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 
Diane, not too long ago, you posted a comment to your blog about the outsourcing of substitute teachers in the Philadelphia school district. Although we had yet to start school at that point, we have since begun and the sub situation is nothing short of a crisis. Here is a link to an article from today’s newspaper about the district-wide problems that the outsourcing has caused. I thought you might be interested in knowing how things turned out. http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20150913_Sub_troubles_stess_out_many_Philly_schools.html
In my school, which is a large, comprehensive high school still considered to be a good place to sub, we never used to have much trouble getting the coverage we needed. This week, we had over 10 vacancies and about 3 subs each day. The regular teachers are being used to cover the vacant classes two and three days in a row. Sometimes classes go uncovered. We have almost 500 students without a permanent science teacher. Teachers who have needed to call out for emergencies are saying that they can’t access the system provided to us.
Please share this information to get the word out about what a disaster this outsourcing has been.
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In the latest polls, Donald Trump leads the Republican ticket by 13 points, and in a general election (against Clinton) he trails by a mere 3 points!
Maybe there IS a crisis in American education…
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/president/
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Not really, people are tired, frustrated, dissatisfied with the current (all) politicians. Trump (Carson & Carly) and Sanders are attracting people who want change, not “hope” that will change direction.
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It is my understanding that there are no more funds for Race to the Top; the money from the Feds to the states to implement RTTT is gone. I’m wondering what that means and how states and districts are dealing with this change. Are districts continuing to follow the mandates of RTTT despite there being no money? Where is the money it costs to fulfill the mandates coming from? What are they having to cut to meet those mandates? Race to the Top has wreaked havoc with public education across the country and it has, miraculously, vanished without a sound. I asked locally about what it meant for the district and received a non answer from both the principal and the board. They do not seem to have talked about it at all. Isn’t worth at least a conversation that could lead the district to notice that there is no point in continuing to do something harmful if there is no money behind it…..
What’s happening around the country with this?
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Those states are already taking the money for the testing away from the public schools even after cutting the funding for public education making it even more of a crises to keep functioning.
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Jerry Brown Raised $12 Million for His Two Oakland Schools
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/jerry-brown-raised-12-million-for-his-two-oakland-schools/Content?oid=1712012
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Nothing we didn’t know…but worth reading: http://thepulse2016.com/jane-robbins/2015/09/14/feds-confess-truth-about-common-core/
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Diane, please review my post at https://billmcaninch.wordpress.com/2015/09/18/ccss-to-parcc-to-failure-in-illinois/ regarding PARCC in Illinois. The teacher’s email might be worth a repost to your very wide audience.
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The teacher is absolutely correct on many of his/her points…and they should have been obvious to every one of the Common Core architects…whether or not they’d ever spent a day teaching in a classroom. Many of the mistakes made and continuing to be made is that the topmost priority for Reformers is “teacher accountability.” The common sense idea of implementing Common Core one year at a time rather than injecting it as an entire body across the K-12 curriculum was a nonstarter (incidentally, such implementation would have exposed its failings at a much lower cost both in resources and education); test-based accountability couldn’t wait that long. The point that students are assumed to have retained everything they’ve ever learned in a subject (and perfectly learn all they are supposed to in the time allotted by CCSS) is another example of science fair project mentality the architects demonstrated. I also agreed fully with the point that there is a dearth of examples for the vague standards (yes, students shall know properties of exponents), and that is the reason that the tests themselves are the curriculum. But, teacher, don’t expect the test-makers to give you the examples you crave. An underlying principle of Pearson and company is that you should not be able to teach to their tests. You should teach the student well enough so that they — every one of them — are capable of answering questions they have never encountered before. Every student is A+ material if you would simply have that expectation. Thank you for your post.
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A little Common Core humor! http://www.ijreview.com/2015/09/423809-theres-a-hidden-reason-why-the-check-one-parent-wrote-to-an-elementary-school-is-so-hilarious/?author=kb&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=owned&utm_campaign=education&utm_term=ijamerica&utm_content=education
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Scott Cowen wrote a dishonest piece linking the “turnaround(s)” of New Orleans and Cleveland to charter schools that was published on Huffpost and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Here’s a response: http://blog.cleveland.com/letters/2015/09/public_schools_letter_to_the_e_3.html. We can’t let these things go unchallenged.
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You must read, and then share this story about charter profiteer Kevin Johnson. Should be devastating to his political/charter career.
http://deadspin.com/whos-funding-kevin-johnsons-secret-government-1731005808
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Yesterday, Sunday, I was told that Governor Jerry Brown of California owns a charter school. I just checked and it might be true, but, if so, he owns two.
“Jerry Brown’s charter schools in Oakland reap big donations”
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/08/local/la-me-brown-charities-20110808
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Much better information in the piece from the East Bay Express. Thanks for sharing that link.
“Brown’s prowess as a fund-raiser has allowed the (his Charter) schools to spend $10,000 to $12,000 a year per student over the past several years, according to tax returns filed by the arts and military schools. By contrast, Oakland’s public schools and most of its other charter schools receive about $6,000 to $8,000 per student in local, state, and federal funding, along with parent donations, according to data from the Oakland Unified School District.
“Yet considering the resources at their disposal, the Oakland School for the Arts and the Oakland Military Institute have been uninspiring in terms of test scores. Last year, for example, the Oakland School for the Arts scored a 723 on the state’s Academic Performance Index and the Oakland Military Institute posted a 708. Although the results were respectable, they’re by no means excellent. The state considers a good score to be 800 or higher.”
The question is: Did Jerry Brown learn the error of his ways from those results? Maybe that’s why California appears to be backing away from the test at the only way to rank and yank teachers and explains the Brown administration’s fierce defense of teacher due process rights in an effort to overturn the Vergara decision.
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So Calif Teachers Assoc gave $54,400 to GOV Brown’s re-election.
Money well spent?
Did we get what we paid for?
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http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2015/09/22/the-latest-undemocratic-effort-to-dismantle-public-education/
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This blog will have all of us moving to Finland, charming thoughtful reflections and comparisons (US – Finland) by an American elementary teachers who’s recently moved and is teaching there: http://taughtbyfinland.com/
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A college stops accepting ACT/SAT scores, and finds itself better off: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/09/25/what-one-college-discovered-when-it-stopped-accepting-satact-scores/
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Ed, that story was posted here.
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Ah! I’ve been less vigilant in the past few weeks. Found it: https://dianeravitch.net/2015/09/25/what-happens-when-a-top-rated-college-drops-the-sat-and-act-as-requirements-for-admission/
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Yesterday, members from three branches of AAUW (American Association of University Women) convened at Tacoma Community College in Tacoma, Washington to hear a panel discuss CCSS. Gig Harbor, Puyalllup and Tacoma branch members spent 90 minutes hearing from a wide panel of stakeholders. Punitive high stakes testing was a clear focus. Around 60 people in the room…many retired teachers. They didn’t miss a trick about this whole scam. AAUW Branches Convene to Discuss CCSS
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Are students more than a score? If yes, then can someone tell me how grades make sense, when they are… scores?
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http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/careers/
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http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article36879960.html
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Some Things About Washington State’s Constitution That May Surprise You 5:37 min. of good audio content. Brief. Details how our state’s constitutional wording defeated the charter school industry here. Hat tip to the State of Florida for the wording assist back in 1889!
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I’m glad to have found your blog particularly those dealing with the invasion of charter schools in the LAUSD. What’s happening is shameful and somehow most folks don’t really understand what charters are about. Our low income, minority community is under attack by the power elite of a particular charter right now. Well connected and well financed, they are pouncing. They present as the sheep, but they are the wolf in sheep’s clothing. There may be some well meaning folk in the mix but mostly they are either naive or just not wanting to think past the surface of their ideas.Their next great idea in our area of Los Angeles is to build a monstrously large campus on a parcel far too small for its planned size of 430 students K-5. Not bad enough? It gets worse. They’ve decided that our humble residential street which has been closed to thru traffic for over 100 years and is already congested because of the population density and cars, is going to be their drive thru–a sort of alimentary canal for them– as hundreds and hundreds of cars a day drop off the children on one side of their campus and drive thru our street on their way out creating a traffic nightmare that will make the street impassable, noisy, and more polluted for residents and at times impassable for emergency vehicles if we were to need an ambulance, police, paramedic or fire truck. This is their best idea. We were not given a second thought as was evident when they presented their plans without any consideration of their impact on those at ground zero or in the corona of this huge project. My guess is they thought that these hard working modest to low income folks would just grin and bear it. Our area schools just aren’t suitable enough for them. Our community is stressed out and having to mobilize. Their boot is on our neck but we plan to fend them off . It’s a nightmare for the community and we can’t just sit back and let it happen. Wish us luck.
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“The Joyful, Illiterate Kindergartners of Finland”
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/the-joyful-illiterate-kindergartners-of-finland/408325/
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Ohio Dems react to DOE grant to Ohio charter schools: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/10/ohio_democrats_including_forme.html#incart_2box_news_index.ssf
Sadly, my member of Congress, Rep. Marcia Fudge, who is on the Education and Workforce Committee, has been strangely silent. Despite her committee position, I fear she really doesn’t understand the issues at stake.
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Not sure if you posted about this article.
https://theamericanscholar.org/school-reform-fails-the-test/#.VhRL1kb3bCS
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Mike Rose’s study : “School Reform Fails the Test” hasn’t gone far enough. No mention was made of a basic philosophy which reform must be built on. Since the creators of the CCSS did not have a background in what constitutes a good philosophy it wouldn’t enter their drawing board. No reference was made to Dewey, Piaget, Goodlad, Bruner, Frank Smith, Marie Clay, Elkind, Garderner and countless other experts in the field.
Looking at my five-year-old-grandson’s homework he brought home yesterday reveals the major problem of our present educational system: Behaviorism – direct teaching, drill and regurgitate dominates in lieu of starting with the child and ending with the child- relating everything the child learns to his/her background.
My grandson has a phenomenal teacher – she is, as Mike Rose stated was important:
“In equal measure, the effectiveness of techniques, particularly for classroom management, is influenced by students’ sense of a teacher’s concern for them and understanding of them.”
My grandson’s teacher noticed how distraught he looked when he entered her classroom one morning. She asked him what the problem was but no amount of questioning was going to reveal his real problem. She wrote a note home to his parents. My daughter found out later that her son became very upset when he saw a dead squirrel on his way to school.
However, the teacher’s love and concern is not sufficient; she needs a good program that she can utilized and not like the Pricilla that Mike Rose mentioned: “…Priscilla cannot draw on her cabinets full of materials collected over the years to enliven or individualize instruction.”
My grandson, after a month in first, had in his backpack a bag of little books he is to read every night for 25 min. As I looked at the books, it was obvious that their reading program was anchored in the phonetic approach. Everyone of those little books were compiled completely of phonetic words. As he proudly began the reading process, he did a “picture walk.” However, he went off on a tangent making a story out of each illustration. That is not the purpose of a “picture walk.” A “picture walk” is the time to connect the child to the text and illustrations, predict what is going to happen, and to place new vocabulary words in the student’s ear.
The stories in those phonetic little books were deadly – so contrived! My grandson decoded very well and occasionally self-corrected but he made no connection with the text and illustrations. One sentence mentioned that Dad pig and Mom pig had a tizz. He didn’t look at the illustration for help in understanding the word “tizz.” It wasn’t important to him; pronouncing the words correctly was the important issue. (Alas! How many children can relate to pigs?) It is obvious that my grandson is not being taught the other two prongs of the reading process: semantics – relating new material to the student’s background and syntax. He is also not taught that the text is supported by illustrations.
So we have a problematic reading program enforced upon the teacher and in turn on the students. In a study mandated by congress in 11/9/08 entitled, “Study of Reading Program Finds a Lack of Progress” – a program costing $6 billion- revealed that the reading program mandated was flawed. “Reading First,” a program at the core of the “No Child Left Behind Law,” has not made greater progress in understanding what they read than have peers outside the program. It was a program that needed to be improved. Yet that failed program is what Common Core has mandated. Phonics is only one aspect of a successful three-pronged, interactive, contextualized reading approach. Phonics; furthermore, is more important to writing than to reading.
Thirteen states mandate retention if the children do not pass the standardized test aligned to the CC. We not only mandate a flawed reading program but punish the children if they can’t learn via that flawed program. And the poor self-image begins to evolve hampering learning in all fields. Reading is fundamental to our educational system; a proven program must be used.
Mike Rose touched upon the importance of effective techniques, “Effective techniques are an important part of the complex activity that is teaching, and good mentorship includes analyzing a teacher’s work and providing corrective feedback.” But he needed to probe deeper.
He stated, “In equal measure, the effectiveness of techniques, particularly for classroom management, is influenced by students’ sense of a teacher’s concern for them and understanding of them.” Yes all this is important, however, if the teacher does not have a viable reading program that she must follow, “all her love, concern, and management skills, —knowing the subject, appreciating students’ backgrounds, and providing a safe and respectful space which Mike Rose talks about, are not going to be sufficient to bring about real reform
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I stated. “Thirteen states mandate retention if the children do not pass the standardized test aligned to the CC.” Retention in third grade is mandated in 13 states.
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I just read a piece about Jeb Bush on Yahoo! News from AP—-the comments are where the action is. I read dozens and not one agreed with Jeb Bush’s education agenda in Florida.
http://news.yahoo.com/bush-campaigns-florida-struggles-schools-legacy-153826055–election.html
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Lloyd, my comment comes a little late, I know but initially I had not plans to forward it to you. Remember reading:
“Texas- ReadingFirst Program owned by President Bush’s Brother Neil Bush is a Fraud Scam.”Educational Cyber Play Ground (2011 )
“Reading Recovery has a proven successful track record that the Bush connections refused to fund so their own son’ Neil Bush’s business Reading First would not have competition. ..”
“Two causal factors underlie the assumptions behind NCLB and Reading First, both of them profoundly flawed and contradicted by researchers. Causal factor 1 is students’ ineffective phonological awareness and phonics instruction, which Reading First advocates seek to remedy with a ‘systematic, explicit, intensive, sequential phonics instruction’ and ‘direct instruction (pre-teaching) of vocabulary to promote reading comprehension.’ The drawback, Cummins argued, is that one of things the U.S. National Reading Panel “showed, which has been systematically fudged and distorted by folks who brought you Reading First, is that intensive phonics instruction – what they call intensive instruction – showed no positive effect on reading comprehension beyond the first grade for either low-achieving or normally achieving readers. … For low-achieving kids, for normally achieving kids, any effects of phonics instruction washed out after grade one. That has not been broadly advertised by the Feds.” ~Jim Cummins
Does the same disposition of Neil rub off onto his brother Jeb?
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Lying and fraud runs in the family—it seems. Remember when G.W. Bush claimed Iraq had WMD’s and used that lie as justification for starting a war that we are still fighting as it spreads out of control, and he even lied when he said we’d won.
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For those authors who say the wars are over, here’s a pretty disturbing USA Today article. Teacher unions v. low income minority children? Unions and teachers “pulled middle-class white families into their ‘opt out’ movement? http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/10/07/democrats-education-union–charter-school-teacher-endorse-column/73483920/
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Given the lack of full funding for education in Washington State, the State Supreme Court has held our legislature in contempt of court and is fining them $100,000/day. Even after several million dollars in fine, the legislature has done nothing more than convene a committee to consider the problem. This committee has scheduled a Listening Tour across the state to hear from regional leaders and local constituents. The first was in Everett and drew about 200 people. Last night was the second. It was held in Bremerton and drew more than 600 people. Superintendents from six or seven of the districts in that area spoke and all but one, the Superintendent from North Kitsap School District, urged the legislature to fully fund our school without taking away local bargaining rights, local control, and local levy funds.
Last night in Bremerton, Christine Fraser, North Kitsap Education Association President, spoke on behalf of teachers. These are her scripted remarks which don’t include her additions related to compensation at the start and end which she included in response to what had been said by others prior to her opportunity to speak. She had 8 minutes so this will be a long post.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of many of my colleagues. My name is Chris Fraser. I am a 7th grade math teacher, the mother of a recent Berkeley law graduate, the aunt of three students in Peninsula school district, former regional Council President and current NKEA President.
The Legislature’s paramount duty is to make ample provision for the education of all children in Washington State.
Our paramount duty as educators is to provide high-quality learning opportunities, resources and supports in safe and caring environments to ensure that every student reaches their full potential.
We need a lot more funding from the state in order to fulfill our paramount duty to our students. Even with the recent increases in state funding last session and a supportive community that consistently supports our local levy measures, our students are using social studies textbooks that say, “President George Bush, 1984 to present”, working on outdated prison-surplus computers, and sitting in overcrowded classrooms that don’t get vacuumed often enough.
We finally removed our last blue roof tarp last summer, our heating and cooling systems are failing and are so old that we can’t buy replacement parts, and we have a septic system that flooded multiple times last year.
Students at all grade levels need and deserve smaller class sizes in accordance with the new class size law approved by voters almost a year ago, when Washington State was 47th worst in the nation for class size. These lower class sizes were not only approved by voters, they were recommended by a committee created by the Legislature itself.
Classes in the high twenties to mid-thirties are the norm rather than the exception beyond third grade in our district. This makes it impossible for our students to receive the individual attention they need in order to reach their full potential. We need more Para educators so that we can truly reach every student—through intervention and enrichment.
Our categorical funding for special education, highly capable, LAP/Title and Transitional Bilingual is woefully inadequate. We have had huge reforms in the areas of standards, assessments, evaluations, and credits required for graduation to name just a few and we have yet to see restoration of Learning Improvement Days for Professional Learning.
Our counselors, especially at the high school level, are stretched so thin that it is nearly impossible for them to do much more than track progress toward graduation. Every student that we lose, to drop out, suicide, or gun violence, is one precious student too many.
My overarching point is that we need a lot more than just an increase in the state allocation for staff salaries in order to increase our graduation rates and ensure that our graduates are college and career ready.
Please note that I said staff salaries—the state allocations for classified and administrator compensation are also too low to cover our real costs. Here are two examples from North Kitsap School District. Our district receives just under $60,000 for administrative salaries, but the actual base salaries range from about $85,000 to $150,000.
The September apportionment report shows that we received funding for 90 classified FTE, but we budgeted for over 270 classified FTE. Some of those additional positions are paid for out of categorical funds, but that can’t be anywhere close to difference of 180 full-time positions. This is even more glaring when you consider my earlier remarks that even at our current staffing levels we don’t have enough classified staff, including para educators and custodians, or certificated staff, including teachers and ESAs.
Many districts will also need money to build additional classrooms as class sizes decrease. I was shocked to learn that Mukilteo School District actually had to refuse funding for full day kindergarten because they did not have space for the additional classes.
The Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS) stated in January of 2015 that the State’s assurances to the McCleary court confirm the ample funding mandate requires more than $5 billion a year in new funding for our schools.
This funding can’t be at the expense of social services that our students and their families rely on.
I personally urge you to have the courage to identify stable funding sources for education which do not make our state even more regressive in terms of its tax structure.
This funding also can’t be at the expense of our local levy authority. Our districts will continue to have significant needs beyond what the state provides even if funding is increased to the levels specified by NEWS. Staff, administrators, and elected school boards know the needs of the students in our communities best and you have to trust us that we will not ask for more than we need to supplement funding from the state and federal government.
Our levies are for enhancements and serve as an insurance policy against underfunding, especially in the areas of categorical funding and unfunded mandates. We are also unfortunately playing catch-up in areas like curriculum adoption, professional development, and deferred maintenance.
Speaking of the importance of local control, decisions about how to best use state funding must continue to rest at the local level. The current prototypical model drives out funding to districts and allows flexibility about how that funding is used.
The salary allocation model for teachers and other staff should continue to maintain flexibility at the local level. It is critical that local districts retain the ability to attract and keep staff, especially with the impending teacher shortage.
The State’s efforts should be on defining and funding its obligation, not on limiting or controlling local decisions.
Regarding timing, you have been ordered by the Supreme Court to provide ample funding by 2018. This needs to include an increase in state funding for salaries and smaller class sizes at all grade levels. Levy reform or sweeping changes to teacher compensation are not part of the court order.
My niece Grace was in Kindergarten when the McCleary case was first filed. She was in 3rd grade when the first ruling was issued, in 5th grade when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the McClearys, in 7th grade when the State was held in contempt, and is currently in 9th grade. Grace, and other students like her, have spent their entire K-12 education in underfunded schools. You can and must do better.
Regarding oversight, we should continue to provide local communities with transparent information about where funding comes from and how it is spent.
Please continue to involve educations stakeholders in these crucial conversations as you move toward amply funding by 2018, when my niece Grace will be a senior in High School.
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Ms. Ravitch, could you please research Valeria Silva and Saint Paul Public Schools?
The children in St. Paul, especially those with special needs, are being crushed under her regime.
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Sam Keats,
I don’t know much about the superintendent of the St. Paul public schools. I googled her name and noticed that she is a graduate of the unaccredited Broad Academy. Her bio says it is “prestigious,” but not many would agree except others like her. Broadies seem to have a common style: they are top-down, they don’t listen to parents or the community, they are certain of their views, they like to close public schools, they treat teachers badly.
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Have you considered going back into public service? If President Obama were to offer you the position of acting Secretary of Education, rather than John King, could you, would you accept? If a petition was sent to the President, to change his appointment, might you consider?
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Judy,
I have no desire for any position, but I can safely say that if President Obama were to remove John King and offer me the job for a year, I would jump at it. I can safely say it, because it would never happen. President Obama loves Race to the Top, and I don’t.
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Diane,
Thank you so much for all you do. My hope is to write a petition to send out through social media, asking Obama to appoint you as acting Secretary of Education.
Stay tuned!
Judy
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I appreciated reading, just now, your post of July 23, 2015 on what LAUSD needs to do regarding the survival of public education. As a person applying for the role of superintendent (and with experience of charter school, public and private education), your writing has joined the file.
Thank you
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Check out Fred LeBrun’s column in today’s TIMES UNION (Albany, NY on Sunday, October 11, 2015). You were right when you previously said he is an astute education observer. He is fearless in calling out Gov. Cuomo on his education agenda.
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Diane,
Thank you so much for all you do. My hope is to write a petition to send out through social media, asking Obama to appoint you as acting Secretary of Education.
Stay tuned!
Judy
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I wonder if the Med school talks to the Ed school?
Lasting effects of childhood stress
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/toxic-stress/
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In response to Rashida Govan reporting on the National Urban League’s focus on poverty etc. in lieu of “….an awareness that CCSS is an attempt at pushing education towards the aim of developing critical thinkers, problem solvers and innovative scholars. ..” Ugh!
When will someone ever look at the NYState Learning Standards and realize the developing critical thinkers, problem solvers and innovative scholars is not new. It is not something CC created. In fact it was in vogue during John Dewey’s time. The progressive education movement emphasized critical thinking and problem solving.
The progressive movement can be traced back farther to the 17th century but received a great impetus with scholars like John Dewey. John Dewey wrote Experience in Education around 1920. Cooperative learning, learning from experiences, constructing knowledge together – all are qualitative issues which are anchored in critical thinking and problem solving in lieu of the quantitative approach. Furthermore, CC limits its understanding to closed reading – comparing and contrasting aspects within a specific text. It does not go beyond to apply and evaluate – emphasizing quantity. The progressivists emphasized quality over quantity and went beyond the limits of CC Standards The progressive educators saw standardized testing as an evil. They believed the heart of education must start with the child.
Look at an example Dr. Ravitch brought to our attention earlier, :
★ Grade 1 ELA Domain 4: Early World Civilizations
Domain 4 Materialsl
Is studying Early World Civiliztions starting with the child?! What first grader can relate to such a topic?!
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I taught for thirty years in the public schools in California and developing critical thinkers and problems solvers was a primary focus for teachers when I started in 1975 and still was when I retired in 2005.
In California, teachers are still required to take workshops and classes every few years to keep their teaching credential current and most of those classes and workshops focus on teaching skills to develop critical thinkers and problem solvers.
This is not new even though it sounds like the fraudulent crooks behind corporate education reform are trying to make it sound like it is their own idea and concept.
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Dan Patrick has posted Senate Interim Charges. They include:
-School Choice: Study school choice programs enacted in states across the nation, examining education savings account and tax credit scholarship programs in particular.
-Efficiency/Productivity Review: Conduct a comprehensive performance review of all public schools in Texas, examining ways to improve efficiency, productivity, and student academic outcomes. Study performance-based funding mechanisms that allocate dollars based upon achievement versus attendance.
http://www.senate.state.tx.us/assets/pdf/Senate_Interim_Charges_84_pt3.pdf?1
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I think Charlotte Meck. is doing a good thing. I hope they become a national model. Magnets are the only way to provide true choice. “choice” we charters, as we have seen in New Orleans, only offers “chance.” I’m happy for Charlotte. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article38992887.html
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Hello,
Could you write about the charter bid (twice denied this year) by a discriminatory public school program? http://www.marinij.com/social-affairs/20151012/ross-valley-charter-school-bid-opposed-by-county-panel-aclu
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Forgot to add that the ACLU has voiced its opposition, and is co-sponsoring three bills in CA to increase charter oversight.
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Late to the party, but I just came up from an internet rabbit hole of Deadspin’s Kevin Johnson/Michelle Rhee/ Hope Schools/ Walmart Charter School movement coverage and wow. It takes a lot to shock me, but I am pretty sickened that Barack Obama would be seen with his arm around Kevin Johnson, pedophile, bag man, charter school pimp and Walmart lobbyist. The president needs to formally distance himself from this grotesque mess and start paying attention to the impact that charter schools are having on our kids. Now that I can see the link between Kevin Johnson, Michelle Rhee and Walmart, I can’t help but think that King is tainted…nobody could get close to Arne Duncan and not have soiled coat tails. I don’t know who made it ok to demonize teachers while scooping up piles of Walmart cash, but I am pissed and I can’t help but wish that the President didn’t look quite so culpable for at least part of this mess.
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So are we still hoping for change?
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Jim, of course. I think we are winning. Where is Rhee? Klein? Kopp? Barbic? Cami? And soon, Arne. And what happened in Newark, the national showcase for reform?
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Yes, there is a silver lining behind the cloud of King and the absence of discussion during the debates.
BTW, have you heard about the Charter School in Sunnvvale, Santa Clara that is now under going termination of its Charter because they failed to screen there records to prevent an employee from molesting an elementary student AND the County Officer in charge of “charters” knew they weren’t ready to open school?
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Negligence-Alleged-Against-Spark-Charter-School-County-in-Sexual-Assault-of-Student-331482802.html
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The University of Akron is in crisis. Please see details at this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_gepY6-4wZ7Y1R6czNsNHJrN1gwTG0xMnQyNUZDZFNxWFRJ/view?usp=sharing
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My state’s school libraries are disintegrating. They’re undervalued, underfunded, and understaffed. The books get older and older. Kids, I know from experience, CRAVE cool new books. We need a spotlight shown on this waste of our school libraries. Libraries offer imagination, background information, better vocabulary, and added value through collaboration with classroom teachers. I’m in RI, but it’s happening all over. For a ray of hope, though, Google “Spokane School Libraries Parents” and see what grass roots efforts have done.
We need to do that everywhere.
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Mornons, along with the state school libraries disintegrating, the public libraries are also. Oh they have all the frills to entice the young readers but not the quality of books.
Public Libraries, for what ever reason, have been selling classics and replacing them with Pearson’s glossy books. What a waste of money! Some classics reappear under Pearson’s name but the original quality is lost. Whoever the artists that reproduce the illustrations lose the quality of the original American artists.
Standards in children’s literature books have been lowered. The art work along with the placement of the text are of poor quality. Sure they are glossy and initially eye appealing but then “bubble head” characters appear and are distasteful. The design and art work of the picture books are suppose to complement not detract. Every time I look at the publisher of children’s new glossy looking literature books I find Pearson Co. in usually somewhere in Asia.
Books published by Pearson Co. outside of the US have super large print scattered all over. The large print gives one the impression that the book is for an emergent reader and it is not. For young readers, words should be in the same place on each page so the reader doesn’t get confused and lose their trend of thought while searching for the text. The flying words further detract from the artist’s illustrations.
Pearson Co. has publishing companies around the globe. Most of our book companies have been bought up by Pearson but many of the original book companies’ names remains so buyers won’t be the wiser. Adobe, Scott Foresman, Penguin, Longman, Wharton, Harcourt, Puffin, Prentice Hall, Allyn & Bacon Addison-Wesley, Silver Burdette, Ginn, Benjamin Cummings and Macmillan Publishing, Harper Collins, Addison Wesley USA fall under Pearson’s umbrella.
I suspect Pearson Co. works with Scholastic at times. I have seen both names together in books. I must do more research on that.
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One nation’s priorities.
Teacher spurns $11m offer in Hong Kong tutor wars.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/ab819890-7232-11e5-a129-3fcc4f641d98.html#axzz3ok6GPQhx
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Thank you for that info. I did not know Pearson had its tentacles into so many companies. They’re already ruining schools.
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Diane, can you please comment or write about Agile training in edication? This is being foisted on us, and apart from me and a handful of other teachers, everyone seems to think it’s the best thing since sliced bread. We are being told that we have to model our classes on Agile (Agile in Education) and the Scrum Alliance’s approach to software development! why can people not see/understand that this is a case of apples and oranges.
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Marta, I never heard of Agile education
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It’s being pushed by people who used to work in/for tech. Look up Agile and the Scrum Alliance, or Agile in the Classroom. Agile comes out of project management strategies for software developers. To me, it seems like the same kind of thing that some people tried to do with Six Sigma (Six Sigma in Education) which was another business/management theory-practice that has been applied to education and teachers.
What is your opinion in general of this sort of thing? I and one other teacher at my school seem to be the only people who question this approach and feel that it’s utterly ridiculous to treat kids as if they were adults working on a project. Everyone else seems to think it makes great sense to follow this approach (we are being compelled to put up so-called ‘Learning canvases’) and that by moving sticky notes around on a piece of paper we are going to accomplish great things!
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Agile learning is just project based learning that uses software development terminology and practices. I think it could be used to do any student centered group learning or group project learning. It is very constructivist and could be good. It has no evidence base though and would not be good for all situations any more than any single method is. It is much better than test prep kill and drill!
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yes, I see the valid points to Agile, but what disturbs me is that it is intended for the business world, and for adults, who are (usually) able to organize themselves and self-direct. Trying to do this with a group of ELL 6th graders is not easy. We are being asked to apply it to all our classes, and to pretty much all lesson planning
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The Cleveland Plain Dealer comments on Youngstown mess: http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/10/more_troubling_developments_in.html#incart_river
They miss some of the nuances, but at least they continue to pay attention.
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http://www.c-span.org/video/?328464-1/book-discussion-drilling-core
Just wanted to share this link if it had not come to your attention. A thousand and one ‘thank you’s for all your efforts and roles in the battle for local control and democracy in our K-12 public schools.
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Heya, Diane, how have you been? just passing this along in case you hadn’t seen it yet: http://nypost.com/2015/10/18/principal-forbid-teachers-to-sit-so-she-threw-out-their-desks/
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A western NC school district is spending tight dollars to require their teachers to go through customer service training led by a hospitality company. http://www.biltmore.com/more-from-biltmore/bcpd/courses
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Diane, my district is buying into Marzano to the point that teacher evaluations will follow his advice. I’m trying to convince them to be cautious. Any research results or advice I can show them?
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Ken, I throw your question to the other teachers who read the blog. Any rubric that incorporates student test scores is invalid. Does Marzano?
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Marzano does not incorporate student test scores; however, the state/district may well use the Marzano rubric for half of the teacher’s rating and test scores for the other half. I’m not a Marzano fan; I find his evaluation system overly complex and stifling. Having said that, I have not been able to find any major research results on his evaluation system. My impression, though, based on the comments I’ve seen is that his meta-research is not as high a caliber as it’s made out to be. Consider this (skip down to the section on “Phantom Findings” and read footnote 38: http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/abusing-research/
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Thank you! I have a folder of Kohn’s work along with his books. I continue my search for empirical research countering the new education god called Marzano.
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You’re quite welcome. The county I work in started using Marzano for evaluations around 5 years ago. I see it as a bunch of hoops to jump through. And, to me, it makes it look like the suits don’t trust principals to be able to evaluate teachers. Here is a post (part 5 of a post, the conclusion) on some research that Marzano did. Given the issues that Kohn brings up and that this post brings up, it makes me question everything Marzano.
http://edinsanity.com/2009/06/07/marzano_part5/
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What can parents do about bad federal policy?
I am connected on the state level and there are plenty of avenues for concerned parents to reach out and try to impact state policy. Where do parents fit into the federal situation? Do they? Can they? What can involved moms do? I feel frustrated.
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Public Education Partners has been contacted by other public ed advocacy groups about how to attract an audience to a summit like PUBLIC EDUCATION MATTERS, the one we presented on October 17th in Dublin, Ohio. We tell them to remember the James Earl Jones quote from the 1989 film, “Field of Dreams,” and follow the notion that if you build it, they will come. Having the conference plugged by Diane Ravitch on her blog helps too! 🙂 https://publiceducationpartnersblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/20/if-you-build-it-they-will-come/
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Massachusetts is currently trying to put CC/parcc on the ballot for 2016. Wesley college denied our request to collect signatures at yout presentation because their policy is to remain “non-partisan”. This type of behavior is how we got to this point with education. Very disappointing.
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Let Gates Foundation know how they have been doing w/ ed over the last 7 years – comment section opened 4 UR input. http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2015/10/Supporting-Students-by-Supporting-Teachers#
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Diane,
I thought you might be interested in the great things we’re accomplishing at the University of Montana Western in terms of our innovative block scheduling program called Experience One. Now in its 10th year, Experience One has meant a complete reimagining of how our students are educated. Our block program lends itself to a tremendous amount of hands-on, real-world experience for our students and the results are evidenced in our graduate school placement rates and job placement. Here’s a short video explaining more about Experience One and what it’s meant for UMW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYmfPchCw0A
Best,
Rainier Butler
public relations manager
University of Montana Western
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Also in NC, the impact of charters has led to admin thinking this is a good idea. http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2015/10/23/buncombe-teachers-get-customer-service-training/74470418/
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Just saw this article about Denver’s school board president. Thought you might want to pass it along. http://watchdog.org/243442/denver-parks-director-spends-plenty-taxpayer-time-school-board-position/
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http://www.mail.com/news/politics/3910840-obama-cap-class-time-devoted-to-standardized-student-tests.html#.7518-stage-hero1-11
Obama: Cap class time devoted to standardized student tests
WASHINGTON (AP) — Targeting one of education’s most divisive issues, President Barack Obama on Saturday called for capping standardized testing at 2 percent of classroom time and said the government shares responsibility for turning tests into the be-all and end-all of American schools.
SCHOOL TESTING
HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL NOON EDT SATURDAY, OCT. 24 Graphic shows average number of standardized tests in delected districts;
October 24, 2015
Students spend about 20 to 25 hours a school year taking standardized tests, according to a study of the nation’s 66 largest school districts that was released Saturday by the Council of Great City Schools. But it’s not known how much class time students spend preparing for tests that became mandatory, starting in third grade, under the George W. Bush-era No Child Left Behind law and are a flashpoint in the debate over the Common Core academic standards.
“Learning is about so much more than just filling in the right bubble,” Obama said in a video released on Facebook. “So we’re going to work with states, school districts, teachers, and parents to make sure that we’re not obsessing about testing.”
To drive the point home, Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan plan an Oval Office meeting Monday with teachers and school officials working to reduce testing time. In all, between pre-K and 12th grade, students take about 112 standardized exams, according to the council report. It said testing amounts to 2.3 percent of classroom time for the average 8th-grader.
“How much constitutes too much time is really difficult to answer,” said Michael Casserly, the council’s executive director. Obama cannot force states or districts to limit testing, which has drawn consternation from parents and teachers. But Obama directed the Education Department to make it easier for states to satisfy federal testing mandates and he urged states and districts to use factors beyond testing to assess student performance.
The Obama administration said it still supports standardized tests as a necessary assessment tool, and there are no signs they are going away soon. Both the House and Senate versions of an update to No Child Left Behind would preserve annual reading and math exams, although the House version would diminish their significance in determining whether schools are up to par. The legislation is in limbo while House and Senate negotiators figure out how to reconcile the competing versions.
IAdministration officials said that in many cases, testing is redundant, poorly aligned with curriculum or simply overkill. They said the administration supports legislative proposals to cap testing time on a federal level, but wanted to offer states a model for how to cut down on testing absent congressional action.
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Keep up your important work. I enjoy your posts. Thought you’d like this one that my friend shared on Facebook.
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Kasich and other Ohio higher ed pols’ shenanigans make Spelling hire seem tame in comparison: http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/10/why_no_professor_on_gov_kasich.html
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Have you tried filling out the newly released Aim High NY survey released by the NYSED? Crashed already. Hmmm….
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Curious as to why Rahm overlooked this when hiring BBB?
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/1041686/hold-hold-fbi-began-investigating-byrd-bennett-worked-chicago
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“Study: Kids take 100-plus required tests through 12th grade”
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/study-kids-take-100-plus-required-tests-12th-grade/
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During this time of stagnation, not only have the schools ramped up testing, but they are all forcing the Danielson framework as a teacher assessment method (which even the Danielson Group says is an improper use of the framework). Moreover, I can find no reliable, peer-reviewed research that shows that across-the-board application of Danielson by each and every teacher, no matter that teacher’s styles and abilities, leads to palpable measurable student improvement. It’s clear there are interesting and valuable things from the Danielson research, but its application as a one-size-fits-all universal solution to teaching problem has no support in data that I can find.
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Is the LA Times editorial board….actually making some sense?! http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-obama-tests-20151027-story.html
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Diane, I share your opinion on many of the topics discussed in your blog. I recently began research on empathy-building activities for children in elementary programs. Have you done any research in that area?
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Christina,
I will invite the many teachers who read the blog to answer your question about empathy-building activities for young children.
It is hard to build empathy when the climate emphasizes competition and beating out the others.
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Another study underscores Diane’s argument for investing more in prenatal care, pre-k and early years of school: http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2015/10/14/evidence-trumps-anecdote-for-scared-straight-programs?sl&utm_campaign=2015-10-29_StatePolicyUpdate&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua
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Maybe this is a crazy question, but is there such a thing as a “good Charter school” today?
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Waialae Elementary in Honolulu, Hawaii http://www.waialae.edu/; Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences http://haaspcs.org/ls/ When the charters are public and non-profit and serve their communities well they can be very beneficial.
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That’s exactly what I wondering about. I read about the first one’s history and found this fascinating:
“The Hawai`i State Legislature passes the Educational Omnibus Bill creating “Student-Centered Schools” (SCS). Student-Centered Schools would be allowed to implement alternative administrative and educational policies and goals without being bound by Department of Education policies and State laws (except for those governing collective bargaining, procurement, equal rights, and health and safety). Funding would be provided based on a per pupil allocation for instructional and classroom expenses. Budgetary and fiscal decisions would be made by the school’s own governing board.”
This may be heresy for a public school teacher to say, but that is exactly what I was hoping for when my kids were school-age. I don’t think being a life-long public school teacher and public school educated, and a card carrying union member means you think public schools as they’re structured (even without CCSS and NCLB) can meet the needs of all students. Both my kids were “different learners.” Both needed significantly different structure in teaching/learning than was available in the public school. But I ended up spending their college funds (lucky we had them) on schooling K-12, with no tax relief. I am a staunch supporter of public education and am willing to do what I can to turn around the out-of-control train wreck that’s destroying public education today. But at the same time, I would never say, that even at their best, traditional public schools (single set of standards all students of one age group must master at the same time, substantial amount of time spent indoors under teacher-directed care, limited parental involvement, etc) can meet the needs of all learners. I often thought that if there were more schools free to develop as the school in Wai’alae has, then there would be 1) free options for kids like mine, and 2) perhaps a guide/template for more schools to attempt reconfiguration in the same manner.
I’m not naive though. I know things can look different on a website than in reality. But I wish we could use the language of the “reformers” about the value of charters, and use that to create real alternatives in PUBLIC education. The unprecedented assault on public education in the name of “reform” has gotten most of us on the defensive about public education as a singular concept. But it’s also had a side-effect of chilling any discussion that may have occurred previously about the need for public schools to evolve and transform in progressive ways in order to meet the broad range of needs of diverse learners. I don’t want to be caught up defending institutions that really are in need of fundamental change (apart from NCLB and CCSS issues) just because defending them in their mediocrity is better than losing them altogether. Maybe that was a secondary or unintended goal of the current “movement.”
I don’t know. But I do know most/all voices for change in public education have been quieted by our forced need to defend the concept of public education under attack from all sides. (Yeah, yeah, I know when you’re under attack and fighting for your life you don’t think about the clothes you’re wearing or how to redo your kitchen. But I felt a need to mention this. Those destroyers of public education must not completely control our conversation…)
I am now bracing myself for the onslaught of DR Blog Reader response.
Be gentle. I really am interested in thoughtful discussion of issues that may be unrelated to “response to reform,” but equally relevant today.
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Alice, I hear you loud and clear. I feel a similar way, and the public school “defenders” I most respect will readily admit that public schools need not only to be defended, but transformed as well.
This important distinction is easily lost in the “public school wars.” Public education as a concept is good — that is, the idea that everyone should have access to a high quality education. In implementation, however, our public school system has never been great on a large scale. It has major flaws. It is difficult for some to admit this when the idea of public education is under attack by profiteers and politicians, because it could potentially weaken our defense against the “reformers” (though it doesn’t have to, if done right.)
I’ve put a lot of thought into this topic, and have many solutions. I also like hearing from others. If you would like to discuss further, email me at EdDetective(at gmail) and/or you could check out my website by clicking on my name.
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And by “good” I mean innovative, enriching, successful by authentic measurements…
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About 20 years ago injected into the American education system was legislation creating private management of publicly funded K-12 schools.
Question is whether or not the American Education system is better off today than yesterday? Note I said system and not individual school.
Discussion whether for or against publicly funded privately managed charter schools gets diverted to suppose virtue of one charter school.
But, a charter school is not an island by itself but part of the larger publicly funded school system of charter and public schools in competition for enrollment and political influence.
I believe that 20 year change has not made the American school system better. What has happened is resources for the public schools have been diverted to private management.
Additionally, struggle between private and public for resources has diverted education dollars to that struggle.
Charter private management experiment has done harm to the American public school system. Public education was better off without the charter experiment 20 years ago.
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Let’s get Ms Ravitch to the White House – now! Please click on the link below to sign your name to the petition to President Obama to bring Diane Ravitch on board the last year of his presidency.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/441/312/837/
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Impossible for there to be a “good” charter if one thinks of a charter as adding to the system set up to compete with public school system. Both charter schools and public schools are competing for enrollment. Winning an enrollment strengthens one and weakens the other in the competition.
And, charter schools and public schools compete within the political system for advantage. An example is in California the California Charter School Association lobbied, and got passed, legislation requiring a school district wanting to sell its closed public school to first offer the property to interested charter schools at below market rate.
Part of the wealth of California public school districts will be by this law transferred to a charter school management that buys the former public school property.
Another example is that the California Charter School Association President publicly threatened, that if the Oakland School District did not include charter schools in its parcel tax measure, his organization would work for the parcel tax defeat. The Oakland School Board caved and included local charter schools in its parcel measure. And, the District paid cost of the election to the County and each year pays the cost of collecting the property tax measure to the County. The local charter schools campaigned for the tax measures passage but only the Oakland School District pays the county’s fee for collecting the tax.
The two taxpayer financed education system in their competition ultimately divert taxpayer money from providing education services to students to cost of lobbying. Both spend education dollars on political lobbying.
Even if there was a charter school that did not join charter school association that uses association dues to lobby at its state capitol or the national capitol the enrollment of students in the charter school strengthens charter school movement at a whole at the expense of public schools.
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I know about all the bad charter schools, and all the damage they do to the public school system. I know about syphoning money and doing end-runs around school boards and local control. And about all the other bad things about charter schools.
I’m just wondering if in this day and age, there are any examples anywhere of the type of charter school Al Shanker envisioned. (I’m pretty sure I know the answer. But I didn’t want to assume an answer without asking all of you out there who may possibly know of a school somewhere that is using public money to create a progressive, engaging, educational program – that is empowered to be innovative.)
Just wondering…
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There are several in Los Angeles and nearby you should check out. Los Angeles Leadership Academy, Environmental Charter Schools (middle and high school), and New Heights Charter (elementary). They were early charters, before the corporate takeover, and remain visionary in their individual way.
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Hannah: Progressive charter or not the interest of a privately managed and a publicly managed charter school are in opposition and in competition for enrollment and the public’s education dollar. There is a good chance that the charters you listed belong to the California Charter School Association that lobbies for education dollars for charters. These are education dollars that will not go to public schools.
Also, the California Charter School Association has a pack that takes charter school dollars to fund school board candidates that are charter friendly and will serve the interest of private charters over the interest of public schools.
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I’ve been saying for a couple of years now, “Do we want to be like the Chinese or the Finlanders?”
I recently read an older article about Chinese parenting and believe it reflects on the Chinese education system’s philosophy which is ingrained in their culture. Here is the website: “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” by Amy Chua http://www.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754
I also think it is interesting how the philosophy of push push push seems to be what some charter schools are promoting.
I vote for being more like the Finlanders!
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Hi,
Just came across an article referring to your call to Congress in 2014 to investigate Bill Gates for his undue influence on implementation of the Common Core. Just wondering whatever came of the call, and if it might possibly be worthwhile at this point in time to resurrect the call. Do you see it as a useful goal (one of many) for those looking for a concrete plan of action?
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Congress did nothing about Bill Gates and his sole ownership of the Common Core standards. Make it an issue.
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Well okay then. Anyone else out there interested in organizing a call to Congress? I have no experience in doing so, but I am 100% ready to direct my energy towards such a task.
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Alice, Instead I want to make the issue, to the President, to bring Diane Ravitch to the White House – now. Please go to the link below to sign your name to the petition to bring Ms Ravitch to help guide education policy in the last year of President Obama’s term.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/441/312/837/
Once Diane is safely there, I will help you with Bill Gates and Common Core.
Judy Fay
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http://tucson.com/news/opinion/john-pedicone-societal-shifts-have-changed-education/article_3f8e192d-fdc6-5c41-b728-d06def0a64de.html
I thought this was a rather thoughtful article. You have probably already seen it.
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What happened to “Jack Covey Reviews Eva’s ED Talk” on October 31, 2015, where a video was provided showing Eva Moskowitz say and reiterate at around 6:24 “My message is don’t treat children like children”?
Why was that page removed? It showed how this grossly overpaid non-educator is either ignorant of or values her personal opinion more than a very large body of scientific research in all areas of child development, such as in the physical, cognitive, social and emotional domains, including brain research, which demonstrates that children are not just little adults (Google that) and they should not be treated as if they were. No wonder Moskowitz refused to sign the agreement to comply with the regulations for PreK, since such regs are typically based on principles of child development…
Here’s the ED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY719-TpYas
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Glad to see that page is back now, instead of the 404 Page Not Found message that resulted earlier: https://dianeravitch.net/2015/10/31/jack-covey-reviews-evas-ed-talk/
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Hi Diane– I’m not sure how relevant it is, but you should know that a Coalition of “elite” colleges has proposed a new method of applying to their schools, which, among other things, suggests that students start keeping online “portfolios” as early as 9th grade. Many of us in the college counseling world see this as intrusion from above (although the lockers are “optional” that usually ends up meaning “required”) and a further distortion of education. You can see the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success website at http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org. I have begun a Facebook page opposing this development which has garnered over 500 members in a little more than 24 hours. It seems that colleges now consider applying to college more important than becoming academically prepared for college. https://www.facebook.com/groups/anticomplexity/1104063569603871/
Just another wrench to throw into the mix. Thanks for all your work.
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An upcoming book exposing more on the background and dangers in modern education and its testing and the surveillance state by Dr. Joseph P. Farrell (D.Phil. Oxford Univ.)
As an educator in the public system (college and high school level) I highly recommend this book. I was an early reader during the process and assure you that it will be a timely work with elections ahead in 2016.
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In light of the major upsets against reformers in places like Denver, it may seem small potatoes, but voters living in the North Lebanon PA School District have also taken back their schools.
Their incentives were two-fold: testing that was clearly designed to fail students and a superintendent who was under the misapprehension he ruled by divine right. I’m a professional writer and editor, so my daughter-in-law sent me copies of my grandson’s language tests. To say I was appalled is dramatic understatement, and knowing his failure nearly destroyed his love of reading only made it worse.
So, I provided her with edited copies, which she presented to the school board, along with similar protests from other parents. To no surprise, nothing much happened. So, the parents, teachers and other interested parties ran a slate to replace the board in the primary—and won handily. And yesterday, they won again with a bipartisan vote.
This is a tiny rural school district with 2500 students, where the superintendent was being paid $140,000 plus perks. It’s also, in my admittedly biased opinion, an exciting example of how people can take back their schools in the face of what seem to be powerful odds.
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Elizabeth, that is a wonderful story about citizens organizing to take back their schools. Sadly, the anti-“reformster” candidate in Denver lost. But many others did win. Fortunately for your grandchild’s district, the “reformer” billionaires didn’t pay attention and didn’t flood it with campaign contributions. No school leader should rule by divine right. Anyone who thinks he or she does should go….far away.
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I’m gathering data to write an article I’m tentatively titling “The War on Education for Noncombatants.” Given the long-range effects of the situation, it seems like a good use for my neglected journalism skills. And yes, I realized after I posted I’d confused Denver with JeffCo.
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They plan on winning state by state: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2015/11/states_may_get_more_control_ov.html
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Have you seen this, Diane?: http://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/post/polk-teachers-resignation-letter-hits-nerve#stream/0
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PhD level elementary school teacher in Fla quits due to testing.
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A kinder, gentler smokescreen: http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/11/give_charter_school_reform_a_c.html#incart_river
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Hi Diane, I have not been receiving the blog posts since the end of October. These used to come automatically to my email. I want to receive the posts and please let me know how to receive these again.
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Brandi, this is a problem many people have reported. Try deleting your link and start afresh. If that doesn’t work, contact Jon Pelto at jonpelto@gmail.com
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Thank you for your work, Ms. Ravitch. We just wanted to share some music that is inspired in part by your influence, and is in solidarity with the opt out movement as well as movements for equitable and child-centered education for all.
More Than a Score – https://youtu.be/aeMwxB4r_XA
Addition – https://youtu.be/R-7d2eKeKGk
With gratitude,
Caselli Jordan and Sterling Duns
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Can we have a different discussion regarding charter schools? One that doesn’t force us into the uncomfortable position of blindly defending public schools because we’re under such life and death attack. The “reform” movement agenda, of which privately funded charters are only one piece, completely drowns out all other conversation about public schools. We (those questioning the privately funded charter movement) have been forced to defend “public schools” as a single entity, without being able to discuss the many problems that public schools have and have had for decades. There seems to be a fear of that discussion as though it might prove that charters are necessary, in any form. (and I apologize if this has come up on this blog before. If it has, it can’t hurt to have the conversation again for those who missed it or are new…)
Can the conversation change from Charters – yes or no – to “what can we do to improve education for everyone in a free and appropriate system?” What can we do to move towards a positive education experience for all kids? Is it possible for a public school system to do such a thing when funded by tax payers only? Is the only way to offer viable options in education to allow private money in? Would the private benefactors be as interested in offering the alternatives they claim out-perform public schools if there was no money to be made? Where are the models of true learning in charters (as opposed to test score raising, behavior-modifying, Spec student-limiting charters we hear so much about) that public schools can be pressured to emulate? Are there more than a handful of those? Why aren’t they (if they exist) the models all other schools are striving to compete with? Can you imagine what it would look like if all public schools were in competition with each other to see which ones could be more authentic, more inclusive, more student-centered, more teacher empowering than the other? How amazing would it be if charters were competing for public money in order to provide the most developmentally appropriate, student-centered, authentic learning environments where teachers were empowered to teach and guide students to reach for the stars?!
Now those would be charters I would be willing to fight for!
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Good questions Alice. For now I will simply raise another question: why charters at all? I don’t understand why public schools should not or cannot be able to innovate. Educator-driven and community-supported innovations should be how public schools operate by default.
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Read that you were looking forward to Nebraska. Our experiences there have been very positive. Even I the sparsely populated Sand Hills, schools with 8 or 10 pupils turn out a population that always surprises us when we travel there. We have met a rancher who was a bird photographer, wonderful teaching friends in Norfolk, and even a great Rt museum in Thedford, a town of 200. What a great state.
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Public Education Partners continues to wake up the resistance to the destruction and privatization of public education in Ohio.
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Just got this message from Colin Powell, complete with White House logo at the top. Check out the subject line.
From: “The White House”
To: “stebbinshousehold”
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 11:04:41 AM
Subject: Let’s reinvent high school:
The White House, Washington
We want to talk to you about our nation’s high schools for a moment.
In 2008, the Department of Education required all states, for the first time, to use the same calculation for their high school graduation rate — a key accountability measure that this administration has embraced. In 2010, President Obama and Secretary Duncan joined the America’s Promise Alliance at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to launch the GradNation campaign, setting a national goal of a 90 percent high school completion rate by 2020.
We’re seeing tangible results.
High school graduation rates have risen and are continuing to rise across America. Preliminary data from the Department of Education for the 2013-2014 school year show the narrowing gap between students from low-income families, students of color, students with disabilities, English language learners and their peers.
This increase in graduation rates is the result of hard work by millions of young people, families, educators, community leaders, business leaders and policy makers who have come together to create brighter futures for young people.
But while we celebrate this progress, we need to be smarter and more persistent if we want to continue to raise graduation rates for all students.
Today, a diverse group of people is coming together at the White House to talk about how we can do that in a smart way. You should follow along, and join the conversation here.
Young people have to be a respected voice at the center of change. The only way this works is if they’re a part of the process.
The latest report out of our research institute asked young people who left school without graduating what would have helped them stay in school. Here’s what we found:
The most powerful “innovation” contributing to students’ success is support from caring adults in schools. Young people told us they need an anchor, someone whom they can trust to be a stable presence in their lives. Even better is a web of supportive adults and peers to help them navigate their way through life’s challenges and toward graduation and a successful adulthood.
Students who do not graduate on time have been stigmatized as ‘dropouts.’ But we’ve been listening to these young people and learning about the complex and extraordinary challenges they face — unstable housing, food insecurity, trauma, violence, physical and emotional abuse, and bullying. Leaving school may be a last resort — but it may also feel like their only option. We’re humbled by these students’ determination not only to survive, but to craft a safe and meaningful life and to fulfill their dreams.
Today, we want to applaud those participating in the White House Next Generation High School Summit working together to accelerate innovation that creates the conditions under which all children have a real chance to succeed.
We want to encourage everyone who participates in today’s conversation to be guided by the best evidence of what works. We hope we can ‘redesign’ in such a way that teachers and other adults in schools have the time and expectation to forge real and positive relationships at every turn.
And finally, let’s be persistent: The policies, practices and stigmas that contribute to opportunity gaps in this country were long in the making — and they will take time and attention to dismantle.
Tune in and let’s get this incredibly important work done.
Thank you,
General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.)
Founding Chair, America’s Promise Alliance
Alma J. Powell
Chair, America’s Promise Alliance
The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111
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Diane, I left my email address in the post (twice). Can you please remove it? Thanks. 😦
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Have you read the latest Michael Petrilli column: http://hechingerreport.org/reformers-push-to-improve-education-is-worthy-of-celebration-but-is-there-a-dark-side-too/
This is just ripe for satire:
“When people speak of Arne Duncan with tears in their eyes — explaining earnestly that he has always put kids first — it is because he epitomizes the virtuous self-image of the education reform movement. He has been our Knight Galahad. He was our Moses, leading us to the Promised Land of better opportunities for all of America’s children. Now that he’s stepping down, he will always be revered by some as St. Arne.”
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And millions of teachers, parents and children will be running for the barf bags.
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Love your blog and learn a lot from reading it. My nieces all go to NYC public school 1st and 2nd grade. The common core really stress them out. They used to love doing math and reading book. Their interest are drifting away. Our family are trying everything to help them. Is there any suggestion you have to help kids getting their common core? Thank you
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Can anyone out there help my students fight? I can’t. I am actually terrified to post this.
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/11/cleveland_students_protest_they_say_plans_to_split_up_rhodes_high_will_ruin_the_traditional_high_school_experience.html
Thank you,
A beat-down veteran teacher
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It seems as though you are facing a situation whereby ‘well meaning’ but disconnected adults are making decisions without input and consideration from the various stakeholders. So, some suggestions for consideration: 1) have the students specifically define just what the ‘traditional high school experience’ means to them. Is it athletic teams? chores? band? dances? and so on. Have then list all of them and then prioritize each; which is most important, etc.
Then have them ask the administration on what basis have they determined the program focus of the small schools. Was it based on student interest, or for some other reason?
I’m suggesting that you work toward a win-win dialogue: small schools, in and of themselves, if done with it’s original intention, is a way to connect and personalized the educational experience of the students. There are a number of ways to to configure small schools within a larger and historic high schools. And also keep the traditional high school experience.
The key, I feel, is to engage in productive dialogue with ‘stakeholders’, in this case the students, and the administration who are advocating/promoting this change with little input from those most affected.
Feel free to contact me about possible solutions to your situation.
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It really doesn’t matter what Ohio charters promise, they’ll always get what they want and never be held accountable: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/11/ohio_charter_schools_may_be_reeling_from_attacks_but_now_is_a_time_to_shine_national_experts_say.html#incart_river_index
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This aired on our local public radio station in Dallas KERA.
This was sparked by my daughter asking a question that reminded me of my wife’s first year of teaching. That year was quite a lesson for both of us. As I wrote it I could not help but think, the biggest problem that education faces these days is they’ve lost control of their narrative. Educators have far better stories to tell than any politician!
http://keranews.org/post/commentary-dark-secrets-classroom
Thank you all you great educators.
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The once (long, long ago) fairly good New Orleans Times-Picayune endorses David Vitter for governor of Louisiana. Part of its warped reasoning?
“Although the state budget will be the most pressing issue for the new governor and Legislature, continuing to improve public schools also is essential. In particular, it is vital to build on the academic progress in New Orleans with the growth of charter schools post-Katrina — and Sen. Vitter would do that.
“He supports charter schools and promises to add more high-quality preschool programs, focus on improving basic skills like reading, increase skills training at the high school level and trim Louisiana’s school administration costs. He also must ensure that the state keeps academic standards high and that students are measured against their peers in other states.”
Its times (no pun intended) that I realize that the nostalgia I have for my former home state needs to be tempered by shameful realities like this. To think that other states are racing to descend to this level.
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Here is a noteworthy topic out of Indiana. Last week, preliminary ISTEP scores were released. Schools got students scores on November 6th. Parents got a code, mailed to them in a letter, arriving on Thursday, November 5th. These letters had instructions on how to log in the following Monday, November 9th and view their child’s scores.
In previous years, the state has accompanied the scores with PDF of student work for teachers to review and request rescores for any student work that the teacher didn’t agree with the score given. This year, the state made a few things that will limit the amount of student work that could be rescored. Teachers are no longer able to ask the state to rescore any student work. In previous years, teachers were the only ones who ever requested a rescore. Starting this year, only parents can request the rescore. And the window to request a rescore was shortened. It could only be done November 9th-13th by parents who have never had to deal with rescoring and who don’t understand it or why it can be necessary. And heaven forbid you misplaced or didn’t understand what the letter with the code to view scores was. Since portions of the test are hand scored, mistakes can do happen every year. And we remember the ad on Craigslist to find graders, temp work paying $11/hr and the other problems with test graders. This is going to further affect student scores than just our new standards and our new test we had last spring. Also, student scores are tied to school grades and ratings and teacher evaluations. Teacher evaluations are tied to teachers raises and any increase in salary.
Last week was also a four day week for state offices, not for most schools. Many parents who tried to view their child’s scores reported technical problems. There were technical problems with parents trying to request a rescore too.
http://www.courierpress.com/news/education/making-the-grade/istep-rescore-request-up-to-parents-must-be-done-in-5-day-window-starting-monday-23cdbc53-7d1c-714d–341148541.html
http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/schools/parents-administrators-encounter-technical-difficulties-when-requesting-istep-rescore/article_56ea6fd8-eb40-532b-8c91-68ab15db2313.html
http://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/evsc-knew-istep-scores-would-be-down
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And one more thing about the ISTEP rescoring fiasco, the state did not send a pdf of student work so there was no way for parents or teachers to review test items that did not receive full credit to see if they needed rescoring. The only way to catch any and all errors was for every parent to request a rescoring for any test item that did not receive full credit. This will surely have a bigger negative impact on communities with higher poverty, just because parents in those communities have other distractions and may have missed the narrow window to view and request a rescore. Parents in poorer communities might not even have internet access.
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Maybe this has been posted and reposted many times before.
It seems like worthy of reposting. (minus the “winning” thing , because it really is more about moving forward, rather than winning. that seems too much like we bought into Arne’s race to the whatever thing…)
Peter Greene is brilliant. And articulate. And this is what we should be demanding…
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2014/04/what-would-winning-look-like.html
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At the risk of over-posting today, I had to end the day with this:
Here in New York, our esteemed Commissioner of Education, MaryEllen Elia, has set up a survey (AIMHighNY) for all stake holders to share their two-cents about all or some of the specific standards listed in the CCSS. She has made her intentions clear, however: “This is not a referendum on the standards. Only comments tied to a specific standard will be considered.”
I’ve visited the site several times. Tonight I couldn’t help myself. Here is one of the standards, and my rewrite follows: (sorry for the length.)
“Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments. They make conjectures and build a logical progression of statements to explore the truth of their conjectures. They are able to analyze situations by breaking them into cases, and can recognize and use counterexamples. They justify their conclusions, communicate them to others, and respond to the arguments of others. They reason inductively about data, making plausible arguments that take into account the context from which the data arose. Mathematically proficient students are also able to compare the effectiveness of two plausible arguments, distinguish correct logic or reasoning from that which is flawed, and-if there is a flaw in an argument-explain what it is. Elementary students can construct arguments using concrete referents such as objects, drawings, diagrams, and actions. Such arguments can make sense and be correct, even though they are not generalized or made formal until later grades. Later, students learn to determine domains to which an argument applies. Students at all grades can listen or read the arguments of others, decide whether they make sense, and ask useful questions to clarify or improve the arguments.”
(seriously, this is what’s written…)
To which I replied with my re-write:
“Educationally proficient State Education officials should use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments. They should make conjectures and build a logical progression of statements TO EXPLORE THE TRUTH OF THEIR CONJECTURE. They must analyze situations by breaking them into cases, and recognize and use counterexamples. THEY ABSOLUTELY MUST JUSTIFY THEIR CONCLUSIONS, communicate them to others, and respond to the arguments of others. THE HAVE GOT TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE and reason inductively about data, making plausible arguments that take into account the context from which the data arose. and be able to compare the effectiveness of two plausible arguments, DISTINGUISH BETWEEN CORRECT LOGIC OR REASONING FROM THAT WHICH IS FLAWED , and-if there is a flaw in an argument-explain what it is. Elementary students can construct arguments using concrete referents such as objects, drawings, diagrams, and actions. Such arguments can make sense and be correct, even though they are not generalized or made formal until later grades. Later, students learn to determine domains to which an argument applies. Students at all grades can listen or read the arguments of others, decide whether they make sense, and ask useful questions to clarify or improve the arguments. AND SO MUST NYSED OFFICIALS.”
not that I have an opinion or anything…
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Great Read:
The Hidden Agenda Behind 21st Century Learning
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mental-wealth/201509/the-hidden-agenda-behind-21st-century-learning
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Mark, I don’t have time to read this at the moment, but I’m going to make a prediction without even opening the link. The hidden agenda is “creating better worker productivity for the benefit of their corporate masters.”
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The full article is not available for free, so I didn’t get to see if I was right. Anyways, my point stands even if it is not brought up in the article. 🙂
“21st century learning” is a term employed with a mix of motives, and with a fluctuating hodgepodge of good and bad ideas…. Like “reform,” it has potential in its literal meaning, but unfortunately has become a buzzword used by the for-profit people who don’t understand much about how people learn and what is really important in life.
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Wondering if this is a meeting of “reformers”
http://bakerxchange.com/rv/ff0023afe49026e349f6699eb54daac5b298d579
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You’ll probably get a message from some of the Denver folks that you communicate with, but thought I’d throw a heads up. Today we got an email from Tom Boasberg that he’ll be taking a 6 month unpaid leave of absence. The claim is that he’ll return next July.
I’ll put money that he isn’t coming back. No one walk away from a top post for that long and just comes back. Funny that no one else was offered the chance to spend 6 months with their family.
I haven’t seen the announcement online, but I can forward the email if you’d like to see it. Use the email in my login here.
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[The following commentary appears in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser under the headline, “A bright future for public education.” Its authors are Darrel Galera, executive director of the Education Institute of Hawaii (EIH) and former principal of Moanalua High School, Roberta Mayor, EIH president and former principal of Waianae High School and education superintendent in Oakland, California, and Randall Roth, a University of Hawaii law professor and co-founder of EIH.]
The future could not be brighter for public education in Hawaii. To understand why, it helps to review a bit of recent history.
Prior to 2011, it was impossible to hold any politician or political body accountable for the quality of public education in Hawaii. Although the elected Board of Education appeared to be in charge, the Legislature and the governor each wielded comparable power.
Three strong-willed political offices were simultaneously trying to control a state Department of Education that provides tens of thousands of jobs and spends more than $2 billion annually. Each of the three — the school board, the Legislature and the governor — had enough power to frustrate the other two, but not enough to control anything.
Since 2010, the governor has had the power that governors have always had, plus the power to appoint all nine members of the state’s only school board. The Legislature continues to wield considerable power by controlling the level of appropriated funds, but enough power now resides in the governor to make accountability possible.
Unfortunately, under former Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s appointees and the superintendent they oversaw, the DOE became more centralized, more top-down, and more reliant on one-size-fits-all dictates to school-level personnel.
In the attempt to implement federal requirements agreed to as a condition of receiving Race to the Top funds, schools were systematically stripped of their ability to exercise local decision-making by DOE leadership who mandated the instructional and assessment processes. Morale at the school level plummeted, and student performance stagnated.
In his first State of the State address in January, Gov. David Ige promised to appoint school board members “who embrace school empowerment of our principals and teachers as the key to ensure student success,” and added that instead of issuing mandates from the state office, his appointees will focus on “empowering schools and delivering resources to the school level.”
Many have asked, “What, exactly, is school empowerment?”
School empowerment recognizes the uniqueness of each school community and that one size rarely fits all, which makes it nearly the opposite of Hawaii’s current management mentality.
An empowered-schools system requires a philosophical shift in which DOE employees fall into either of only two categories: those who work directly with students, and those who support the efforts of those who work directly with students.
Teachers in an empowered school determine the means by which to satisfy statewide standards and policies. They have ready access to information about their school’s budget and have a voice in all important matters affecting their respective school. They also play a meaningful role in holding their principal and other administrators accountable.
Principals have significantly greater control over financial and staffing decisions in empowered schools, but they must constantly engage the entire school community – teachers, parents, librarians, cafeteria workers, custodians and anyone else who sees the students daily – in meaningful discussions about spending, staffing, and curricular and instructional decisions.
Students in empowered schools have a voice that increases from elementary through high school, and student aspirations beyond high school determine student-centered learning programs in which learner empowerment and learner accountability are aligned and emphasized.
The people who set statewide standards and policies cease to control the means by which school-level personnel achieve desired results, and service providers cannot take for granted their “customers.” School-level personnel unhappy with services provided by the DOE have the option of seeking those services elsewhere.
The adults in an empowered-schools systems model share values such as collaboration, transparency, integrity, equity and life-long learning. They also embrace clarity of responsibility and mechanisms of accountability — especially those that focus on student achievement. Accountability without empowerment is unfair and ineffective, and empowerment without accountability would lead to chaos.
By empowering others, the governor is modeling leadership at its very best.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/editorialspremium/20151113_a_bright_future_for_public_education.html?id=348246111 (subscription required)
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I think the story below points to a unique “natural experiment” opportunity.
What outcomes will result when a Philadelphia magnet school is compelled to educate 133 middle school students from one of the city’s lowest performing schools?
Given the high status of the magnet school, and by association its teachers, the differences in the educational needs of the students from the neighborhood school vs the magnet, and the demographic differences of the students in these two schools, what insight might be gained into the variables that drive academic success?
Any researcher out there?
Newsworks November 18, 2015
Integration: What happens when magnet school suddenly drops admission criteria?
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/88333-integration-what-happens-when-a-magnet-school-suddenly-drops-admission-criteria?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newsworks%2Ffeaturedstories+%28NewsWorks%3A+Homepage+Feature%29
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Please sign our petition against a discriminatory program In Marin County, CA (the most liberal county in America) that is now trying to become a charter school. It’s been denied three times and is now going to the state. Check out our website for full details. http://www.saverossvalleyschools.com
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/cde-deny-ross-valley
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Hello Diane:
Just wanted to forward the Nassau County School Superintendents Letter from Bellmore, NY, repudiating state assessments and teacher evaluations.
NCCSS Letter to Governor Cuomo.pdf
125c038e-e477-4f19-ab91-5b7e13293851[1].pdf
Kindly,
Steve B
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Diane, this post is too long to use as a comment, but an Illinois teacher wrote an awesome response to those who criticize us …https://www.facebook.com/susanne.burkemadding?pnref=story
Title of post:Do Teachers Really Deserve the Same Pay as Other Degree-Wielding Folks?
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Eleanor, your link doesn’t work for me (I’m not on Facebook) but I would like to read it. If you don’t want to copy the whole post here perhaps you could copy the first few paragraphs or give some highlights.
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Here you go: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GW9vAadPYSuJU3SPOsLJ4RmXpys47oVpNDk4DW6g4w8/edit?usp=sharing
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Thanks Ted.
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Working the charter referees in Ohio: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/11/illegal_charter_school_ratings.html#incart_river_index
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Question: What’s behind New York State Commissioner of Education, MaryEllen Elia’s repeated calls for feedback on the CCSS, and how is NYSUT responding?
As a New York State classroom teacher, I have been the recipient of numerous letters from Commissioner MaryEllen Elia over the past few months. She has asked us repeatedly to respond to her survey AIMHighNY, to provide feedback on individual standards from the CCSS. The increased reminders recently sent, together with suggestions that teachers ask principals for release time to complete the survey(?!) indicate that maybe the SED hasn’t heard from as many people as it had hoped.
But I suspect there is more going on here.
I have enormous concerns about the true intent of the survey process. My suspicion is it has little to do with gaining real and actionable feedback about standards, but rather, it is aimed at placating the masses and warding off the strong and vocal Opt-out movement. If real feedback was the goal, the entire format and questioning process would be fundamentally different, and the Commissioner would not have a letter prefacing the survey that says: (her emphasis)
“This is not a referendum on the standards. Only comments tied to a specific standard will be considered…
…The following principles will guide this review:
* Focus on the standards: The review will focus on the substance of the actual standards themselves.
* Improve what already exists; don’t start over: The intent is to improve current standards based on public input from parents, educators, administrators, etc.
I’m also concerned about NYSUT’s involvement in the process, unless and until the Commissioner’s words are addressed. The Commissioner is clearly not interested in the fundamental problems inherent in the standards (not the least of which is the engageny curriculum materials that were developed to supposedly help teachers address the standards.) The Commissioner only wants us to help her rebuild the plane in mid-air, and has defiantly stated she does not want to discuss the merits (insanity?) of building a plane in mid-air to begin with.
The questions being asked are flawed. The process itself is flawed.
NYSUT should most definitely not be complicit in this process.
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I was thrilled to see the posting today about NYSAPE’s alternative survey! They created it for the same reasons I mentioned above.
Please take their survey. It’s very user-friendly, and we need to be heard here in NY:
(I don’t know how to create a hyperlink on this site, sorry…)
http://www.nysape.org/nysape-pr-elia-survey.html?can_id=58b36d5a90ffaeab2e2c210ae1b5a7cd&source=email-urgent-please-complete-nysape-common-core-survey-new-press-release&email_referrer=urgent-please-complete-nysape-common-core-survey-new-press-release&email_subject=urgent-please-complete-nysape-common-core-survey-new-press-release
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Would love to see the results of this survey.
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Dear Dr. Ravitch,
I am a big fan of your book, “The Language Police,” and have referred to it for years in my humanities and language classes. Do you think this story relates to themes in your book? If so, what do you make of this?
http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/30532415/controversy-over-local-high-school-students-tweet
Thank you,
S.D.
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The Language Police never slumber
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I just heard Hillary Clinton speak in Boulder. She did say that education policy should be set only after the data has been examined to show it will be effective.
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“Small reforms that miss the big picture” – my response to the recent “no excuses discipline” blog post: http://ed-detective.org/2015/11/30/small-reforms-that-miss-the-big-picture/
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Something cheery.
EFF Files Complaint Against Google For Invading Student Privacy
http://www.rttnews.com/2586939/eff-files-complaint-against-google-for-invading-student-privacy.aspx?type=corp
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