community and student needs.
We reach our goal that 100 percent of our students receive a quality education and graduate from high school ready for college and career.
We consider many factors when assigning teachers to schools, including seniority. However, unique skills, teaching competencies, and the needs of the school community will also play an important role in selecting educators.
The second action we are taking today is filing a court case with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The reason we are filing this case is to confirm our legal authority to implement reforms, including: (1) the new staffing guidelines mentioned above, which we need to implement now for the upcoming school year, (2) changes we put in place earlier this year (e.g., in staffing for school opening and at leveling), and (3) additional changes planned for the fall, including the structured use of prep periods for coordinated instructional improvement and professional development.
Neither of these actions has an impact on teacher salaries or benefits.
We expect many of you may have questions about what is happening. If you have questions, or if you need any assistance in answering questions over the coming days, please contact your supervisor. We will be posting additional information on the District’s website over the coming days.
The work we are doing at the School District is urgent. To that end, we are taking these steps to ensure that we have the right teachers with the right skills instructing all of our children in all of our schools, right now.
Thank you for your continued commitment to our students and schools.
Sincerely,
Bill
LikeLike
http://www.msnbc.com/the-daily-rundown/watch/emanuel-chicago-will-be-100-college-ready-201075267595
Wow! Just wow! He insults the interviewer and never answers the question either.
LikeLike
Alinsky & Reform
1. “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.”
Teachers have the power to open the minds of students, they do not have the power to make a student overcome their own current state of poverty
2. “Never go outside the expertise of your people.”
The Deform movement relies on binary codes and GUI/WYSIWYG so don’t expect them to understand the “art” of teaching.
3. “Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy.”
Teachers do not write code or care about GUI/WYSIWYG so write an “adaptive test” they are not allowed to see, only the negative results.
4. “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.”
Evaluate teachers on student performance, but don’t let them see the test they must teach to.
5. “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.”
Unions support and defend the BAD teachers and the FAILING Schools and low TEST scores.
6. “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.”
Bring out the shiny new computer and describe all the possibilities.
Charter Schools are the only way.
7. “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.”
Bring out more improved shiny new computers and describe all the new possibilities. Vouchers in place of Charter Schools.
8. “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.”
Common Core is the inevitable future. Charter Schools with vouchers are the best way to educate! “We offer Common Core Aligned products.”
9. “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.”
Common Core is the way of salvation from decreased Global competition.
10. “The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition.”
A “consortium of educators, experts, and caring politicians” who independently achieved consensus.
11. “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.”
We are behind other nations in test results. Unions prevent education.
12. “The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.”
“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”
Bad teachers and failing test scores versus Common Core, break the Unions, and rigorously assess the children.
LikeLike
Hi Diane,
I’m an education student at the undergraduate level, and I just read your book “The Death and Life of the Great…” What a powerful book! It turned me on to your blog, which I have found is an invaluable resource. However, I have not found much here about the use of technology in education. I’m trying to do some investigation into the use of technology to improve literacy. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Thanks,
Aaron
LikeLike
Aaron, Read Neil Postman, read Jaron Lanier. Ask my readers. They can help you. Ask your professors. I am sure there is someone on the faculty who knows far more than I do on the subject of technology.
LikeLike
You can try blogger Audrey Watters and her site, Hacked Education for good insight into ed technology. She acknowledges a lot of the hype surrounding much of ed tech and she points out the things she likes as well.
LikeLike
Given your reporting on Common Core , thought you might be
interested in the racial and ethnic disparities in middle school math
Common Core proficient rates found in our National Urban Research
Group study on New York City Common Core middle school math
assessments.
The test scores in Central Harlem are such that only 1 in 10 middle
school student is Common Core proficient and in several
school no students are meeting Common Core grade level expectations.
We can provide additional tables to your reporters on individual
schools in Central Harlem and Central Brooklyn.
This important math inequities story is getting lost in the Common
Core implementation and charter school co-location debates.
http://nurg.org/research/the-common-core-promise/the-common-core-promise-executive-summary/
LikeLike
Dear Dr. Ravitch,
If you hadn’t seen these, already, thought you might be interested in this:
http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2014/03/8542548/accused-jezebel-erasing-women-history-state-ed-says-curriculum-still-
LikeLike
Diane, I wrote this last week. I’m not comfortable giving school info or my info. I sent it to a friend at NY Times and it got to OP-Ed desk but then they didn’t accept it.
The Test Must Go On
Five pops that sounded like fireworks. Short and crisp. Totally misplaced at 8:05am. Who lights fireworks on a Wednesday morning?
But it wasn’t fireworks and you know that. After half a second, I knew that too.
When I saw our Dean and one of our Campus Security guards running toward the gate behind my classroom, to the street where the shots had been fired, I realized they were acting as our First Responders, and that sometime today I might get news that one of our students had been killed.
When my colleagues and I began ushering kids into our school’s main hall, away from the outdoor lunch tables where they’d been chatting and eating their breakfasts, we held our arms wide like wings, like we knew exactly what was going on and that there was nothing to be scared or worried about.
In a large classroom, fifteen colleagues and I supervised roughly fifty students while waiting for more information about the violent event. We stayed in lockdown for about an hour. I made small-talk with some girls I’ve never taught before. Complemented their outfits. Answered questions about what I teach and why they haven’t met me. One student was visibly upset and crying. A young teacher comforted her. But most kids just sat with friends and some listened to music or did whatever teenagers do on their phones when social media is blocked by the school firewall. After talking with the girls, I peeled and ate some mandarin oranges given to me by our school counselor. I wasn’t hungry but I ate them anyway.
Ten minutes into lockdown, a veteran teacher from the community said, “Who wants to review some Math?” And about twenty-five kids joined him at a whiteboard in the corner of the room while he covered formulas for finding the areas of geometric shapes. Although I’ve been teaching in urban schools for ten years, this is the first time I’ve heard gun-shots while responsible for children, and despite my calm and warm exterior, during lockdown I felt angry and scared. I walked over and watched him teach, grateful for the chance to think about ways to find the area of a circle.
And when the voice over the loudspeaker told us it was safe to go back outside and to our classrooms, as a staff we did our best to normalize a situation that everyone reading this knows is far from normal.
But then, I teach in Watts, and like many U.S. urban centers, guns and gun violence have become normalized to the point that safe passage security guards escort kids walking between school and home. These adults are an invaluable community resource. They improve students’ chances of not getting shot or stabbed while exercising their human right to an education. But it’s not enough. In urban centers, kids don’t play after school sports, or practice for the marching band, or work on the yearbook because at 5pm when it’s getting dark and practice is over, it’s not safe to walk home. By 5pm, safe passage hours have ended. Unsafe communities preclude students from participating in healthy extra-curriculars that improve their quality of life and enrich their college applications.
Today in Watts, to normalize a morning where someone shot at someone else one block from the entrance to our school, we’ve done our best to follow the day’s planned schedule.
Our 11th and 12th graders hopped on buses for outings to Santa Monica Beach and a hike to the Hollywood sign.
And our 10th graders, without a single protest, walked to their assigned classrooms, where they are silently testing for the next 4-7 hours.
Today is the Math portion of the California High School Exit Exam, and every 10th grade public school student in Los Angeles is testing at this very moment.
Many are testing after a good nights sleep, a healthy breakfast, and years of living in a low-stress home environment where they’ve never endured childhood trauma.
Others are testing an hour after watching and hearing one human being try to kill another human being. That experience is trauma and trauma affects cognition.
But it doesn’t matter. The test must go on.
LikeLike
Very powerful Daisy. This really took me back in time. I used to supervise student teachers from UCLA at Jordan High. Two out of the four times I went to see a social studies intern, there was police tape and markings of where a dead body had been left in the parking lot – it was a dumping ground for area gangs in the early 1990’s. I am so sorry you are still having to deal with it. I worked for the archdiocese at Verbum Dei as well. No shooting problems on campus when I was there but the dangers were close and we had to make sure all students got home before dark. No one would let me drive them home since they would tell me it was not safe for me to go to their neighborhoods. So how was it safe for them? I remember some wonderful students and teachers. But I also remember going to too many funerals for teens as a high school administrator there.
LikeLike
I am responsible for administering the PARCC field test next week. The training and support for this has been abysmal. NAEP provides its own test administrators and plenty of advanced communication. I question why Pearson is putting such time consuming demands on already overworked school staff. They surely have the profits to be able to afford what NAEP provides. It is taking me away from my other duties to support teachers and students. I have spent endless hours pouring over their online manuals and tutorials that read like Greek to me. I’m wondering how this field test is affecting other school staff across our nation. Could you ask your readers to respond?
Thanks for all you do!
Laura in Albuquerque
LikeLike
The Reports have just come out about CCSS and according to SREB it is a fabulous success http://www.sreb.org/page/1600/benchmarking_ccss.html
No whisper of any set backs or anything not working well.
http://www.sreb.org/page/1600/benchmarking_ccss.html
LikeLike
The reports have just come out about CCSS and according to SREB it is a fabulous success. No whisper of any set backs or anything not working well.
http://www.sreb.org/page/1600/benchmarking_ccss.html
LikeLike
#1 son…15, plenty smart, quiet, caring, introverted, loves Drumline and his teachers appreciate him. Poor fellow can’t execute out of a paper bag right now. He doesn’t watch a lot of TV. He’s not on the computer tons. He just lives in a bit of a fog. The in-between world. Neither here nor there. Rather drifting with deep thoughts that I hear about when he’s ready. I so get it. I was the same way at his age. Not the fog, the procrastination for things I hated doing. He lives in a house with both his parents, loving, academic, driven in their own ways. No financial stress. His father is a high school math teacher in the same school as our 15 year-old, both parents have two graduate degrees, his father has a patent and published academic papers in Applied Physics Letters. By virtue of birth and luck his mother had a chance to play with the big boys in business a decade ago. She’s no slouch. No amount of Common Core, raising the standards, yelling at him and yelling and blaming his teachers is gonna do anything. Sending him to the local private day schools or moving 40 miles north to Seattle and shipping him to Bill Gates Lakeside Academy with “high expectations” won’t fix anything, homeschooling and isolation won’t fix anything. He’s gonna kick in when he’s ready. We can be patient. This is how learning and choice and connections and consequences happen. In the meantime he will be exercising shoe leather as driving instruction is off the schedule. As I recall, Einstein was asked by a teacher to drop out of grade school. Even though he loved academics, Einstein disliked school and eventually dropped out of high school. Without a high school diploma, he had to take special exams to get into college. He failed the first set and had to re-take them. After graduation, he couldn’t get a job anywhere. He was even rejected by the Swiss military because he had flat feet, but he eventually found a tutoring job and earned three francs an hour. He’d laugh in Bill Gates face after reading Common Core and seeing all those corporate tests. #1 son is a fine young man. He’s the caring, new age sensitive feminist guy I wanted and molded. And he’s gonna rock the world in his own way and make a positive contribution. Best of all he will be an ally for women and those on the margin everywhere. Frankly I can see clearly today that my master plan is already complete.
LikeLike
Ms. Ravitch,
http://missourieducationwatchdog.com/teacher-describes-how-she-has-been-warned-by-school-district-not-to-speak-out-against-common-core/
This alarms me for more than the normal reasons. Usually in a situation like this I would be the first to tell a teacher to go to the education association (NEA / AFT). However both organizations seem to be determined to insist their respective members “support” common core. They justify their stand by either misrepresenting the data, or by insinuating with a patronizing attitude that so called “leaders” know what is best for the members.
I fear our leaders may have done irreparable harm to our organizations. They have taken so much money from Common Core interests that rank and file members no longer trust them to represent classroom teachers’ views and interests, let alone concern themselves about the students (who don’t pay dues).
We need a voice now more than ever and teachers are losing / have lost faith with those entrusted to speak for us.
LikeLike
I am an NEA member that disagrees with my leadership on support for Common Core.
However, I believe my NEA leadership will defend the “right of its membership to disagree” with its positions because it has done it year after year when I’ve attended NEA annual membership meetings.
I have been elected by my local chapter again as a representative to the annual meeting and will bring to the NEA Assembly floor any evidence of leadership NOT protecting the right of NEA membership to disagree with leadership and any evidence of management trying to suppress teacher opinion in opposition to the Common Core.
The later pledge may not be kept if, as I anticipate, there are just too many examples of management suppressing the opinion of teachers on the subject of the Common Core.
LikeLike
Diane, today’s Providence Journal is reporting on Cuomo’s hosting of 3 day confab of “ed reformers”. BY PHILIP MARCELO
pmarcelo@providencejournal.com
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Providence Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Angel Taveras was recently given top billing for an education-focused retreat in the Adirondack Mountains.
On the bill were New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other prominent Democratic mayors.
Just one catch: Taveras campaign spokesman Danny Kedem says the mayor no longer plans on going to the May event. When asked to comment Thursday on the invitation, Kedem replied via email: “Mayor Taveras is not attending.”
Kedem did not immediately respond to follow up questions as to why he’s not attending or what Taveras’ role had been at the event.
But, as of Thursday, the event’s website no longer named Taveras and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro.
In their place, Hollywood filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan is featured, along with Cuomo, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.
According to the invite, the others are “special guests” while Cuomo is the “honorary chairman.”
The inaugural “Camp Philos” is a three-day event, May 4-6, at the Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid that is billed as a “philosopher’s camp for education reformers.”
The event is sponsored by Education Reform Now, a group that has ties to Taveras: the New York-based 501(c)3 nonprofit is helping support the national “Mayors for Educational Excellence Tour,” which is meant to highlight new educational efforts in four specific U.S. cities.
That tours stops in Providence on April 25, with Taveras as host.
LikeLike
Here are the details. Makes me want to barf.
http://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/542151/Cuomo-to-chair-education-reform-conference-in-Lake-Placid-in-May.html?nav=5008
LikeLike
Diane–check out the Dallas Morning News front page story (March 30, 2014) on the history and impact of standardized testing in Texas. This is the first of a three-part series. It is very well done and could further stimulate the movement to stop the testing non-sense. -John Horn
LikeLike
Dr. Ravitch–
I found this interesting place on the web for resources for those who consider support of public education part of their faith. I find it very valuable, particularly when many folks would have us believe that supporting public schools is the opposite of what Christian faith requires. I don’t intend to debate that on your blog, but I think this resource is a good one. It is certainly the root of my own support for public education (my Presbyterian upbringing). It’s an interesting perspective anyway, and we need to garner all the support we can.
http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/publiceducation/action-plans-and-materials-people-faith/
LikeLike
Joanna Best, back in the early 19th century, there were many different Protestant sects, and they came to an agreement that the best way to have a common school education that worked for everyone was to keep their religious beliefs out of the schools. That has worked well for many years.
LikeLike
I think many still do; hence, the link. They just are not being loud enough anymore, or something.
?
LikeLike
Also, “leave religious beliefs out of the schools” makes sense in as much as religious lore and dogma. But we are clearly at a point where what people believe their religions require of them is conflicting with secular norms. Without honest dialogue along those lines, no progress will be made. And I have heard that the Roman Catholic Church is using “reform” to help keep its schools open.
My point here, with this link, is that the thinking of folks (in NC anyway) for guiding public education in past decades was clearly guided by their faith lives. While the was a more common consensus of Protestant thought a few decades ago than now, recognizing that framework and understanding in light of today’s issues is very important.
Very important.
Just trying to help the dialogue.
LikeLike
I am an NEA member, too. I also have been elected to the annual meeting, both state and national. I hold an elected leadership position within my local affiliate. I have been “advised” by an NEA “friend” that it is not in my best professional interest, as an NEA member, to share my concerns publicly about Common Core. I am glad you feel as you do about member disagreement. I do not feel so optimistic. In September of 2013, NEA Today, our national publication ran an article with a headline announcing that “A Majority of Educators Support the Common Core”. However, when you look at the percents, the truth is 50% supported the Core “with reservations” while 26% supported the core “whole-heartedly”. There was no explanation of what the respondents’ reservations were. In addition, since this is an article written for professionals, the article could have used a measurable term in place of “whole-hearted”. The term they used is emotional, imprecise, and arguable.
The article mentions the charge that Common Core is opposed by the very people who will be the most affected. The article states that this poll “strongly refutes this claim”.
Perhaps the most objectionable piece of this entire poll is the fact that it questioned 1200 NEA members. The article does not mention if these members were randomly selected, attending the same conference, representative of the entire membership, or any other pertinent information.
It is offensive that NEA would use such a small number of people for such a strong generalization. At a minimum, NEA has received $4 million in grants from the Gates Foundation to support the Common Core. (This is a ridiculously low estimate.) While brave individuals may express concerns, the most critical remark from NEA was Van Roekel saying the implementation was botched. The implementation?? What about the secrecy when developing the standards, the absence of teachers during the standards creation, the lack of amendment procedures, the almost inevitable fusion between the common core and standardized testing??? Really, the problem was the implementation???
Yes, I believe the leadership has a legitimacy issue. They have been actively ignoring the concerns of a sizable number of their own members, they played games with both the polling and the reporting of the results of the polling, they’ve accepted millions of dollars from the biggest “advocate” of the core.
If 50% of their membership, as measured from 1200 people, supports the Common Core with reservation, then WHY doesn’t NEA headline the news that the majority of their members have reservations about the Common Core?
This article had an agenda. It willfully mis-characterized their own pathetic numbers. The membership has reason to be suspicious. Our national and in some cases state leaders have a great deal of work ahead of them. I believe as we see Common Core implemented we will see a drastic drop in membership. Our leaders forget they represent an educated membership. Teachers have been beaten down in public for years now. The NEA has been ineffective, at best, in advocating for us. Teachers, will eventually “vote with their feet”. If it didn’t leave us even more helpless, I’d lead the stampede. If I had my wishes, Badass Teacher Association http://www.badassteacher.org/ would be the official voice of the NEA!
LikeLike
retired yet?:
I believe you have responded to a different frame than I established in my posting. My frame was that regardless of the issue, NEA leadership does a good job of tolerating contrary viewpoints being expressed at the yearly NEA Representative Assembly.
But, on selected issue they have an interest leadership will mobilize their establishment resources to win votes in support of their positions. And, by definition leadership is better than the opposition in winning the membership votes. If there not normally better they are replaced by the opposition and the opposition becomes the leadership of the organization.
Will there be a price to pay for opposing leadership? If the person challenging leadership is a marginal player NEA leadership will most likely ignore them. But, why would leadership want to play ball with someone that is not a team player? Being labeled not a team player is too high a price for many.
I agree with most of the points you make regarding how NEA leadership bent over backwards to try and make the case that its membership supports Common Core.
And, this is not something new for NEA leadership to sell something that had not been implemented as a great leap forward in education policy. Some remember the NEA leadership at the time of NCLB’s birth did the exact same thing selling NCLB to good effect. Most NEA membership was totally on board in support of passage of NCLB. It was then an easy sell and seldom was heard a negative word about NCLB in meetings of R.A for years after.
And, it would have been, in effective to have brought to the R.A. floor criticism of NCLB at the time; I did and it was ignored.
To be effective criticism of leadership position has to tap into experiences that are shared in common with large number of the membership. My judgment is that there are not yet enough negative experiences with Common Core to face down leadership on Common Core and get them to oppose it. Leadership will, I believe, follow the path set by terming out NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and address memberships dissatisfaction with Common Core by mobilizing policy statements calling for NEA membership at the R.A. not for opposition to Common Core, but for modification and reform in implementation of Common Core $tate $tandards.
LikeLike
Jim I really respect what you are saying. I re-read your original and I hope you are right that NEA will protect the right of NEA membership to disagree with leadership and support member who have evidence of management trying to suppress teacher opinion.
I tend to have an idealistic view of our organization. I would like to see an organization that provided true leadership and did not “Go along to get along”.
Educators are the experts in education, but we don’t present ourselves as such. We knowingly “go along” with programs that are not supported by research and are not in the best interest of children. We are so concerned about not being the insults hurled at us from the critics, that we don’t even see we are letting the critics define us while they steal the foundation from public education.
Leadership, as we all know, sets the atmosphere of the whole organization. Teacher voices are being silenced across the country. Teachers are becoming increasingly depressed and discouraged. NEA has never tried to find out what their members think of the Common Core, not in a legitimate fashion.
Being a team player has been the NEA excuse for not representing teachers’ opinion since before NCLB. Teachers have continued to half heartedly remain members, because there is no one else to represent them. The AFT NEA noncompete agreement rules out a change there, and it wouldn’t matter as AFT suffers from the same condition. But those days are fading. As membership declines, dues increase, and leadership pretends to look for solution to enrollment, teachers continue to become disillusioned, and public education becomes increasingly privatized.
NEA is fast losing the window to act. NEA Assembly is NOT respected by rank and file members in my area. There may have been no criticism of NCLB at RA, but rank and file were not totally on board from the beginning at least not in the central states. Maybe this supports the logic behind education decisions actually, constitutionally, fall under the states power. Too many rank & file members feel no affiliation to the national organization because they do not feel represented. Too many RAs vote their individual agendas and make no attempt to represent their members. The process is increasingly become disconnected.
When the national organization makes statements so far removed from rank and file’s experiences and feeling, they continue to lose legitimacy and appear to have no clue this is happening.
LikeLike
retiredyet?
Thank you for an excellent post of the problem with a leadership being disconnected from its membership on the subject of CC$$. I totally agree with you each year sees an increase in the privatization of public education and feel that NEA leadership is not doing enough because of valuing a seat at the table too much.
It is up to the membership of each local that voted its representatives to communicate to their Representatives when they don’t feel a policy position doesn’t serve their interests and hold their representatives accountable by not voting for them the following year.
And, I like your reference to the midwest not being supportive of NCLB from the get go. But, the teachers of California were fully on board with the NCLB passage as the sweet smell of victory.
Of course there was opposition from some areas across the country but the group thought in California among teachers was that was just the whine of forces that had been defeated with passage of NCLB.
And,when NCLB was brought to the NEA annual meeting leadership sang one song; and that was happiness over passage NCLB. The NEA representatives sang the chorus of happy days are here.
CC$$ is not just the same situation as NCLB, as there is greater opposition to CC$$ than NCLB. But, getting membership to reject CC$$ this year will not likely happen. Leadership is very skilled at winning the issues they care about.
LikeLike
Dear Dr. Ravitch,
I have read a number of articles about you, and listened when you were being interviewed. I want to thank you for your hard work and dedication towards making education better.
I am a fourth grade teacher in a public school in Orlando, Florida. Common Core is going to be fully implimented next year and with a new test as well. I have seen a large number of students enter my fourth grade class below grade level in reading, writing and math over the past several years. We do the best to make learning gains, however our (my fellow teachers) intent is to help these students gain proficiency level or better in all these areas. Sometimes we are succesful. But now there is a lot more riding on these test scores. No teacher wants to be considered a failure. I don’t think anyone wants to be a failure. So I have thought about things we could do to improve our system.
I wonder if we made some classes even smaller, if this would help strengthen the end result. Lets make kindergarten classrooms no larger than 12. First grade would only have 6. (So most schools would have more first grade teachers.) It would give each student more time with their teacher. It would allow them all the time they would need to become proficient readers and mathemeticians. Then second grade would be allowed to have 8 to 10 students. Again, I am thinking of more guidance for each student, as well as helping students to persevere and begin to learn and ask questions. Many students, have a lot of questions, that I believe are not asked because of time constraints and having to share the room with too many students. I believe this sometimes squashes a students love of learning, and school then becomes a task. In third grade, the students should be proficient in reading and math, but will still need the time and guidance from the teacher to learn how to do research, work with groups and and search for alternative ways to test hypotheses in math, science and social studies. I think I would keep these classes at 18. In fourth and fifth grade, the students should be ready to read to learn, to write to prove a point and to use math to support ideas. Because these students have had the opportunity to become proficient, fewer students may be entering fourth and fifth grade below grade level. I would think classes of 35 would be possible.
Thank you for taking the time.
Sincerely,
Stephen Schrader
LikeLike
The Koch Brothers (aka Americans for Prosperity) are getting involved in the Kenosha Unified School District school board race (Kenosha, Wisconsin). It is nice to see the protesters throughout the city of Kenosha holding signs telling the Koch Brothers to go home and stay out of KUSD. Let us make the local decisions about our local schools and protect all students from the desires of politics!
LikeLike
Kenosha News reports: “About 60 protesters voiced their opinion in front of the Kenosha Unified School District Educational Support Center in a show of solidarity leading up to Tuesday’s election day.
The picketers, who paced the sidewalk out in front of the district’s headquarters, carried signs critical of the conservative group Americans For Prosperity and those school board candidates they feel are aligned with the group.”
It is crazy that educating children has become so political and is influenced by those who aren’t even part of their community.
LikeLike
It’s interesting, what you describe. I have been forwarding informative pieces (many of which have been Dr. Ravitch’s) to my colleagues via Florida’s St. Lucie County School District email for approximately 2 years now. I have also voiced my contrarian view when it has come to teacher contract voting—we are a so called “right to work state.” Within this context, I have been warned by fellow teachers as well as the Assistant Superintendent to stop as my voicing my opinion and sharing articles is upsetting to the local union leadership as well as to the District executives. Recently, my use of District email has been limited to no more than six (6) recipients at a time. I called it censorship. My Florida Education Association local union Vice-President said I hurt her feelings by calling it such.
So much for any “right to work.”
LikeLike
I imagine the district justifies this censorship by saying you are using their email system? I don’t know how big your district is, but if it is very large I wonder who brought your emails to the attention of the assistant superintendent? Please, Please tell me that your local association is NOT working with the district to suppress your voice?
A group of teachers in my district got kicked off the district email for “distracting” teachers during the testing window . We were questioning our local president for a statement he made to the school board regarding teachers’ cultural sensitivity.
Our local association couldn’t help us because we were “expressing political opinions” on district email. We did not realize that questioning the president of our association was political.
Most members were unaware of the statement and we were sending the text of her statement. We wanted members to be informed and thought email would be the most effective method of communication.
I was just a school rep. at the time and that was when I began to wonder just who was representing MY concerns and how did they know them? Certainly no one from the association had ever asked me or my school for opinions on any of the matters that concern our daily life.
I have since become very involved in my association and actually have a strong base of support from our teachers. The problem is I don’t think the state and national groups are interested in the locals. They are blinded by their own self-interests and teachers who disagree are marginalized and/or undercut by their own associations.
I don’t think our groups will survive unless our leadership remembers who they represent and stop being dazzled by the likes of Bill Gates and Co.
In your situation, you might check your district’s email use policy. It’s possible that you can use an outside account such as google to email who (no matter what number) you want. Outside accounts should be outside of district control, but I would check first. Also, you probably already know, don’t send any such emails during your duty hours.
Good luck to you. I think it’s a battle worth fighting. I believe there’s a lot of teachers looking for a voice. We need to let them know we are not alone.
LikeLike
PBS Newshour had an education segment which included a report from John Merrow about the common core and the interference that Arne Duncan’s RTTT has had on state’s public education rights.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/arnie-duncan-education-agenda/
LikeLike
Here’s a generally encouraging anti-Common Core article, though it (as is typical) overstates Cuomo’s willingness to listen:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/29/common-core-emerges-as-potent-election-issue-for-fed-up-parents/
LikeLike
Several members of Game On for Kansas Schools, a nonpartisan grassroots advocacy group of parents, teachers and concerned community members are starting the third day of their 60-mile walk from the Kansas City area to Topeka. They have logged over 40 miles, and their bodies are sore, and their spirits are being tested. They are motivated by concern that public education in Kansas is being devalued and de-prioritized. They have seen the impacts of budget cuts firsthand. They have seen the increasing needs in our school districts. They have seen the influence of entities like the American Legislative Exchange Council. They are walking for their own children, and they are walking for their fellow Kansans’ children. They are walking to increase awareness among Kansas citizens, and they are walking to inspire legislators to act to protect the future of our Kansas children. On Monday, they will be joined by other supporters as they walk The Final Mile between the supreme court building and the state capitol where they will hold a press conference. You can follow their progress and “get in the game” on their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/gameonforksschools, on Twitter at @GameOnKansas and #walk4KSschools and on their website at http://www.gameonforkansasschools.com.
LikeLike
It’s hypocritical to push against schools that work (charter schools) when the public school system has completely and totally failed, and become a black hole for our money. If you don’t like charter schools, come up with a better plan. Meanwhile, I want my grandkids out of the public school system, and we can’t afford private school tuition. And btw, why aren’t you advocating for nationalized health care like Canada and half the world has? The insurance companies are making millions off of us for the poorest system in the world.
LikeLike
Charter schools work no better than public schools. See the 2013 test scores in NewYork. Charter scores exactly the same as public schools. Of course, if you want a school that keeps out kids with disabilities and kids who don’t speak English, then charters are just right for you.
LikeLike
Corporatizing the school system is a reflection of “Political Corruption/Incompetence/Failure in “Democrat & Republican Control Democracy”? Now hijacking “Education”? (PPP)System new U.S. “1 Team” Political System will bring justice of the highest quality of education to every child equally; & prepare them all with necessary life skills that cover future goals from & for all our children as one. I am (peepspolitical) “Political Scientist” 2016 Presidential Candidate Pioneer for our future “True Democracy”= (PPP)System 2016. TY & please email me for our grass roots strategy? I am that man you asked for on “Moyers & Co.” “The risk of doing nothing is the greatest risk of all”. Caringly Yours: Albert Kluss
LikeLike
Duane – you so hurt your valuable thoughts with such gratuitous generalizations. When you are in Baltimore next month, I challenge you to come see Green Street Academy – our charter has both union teachers and 33% of our kids have IEP’s. The highest in Baltimore city. Oh and our test scores are pretty good too. Nancy Grasmick and I would love to show you around.
LikeLike
Dr. Ravitch,
I watched your interview on Bill Moyers’ show today. Your description of charter schools seems to be quite different from my daughter’s charter school in Utah.
1. It is non-profit
2. It is managed by its own Board and staff and not by an outside for-profit management company
3. It takes all comers and does not keep out non-English speaking kids or kids with disabilities
4. All the teachers are certified or currently working on their certification
5. They students take the same tests that all the other public school children in the state take and the results are published for all to see
6. There is absolutely zero big money from hedge fund managers or entrepreneurs at all involved in any way with the school. It is quite simply a public school with the same funding and accountability to the State as all other public schools.
So can you tell me if you are familiar with Utah’s charter school law and do all of your criticisms which seem to apply to other states also apply to Utah?
Thank you for your time.
LikeLike
Colin, read my book and let me know how Utah fits in to the national scene. Maybe you are outliers.
LikeLike
Let’s say for the sake of argument that this is an exceptional charter and it doesn’t join and contribute to the Association of charter schools to advance the collective interest of charters using taxpayers’ money to pay their association dues. Because there are exceptional charters not doing harm to public schools should a public policy promoting privatization of public institution that harms public education and the public good continue its cancerous growth? Or should the costly poorly administered charter school alternative be ended? That is the choice. What’s good for the few or what’s good for the whole nation?
LikeLike
Hello Mrs. Ravitch, u asked for a politician who will fight against privatizing schools? I am “Political Scientist” 2016 Presidential Candidate & inventor of new U.S. “1 Team” political system called (PPP)System (peepspolitical) on twitter. & (PPP)System Coalition Chicago & Nationwide. My book on amazon.com “Official United States of America’s Government Report Card.” Albert Kluss (I would like to meet with u discuss “grass roots” strategy.) TY
LikeLike
Here is the article written by Dr. Camp from Hoover, Alabama.
http://ow.ly/vcl92
I Just Want to Teach…..Not Give Useless Tests: The Current Plight of Alabama’s Hoover City School Teachers
Part One: Changes in the Elementary Program
by Deborah G. Camp, Ph.D
K-5 teachers at Hoover City Schools began the 2013-2014 with not only a classroom of new students but with new central office administrators espousing Draconian practices and attitudes, especially with regard to the use of what they call “formative assessments.” Prior to this year, an elementary assessment schedule had been in place for several years and had been constantly tweaked to provide the most bang for the amount of time taken for classroom-based assessments to avoid wasting precious instructional time that can never be replaced. . The assessments consisted of interview-type instruments that were administered individually by teachers since research indicates these type tests to be superior with regards to getting the most valuable information from students especially the youngest ones. Some math assessments consisted of a sample of paper-and-pencil computation problems so teachers could study student errors to diagnose how children may be thinking. A quick-scoring oral language assessment had been added at the lower grades since teachers reported that this area of the language arts seemed to be a trouble spot with many students.
At kindergarten teachers’ requests two years ago, the amount of testing at the beginning of the year had been significantly reduced so that teachers could better acclimate children to this thing we call school rather than wasting those valuable first weeks of school individually administering assessments. Only those students whose teachers’ judgments caused them to suspect serious learning problems were assessed early in the school year. Otherwise, classroom-based assessments began in the middle of the year, giving children time to adjust to kindergarten and teachers time to observe the children as they went about their classroom activities.
All decisions about classroom tests from grades K to 5 were made collaboratively with the district curriculum director, principals, teacher leaders such as reading coaches and math facilitators, and teachers at large. The assessment schedule was revisited every summer based on teacher feedback. Sounds pretty fair, huh?
Well, elementary teachers and principals were told – not asked – that these teacher-administered and scored instruments would be replaced with computer-based assessments at each grade level: easyCBM for grades K-2 and Global Scholar for grades 3-5. Both tests would measure reading and math. At the first reading coach meeting, one reading coach commented that her teachers liked the results that the former interview assessments yielded. One of the new district administrators commented, “Well, those teachers can continue to give those tests in addition to easyCBM, but if I hear any complaining from them about it taking too much time away from instruction, they will incur my wrath.” Wow! Great way to build relationships and rapport.
Suddenly kindergarten children were herded into computer labs during the first few days and weeks of school and expected to not only manipulate a computer (regardless of whether they had any experience with technology or not) and push keys on an inanimate object that could not look into their eyes to see if they understood the question, whether they were timid, or whether they were too restless to perform such a task. Teachers were told the easyCBM for both reading and math would be administered mid-year and end-of-year as well with the strict warning that “Your students better benchmark on the mid-year administration or else.” Again, really? This is how district administrators are treating teachers?
On January 23, 2014, one first grade teacher expressed her frustration this way. “This is probably the most discouraged I have ever been as a teacher. Doing the ‘easy’CBM testing this week on 6/7 year olds has absolutely killed me and more importantly my precious children. They hated every minute and it DOES NOT measure anything worth looking at in my opinion. Simply getting them logged into it is not a DAP (developmentally appropriate practice) for K, 1, or 2nd graders. How did we get here? I feel like this is a bad dream and even though they say they won’t put emphasis on our test scores, I know they will. I have already started to see signs of that. I have never once been questioned about my teaching or any method of instruction. However, if things appear a certain way to others, that is when noise will start being made. I am just exhausted. I have a constant stomach ache right now and feel so much pressure it makes me want to stop teaching.”
Another kindergarten teacher commented that some of her students did not understand what to do at all at the beginning of the year, so they just sat there the entire time and stared at the monitor. She also commented that easyCBM is nothing more than DIBELS on the computer. Research conducted by many educators suggests DIBELS is just a big ol’ waste of time. A 2nd grade teacher made some general as well as specific comments, “We have a lack of leadership outside the schools, and no value is placed on teacher opinions as professionals. Central office administrators are losing sight of the children and what is or is not developmentally appropriate just for the sake of obtaining a score/number. Teachers are being asked to do more than is humanly possible in the school day. EasyCBM and Global Scholar are being used as performance indicators rather than as formative assessments intended to give us diagnostic information. We teachers have been ‘silenced’ and are unable to voice our thoughts, opinions, and ideas. The people making the decisions are distant from the classroom and don’t spend time in them or talking with us teachers. There has been a massive shift in philosophy in the system, and no one at central office has any early childhood or elementary degrees or experience.”
Here’s another kindergarten teacher’s take on easyCBM. “The overwhelming opinion is that it is horrible for young children, particularly kindergarten. The expectations are unrealistic, the questions are deliberately confusing, and asking 5-year olds to take it in a computer is ridiculous. For example, my class performed particularly low, so I re-administered the test using paper and pencil, and the results were immediately and drastically higher – even on bad questions. Taking the computer out of the mix made a big difference. One of my student’s parents reported that her child came home and said, ‘I’m not smart.’ When the mother probed further, the child said, ‘I took a test on the computer today and I didn’t know many of the answers.’ In one hour time period this test managed to damage the child’s self esteem and taint his view of school.”
The 3rd – 5th grade teachers have expressed frustration with the Global Scholar computer-based assessment and question the results it yields. The central office administrators have provided little information about “how the test works” or item specifications of the assessment, but yet again kids are herded into computer labs to take a test neither they nor their teachers know anything about. The teachers know the standards that are tested but have no idea how the test questions are structured.
One 3rd grade teacher stated, “I hate Global Scholar with every fiber of my being. The questions are completely ridiculous and not grade level appropriate. For example, my 3rd graders had questions about algebraic equations with variables. This is not even in our curriculum. These questions basically stress these kids out because they have no clue what they are asking. How is that really assessing what they know? They don’t even learn it at this grade level! They ‘say’ the reading passages adjust to their reading level based on their answers. Well, I have a student who can barely read her name and she gets the same degree of difficulty and length passages as my kiddo reading on a 6th grade level. She doesn’t even read it! She looks long enough to keep it from kicking her out and then guesses. These are not appropriate for her to even be reading! And it frustrates her! The Fountas and Pinell Assessment is MUCH more accurate for me to ‘find their reading level.’ I just hate the whole testing thing! Every bit of it. These poor babies are just trying to do the best they can every day and we have to make them sit down and take hours long tests and tell them ‘just do the best you can.’ When in fact, some of their bests aren’t good enough. I think it’s another one of these one-size-fits-all tests that does not reflect true student performance. And to be completely honest, my kids do not take the computer assessments as seriously as paper and pencil ones. They just start clicking!!”
Another 3rd grade teacher said, “When I gave the test in the fall I was appalled at the level of the questions as reported by the students after the test. I knew the chances of my children performing well was slim. Several of my students who struggle (based on what I know and how I assess) scored in the high average range so I knew they guessed really well. Also, one of my students who is in the enrichment program and scored the highest score in 2nd grade when being screened for enrichment scored in the below average range. This is clearly an example of her freezing up and the test not looking at her as a whole. The ONE thing that I can say about Global Scholar that is somewhat positive is it does allow for some critical thinking and reasoning in the multiple choice answers. Many of the questions included two completely unrealistic answers so if the kids were able think logically about the question they had a better chance of succeeding. On the winter assessment my students performed a little more true to what I was seeing. I would like to think that this was because they have been taught to think and spent more time thinking about the questions! Or it could be because I told them before we went in that many of the questions would have unrealistic answers and for the students to eliminate them first! Having said all that, I obviously put very little stock in what those scores say. The number attached to the child tells me nothing about what that child knows/doesn’t know, and/or what that child is capable of.”
To add insult to injury, the central office administrators have been meeting with teachers and administrators to share the growth students have made on the easyCBM and Global Scholar since the beginning of the year. Any college measurement and evaluation course will teach you to NEVER judge student performance on merely one test or indicator but consider multiple measures, including, yes, teacher judgement. But obviously Hoover does not believe teachers have enough sense to determine on their own how well students are performing.
On March 4th, the central office administrators met with the elementary teachers to publicly share each school’s grade level scores on either the easyCBM or Global Scholar. The scores were shared in a PowerPoint, so teachers knew which teams’ students across the district scored well or not. You won’t believe this…..the teachers whose students had shown the most progress from fall to spring were given candy. Cadbury Easter egg because those schools did “EGGsactly what they were supposed to do,” said the curriculum administrators. One teacher reported, “In 20 years of teaching I have never been made to feel so small!! I am just sick to my stomach. I sent my husband a text and told him he had to find a way for me to leave because I cannot be a part of this!!” Only the candy teachers were identified by school and grade level. The rest of the scores were shown by grade level and if there was growth made and if it was enough growth. 4th grade was just barely on the edge of staying in the “high average” category.
Another teacher commented, “There were LOTS of people there, and I know many who felt the same as I did. And I was already prepared to turn down the candy should I or my school had been one of the ‘most improved’ schools. Lots of people are upset and contacting each other besides me. As I was looking around the room I kept thinking that I wasn’t the minority in the room. So many teachers in there that I have taught with and respect and feel and share the same thoughts. It was just so belittling!”
One teacher commented that the presentation was “creepy. She (the curriculum administrator) was like a preacher. She’d get really loud and then whisper. This was done to make people laugh and people were encouraged to clap. She said she was very concerned about 4th grade. I do love those darn Cadbury mini eggs though. I guess I should stop and grab some candy for my class for when they do well on an assessment since we’ve time traveled back to 1982.”
Stay tuned for Part 2: Changes in the Secondary Program
Deborah Camp served in public education for 30 years in Alabama before recently retiring. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Alabama, and a master’s degree in elementary education, an Educational Leadership certificate, and a doctorate in Early Childhood Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her work experience includes 17 years of teaching assignments in special education, elementary, middle school, and reading specialist in Jefferson County Board of Education and Hoover City Schools. She served as the district director of curriculum and instruction in Hoover for 13 years. She was selected as the Alabama Elementary State Teacher of the Year in 1998 and inducted into the Jacksonville State University Teacher Hall of Fame, Middle School Division, in 1999. In 1997 she obtained National Board Certification in English Language Arts/Early Adolescence and was one of the first 25 teachers in the state to earn National Board certification and was one of the first 900 teachers in the nation. She has conducted workshops on numerous topics in education at the local, state, national, and international level. She has authored several professional articles and books. Although retired, she continues to advocate for fair work conditions for teachers and equitable education for all children.
Dr. Camp is also a proud Alabama BAT. Find out more about the BadAss Teachers at http://www.badassteacher.org
LikeLike
Thank you for the Hoover story. Will be posted in a week or so.
LikeLike
Thank you so much Dr. Ravitch.
LikeLike
Dr. Ravitch,
You may find this informative:
http://www.schools.utah.gov/charterschools/Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx#2
Based on the Utah law, and based on my first hand experience, it seems like Utah’s charter schools bear no resemblance to charter schools in some other states as you describe them. No entrepreneurs, no profits, no screening of students, no exemptions for certifications or pretty much anything else you mentioned.
By way of background, my wife has a PhD in Education, my mother taught in California public schools for 25 years, and all of my siblings and I are 100% products of public schools. So we have nothing against public schools at all. All we want are schools that work for our daughter. The public schools in the city where we live are dead last in the state, so clearly something is not working there. So it is difficult for me to imagine how trying something different is a bad idea as long as it is open to everyone, which it is.
Thanks again.
LikeLike
I was fortunate to serve in four different public school systems for a total of 38 years as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, curriculum director, assistant superintendent and superintendent. Two of my four children are public school teachers, and I have the privilege and joy of working with graduate students in educational administration and clinical teachers.
After reading Reign of Error, feelings about ‘the machine’ that is steamrolling our public schools have emerged with passion and emotion so that surprise me with their intensity. I have since been reviewing The Public School Advantage (Lubienski and Lubienski) and 50 Myths and Lies that Threaten America’s Public Schools (Berliner and Glass) and can only say that I am experiencing controlled rage. In short, I had no idea that those of ‘the machine’ were so intent on destroying our schools regardless of the impact on our children. What is happening to our public school teachers, administrators and, as a result, our children is outrageous. I am pondering my options to help others see the path many are being forced to take and what we can do about it.
First, foremost, and urgently, we must inform others so they too can discover what is happening to the many for the gain of the few.
LikeLike
Dave Markward,
Thank you for your comment. Join the Network for Public Education and become part of the Resistance against the harsh Status Quo.
LikeLike
I just resigned as Chair of LAUSD’s Special Education Community Advisory Committee earlier this month due to interference and control by District personnel of our ability to function. Upon seeing this article, I had to comment:
http://parklabreanewsbeverlypress.com/news/2014/02/lausd%E2%80%88special-education-policy-upheld-in-court/comment-page-1/#comment-60561
Note: one typo in the posting that should be corrected as: “Also the program has been changed with the transition portion where we cannot write MEASURABLE transition goals (as required by IDEA’s reauthorization in 20040.” – The last zero should have been a parentheses and appear as “…2004).”
After posting my comments, the editor contacted me, followed by the reporter who wrote the above article asking for more information which prompted this next article and my comment:
http://parklabreanewsbeverlypress.com/news/2014/03/lausd%E2%80%88nixes-school-relocation-at-van-ness/comment-page-1/#comment-60737
In spite of claims, and attempts at creating media-friendly press notices and facebook pages, it appears that parent engagement and involvement is not a priority with LAUSD. When real advocates try to voice concerns, they are ignored, disrespected or denigrated.
They’ve controlled our committee to the point of near non-existence…and maybe that was the point all along.
LikeLike
Why is the Urban League so convinced that CCSS will help students of color? Why do they choose to ignore issues of poverty? This is from the CEO of the New Orleans chapter. I get similar material from the national leader, Marc Morial.
Common Core Makes Common Sense
by Erika McConduit-Diggs, President & CEO of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans
Erika McConduit-Diggs,
Erika McConduit-Diggs, President & CEO of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS – Having seen first hand how increased rigor and standards have driven our children to greater heights academically in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and other parts of this great state, we stand united in the premise that Louisiana’s children need higher standards. While for years our state has been ranked near or at the bottom of most national rankings related to academic attainment, graduation rates, and the proverbial achievement gap; Common Core State Standards seems to be the antidote to help move our children forward – particularly children of color.
The achievement levels of Black and Brown students, especially those burdened with the economic and social disadvantages of poverty, are falling further and further behind their white peers, even as our entire nation loses ground globally. This is a recipe for economic and social disaster, but it can be avoided if we make closing the achievement gap a national priority, guided by a commitment to a common set of principles. That is the commitment that 45 states and the District of Columbia have made with the adoption of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) – that all students will have the same expectations for learning regardless of their zip codes. Louisiana is among the states that have made this commitment and we must keep the promise that we made to our children to grant each of them access to a world class education.
Nationally, the Urban League and the Black Alliance for Educational Options both support this transformative learning initiative, largely because both organizations believe it will better prepare all students for college and the jobs of today and tomorrow.
According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) study, the reading gap for 8th grade black students compared to their white peers nationally decreased from 32 points to 27 points from 1992 to 2007, while in Louisiana the gap remained virtually unchanged over this same time period at 26 points. However, the gap between black students in Louisiana and black students nationally increased by 6 points. While black children overall have experienced modest gains over a 15-year period, we should all be incensed at the clear disparity in our ability as a country and a state to adequately prepare our children academically.
We believe that all children deserve an excellent education – no exceptions. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen all too often, where a family lives often has a huge bearing on educational quality. Black, low-income and working-class families are often located in communities where student learning is slowed by inequitable resources and low expectations for children. Consequently, it is our families who will benefit from Common Core, as it holds all public schools to the same high standards. It is imperative that our schools prepare all students for the challenges of a 21st century economy that relies on education, innovation, critical thinking, and technology.
The Common Core State Standards will help equip parents with critical knowledge about what their child should be learning in certain grades, regardless of which state they live, and provide a reliable yardstick with which to measure their progress. That knowledge will allow parents to hold schools accountable for providing high-quality instruction aligned with the standards to prepare their children for college or career.
For the Urban League, education is not only the civil rights issue of our time, it is also increasingly the fault line that will determine winners and losers in the global economy. This belief aligns with BAEO’s that our children are inherently intelligent and talented. Both the Urban League and BAEO know that ALL kids can learn, meet, and exceed the high bar that Common Core sets for them.
LikeLike
Steven,
Just a guess. I will ask if the Urban League got millions from Gates to push Common Core. It is worrisome they are allied with BAEO, which is funded by Walton to promote vouchers and charters.
Diane
LikeLike
The National Urban League as well as its affiliates have placed a tremendous amount of focus on poverty within communities of color and have dedicated significant resources and hours to reducing poverty in communities of color. The fact that their position on CCSS differs from yours is not an indication of an obliviousness to issues of poverty, but rather an awareness that CCSS is an attempt at pushing education towards the aim of developing critical thinkers, problem solvers and innovative scholars. While the roll out of CCSS has been shoddy and the overemphasis on testing from those that have and will always place focus on assessments, some are not willing to throw the baby out with the bath water. Louisiana is a perfect example of how standards vary by state to the disadvantage of children, particular children of color and those that are from low-income families. I truly wish this conversation was more nuanced and not filled with extreme discourse that does not serve children well. Furthermore, the critique of Black organizational partnerships represents an intense level of privilege that totally ignores African Americans disillusionment with a public school system that has consistently failed their children for centuries (or arguably a system that by design has kept African American children in a subordinate position through ‘training’ rather than liberatory education). It is not a surprise that there are African American organizations, parents, community members, civic and business leaders that endorse the idea of charters and vouchers. People who have been failed are willing to take risks to try “new” methods to provide their children with a better option than the one that has been disadvantaging them for decades. For the record, how much are you giving financially to developing an educational system that provides a better option for African American children?
LikeLike
Rashida, the CCSS has failed the overwhelming majority of children of color: in NY state, more than 80%. It is hard to see this as improving their opportunities. The hundreds of millions spent by the state for the testing would have been far better spent to reduce class sizes and provide the staff and resources to serve the same children.
LikeLike
Dear Diane,
I am currently a graduate student pursuing my Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) in the Department of Public and International Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I am contacting you to seek your participation and assistance in distributing a statewide survey that will serve to evaluate how teacher evaluation and merit pay reforms are impacting teachers across the state of North Carolina. UNCW Professor, Janna Siegel Robertson, Ph. D., is noted as the principal investigator (PI) who has worked with me over the past couple of months on this project and is continuing to guide me in my research. Our goal is to collect enough data to fairly represent the opinions of NC teachers that will later be combined with other statewide data and relevant literature to make appropriate recommendations to the state legislature.
To participate in the survey go here:
http://20.selectsurvey.net/uncwmpammo/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=96KH4l7
As stated in the informed consent section of the survey, the data collected in this survey will serve as a component of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Capstone project. Of course all 28 questions in the survey are voluntary and information that is collected is completely anonymous. Permission for this statewide study was approved by UNCW’s federally mandated Institutional Review Board (IRB) on March 31st, 2014.
Please feel free to forward this message to any other NC teachers or teacher organizations that you feel would be interested in participating. If you have any questions you can contact me at mmo2074@uncw.edu or Dr. Janna Siegel Robertson at Robertsonj@uncw.edu.
Thank you for your assistance in this endeavor!
Regards,
Megan Oakes
Human Resources Intern | New Hanover County
MPA Graduate Student Association | Social Chair 2013-2014
Masters of Public Administration 2014
University of North Carolina Wilmington
(706) 575-4622
LikeLike
The Bill Gates Foundation is sponsoring a series at Upworthy.com where they have posted a sponsored video on Common Core asking for reader comments. Some of the commenters here might like to join the discussion at:
http://www.upworthy.com/a-new-way-of-teaching-is-coming-to-our-schools-maybe-we-should-check-it-out?c=hpstream
LikeLike
I just left this at the site. Thanks for the link, Jaime!
This was forced upon states with the threat of withholding RttT funding if not implemented. Calling them ‘State” standards is a misnomer as states, and those educators and families who live in those states had absolutely nothing to say about them. The data-mining of our children’s private information, especially those who have IEPs (supposedly private and confidential) is now up for grabs by third parties thanks to the complicity of Arne Duncan in relaxing FERPA standards. Those very private entities who have foisted this upon our public school children will in fact be placing THEIR children in private schools where real learning occurs…you know, with arts, music, stimulating and fun presentation of material and LOWER CLASS SIZE.
I just see this as an attempt to destroy teachers’ unions by blaming them for poor test scores so charter business operators may come in and “reconvert” a school under NCLB. Whatta racket! Charters do not take moderate/severely disabled, English language learners, Foster or homeless youth. Where will those children be placed in this new world order? Or has any big business genius thought that far ahead?
Common Core curriculum frustrates teachers and children alike. It takes the joy out of a child’s learning experience – and they only have ONE chance at being a child. Shame on our leaders for allowing private enterprise to use public education funding as their next “marketing opportunity”. Our children are NOT widgets. They deserve so much better.
LikeLike
Here’s what I left on upworthy for Mr. and Mrs. Gates re CCSS:
It is untested, unproven. Teachers are identifying very poorly written questions. I spend time in elementary schools in Georgia every week. I see anxious students, angry and frustrated parents and disheartened teachers. Our high school students have had at least four different sets of standards. This borders on criminal!
I started off as a supporter, bought the lie that it is a state-led effort. But after living with it, substitute teaching with the CCSS, volunteering and helping in classrooms, reading and researching, I am embarrassed by my original support.
The testing data is almost useless–the tests are flawed to begin with, they offer no diagnostic information teachers can use to improve learning, at least not in time. The early childhood standards are frequently developmentally inappropriate. Children are not machines and the “normal” age for reading, for example, is a multi-year span. Yet we mark them as failures if they can’t read in kindergarten, call their teachers ineffective, even if by the first weeks of first grade they are reading like champs. Enough already.
And if the CCSS is so all-fired great, Mr. and Mrs. Gates, why doesn’t your own kids’ school use it?
LikeLike
My response to the Upworthy poll:
The concept of CCSS is valid. The implementation is seriously flawed. There probably is an identifiable body of knowledge that an adult needs to have to be successful, and public schools should be the place where they acquire that knowledge. Most recent reports about what a person needs to know to be successful include a wide range of non-academic discipline topics or skills like creativity, communications, problem solving, teamwork, etc. If you are going to propose a new set of standards for the 21st century, do not simply rewrite and refine the limited breadth standards that failed students in the 20th century.
When setting standards with the potential for broad and consequential impact, there is a process defined by the International Standards Organization (ISO) for creating and approving them. From what I have read, the creators of the CCSS did not come close to following this process. That throws huge doubt into the validity of the standards.
However, the biggest problem with the CCSS arises from their being closely linked to a high-stakes testing program. The past decade under first NCLB and more recently RttT have been heavily influenced by the pressures of high-stakes testing and the results have been overwhelmingly bad! Why, then, would you make the effort, despite the flaws referred to above, to create a better set of standards and then link them to a process that has turned our schools into memorization mills?
1) Use your bully pulpit to advocate for CCSS as guide for teachers to build their students’ learning experiences around.
2) Expand the CCSS to include the 21st century skills
3) Loudly denounce high-stakes testing and fight against efforts to connect CCSS to the profiteering testmakers.
LikeLike
I understand choosing to send your child to a charter school because of the dreadful conditions in the available public schools. You have taken an important step in getting involved with public education. But don’t stop there! Many other students are still attending the school that you took your child out of. Until every child in your community has equitable access to quality education, the community is in danger. Consider getting involved with the charter school leadership and ‘adopting’; the school you left behind. Help the former school to transform itself and adopt the policies and practices of the charter school. Removing your child from the school didn’t solve the problem. It avoided the problem.
LikeLike
Allan Jones 67: Consider how many charter schools are actually far worse than the neighborhood public schools when you advise others to abandon their community school.
LikeLike
My intent was not to encourage people to abandon their public school for charters. In the specific instance that I was replying to, the parents choosing to move their child to a charter school were experiences educators who made the move as a last resort. In their instance, the charter school was determined to be a better option. I tried to convey my empathy for their difficult choice and then to encourage them not to stop with fixing things just for their child.
I am on a personal crusade to stop all charter expansion that is a replication of an existing charter school. If a charter school works, don’t build more like it, transform the area public schools to adopt the programs that make the charter work. Creating additional charter schools just expand the inequity issue. The only way to ensure that all students get a quality education is by transforming all of our public schools. We should take the best-practices that are being demonstrated in the more effective charter schools and implement them in our public schools. (By effective, I do not mean higher test scores.)
LikeLike
As long as charters can choose whom they will serve and regular public schools cannot, the “game” is not fair.
LikeLike
LikeLike
Diane,
Look at this!
http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20140403-providence-student-organizer-others-seeking-gordon-foxs-general-assembly-seat.ece#slcgm_comments_anchor
Aaron Regunberg, leader of the Providence Student Union, is trying to get the Speaker of the House seat in Rhode Island! What’s more, he will be up against Heather Tow-Yick, who the Providence Journal describes as “executive director of Teach For America.”
Our last Speaker of the House, Gordon Fox, resigned about a week ago while under investigation by the FBI and IRS for things that have yet to be revealed.
Can we predict mysteriously huge amounts of cash being sent in to promote Tow-Yick by fabulously wealthy corporate education reform kingpins from far out of state?
LikeLike
Oops, I need to clarify — these people are running for the seat relinquished by the speaker of the house. A new speaker of the house will then be elected. Still, this is of interest here in RI!
LikeLike
Great news about Aaron!
Diane Ravitch
LikeLike
Regarding Charter Schools….Ohio is a for-profit magnet. There is an excellent series on the lack of transparency, money, etc. in Ohio charters (David Brennan,etc.) in the AKRON BEACON JOURNAL (ohio.com) Sun., Mon., Tues. 3/30 – 4/2, and more in STATE IMPACT OHIO which also has links to the ABJ articles. A “Must Read”!!!
LikeLike
Thank you Amanda Duffy for posting the video: Building the Machine, The Common Core Documentary. Provides more grist for the mill as we help our communities understand the sometimes well-intentioned but too often self-serving initiatives that are being entrenched in our public schools. My late father used to say, “People often don’t know what’s happening to them.” Rest in peace, Dad, you had it right.
LikeLike
Just wondering who your Dad was?
LikeLike
Thanks for asking, Caroline. My dad was one of the most curious people I ever had the pleasure of meeting. Our vacations were always narrated by the driver (Dad) and often included ‘off the road’ experiences that we learned to appreciate and cherish later in life. He was a WWII Army veteran who served in the Pacific. He respected people, the environment, and the language. Although not famous by many measures, he was and is a hero to me. I learned the value of holding high expectations for others and the positive influence those expectations could have. Dad was a salesman who taught me a lesson early on: Believe in what you are selling. Interesting to think about Daniel Pink’s “To Sell Is Human.” Another instance of Dad being ahead of the game!
LikeLike
I think Jeb Bush is a liar not only about topics he discusses in public, but about his own educational background. He has never sought a graduate degree but has publicly commented how much he wishes he had a cushy job such as running a university; I
think the reason he never attempted graduate school is because: he actually does
not have the undergraduate degree he claims he has.
He claims he has an undergraduate degree in Latin American Studies from the
University of Texas, but I think: since he was only there for two years, he attended
for two years, dropped out to get married at age 20, and his father got the registrar
to falsely claim Jeb graduated in only two or two and a half years, because, as was
falsely reported in the past, that Jeb was just such a whiz at his studies.
I think he is a college drop out. And I don’t think he was ever actually eligible for
Phi Beta Kappa in 1973 (he was born in 1953) as he didn’t have enough hours in
to graduate or to obtain such an award.
Yet, conservative sites love to claim he was a bright student and has this award:
http://usconservatives.about.com/od/champions/p/A-Biography-Of-Florida-Governor-Jeb-Bush.htm
I think it is completely bogus.
If I were to try to prove my belief that Jeb Bush lies about his own educational background, I would not be able to do so because: under Texas law, Jeb Bush’s college transcripts are not a public record and are not available to me or to the press.
I would like to suggest a new law: if you are running for elected office in this country, any elected office, your high school and college transcripts automatically become a public record in all 50 states.
That way Jeb Bush would have to come clean about his own failure as a student in a private high school and a failure in college.
Frankly, I do not want a failure telling me how to run education. I also think his wife is an elementary school drop-out.
It would be refreshing to get the facts for a change, instead of the lies we are fed about candidates.
Anyone interested in supporting such a new law? Transparency? Public disclosure about your high school and college records / transcripts if one runs for elected office anywhere in this country for any office? I think it’s about time.
LikeLike
http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/another-voice/another-voice-mastering-test-taking-is-essential-to-childrens-development-20140406
Lauren Ormsby believes that test taking is essential to children’s development. A number of people have already made comments to refute this. Wondering if you would want to refute this on your blog.
LikeLike
Diane,
Please feel free to link to “Mr. de Blasio: Tear Up This Blacklist” and the online petition to end this despicable NYC DOE practice.
Regards.
Paul Hogan
LikeLike
BTW, that’s at:
Thanks.
Paul
LikeLike
Hello Diane,
Please see “Home Rule will cheat DISD students and Dallas” published in Dallas Morning News 26 March, 2014.. Story is about Dallas Mayor and billionaire J. Arnold’s attempt to change Dallas ISD into a charter district.
Here’s the link: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20140326-home-rule-plan-will-cheat-disd-students-and-dallas.ece
Thanks,
Wade
LikeLike
http://wishtv.com/2014/04/07/indiana-teacher-performer-evaluation-results-released/
I guess not enough teachers are failing. Gotta change that.
LikeLike
Diane,
Is there any way to find out how many students opted out or refused the state exams in New York state?
LikeLike
Joe
The state education department must know but has not reported
Latest estimate about 30,000
Guesstimate
LikeLike
Thanks. I’m dying to see how they spin the final count.
LikeLike
http://reclaimreform.com/2014/04/08/today-house-and-senate-approve-teacher-pension-pillage-in-illinois-as-campaign-contributors-are-awarded-tax-monies/
Stealing from teachers… says it all.
LikeLike
Community Board 9 in Queens, NY just approved a resolution opposing co-located charter schools. I will be happy to post a copy of the resolution, if someone tells me how to do so, since this site does not allow attachments.
LikeLike
Seth Wellins,
Send the resolution.
LikeLike
At the annual representative assembly for the Washington Education Association last weekend, WA-BATs proposed a new business item to provide information to parents on opting out of testing. It passed. Here is an article about it: http://kuow.org/post/washington-teachers-union-supports-families-opting-out-state-testing
LikeLike
This resolution was approved by nearly all members of the Queens, NY Community Board 9.
April 8, 2014
COMMUNITY BOARD 9: RESOLUTION SEEKING TO STOP FUTURE CO-LOCATED CHARTER SCHOOLS
Community Board 9 wants N.Y.C. and N.Y.S. to disapprove all future requests to co-locate charter schools in traditional public schools. Those charter schools that are already co-located have occupied valuable rooms and space from their traditional public schools. These rooms often housed many important academic programs, such as art programs, science and computer labs and classes for at risk and special education students. Some traditional public schools used available rooms to reduce class size. A special education program in a Harlem school would have had to dis-band in order to accommodate the needs of a charter school. Co-located charter schools should never have this kind of impact on the vast majority of NYC school children who attend traditional public schools.
According to the 2012 NYC Charter School Center, charter and traditional public schools received the same amounts of tax-levy dollars ($13,527 per pupil + Federal and State grants and various Federal entitlements). These funds will vary depending on students’ demographic and academic characteristics. Charter school proponents would not allow the N.Y.S. Comptroller’s Office to audit their books and a recent court case prevented N.Y.S. from doing so on the grounds that charter schools are not “units of the State”. Community Board 9 takes issue with this very narrow view of charter schools, since charter schools do receive substantial amounts of money from tax-levy funds and they should be audited with the same kind of scrutiny as all other State funded entities, including traditional public schools. We support the recently enacted N.Y.S. 2014 Budget law which will now require the N.Y.C and N.Y.S. Comptroller offices to audit all charter schools.
Community Board 9 has seen copies of some charter schools’ 2012 IRS 990 forms which show schools receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from unnamed sources. According to Ronnie Lowenstein, Director of the N.Y.C. Independent Budget Office, “While all of the city’s charter schools get the same funding allocation for each student as well as the same additional amount of aid for textbooks and some other items, there’s a big noncash benefit for charter schools housed in public school buildings, (since they don’t pay for utilities, safety, janitorial services, etc.) For these charter schools, IBO estimates savings valued at $2712 per student”. Community Board 9 strongly supports Mayor Bill De Blasio’s recent plan to charge rent to those charter schools that have high income and are presently co-located in traditional public schools. We also agree that these charter rental funds should support educational programs of the public schools they are housed in.
The N.Y.S. Legislature has enacted sweeping legislation that would substantially increase funding for charter schools. In addition, N.Y.C. is now required to offer charter schools rent-free space in public schools, even if the traditional school is already over-crowded. Charter schools already co-located in traditional public schools will now be able to expand within their school, as a matter of right. If the city denies requests for space, tax-levy funds would have to cover the rental costs of private space, chosen by the charter school. This law will divert scarce tax funds that should be going to build and repair schools and to remove unsafe and healthy transportable classroom units. Charter schools that are already endowed with large reserves of cash and public tax dollars should not be entitled to rent-free space in public schools and tax-payer financed rental space in private buildings. Community Board 9 cannot support this unfair and unreasonable law.
Charter schools purport to have better educational programs than district schools. Last year, traditional public schools out-performed charter schools on the ELA by 1.4% (26.4% proficient for district public schools vs. 25% for charters.) The charters out-performed the district schools on the math test by 5% (35% proficient for charters vs. 30% for district public schools.) These scores must be controlled for the obvious differences in school population. According to the N.Y.C. Independent Budget Office, there are significantly fewer special education students and English Language Learners in charter schools than in the surrounding district public schools. Charter students with special needs are also more likely to transfer to traditional public schools than the higher performing charter students. The N.Y.C. Independent Budget Office concluded that “the fact that leavers from charter schools have lower test scores than those who stay suggests that such attrition serves to increase the overall academic performance [of these schools].” In other words, if charters were to enroll and retain the same percentage of special education students as the traditional public schools (a requirement under the existing charter agreements), charter scores would undoubtedly have significantly LOWER test scores than they now have.
In line with charter school proponents’ claims of high academic achievement, specific mention should be made of the Success Charter Schools’ ELA and Math scores last year. The tests showed that 82% were proficient in math and 58% on the ELA. These scores were unexpectedly much higher than both the district schools as well as the other charter schools in N.Y.S. The N.Y.C. Charter School Center Data Brief for 2012-2013 acknowledged that “while Success Schools high results will doubtlessly draw scrutiny, a great deal of that attention should be directed to the network’s instructional practices and literacy curriculum.” Most government agencies routinely examine testing conditions and procedures when unusually high or unexpected test results occur, and N.Y.C. should do the same for these schools as well.
Therefore:
1. Community Board 9 strongly believes that Success Charter Schools’ unusually high scores should be scrutinized and investigated, to ensure that test documents and testing conditions were not compromised.
2. Community Board 9 in NOT advocating for the dismantling of already established co-located charter schools, but we are demanding that the these schools not be offered additional space in their schools and that no more future charter school co-locations be authorized.
3. Community Board 9 supports the N.Y.S. law that requires the N.Y.S. and N.Y.C. Comptroller’s Offices’ to audit ALL charter schools and networks, just like traditional public schools. Charter schools receive a significant amount of public tax dollars and the public should be assured that these monies are being well-spent.
4. Community Board 9 strongly SUPPORTS Mayor de Blasio’s recent plan to charge rent to those charter schools that are co-located in traditional public schools. These funds should be earmarked specifically for educational programs in the host traditional public schools. The recently enacted N.Y.S. legislation, which prohibits charters from paying rent, should be amended to allow the imposition of rental fees.
5. Community Board 9 WILL NOT SUPPORT the proposed N.Y.S. Senate budget provision that will provide additional funding for charter schools and that will require N.Y.C. to pay for rental space if charter schools cannot be co-located in traditional public schools.
Community Board 9 demands that all relevant provisions of the 2014-2015 N.Y.S. budget be amended to reflect the wishes of our community, as proposed in this resolution.
LikeLike
Maybe it was already mentioned, but The Colbert Report had a funny takedown of common core testing Tuesday night.
LikeLike
Whoo-hoo! Washington State Teachers!
LikeLike
I wanted to let you know that the Indiana State Board of education met yesterday and voted to postpone giving the Core Link assessment until at least September, maybe indefinitely. I was planning to refuse to allow my child to take this test. I am thankful that we have some people on the ISBOE with some common sense.
LikeLike
So Diane was attack for her free speech. Has anyone seen what happened at UC Santa Barbara and the official response?
Here is a report:
Michael D. Young, UCSB’s Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, sent an email Wednesday to all university students expressing his views on free speech and reminding the campus that “We cannot pick and choose which views are allowed to be aired and who is allowed to speak.” Young doesn’t directly address the elephant in the room that likely prompted the communique — theft and battery charges filed against a UCSB faculty member in the wake of her confrontation with anti-abortion activists — but notes that “recent events” made the the school’s longstanding value of freedom of expression worth repeating.
Read the full letter below:
Dear Students:
Over the past several weeks, our campus has been visited by a number of outside groups and individuals coming here to promote an ideology, to promulgate particular beliefs (at times extreme beliefs), or simply to create discord that furthers a certain personal agenda. Some passionately believe in their causes, while others peddle hate and intolerance with less-than-noble aims. Whatever the motives and goals, the presence of such people and groups on campus can be disruptive and has the potential to draw us into the kind of conflict that puts at risk the quality of exchange of ideas that is fundamental to the mission of our university.
What is happening now is not new: evangelical types have been visiting UCSB and university campuses since time immemorial. What we see at UCSB today is simply the most recent generation of true believers, self-proclaimed prophets, and provocateurs. During the past few weeks, UCSB has been visited by various anti-abortion crusaders. Some have been considerate and thoughtful in promoting their message; others have openly displayed images that many in our community find distressing and offensive. We have also seen earnest and thoughtful religious missionaries, and we have seen proselytizers hawking intolerance in the name of religious belief. As a consequence of interactions with the more extreme of our visitors, students have expressed outrage, pain, embarrassment, fear, hurt, and feelings of harassment. Moreover, I have received requests that the campus prohibit the peddling of “fear,” “hate,” “intolerance,” and “discord” here at UCSB.
Those of you who know me are aware that I have strong views on the matter of intolerance. You also know that I hold equally strong views on the sanctity of free speech. If you have heard me speak at Convocation or at anti-hate events, or if you have seen me officiating at the Queer Wedding, you know that my message on both counts is clear. Recent events lead me to believe that this message bears repeating.
First, the principle of freedom of expression resides at the very foundation of our society and, most certainly, at the foundation of a world-class university such as UC Santa Barbara. Freedom and rights are not situational: we either have freedom of speech or we do not. We cannot pick and choose which views are allowed to be aired and who is allowed to speak. If that were the case, then only those in charge—those holding power—would determine who gets to speak and whose views are heard.
Second, freedom is not free. The price of freedom for all to speak is that, at times, everyone will be subjected to speech and expression that we, ourselves, find offensive, hateful, vile, hurtful, provocative, and perhaps even evil. So be it! Law and policy ban only an extremely narrow band of speech and expression—“yelling ‘fire!’ in a crowded theatre,” for example, and child pornography. The price we pay to speak our own minds is allowing others to speak theirs, regardless of how oppositional their views are to our own. Our Founding Fathers—all white men of privilege, some even slave owners—got it right when designing the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Having firmly stated my support for freedom of expression, I hasten to follow with a lesson my mother taught me when I was a small child, a lesson that has remained with me the rest of my life and that I relay to our entering students every fall at Convocation. My mother taught me that just because you can say or do something doesn’t mean that you should. Civility plays an important role in how we choose to exercise our right to expression. We all have the right to say odious things, to display offensive slogans and placards, and to hurt and disrespect groups and individuals that disagree with us. The question is: should we? Should we engage in these behaviors just because we can or because they serve our political, religious, or personal agendas?
At UCSB, our students have proven that we are better than this. While it has not always been easy, time and again UCSB students have demonstrated that they can disagree about the critical issues of our time—fundamentally and passionately but within a framework of humanity and civility, respecting the dignity of those whose views they oppose. Time and time again, UCSB students have demonstrated that they understand their role in defining the character and quality of this campus community—revealing their unwillingness to lower themselves to the tactics of those whose agenda comes wrapped in intolerance and extremism.
And now we are tested once again, outsiders coming into our midst to provoke us, to taunt us and attempt to turn us against one another as they promote personal causes and agendas. If we take the bait, if we adopt negative tactics and engage in name calling, confrontation, provocation, and offensive behavior, then they win and our community loses.
While urging you to engage with differing ideas and opinions in a civil manner, I also want to remind you that you have the option not to engage at all. You do not have to listen to, look at, or even acknowledge speech or expression that you find provocative or offensive. The Arbor Mall is a free speech area, as is the area in front of the University Center. If you do not want to be confronted by certain materials or expressions, you should avoid the free-speech areas when you expect that you might encounter them, or simply ignore them. I promise you the visitors will hate that. And, finally, if you think demonstrators, activists, or proselytizers are violating the law, report them to the UC Police Department. If you think they are violating campus policies, report them to the Office of Student Life (OSL). Similarly, if you feel harassed or think you are being subjected to offensive speech or material as an involuntary audience, please contact the Office of Student Life immediately. Katya Armistead, Associate Dean of Student Life and Activities, can be reached at 805-893-8912. If you do not reach her, someone at the general OSL number (805-893-4550) will be able to relay your message to her. The campus regulations address UCSB’s free speech policies further: http://www.sa.ucsb.edu.
What I am suggesting may not be easy, and it may feel more satisfying (at least for the moment) to lash out. (My mom often reminded me that doing the right thing is difficult.) If you feel that you must respond, hold a peaceful, thoughtful, civil, and dignified counter-demonstration, and show how students engage intellectually and politically at UCSB.
Sincerely,
Michael D. Young
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
LikeLike
BTW you should check out the only class the alleged professor who is at the center of this outrage actually teaches. It has to do with ethnicity in pornography.
I’m just wondering how testing will make kids college ready if this is what they will insure.
LikeLike
I very much admire the UCSB statement on free speech. One of the best ways to respond to hate speech is to ignore it. The people who engage in hate speech want to be noticed,, want to be provocative, not ignored. If no one listens, they lose. Tune them out.
Diane Ravitch
LikeLike
Why is Public Television Against Public Schools?:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/11-7
LikeLike
Hi, Diane-
I was wondering if you could create a post to get the anti-testing movement that seems to be thriving downstate to garner some more support upstate.
I teach in a suburb of Rochester, NY. My school is on the “west side,” where household incomes are substantially lower than they are on the “east side.”
Today a colleague emailed me a link to a letter that the Superintendent of Pittsford Central Schools (one of the most affluent districts in upstate NY) had posted on the school’s website: http://www.pittsfordschools.org/news.cfm?story=1449&school=0
I found the post upsetting and confusing. It could be paraphrased to read: Hey parents, these tests aren’t so bad, and our kids do GREAT on them! Please send them to school and tell them to do their very, very best!
The second paragraph upsets me the most because Superintendent Pero credits Pittsford’s “exceptional performance” on last year’s Common Core tests to the teachers in his district for their “engaging lessons” and their approach of teaching the “whole child.”
I, too, teach in a phenomenal school. We do not teach the modules, and we have a collaborative department that is always seeking to improve. However, our passing rate on last year’s exams was less than 40%. I have friends who teach in the city of Rochester—their passing rate on last year’s exams was the lowest in the state. I would like to know if Superintendent Pero believes that teachers at these neighboring districts only teach the “partial child” through “disengaging lessons.”
As I fumed about this letter to some friends and colleagues, I learned some interesting background information. It seems Pittsford had a significant amount of opt-outs last for last week’s disastrous ELA exams, and many students who did take the tests used their essay booklets to write letters to Commissioner King. I just finished scoring exams, and we had a few too—those tests will earn a 0.
So maybe Superintendent Pero doesn’t really think the testing is fine, but he needs to scramble to make sure as many of his smart kids as possible show up for the math tests in a few weeks.
Sincerely,
An anonymous teacher in upstate NY
LikeLike
The. Black Agenda website has an article about the charter school conflict between Mayor DiBlasio and Gov. Cuomo.
——-
Charter School Corruption:
http://www.blackagendareport.com/content/freedom-ridercharter-school-corruption
LikeLike
The Truth-out website ran the same article about charter school corruption:
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/23072-freedom-rider-charter-school-corruption
LikeLike
Diane Ravitch
Many educators desperately want to advocate for reasonable improvements within the Public Schools but you will be amazed by the level of heavy-handed control administrators have over teachers. Back in 2006 Public School principals were empowered to run their schools however “they see fit”. However, this power was handed over to them blindly and no one stood around to properly police the handling or mishandling of said power. Consequently, we have reached a state in Public Schools, behind the scenes, where if teachers dare to advocate for improvements they are threatened to lose their license, they are constantly bullied out of the school, and or ultimately muzzled into complacency by Public School Officials. Complaints outside of the school buildings go ignored and neglected. The inactions and actions of upper administrators and other leadership parties seem to condone this form of abuse of power which in turn, conditions a culture of “professionals” with a paralyzing fear to advocate against injustices. To read more visit http://writing4light.blogspot.com/
Sincerely,
Educator
LikeLike
Paralyzing Fear
It is widely understood that actions speak much louder than words. It is also widely understood that a young mind is fully capable of picking up and reacting to many intricate subtleties from their environment. Think closely about what we are being forced to inadvertently teach our future minds.
How can a teacher encourage students to be courageous in investigating and questioning important issues in the world around them, when we ourselves are discouraged and intimidated from investigating and questioning important issues in the world around us?
How can we facilitate confidence, in our learners, to take risks, design, and implement plans to arrive at different outcomes and in turn attempt to make this world a better place, when the people they look up to are openly punished and defeated for exhibiting this natural response to growth?
How do we empower our students to speak up for themselves and for others that are being taken advantage of, when we ourselves are powerless with such virtues?
How can we facilitate hopefulness when what we are forced to model is hopelessness?
How do we convince learners that they have a voice in this world when we are constantly chastised, defamed, harassed, and muzzled when we say something different from what “our leaders” expect us to say?
How do we facilitate unique, creative, innovative thinkers when we are shackled into conformity and toxic complacency?
How do we teach students that “with great power comes great responsibility” (Voltaire), when people entrusted with power (a) flauntingly abuse it, (b) are immune to challenges, (c) are reinforced and strengthened with rewards?
How do we facilitate the notion that as a leader you should be respected instead of feared?
How do we facilitate the notion that abuse is not to be ignored but instead responsibly addressed?
Now ask yourselves, are we going to continue to allow people to mold education to fit the interests of those in control?
LikeLike
Another reason testing can be misguided:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140414092004.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28Latest+Science+News+–+ScienceDaily%29
LikeLike
Diane, with our current education leaders’ obsession with accountability, can we get an NPE grade for some of our past policy leaders?
I’d like to see full-term grades for the following:
President George W. Bush
Secretary Paige
Secretary Spellings
I’d also like to see mid-term grades for:
President Barack Obama
Secretary Duncan
While we’re at it, I don’t think there would be a dilution to have state-by-state grades for governors.
I’m bewildered at how we never see accountability for those responsible for our education policy, and I’m amazed that when I search the internet for reports about the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of past leaders, I find almost nothing (maybe a stray line or two in wikipedia). I’d like us to have some institutional memory and some history about past educational policy failures…so that just maybe our current policy-makers and leaders can see that someone will be following up on their decisions down the road. How can we make current leaders realize that they’re accountable for their decisions when we don’t make past leaders accountable for theirs?
Just a thought. Maybe there’s something you or someone else can run with.
LikeLike
Here’s wikipedia on President George W. Bush:
Education and health
Bush undertook a number of educational priorities, such as increasing the funding for the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health in his first years of office, and creating education programs to strengthen the grounding in science and mathematics for American high school students. Funding for the NIH was cut in 2006, the first such cut in 36 years, due to rising inflation.[144]
Bush signs the No Child Left Behind Act into law, January 2002.
One of the administration’s early major initiatives was the No Child Left Behind Act, which aimed to measure and close the gap between rich and poor student performance, provide options to parents with students in low-performing schools, and target more federal funding to low-income schools. This landmark education initiative passed with broad bipartisan support, including that of Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts.[145] It was signed into law by Bush in early 2002.[146] Many contend that the initiative has been successful, as cited by the fact that students in the U.S. have performed significantly better on state reading and math tests since Bush signed “No Child Left Behind” into law.[147] Critics argue that it is underfunded[148] and that NCLBA’s focus on “high stakes testing” and quantitative outcomes is counterproductive.[149]
LikeLike
I am working on a doctoral research project inspired by Diane’s book, Death and Life of the Great American School System (2011). If the public school system–as many of us knew it, at least–is dead or near death, it would stand to reason that public school teachers who remember the system as it was prior to No Child Left Behind (2002) have experienced loss and grief. If you remember what it was like to teach prior to No Child Left Behind, if you feel as if teaching completely changed when No Child Left Behind was implemented, or if you ever felt saddened by some of the changes that resulted from educational reform, then you may be interested in taking my survey.
Professional Loss and Grief in Teachers (a survey)
https://ndstate.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5nCLnPAFadWZX93
LikeLike
Bobby Jindal says he will get Louisiana out of Common Core test group, if Legislature won’t
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/04/bobby_jindal_will_put_out_of_c.html#incart_m-rpt-1
LikeLike
Adults R Us
Poor Pupil Behavior is Seriously Underestimated Deliberately in the Schools
Students are not the only one’s guilty of violating the right for others to learn in the classroom. Pupil discipline in the school system is a very tender issue immersed with legal overtones, vague definitions, and unclear instructions which school administrator fear, avoid, and care not to openly discuss. This is us.
Anything school administrators cannot manage is deliberately underestimated in order to deny its existence and thus diminish accountability. We see a manifestation of this with the outbreak of bullying related to teen suicides and homicides in our schools, which has unfortunately become a cultural form of coping for many youth. This is also a very tender issue, immersed with legal overtones, vague definitions, and unclear instructions which school administrator fear, avoid, and care not to openly discuss. This again is us.
Additionally, openly and honestly addressing the many factors that truly impede the learning of others in the classroom would bring into discussion the many ways in which administrators themselves are guilty of said infraction. For example, not effectively dealing with students that continue to disrupt the class, lack of programs (like the arts and gym) which provide learners the opportunity to get physical and dispense energy after sitting in a classroom following instructions all day, misuse of preparation periods, lack of school supplies and services, abrupt and excessive classroom visits, loud-speaker announcements, phone calls to the classroom, schedule changes, tormenting and intimidating teachers … Once again, this is us.
To learn more visit http://writing4light.blogspot.com/
LikeLike
“We don’t have an education problem in America. We have a social disease. It is as though we are starving our children to death and trying to fix it by investing in more scales so we can weigh them constantly.”
— Headmaster Steven Nelson
https://dianeravitch.net/?s=headmaster+nelson
“Cheered on by celebrities and the media elite who fail to see the potholes in the road that no banner of merit pay, standardized testing, vouchers, and charter schools will repair—this is a road to ruin.”
“At issue is a choice of how we can best serve our democracy”.
“In the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, ‘Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.’”
— Superintendent David Gamberg
“I think that what’s at stake is the future of American public school education. I believe it is the foundation stone, one of the foundation stones, of our democracy. So an attack on public education is an attack on our democracy.
— Professor Diane Ravitch
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365209941/
”For I agree with you that there is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents. …The natural aristocracy I consider as the most precious gift of nature for the instruction, the trusts, and government of society….
“May we not even say that that form of government is the best which provides the most effectually for a pure selection of these natural aristoi into the offices of government?…
“There is also an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents; for with these it would belong to the first class….
“The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provision should be made to prevent its ascendancy….
“These laws, drawn by myself, laid the axe to the root of Pseudoaristocracy. And had another which I prepared been adopted by the legislature, our work would have been compleat.
It was a Bill for the more general diffusion of learning. This proposed to divide every county into wards of 5. or 6. miles square, like your townships; to establish in each ward a free school for reading, writing and common arithmetic; to provide for the annual selection of the best subjects from these schools who might receive at the public expense a higher degree of education at a district school; and from these district schools to select a certain number of the most promising subjects to be compleated at an University, where all the useful sciences should be taught…
Worth and genius would thus have been sought out from every condition of life, and compleatly prepared by education for defeating the competition of wealth and birth for public trusts.
“Altho’ this law has not yet been acted on but in a small and inefficient degree, it is still considered as before the legislature, with other bills of the revised code, not yet taken up, and I have great hope that some patriotic spirit will, at a favorable moment, call it up, and make it the key-stone of the arch of our government.
–Thomas Jefferson to John Adams
http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch15s61.html
LikeLike