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 
Mark Zuckerberg’s latest philanthropic stunt was not about “generosity,” it was a step to consolidate power. His primary motive is to ensure a future where he can shape the market — and society. By donating shares over a lifetime, he is taking virtually zero risk, and allowing for more tax writeoffs — meanwhile, he gives us the impression that he is a great leader and savior. His influence grows.
Some would call me a conspiracy theorist for this idea, but we know on this website that when billionaires decide to donate their “fortunes”… they tend to want something in return…..
I predict he will soon make his way into the education “market.” And who will be able to refuse his ideas? He is, after all, a great philanthropist.
Feel free to prove me wrong, anyone.
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Reading this article may clear up what a philanthropist is. Giving with control strings and a expectation of a return is far from a true philanthropist. http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2015/12/is-educational-philanthropy-jumbo-shrimp.html
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Yes, Gary, I should have put “philanthropist” in quotes to make it more clear 😉
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I write a newspaper column, some of which have appeared on this blog. After being accused of “trying to ruin America,” and myriad other similar vile and insulting characterizations, I have made a vow not to attribute motive to people I don’t know and with whom I have never talked.
Don’t know that I would go so far as to use the word “conspiracy,” but when we assume evil intent on the part of anyone with whom we disagree, we do nothing to advance our cause or our democracy. Let’s see how Z’s gift works out and how he uses what he learned from his disastrous Newark experiment.
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You don’t have to look into peoples’ motives, but I’m certainly going to. Especially the motives of ultra wealthy and powerful people. While I have never spoken with “Z” personally, that is hardly a reason to stay silent and assume innocence. You don’t have to speak with someone personally to “know” information about them. And my theory is not simply because “I disagree.” His words and actions have been loud and clear over the years. Very most likely, he doesn’t give a damn about you or me.
And most people ARE attributing motive based off his recent action — that they are good and pure. I hate calling people naive, but people are being very naive about this. I am worried how many comments I’ve seen on various websites that are actually attempts to shut down discussion, as if “Z” is now beyond criticism or suspect. He gave billions of dollars! Shut up and like him, he’s a good person for sure! This is the same thing lots of people say about Bill Gates. I’m sure Gates and Zuckerberg warmly welcome the millions of people who will rush to their defense on any issue. Perhaps, as I stated earlier, that’s a main reason “Z” took the action that he did?
Time will tell best, but don’t look the other way…
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Have you read Dale Russakoff”s book on Zuckerberg’s billion dollar gift in Newark? It informs my thinking. I need some information from folks–even if not in direct conversation–before I can claim to understand motive. I have written highly critical pieces about Gates and others without assuming their motives, simply examining their behavior. Z doesn’t have enough history for me to make a judgement one way or the other, but I’m interested to see how he applies what he learned from his Newark experience. I will follow his philanthropy with interest. BTW, my husband and I contributed a chunk of appreciated stock in a company we now disdain. We gave it to our community foundation with “strings” attached. The funds must be used to enhance the educations of economically disadvantaged students in our local public schools. Not enough to give us any significant power, but our way of doing a little bit. What was our motive?
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Another note: “Malicious intent” is not quite the same thing as “inspired selfishness.” You don’t necessarily have to be “evil” to be very very good at growing your own power while manipulating others.
In all honesty, I don’t know enough to say that Zuckerberg is evil. I think few people really are. But evil events don’t require malicious intent.
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Myra, I have not read that book. I wonder if it offers a balanced point of view. Would you care to share the conclusion?
What I have done is follow Z’s Facebook operations closely. I have taken note of the things he’s said, the policies he’s endorsed, the way his website works, his whole point of view on social media and privacy rights, and how he regards people when they disagree with him. There are lots of “tells” about motive. For example, aside from the NSA, Zuckerberg’s social media platform remains the biggest threat to both privacy rights and net neutrality* — despite public outcry that what he is doing is wrong. That’s a good sign you care more about profits than people.
As for your own pursuits, I have not followed your life and will not claim to know anything about it. I do believe that people can make charitable contributions with good intentions, and good things can come out of them. I have strong reason to believe there is more to it than that, in Zuckerberg’s case.
*(His attitude is along the lines of “no such thing as privacy rights anymore,” and yet he wants to restrict the free flow of information for/from all us regular people. Talk about a massive and nonsensical contradiction…)
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Here is the link to the column I wrote about that book, even before I f issued it! I think Diane ran it here, too. http://m.onlineathens.com/opinion/2015-09-26/blackmon-real-education-reform-must-involve-teachers-parents-community#article=68908675C9823EBB9A42FDF8533994598F44
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Ed Detective speaks truth. Thank you for standing strong, and I like your objective perspective. Keep commenting because we readers need to learn and think for ourselves. I look forward to your thoughts.
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Zuckerberg and his predecessor Billy Gates are trying to create a world that from there bias would be perfect for everyone they know.
The United States represents 4% of the World’s population.
When the Z-Gates of America speak about the future they just continue the perception of American Arrogance.
If they each gave a billion dollars (2BIL) to the 3.6 Million teachers in America we would each get around $6000 to spend in our Classrooms.
They could feel good about “helping children & mankind” and I think we would spend the money wisely. Then they could leave us alone to do what they do: manipulate technology for profit and we could do what we do: teach.
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Ed, the book is a fascinating look by an experienced reporter. The conclusion is that the reform stuff won’t work, local buy-in and participation is essential, and that any reform efforts must include community leaders and take culture into account. Zuckerberg’s learned from the experience that it takes more than money. You and I are j the same two and I highly recommend the book. It’s on the NYT List of Best Books of the Year. The ebook, as I recall, is less than $15. Worth every penny. I may re-read it over the holidays.
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As an educator, I have no use for the U.S. Department of Education.
The fact is, as parents and educators begin to understand the infinite failures of federal initiatives such as No Child Left Behind, the carrot-on-a-stick incentive on steroids called Race to the Top and the soon-to-be-passed version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act — dubbed the Every Student Succeeds Act — this bloated department of non-educators has wasted tax dollars and ruined millions of children’s lives over the past four decades.
It is an experiment gone awry and it’s time for the U.S. Department of Education to go.
It’s as simple as that.
Now that our new acting secretary of education will be John King — the man who oversaw New York State’s disastrous rollout of the Common Core State Standards — that only makes my claim that much stronger.
The U.S. Department of Education was formed in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies. It now has 4,400 employees and a $68 billion budget.
The department claims to establish policies on federal financial aid for education. It also collects data on our schools and shares research. Finally, it asserts to focus national attention on key educational issues and pretends to prohibit discrimination and ensure equal access to education.
My question is, when was the last time this institution actually produced something positive for our children? According to the Department of Education’s website, its mission is to “promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.”
In practice, it has churned out one bad policy after another, policies that have been wreaking havoc on our public schools. This department has left a wake of children who have been tested to death and also degraded educators by reducing them to numbers.
What may have sounded like a good idea at the time, some 35 years ago, has proven to be both inefficient and unconstitutional. I don’t believe in federal control of our schools. I feel many of our parents and teachers can figure out for themselves how to educate our children. The challenge of a great education is best addressed as close to the student as possible. Local control should chart its own courses on education.
I fear the latest iteration of a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act will perpetuate and enforce the terrible educational mindset of “How intelligent are you?” instead of “How are you intelligent?”
You can bet that the Department of Education won’t be far behind waiting to craft and enforce ridiculous policies, technology driven programs and unfunded mandates that schools will have to comply with.
By abolishing this behemoth, we will be better served to identify a child’s strength’s and interests while providing opportunities for all children to soar at the local level — right where all this belongs
Michael Hynes is the Patchogue-Medford School District superintendent.
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Michael Hynes, you are absolutely right. YA2R is a term I have to realize means “Thank you for your opinion, but nobody is going to do anything about it!”
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Time to Abolish the Department of Education
http://www.greaterpatchogue.com/2015/12/hynes-time-to-abolish-the-u-s-department-of-education/
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An open letter about Being a Hero to parents who are tempted by Trump:
Please don’t give in to Trump’s messages of hatred and mistrust. He’s drugging you with the hypnotism of your worst fears (like the poppy scene in the Wizard of Oz), and you’re allowing him to get away with it. STOP NOW, before it’s too late, before your sweet, trusting children become angry and mistrusting and insular and bigoted and racist and mean-spirited. JUST SAY NO!!! Anger and mistrust are contagious, and will kill your child’s spirit.
I’m a retired primary school teacher. Every Thanksgiving, I used to teach how America welcomes immigrants from far and wide. I’d read uplifting stories of journeys to America, and encourage the parents to share their culture (clothes, stories, music, food) with our class. We’d have an international potluck dinner, where I’d invite families to send in their favorite feast foods, and join us for a Thanksgiving feast. For years, parents and children of different cultures felt welcomed and appreciated. The image of America welcoming its immigrants was appreciated and enjoyed by all. DON’T LET THAT END!!! (Well – New York State now forbids parents from bringing cooked food to school, and probably bans parents from parties. But that’s a different letter.)
Throughout the year, I’d read wonderful stories of neighbors helping neighbors, of friends helping the less fortunate, of people looking after each other. Like many teachers, I purchased books that inspired me, and I’ve recently been TRYING to throw or give some of them away, in the hopes of making more room in my garage. There I sat this week, reading and rereading the books that moved me – and your children – to want to do better deeds, to be better people. Do you remember any of these? A Chair For My Mother, by Vera B. Williams. The Trees of the Dancing Goats, by Patricia Polacco. Mrs. Katz and Tush, by Patricia Polacco. Okay – anything by Patricia Polacco. Did you like your child feeling inspired by good people in books? Do you really want this to end?
Be a role model for your child. Know that NOW is the time to be a new kind of hero, to stand up to intolerance and hatred, to help make our country more loving and accepting again, so that anger and fury don’t inhabit the spirit of our country. Really. Be a Hero.
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As a parent and a taxpayer, my concern is in regards to ensuring that all children with the cognitive ability to learn on or above grade level, can be grade level proficient in Reading and Writing and have Numeracy skills. But unfortunatley, the current system does not do a wonderful job in that area for the majority of students. Who is on the front lines every day with these students? It is the teacher. Therefore FAPE is not provided if the student is not able to work on grade level and close any gaps in their educational foundation. It is akin to malpractice to allow students that can learn and work at grade level, to fall further and further behind in grade level literacy or numeracy skills! The majority of schools refuse to even say the words Dyslexia, Dysgraphia or Dyscalculia, let alone have a clue as to how to remediate it. The evidence is out there and demonstrates that “whole language and leveled reading” does not work for the majority of students in the classroom today, yet they continue to use it, while Orton Gillingham, Barton and other methodologies have been proven to work with those students that struggle, as well as those that do not. So why then do we continue to use F&P over “independent scientific, replicated research which supports the use of a reading and spelling system that is simultaneously multisensory, systematic, and cumulative with direct and explicit instruction in both synthetic and analytic phonics with intense practice?” Please enlighten me as to why there are so many students graduating from high school with a high school diploma (vs an IEP diploma) that still cannot read and write or do math at grade level? That are not able to enter community college without taking at least 1 or more remedial classes because they did not reach grade level proficiency which their high school diploma implied they had? How come so many students end up dropping out, in jail or on welfare, due to not having the skills they need to be employable in today’s very technical world where literacy is a given? How many students and young adults will continue to be left behind??? How many more generations of students must we fail? Please enlighten me?
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Mia on 12/2/15 you stated:
“The evidence is out there and demonstrates that “whole language and leveled reading” does not work for the majority of students in the classroom today, yet they continue to use it, while Orton Gillingham, Barton and other methodologies have been proven to work with those students that struggle, as well as those that do not. So why then do we continue to use F&P over “independent scientific, replicated research which supports the use of a reading and spelling system that is simultaneously multisensory, systematic, and cumulative with direct and explicit instruction in both synthetic and analytic phonics with intense practice?”
Whole Language is long gone; Common Core is grounded in the phonetic approach. As regards “leveled reading” if you are referring to leveled text, that is essential for the primary student especially the emergent reader. Leveling text focuses on: content, illustrations, length, curriculum, language structure, judgment and format – not just the readability of a text determined by DRP, Lexile, and “syntax and cohesion.” Literacy Collaborative and the Arkansas Literacy programs are guided by the Constructivists philosophy which guided Marie Clay in developing her reading program. Her program brings together background knowledge, skills, and abilities of the student- a three cueing approach. Her program goes beyond involving the senses and doesn’t tax the memory; her program contextualizes the reading program.
Orton Gillingham and the Barton approach will help a student decode but not comprehend. Like “Reading First” it is a heavy dose of phonics via direct teaching- emphasizes is on decoding which according to a congressionally mandated study found it to be flawed as reported in “Federal Path for Reading Questioned” 12/1/08 in Education Week http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/12/03/14read_ep.h28.html states,
“The $6 billion spent on the program has helped students with basic decoding but not with understanding, a major study finds.”
December 1, 2008 – Education Week
Intensive systematic phonics deemphasizes the role of pleasure reading in school. As recently noted on this blog, pleasure reading helps develop parts of our brain. It also is necessary to develop an understanding of the “complexities of social life.”
Starting with the emergent reader, stories are related to the student which is contrary to the phonetic approach of the Orton Gillingham, Barton, and Reading First. The phonetic approach utilizes contrived stories to reinforce phonetic elements taught. Contrary to the phonetic approach, the contextualized approach gives students other tools to gain meaning from the text beside just phonics. Words are unlocked via accompanying illustrations, repetition, initial consonants, rhyme, but above all, relating the story to their experience – semantic clues. Phonics is only one of the many tools used. Besides phonics only give a student an approximate pronunciation of a word.
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In California high school diploma did not guarantee a 12th grade level proficiency in math, reading and writing at graduation. A high school diploma meant the child was proficient at the minimum level and in California when I was teaching that was 9th grade. In Texas when G. W. Bush was governor it was 4th grade. Minimum proficiency levels are different for most states and some states don’t even have them.
A student’s proficiency level has very little to do with teaching and, for instance, more to do with a child who reads or doesn’t read at an early age or does and doesn’t do class work or homework.
The children you are talking about do not do well in school in any country tested by PISA.
For instance, “Poor ranking on international test misleading about U.S. student performance, Stanford researcher finds”
“There is an achievement gap between more and less disadvantaged students in every country; surprisingly, that gap is smaller in the United States than in similar post-industrial countries, and not much larger than in the very highest scoring countries.
“Achievement of U.S. disadvantaged students has been rising rapidly over time, while achievement of disadvantaged students in countries to which the United States is frequently unfavorably compared – Canada, Finland and Korea, for example – has been falling rapidly.”
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2013/january/test-scores-ranking-011513.html
Do you think it is reasonable to demand that every child in the United States graduate from high school college and career ready when this has never happened in any country in history up to the second you read this?
Fact: every child does not come to school ready to cooperator with teachers and learn.
And you want to blame the public schools and the public teachers for what no teacher in the world has the power to change on their own without support from children, parents, other teachers, administrators and the govenrment?
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1. There’s no such thing as grade level. It’s a made-up concept by people who do not understand education or human development, and usually pushed by politicians. Just saying.
2. Poverty and culture play an indisputable role in this “failure” of students to graduate with literacy and numeracy skills. Anyone who misses the evidence is not looking.
3. Another part of the problem is that our schools are too standardized and stuck on outdated practices, even under the vision of many educators. Not every child comes to school ready to cooperate, of course. However, if educators and administrators are willing to put punitive responses by the wayside, substitute empathy, and adapt to student needs rather than insist on a standardized curriculum (“grade level” is all about standardization, you can assess literacy without ever bringing “grade level” into the discussion) — most these students are capable of positive transformation. The most disengaged students often just have a different set of needs than what is (or how it is) being offered by schools. Physical and psychological needs first, academics second. This is a social problem, but at the same time schools need to understand this truth and not exacerbate the problem by pushing academics as the most important thing on students who are in physical and psychological distress. It is not always THE STUDENT who needs to “cooperate.” Schools and teachers, rather, need to cooperate with THE STUDENT. The most troubled students will surely not transform if you work AGAINST them. Literacy is much more likely to develop if you start where they are, which is not what schools typically do.
4. The answer is not charter schools or private schools, which would only intensify the issue that was raised. Public schools must be improved, best if they are “allowed” to improve in meaningful ways in the first place.
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http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/education/2015/12/13/computer-glitch-could-have-misscored-thousands-istep-tests-scoring-supervisors-say/77102522/
“But when questions were raised about the integrity of the exams already scored, Conarroe became agitated and said the company was not going to redo eight days of work, according to the seven supervisors who spoke with The Star and were present at the meeting.”
“The decision not to rescore the tests prior to that deeply troubled the supervisors who spoke to The Star. One said 1.2 million individual responses were graded during the eight days before the malfunction was discovered. Redoing that work, some supervisors estimated, would have cost the company at least $500,000. The decision not to rescore came less than two months after the state dropped CTB as its ISTEP vendor for 2016, some supervisors noted.”
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Hello Readers and Writers of the Blog,
Am I missing something? Why don’t I feel the joy and victory my union leaders feel over ESSA? Why is my response to the email below not “Oh thank you, thank you,” but rather “Are you kidding me?!” Please help me here.
Email received this morning from Randi Weingarten, president of AFT:
(I received something similar from my state union leadership, NYSUT, as well…)
Over the last 11 months, something happened that’s become all too rare in Washington, D.C.—Congress found common ground and passed a historic and important bill, the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Sens. Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray and Reps. John Kline and Bobby Scott worked tirelessly to forge a compromise to fix No Child Left Behind. Thanks to their leadership, and your activism, the door is now open to the most promising change in federal education policy in decades.
Let’s make sure they know we appreciate their effort. Sign our thank-you card to the House and Senate leaders who never gave up on fixing No Child Left Behind.
The AFT was involved in writing this new law at every step of the way, and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. We were in the trenches every day—from the big fights to slam the door on the test-and-punish fixation or stop bad ideas like portability and block grants, to less-heralded but still important victories like expanding support for community schools and improving sex education.
Along the way, the talks could easily have broken down many times. It’s hard enough to get anything done in Congress right now, much less on a tough issue like education.
But these four leaders never gave up. They never threw up their hands. And they never shut us out. They left their comfort zones and talked to diverse parties in search of common ground. They stayed focused. And in the end, they forged a bill that will help us end the era of top-down accountability and usher in a new era of shared responsibility.
Sign our thank-you card to the House and Senate leaders who helped fix No Child Left Behind.
Politics can be messy, but when parties are willing to listen, understand and compromise, good things can happen. And that’s what these four leaders did.
We need more of that in Washington, and at all levels of government.
Sign the card, and help us show that we appreciate leaders who are willing to do the hard work of finding compromise.
In unity,
Randi Weingarten
AFT President
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I shared your feelings, Alice. For now, I see the new Act as a small concession. The best positive aspect of it could be that it’s impact is so small that the powerful opt out movement will hopefully remain in full force.
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Will not miss the spin of Arne Duncan. For those who can handle it, one more Washington Post (unapologetic and self-congratulatory) interview with the departing Secretary of Education: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2015/12/17/days-from-leaving-office-education-secretary-arne-duncan-talks-about-successes-failures/
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I will not be posting any fond farewells to Arne, who did more damage to education, teachers, and public education than any other secretary
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Not many people are paying attention to the Oregon test audit bill that was passed this last session of the legislature. This bill directs the Secretary of State, Jeanne P. Atkins, to conduct an audit related to the use in the public schools of statewide summative assessments developed by a multistate consortium. the Secretary of State shall submit a report on the audit to the Superintendent of Public Instruction and to the interim legislative committees on education, a report no later than September 15, 2016.
The audit required must:
a) Gather information on the fiscal, administrative and educational impacts of the statewide summative assessments on the public school s of this state, including the impacts on instructional time, curricula, educators’ exercise of professional judgement, budgets and administrative time and focus.
b) Identify potential problems with other performance measurement systems used in Oregon and other states that could occur with implementation of the statewide summative assessments.
c) Make recommendations for improving statewide summative assessment processes, effects and outputs.
Angry Grandparents Against High Stakes Testing is working to inform the public of the test audit bill and asking citizens to write the Sec. of State, Governor and legislators that they support the intent of this bill and its potential to help improve the assessment system in Oregon as outlined in the February, 2015, report “A New Path For Oregon: System of Assessment to Empower Meaningful Student Learning.”
The Every Student Succeeds Act, which replaces the No Child Left Behind Act, places more control back into the states. The test audit bill has come at an opportune time to help our decision makers in planning for the future.
The citizens of Oregon should be able to trust our leaders to make decisions in the best interest of the students, teachers, communities, and tax-payers. I say trust but validate. The test audit bill will help in the validation process.
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Evidence mounts that Kasich and cronies orchestrated Youngstown takeover. Not that we didn’t know. But now the evidence is emerging: http://www.plunderbund.com/2015/12/20/exclusive-emails-documents-show-kasich-ross-led-plan-to-takeover-youngstown/
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Wonderful article about how to help make school work for the poor: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/this-superintendent-has-figured-out-how-to-make-school-work-for-poor-kids/2015/12/20/cadac2ca-a4e6-11e5-ad3f-991ce3374e23_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines
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Four schools in New Orleans on voucher probation. A quick look at the chart tells a lot about why private schools froth over the prospect of getting public funds to stay in business: http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2015/12/new_orleans_voucher_school_sco.html#incart_most-read_
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There is a person his name was Ron Lewis. Does anyone feel this man was murder? The reason I say that is because of Gulen? I saw this story in the paper . I grew up 3 minutes from Gulens compound in Saylorsburg Pennsylvania. If any person has any info on the please send if possible? This Gulen is a very powerful man. Just asking questions. God Speed
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Are you talkign about this story that ran in the Chicago Sun-Times
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/1198269/longtime-des-plaines-teacher-dies-month-car-explosion
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What does it mean when “the kids” vote for Bernie over Hillary by such a wide margin…? http://ed-detective.org/2015/12/05/bernie-wins-the-youth-in-a-landslide-what-does-it-mean/
Good teachers respect what the students have to say, and know that they say things for a reason. Not because they’re “just a bunch of dumb kids.”
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Diane, I thought you might find this interesting. From Colorado:
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29304271/colorado-juniors-will-take-sat-college-entrance-exam
I take this as a totally political move. They are making the change mid year when many schools start helping the juniors prep for the ACT back in September. So basically they are throwing the class of 2017 under the us.
I just wrote this letter:
Dear Colorado Department of Education and Colorado State Board of Education,
I just read that you made a decision right before the Christmas holiday that will affect every junior in the state of Colorado. It was a tiny story that I am sure you were hoping would not get noticed by the vast majority of high school parents and students.
Changing the state mandate to use the SAT instead of the ACT in the middle of the school year is outrageous and shows how out of touch you are with actual students and schools in this state. Did you speak to the school districts, parents, or students before you made this egregious decision?
In many schools, students have been practicing for the test since September. In my daughter’s school, Denver School of the Arts, she has been required to do assignments since September in preparation for the spring ACT. This is a pass/fail class where the work is done outside of class. I know another junior at South High School who is scheduled to start a semester-long ACT prep class in January as an elective at her school. I am sure there are many other examples of this across Denver and the state.
Granted my daughter can still take the ACT if we pay for it. But, now the school must switch gears to administer the SAT in the spring. We have no plans to have my daughter take the SAT. She will continue on the path to take the ACT. We chose to concentrate on one test for a number of reasons: 1) the ACT would be given free of charge to all students in the state 2) she has a language processing disorder and has a 504 plan and needs extra time which requires us to apply to two different organizations if she takes both the SAT and ACT 3) colleges across the country that still require tests for admissions take either the SAT or ACT; it makes no difference 4) SAT has been completely overhauled for 2016 so it’s not the best year to try that test when so much rides on doing well 5) she does better in math and science and the ACT has a science component.
By switching mid-year, you have prevented her from applying for extra time for the SAT because that ship has sailed. Her school will no doubt have to drop their ACT prep schedule and move to SAT prep so we will have to resume the brunt of the ACT prep at home or pay for it ourselves.
What were you thinking doing this in the middle of the school year? Why did you decide to throw the class of 2017 under the bus? I assume it is all wrapped up in the corporate education reform movement and the SAT’s new alignment with Common Core. There is no doubt that it was all about politics and not about the students’ best interest. You could have waited until 2017 so that both the students and schools could make adjustments. But, alas, that makes too much sense for a government body.
Do you know that the scores these students receive on either the ACT or SAT qualify them for scholarship money at colleges? Why are you willing to mess with their success this year? Many many parents cannot afford college tuition and are counting on every bit of scholarship and financial aid their children get. It’s on you if the class of 2017 does worse than expected in that realm. I am holding you responsible.
Why experiment with a different test on the first year that the test is completely redone? It makes no sense. The College Board couldn’t even be bothered to return the students’ PSAT scores in a timely fashion. My daughter took both a practice ACT and the PSAT in the last few months. She was told that the PSAT scores would be returned the second week of December. She did not receive the results. They now say the end of January. She did, however, receive the results of her practice ACT, and she used the results to do another practice assignment as directed by the school. We have no idea how she did on the PSAT and no firm date when she will receive those results.
I am making it my mission that this incredibly poor decision that you made is socialized everywhere. It is really too bad that the CDE and the State Board of Education don’t take into consideration what will happen to the students and schools when making their decisions. The only entities that matter are corporations and political policy. Another epically bad decision made for Colorado students, specifically the class of 2017.
Regards,
Tia Marsh
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It’s completely outrageous. Notice the public comment period is over the Christmas holiday when students and teachers are on vacation.
Colorado students have been taking the ACT since 2001. It’s the only reliable set of data we have to measure student achievement, since the PARCC is worthless.
It’s time to look at contributions from the College Board. I know our new commissioner received donations from the College Board when he was a a pro voucher, pro ESA, pro for profit charter school legislator in Arizona and ALEC member.
Where is the accountability?
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It remains to be seen how Every Student Succeeds will play out in real time with real people, but some of the key words have a familiar ring: statewide assessments, school ratings, accountability, evaluation, and competition. Will this be a rose of a different name, or continue to be a thorn?
Even if substantially good-for-kids legislation emerges, the negative effects of NCLB and RTT will be felt in classrooms for years. There will have to be some serious ‘undoing,’ and that’s going to take some time. My suggestion to teachers: Continue to do the things you know are good for your students. If you’re not doing them now, start.
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Poverty is “a” problem, not “the” problem: http://ed-detective.org/2015/12/29/poverty-is-not-the-problem-it-is-a-problem/
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Who knew that crooked charter school closings would verify a perverse form of trickle down economics?: http://www.ohio.com/news/local/closed-charter-school-leaves-others-with-financial-woes-1.651151
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I am interested in starting a conversation that seems to be entirely absent from my corner of the education world, and that is to raise the question of why have school at all at this point? What is/should be the purpose of school? I know people have raised the question in the past, and I don’t mean to recycle the arguments that have been made which ranged from the very cynical (training patriots, free day care, building compliant workers) to the more hopeful (teaching children to be with others, to gain basic skills and knowledge…).
But we are not asking that question these days. We are instead fighting over high stakes, standardized testing, which is how students and schools are being assessed, but how can you assess if you have not made clear what your goals are? New York State says its goals are for students to be college and career ready. What does that even mean? The common core was dropped on public education with no debate or discussion and states were blackmailed into adopting it, often sight unseen. We have been so busy fighting for our survival in public education, in trying to keep our heads above water trying to meet the impossible and constantly moving targets states and the feds have thrown at us that we have not had the time to ask what we should be doing. And while I don’t know the answer to that question, I do know that we should not be twisting ourselves into knots trying to satisfy the political and economic agendas of the corporate and political interests calling the shots.
So, if we were to focus on what is good for children, should we still have schools? If so, why, what do we want from them? What do we want for our children who attend school, or will attend school over the next decades? I’d appreciate your thoughts on the question. Thanks.
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Hi Doug, I completely understand where you’re coming from. I think about these questions myself and attempt to answer them. If you click on my name, it will take you to my website where you can find books, blog posts, and a database of resources that will help you approach this problem.
My own conclusion is that school is still worth having in the 21st century, as it is a place for different people to come together and learn more effectively and efficiently — but only if we can fundamentally change what school is, adopting the right mindset of progress and true concern for childrens’ and communities’ needs, desires, opinions, and overall development. Included in this solution would be the need for politicians and businesspeople to stop dictating educational methods and agendas. Educators should develop policy and practice, and then be trusted — within a loose framework of oversight or “checks-and-balances.”
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And by the way, school in Finland is closest to this model.
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Doug Selwyn,
The purpose of school is to create informed citizens to sustain and improve our society into the future. Schools should prepare students to become independent, able to care for themselves, their families, and their communities. The purpose of school is to develop the skills and talents of every student. Before there were public schools, there were private academies for the children of the wealthy, church schools for some children, “dame schools” for others, some community schools that were open a few months a year. The city streets teemed with vagrant children, illiterate and unschooled. Do you get the idea of why we have schools?
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I want children to grow up loving to read. I want them to be avid readers who read what interests them. I want them to grow up as critical thinkers and problem solvers. I want them to grow up thinking on their own instead of letting some pompous fool like Rush Limbaugh do their thinking for them. I want children who grow up to question authority. I want children who grow up to pay attention to what’s going on instead of becoming sheep that follow some religious charlatan or self proclaimed CEO of a corporate god. I want children to grow up and be life-long learners because avid readers are often life-long learners. I want children who grow up taking walks without ears filled by plugs that fills their heads with noise. I want children who don’t walk around texting and not paying no attention to what’s around them. I want children who socialize with other children and adults, and I want adults who socialize with adults and children.
Socialize means talk to each other instead of sitting around watching reality TV several hours a night or surfing the internet for endless hours.
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Doug, do you know what life was like in the United States for many children as young as age seven before there were child labor laws?
“Although children had been servants and apprentices throughout most of human history, child labor reached new extremes during the Industrial Revolution. Children often worked long hours in dangerous factory conditions for very little money. Children were useful as laborers because their size allowed them to move in small spaces in factories or mines where adults couldn’t fit, children were easier to manage and control and perhaps most importantly, children could be paid less than adults. Child laborers often worked to help support their families, but were forced to forgo an education. Nineteenth century reformers and labor organizers sought to restrict child labor and improve working conditions, but it took a market crash to finally sway public opinion. During the Great Depression, Americans wanted all available jobs to go to adults rather than children.”
http://www.history.com/topics/child-labor
In 1900, 40% of Americans lived in poverty and many parents had no choice but to make money by selling their children to factories, coal mines and even whore houses as young as age seven. In 1900, only 7% of Americans graduated from high school and 3% from college. In 1900, 18 percent of all American workers were under the age of 16, and they worked long days—often 12 to 16 hours and that included weekends. If they were fortunate, they’d get Sunday off but without pay, without retirement or health benefits.
Compare the high school graduation and college rates since 1900 with the growth of the middle class in the United States.
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Proponents of the “no school necessary” concept are often making the argument that school is not necessary ANYMORE, due to a “postmodern” way of life (globalization and technology in particular) bringing a new and wide variety of learning opportunities. In other words, the question is more of “why schooling in the modern world of information everywhere,” thus the comparisons to past times are only somewhat relevant. Some of these people prefer homeschooling or “unschooling,” which means that kids will still learn formally and informally, except not in the “school building” as we know it. We have museums, internet, easy ways to form social groups and meet with others, and so on. There’s no doubt you can learn without school, much better than in the past.
In my view, and I think Diane and Lloyd would agree, the benefits (social and otherwise) of public education/democratic community schooling still outweigh the potential advantages of homeschooling/unschooling. That is why it is my belief we must improve public schooling rather than switch to some other kind of institutionalized or non-institutionalized form of mass education. (Of course, you can still homeschool/unschool if you so choose, but it is not for everyone and probably not the best choice for most people.)
And the logical conclusion is that, if school is still necessary and preferred to other forms of “education-ing” in this world of information-everywhere, school’s purpose (and the teacher’s job) must shift away from “information distributor.” School, more than ever before, should be for other goals — such as developing critical thinking, learning attitudes, social awareness and tolerance, and even character. You know, the goals that are not measurable.
We must globally transform the teaching and learning methods to suit this idea. The information or “knowledge” is the easy part; students need guidance more than information. We can no longer justify grading, punishing, and sorting students based on how full their buckets are of our chosen set of informational tidbits. We should no longer expect the students to do all their learning in our presence, and to our exact specifications. We should no longer expect students to be isolated from each other in the learning and assessment process. And so on.
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Your question, Mr. Selwyn, is a course in itself. Books have been written about schools and their purpose. John Goodlad’s classics were “What Are Schools For?”
and “A Place Called School “ A classic of John Dewey’ is “School and Society.”
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Rahm’s comeuppance? Finally?: http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-sudden-but-well-deserved-fall-of-rahm-emanuel
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Great cartoon from the New Yorker
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Sorry, cartoon caption:
“I dreamed I was being chased by a giant standardized test.”
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Is the govt. going to have mercy on all the children who are suffering from Mother Nature including the loss of their homes through storms, tornadoes, floods, fires, mud slides, blizzards, freezing weather…? Every part of the country has been hit. That stress is bad enough. They don’t need to be stressed out at school. The stress the schools are placing on the students is over whelming as Stuart Slavin writes about it in the NYTimes “Is the Drive for Success Making Our Children Sick?
Children by nature have a desire to learn but not when demands are placed on them especially if they are unattainable. My little grandsons are always investigating and asking, “What is this?” “What is this for?” and imitating be it with tools or books.
Stress can kill.
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Great cartoon but sad because it’s probably true. It’s easy to imagine that many children are being tormented and mentally tortured due to these high stakes bubble tests. Those tests will destroy almost every child’s love of learning and reading and turn out worse than abusive parents/guardians.
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01/05/461997753/big-history-challenges-musty-history-critics-raise-questions
NPR cheerleads for Bill Gates’s new experiment in education, “Big History”. Base your predictions on history…
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I think NPR is on the wrong side of history, on this one.
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NPR has to do something to keep getting Walton millions
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I hope she knows about your views, Dianne: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/01/john_bel_edwards_wife.html#incart_river_home
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https://waltercrunkite.wordpress.com/2016/01/06/an-open-letter-to-janelle-monae-tfas-cultural-appropriation/ TFA’s latest cultural appropriation
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Here is a saga of a MN whistleblower at a below board charter school:
http://www.citypages.com/news/the-wrath-of-mo-7943862
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A conversation in the echo chamber: https://www.the74million.org/article/the-74-debate-huffman-vs-barnum-on-duncans-legacy-testing-backlash-and-the-future-of-reform
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Check this out http://www.nj.com/education/2016/01/lawmakers_some_nj_schools_face_state_of_emergency.html#incart_river_index
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votesmart.org
Someone thanked me for posting a votesmart link in a comment, and I realized others may be interested: very easy way to look at voting records. I bookmarked on Sanders, but you can find plenty of others.
https://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/27110/bernie-sanders?sponsorships=1#.Vo_qifHf9FX
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Salon article that may indicate that the wave is finally cresting …
http://www.salon.com/2016/01/09/were_onto_the_phony_education_reformers_charter_school_charlatans_and_faux_reformers_take_it_on_the_chin/
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College Board is trying to figure out how to make their new Common Core aligned PSAT scores palatable for students (by inflating scores with inclusion of students who did NOT take the test): https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/01/09/scores-for-new-psat-are-finally-out-what-to-know-about-them-and-what-they-mean-for-redesigned-sat/
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Hi Diane,
My name is Anuj Agarwal. I’m Founder of Feedspot.
I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog DIANE RAVITCH has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 100 Education blogs on the web.
http://blog.feedspot.com/2015/12/30/top-50-education-blogs-for-educators-and-teachers/
I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of top education blogs on the internet and I’m honoured to have you as part of this!
Best,
Anuj
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So much is wrong with the question and response on so many levels. If I weren’t addicted to the weekly book review and their archives, I would CANCELL!
Do We Have to Send Our Kid to a Bad Public School?
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Mark, I decided not to post that. The parents know it’s a good school but they are avoiding it because of test scores.
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More of a “nothing burger” in Washington State for this legislative session. http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/editorials/article53793205.html#storylink=hpdigest
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http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/friedrichs-california-teachers-union-supreme-court-217525
Why don’t some people who are shareholders at corporations funding political campaigns get the backing to file a lawsuit compelling those corporations to refund the portion of their shares that are used to support candidates/causes they don’t like.
Just a thought…
(Posted anonymously, please)
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Most shareholder votes are filed by institutional shareholders and brokerage houses, which are more likely to support management. By some estimates, less than 10% of individual, or retail, shareholders vote in proxy elections. In 2012, Moxy Vote, an online shareholder voting service designed to empower individual shareholders, shut down, citing the unwillingness of brokerages to pass along proxy votes from individuals, among other factors. Large shareholders typically hire proxy advisers such as Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, which don’t have a stake in the outcome.
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http://www.vox.com/2016/1/12/10756080/bernie-sanders-education-equality
“At Monday night’s Brown & Black Democratic Presidential Forum in Iowa, Bernie Sanders came out in favor of a massive change in the way the US funds schools:
“One of the things that I have always believed is that, in terms of education, we have to break our dependency on the property tax, because what happens is the wealthiest suburbs can in fact have great schools but poor, inner-city schools cannot. So I think we need equality in terms of how we fund education, and to make sure the federal government plays an active role to make sure that those schools who need it the most get the funds that they deserve.””
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Diane,
I wanted to let you know that our good friend and colleague, Phillip C. Schlechty, passed away this past Thursday (January 7, 2016) at the age of 79.
You may recall that Phil visited your home about three years ago. You may also remember that several of us—including George Thompson, Schlechty Center president—shared dinner together at the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) conference in Austin the evening before you and Phil gave major talks.
I am a senior associate with the Schlechty Center and also serve as a consultant for TASA, who partners with the Schlechty Center for some of its work in Texas. TASA filters its legislative programs and other work through Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas, a document developed with the assistance of Phil, his staff, and 35 visionary superintendents in Texas.
My perception is that you and Phil are kindred spirits in your resolve and approach to advancing teaching and learning and are inspiring champions of public education as essential to the survival of our democratic way of life. You share many common ideas, friends, and colleagues, so I thought you might want to note his passing with your readers. In addition to including your own perspectives, you may feel free to include any thoughts you find worthy of mention from the formal announcement below.
Thank you for all you do to stimulate the conversations needed to properly frame the educational issues of our day and to encourage all citizens to keep the best interests of children and youth first.
Respectfully,
John Horn
Schlechty Center Announcement
We are deeply saddened to report that Dr. Phillip C. Schlechty, founder of
the Schlechty Center, passed away on January 7, 2016. We, like the
thousands of educators he has influenced, are left feeling empty and
heartbroken by this news. However, in his infinite wisdom, Phil had done a
masterful job of ensuring the continuity of leadership
needed for this transition. Although our mentor, friend, and thought
leader passed away today, we at the Schlechty Center will continue our
work with a renewed purpose: to honor Phil¹s legacy of creating engaging
schools for today¹s students.
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Hi Diane,
I have been reading your blog for the last year or so, of which I thank you for keeping me and others informed about the state of education in this country.
Recently my governor, Chris Christie, delivered his State of the State address, conveniently right before President Obama’s State of the Union. One passage troubled me and I wanted to ask if you could help me find some answers.
The passage was:
In November, I convened a roundtable in Newark with state and national charter school leadership. I wanted to listen and learn about what we need to do to enhance charter school growth and success in our state.
This is what I heard. Charter schools in New Jersey have been successful in spite of our regulatory environment – not because of it. We’ve achieved some early successes with our charter schools, but we’re not making it easy for them. Instead of giving charter schools the autonomy they need to deliver great education outcomes, we’re regulating them using almost all of the same regulations that apply to traditional public schools. It’s not good for innovation and it’s not good for attracting more innovative charter school operators to our state.
Today, I’m announcing that my administration will aggressively prioritize regulatory relief for charter schools. We’re going to explore ways to create greater flexibility in the teacher certification process for charter schools and we’re also going to explore ways to make it easier for charter schools to find facilities. And we will pursue the regulatory reforms we need to encourage development of more charter schools to serve our most at-risk youth, including students with autism or development delays.
My question is: Why does the “reform” movement push so much for shorter training with teachers? Is there ANY profession that allows shorter training and education, such as police officers, nurses, accountants, electricians, etc? Why would we want the most needy of children to be taught by those that are not fully prepared for the profession?
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Diane – I am a special education teacher teaching students with moderate to severe disabilities. The state is forcing me to take the new CST exam adolescent 7-12. It tests your knowledge on subjects such as high school math, calculus, trig, geometry. As opposed to your ability to modify, adapt, and differentiate Special Ed curriculums. There are no study guides, no classes, no workshops, and NO materials on the state websites. One state representative from the office of teaching initiative told me on the phone that “yes lots of people are failing it” and “that people are taking it up to 5 times” and “that they’ve received 100s of phone calls from special education teachers about this exam.” I do not know why we are being forced to spend money and time worrying about this test to get our initial certificate. I feel hopeless and worried I might lose my job. Can you please write a blog about how some of these teacher certification exams such as the new CST are unfair, unverified, and most of all BIAS.
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Shay, I will send your message to people who can change things –but only in NY
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Oddly it’s not a direct quote, but Ohio Senate Education Committee Chair asks parents not to take this year’s state report card too seriously. (?!?!)
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/education/2016/01/14/local-districts-get-fs-graduation/78747948/
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Sarah Angel, spokesperson for CCSA, went to Foothill High School in Tustin CA, class of ’97, before going to UCLA. She was a cheerleader and in ASB. Some AP classes, but not one of the top students.
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Thought this might be of interest –
“We collaborated with our schools, recognizing that a strong
introduction to the arts fuels the imagination and teaches children to
be expressive”.
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“Why do lawmakers say they need more data to fix school-funding crisis?” The Tacoma News Tribune, 01/17/2016
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Diane, please enjoy this acrostic poem I wrote:
CHARTER
Corporate
Hostile
And
Rapacious
Takeover of
Educational
Resources
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The NCTQ has done it again. They’ve criticized EPP’s of using textbooks that use outdated theories and instructional strategies, and published a list of 48 books that don’t meet NCTQ “standards.” I looked at their list and found that there are only 3 books listed with publication dates that fall within the past 5 years. The rest date back as far as 1999. I’d like to know whom they think is using these books and in which institutions. As a teacher educators for years, I know for a fact that all of my colleagues (across institutions) use the most recent textbooks. Older editions are difficult for students to purchase unless they buy used books and run the risk of not being on the same page, literally, as the rest of the class. Also, NCTQ needs to understand the publishing process. It takes between 3 and 5 years between the writing and the publication of a textbook. Given the nature of this process, a lot of things will be slightly out of date before the books hit the shelves. This is why a lot of us have taken to using the Internet as a major resource for student information, using textbooks as supplementary materials that provide theoretical and research-related groundwork for instruction. So, a message to NCTQ: Stop criticizing what you don’t understand.
Sue Corbin, Ph.D.
Accreditation Chair and Assistant Professor of Education
Notre Dame College
South Euclid OH
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Sue,
It depends upon the field you are in. Humanities/ liberal arts studies such as history, English, literature, philosophy… certainly books written by Dewey, Jerome Bruner, Lev Vygotsky, Goodlad, Piaget, Marie Clay, Elkind…. are classics meaning they are always relevant. Regardless when the students’ textbooks are published , classics are always in vogue. A hand out or a Google assignment on any authority not mentioned in the textbook can supplement the text. Textbooks are costly; if a professor can help the students save money by assigning an older text which can be purchased via a used copy, I say more power to them.
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Have you seen this? “drown the bunnies”
http://chronicle.com/article/A-President-s-Plan-to-Steer/234992/#st_refDomain=m.facebook.com&st_refQuery=
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#FeelTheBern ?? I haven’t seen much about the 2016 Dems race!
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We feel it.
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Mr. Ex detective what is your role ? What group do you belomw , face cover is sight of . Well maybe your facing strong contenders
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Reibel Castillo – https://ed-detective.org/ed-detective/
I am under a pseudonym for many reasons!
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A look at Fordham Institute Report on Charter Fuunding
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?page=view&resid=AA075DD925FF050F!1028&authkey=!AMjl6eVhjQV-e50
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Diane,
I love your books and have read them twice. Thank you for all you do on behalf of students and teachers in our country. Below is my latest Op-Ed regarding the failed policies in the state of Ohio regarding public education.
Regards,
Jim O’Connor
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http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/contributors/2016/01/24/teacher-ohios-schools-sliding/79285596/
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Dear Diane,
I don’t know if were thinking of blogging about the abrupt retirement of Tom Porton from the Monroe Academy for Visual Arts, and the role that his principal, Brendan Lyons, and, possibly, Common Core, played in his leaving. I am sure you have read the Times article about this, but, just in case you haven’t, the link is here:
If you are interested, I have posted an open letter to the principal, Brendan Lyons, on my Facebook page. As a star teacher who was, like Porton, hounded in his old school by an administrator misusing the Common Core, I very much commiserate with him.
Also: I think you might get a kick out of knowing that, on Tuesday, (January 26), the New York State Global History and Geography Regents contained a question that referred to a figure in Indian history that it called “Akbar the Great.” Almost, nobody in India refers to Abu’l-Fath Jalal ud-din Muhammad Akbar, the great Mogul Emperor and religious syncretist, as “Akbar the Great.” That’s because Akbar MEANS “the great” in Arabic, the religious language of the Muslim Mogul ruling line. In Indian classrooms, he is known simply as “Akbar” or “Muhammad Akbar.” In a few instances, Mogul propagandists referred to him as Akbar-e-Azam, to stress that he was great to both Muslims (who would understand the Arabic word for great) and to Hindus (some of them who would understand the Urdu word, the Great) But calling him “Great the Great,” as the Regents did — for the second time, by the way, — would strike students in India as ludicrous and uniformed.
Obviously, fumbling the name of a ruler who died more than 400 years ago is not a very big deal. However, it is microcosm of the careless and callow way that the New York State Global Regents has been constructed for years. As the putative “new” Regents test is being constructed by the same group of people who rushed through the construction of the old exams, I will be very surprised if the result proves any better,
Sincerely yours,
Neal Shultz,
New Rochelle School District
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What the heck is “honesty gap?”
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In case you have not heard, Rahm strikes again in Chicago: https://shinyhelmet.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/a-eulogy-for-hope-the-silent-murder-of-gallery-37/
I have done work with both After School Matters and Gallery 37, even taking college students studying arts integration programs out to Chicago to meet teachers and students and see their work in action. These programs are essential to already under-served students and to the vibrant life of the arts in Chicago.
Please consider adding your voice to this cause.
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http://drhynes.blogspot.com/?m=0
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016
What is Best for our Children
Many parents, educators and legislators are talking about the possibility of federal and state funds being withheld from schools. The fact is, hundreds of New York State public schools fell below the 95% participation rate for the 3-8 assessments last year. Here are some facts you should know before testing season begins this spring:
1. The Commissioner believes parents have the right to opt their children out of 3-8 state assessments.
2. The Governor stated that parents have the right to opt their children out of 3-8 state assessments.
3. The Governor stated the 3-8 assessments will not count for students and teachers for the next several years.
4. The 3-8 assessments this year are still a Pearson test.
5. The “new” 3-8 assessments are now “untimed” which means our children can actually take tests that will last for several hours over several days.
6. The assessments are still fundamentally age inappropriate and aligned with the Common Core standards. The Common Core Standards will no longer be in New York State. I repeat, they will no longer be in New York State.
There is absolutely no reason for any student to take the assessments until we have some true fundamental changes. I don’t believe making the tests a few questions shorter or allowing students to have an unlimited amount of time is the answer. This is not in the best interest of our students, especially our special education and ELL students.
Fear and misinformation is being spread by Newsday and other agencies that believe public schools are failing. This is not only unfair but unethical. School districts with high opt out rates should not be sanctioned by the State Education Department or the U.S. Department of Education. In fact, the school districts with the highest opt out rates should be rewarded. They should be rewarded because it exemplifies that we value our children. It yells from the rooftops that we are free from the burden of the Pearson crafted Common Core poisoned assessments which have zero value to anyone. Well, except for Pearson.
We need true leadership in our schoolhouses. Leadership that says.
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Yes yes and yes!
(I didn’t see your comments when I posted my own below.) We seem to have seen the same letter..)
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Has anyone else seen the NYSED letter from Angelica Infante, Deputy Commissioner, “Changes for the 2016 Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Tests? A lot is made about un-timing the tests, but for teachers giving the tests, it’s usually a problem of too much time, not too little time. (The math is so hard and inappropriate that my students race through it in 20 minutes and then have to sit and stare for the remaining 70.) What is the State proposing kids do when they’re done if there’s no time limit? How long do kids have to sit and do nothing when they’re done?
This makes NO sense at all. But seems another lame attempt to placate parents, with empty messages of change.
This letter also mentions reducing reading passages and questions. But if you read the details, they’ve only taken out one passage and a few questions. The tests are still 6 days long.
And my cynical self says the inclusion of teachers in the test writing process is just a way to rubber-stamp the process with a fake teacher seal of approval. Unless the standards are being re-written to be developmentally appropriate, it won’t matter that teachers are included in the process. The process is flawed.
Please stay vigilant in your cynicism about these tests.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED. And until we see and feel change, and experience change, there is no change.
Here’s the letter dated “January 2016:”
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is making significant changes to the 2016 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics Tests. NYSED has selected Questar Assessment, Inc. as the new vendor to lead the development of the future New York State Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests. NYSED has also collected significant feedback from students, parents, and New York State educators regarding ways to improve the tests.
These changes will improve the testing experience for students and the validity of the assessments.
This memo outlines changes made as a result of feedback from the field:
Greater involvement of educators in the test development process,
Decrease in the number of test questions, and
A shift to untimed testing.
Specifics on each change are listed below. This memo is informational only and does not require specific action on the part of districts.
Change to a New Testing Vendor for Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics
NYSED is pleased to announce that the State has partnered with Questar Assessment, Inc. to support the Department with the changes described in this memo and other
changes to the Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests. Questar Assessment, Inc. has replaced Pearson and is responsible for the construction of this year’s test forms and guidance materials. Questar Assessment, Inc. brings its extensive experience with assessment in New York State to the Grades 3-8 testing program. In the past five years, Questar Assessment, Inc. has provided summative assessment services, including end-of-course, alternate and English language proficiency exams, to 34 states and the District of Columbia, and is responsible for test administrations for millions of students annually. NYSED is pleased to expand its relationship with Questar Assessment, Inc. to provide the Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests to the students of New York State.
Greater Involvement of Educators in the Test Development Process
To improve the quality of the Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests, NYSED, together with Questar Assessment, Inc., has significantly increased the number of New York State educators involved in creating and reviewing the assessments, as well expanded the types of opportunities for educators to be involved in the development of the State’s assessments.
Specifically, beginning in fall 2015 and going forward, a greater number of New York State educators have been and will continue to be involved in the review of test questions and final test forms than ever before. This increase has already—and will continue to—greatly benefit the quality of these assessments and will also serve as powerful professional development and networking opportunities for the educators involved. Furthermore, the increasing number of educators will help ensure that the assessments have been reviewed by teachers from various parts of the State and with various expertise. NYSED is particularly excited about the greater numbers of teachers of English language learners and students with disabilities who will be involved in the development of these assessments.
Another critical new way that educators are already contributing to the Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests is through the construction of the final test forms that will be administered to students this spring. Educators from throughout the State gathered in Albany in October 2015 and were charged with evaluating and selecting assessment questions for use on the spring 2016 tests. The reliance on NYS educators to select the best questions available ensures that the tests are rigorous and fair for all students.
As we continue the transition, for the first time ever, New York State educators will write the test questions for the Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests. The State has heard the need for assessments that more closely measure what is taught in classrooms throughout the State, and having New York State educators write these assessment questions will ensure that the assessments reflect classroom instruction as much as possible. This winter, in what is a significant departure from past practice, Questar Assessment, Inc. will convene groups of New York State educators to engage in item- writing workshops. At these item-writing workshops, educators will receive extensive assessment development training and then participate in the writing of test questions. The test questions written by New York State educators will be field tested in spring 2017 and will contribute to students’ scores on the tests beginning in spring 2018. Having educators write test questions for the Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests is

consistent with the long-standing tradition in New York State of having teachers author the rigorous and highly regarded Regents Exams.
A Decrease in the Number of Test Questions
One of the most consistent recommendations made to NYSED was to reduce the length of the tests. In particular, NYSED has heard that students would be better able to demonstrate close reading and thoughtfully respond to questions if the ELA tests included fewer questions.
Based on this feedback NYSED has decreased the number of test questions on both the 2016 Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests. On each of the 2016 Grades 3-8 ELA Tests students will read one less passage and answer fewer questions. This will allow students more time to read the passages more closely and apply their knowledge and skill in answering the questions, and is expected to also decrease testing fatigue for some students. On the 2016 Grade 3-8 Mathematics Tests students will also have fewer questions to answer.
See the Appendix for a comparison of the number of passages and test questions in 2015 versus 2016. Additional information about the makeup of the 2016 Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests will also be included in the annual test guides.
A Shift to Untimed Testing
In addition to a change in testing vendor, greater teacher involvement in test creation, and fewer test questions, NYSED has also received extensive feedback from educators from throughout the State about the inability of students to work at their own pace on the Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests. As a result, NYSED is pleased to announce the transition to untimed testing for the Spring 2016 Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics Tests. This change will provide students further opportunity to demonstrate what they know and can do by allowing them to work at their own pace. In general, this will mean that as long as students are productively working they will be allowed as much time as they need to complete the ELA and Mathematics tests. Additionally, this change in policy may help alleviate the pressures that some students may experience as a result of taking an assessment they must complete during a limited amount of time. NYSED will release guidance to schools and districts on how to implement this new testing policy.
These changes are just some of the efforts that NYSED is committed to implementing to improve the quality of the State’s assessments and the experiences that students have taking these tests.
Questions about testing programs, policies, and procedures may be sent to emscassessinfo@nysed.gov.


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Ohio General Assembly wants to punish educators who inform students and parents about their opt-out rights: http://plunderbund.com/2016/01/29/tell-parents-about-opting-out-of-state-tests-gop-wants-you-to-lose-your-job/
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Plunderbund’s stellar reporting ignored by “news” outlets reporting on Kasich and his mis-education agenda: http://plunderbund.com/2016/01/29/mighty-msms-ignores-plunderbund-reporting-on-charter-schools-fiasco-david-hansen-crimes/
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Article about a special (96-year old!) teacher…and not a single mention of VAM or raising standardized test scores: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/01/29/dean-giacometti-still-teaching/79518306/
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Has anyone documented how much money is spent on testing in their district each year (or cumulatively), and then matched that up with what that money could have gained for the district? I don’t think the general public has any idea how much money has gone down the testing sink hole, or what that has meant that districts have had to give up, such as personnel, classes offered, materials, repairs and improvements, etc. Somehow we have to make this real. I remember from the bad old days when folks compared the cost of an obsolete bomber the government insisted on continuing to build, and how many people that money could feed, schools that could be built, etc. for the same money. Has this been done, current day and/or could it be done?
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This could make a great bumpersticker:
“It will be a great day when our teachers get to teach what’s important and the policy makers have to pass standardized tests to keep their jobs.”
I’m sure readers of this blog could come up with many others, as well.
🙂
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I don’t want policy makers screened by standardized tests. I think screening by standardized testing is a bad outcome for policy makers as well as for teachers and students. For in he background, shaping decision outcomes by standardized testing is the eugenics mind set of identifying elite for governing the masses.
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The teachers must write the tests, and that will lead to many policymakers losing their jobs.
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“Where Ted Cruz was born doesn’t say anything about the kind of president he would be, but how he treats his children says everything.”
View at Medium.com
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“You know, I’ll tell you in my house,” Cruz delivered in his practiced sing-song, “if my daughter Catherine, the five-year-old, says something that she knows to be false, she gets a spanking!”
But according to Fact Check.org, Ted Cruz has made several false claims—does that mean he should be spanked, or is he just another ignorant fool who doesn’t know what he’s talking about?
http://www.factcheck.org/2015/03/factchecking-ted-cruz/
Then Politifact.com reports Ted Cruz has only been completely honest in his claims 5% of the time and his false statements add up to 67% of his statements. 11% of what he claims is only half true, 15% is mostly true and only 5% totally true.
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/ted-cruz/
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A School District that is looking to focus on the WHOLE CHILD, not just test, test, test. Please read.
http://www.greaterpatchogue.com/2016/02/pat-med-supe-proposes-significant-changes-for-2016-17/
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Sounds like they need to look into Montessori!
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What about abolishing grades and homework? Now that would be one large step in the right direction.
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Do you have any coverage about the Michigan bills which would punish teachers, unions, and school districts for the recent “sick outs”?
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-senator-not-to-punish-teachers-for-speaking-out?source=facebook&
http://michiganradio.org/post/punishing-messengers#stream/0
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Amy, I am posting about Michigan bills tomorrow morning
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Thank you!
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Of Teachers and Students: http://ajccenter.wfu.edu/2016/02/02/5756/
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Wow, according to this, everyone who doesn’t agree with the Democratic Party and listens to Fox News has become a hate-filled Nazi racist?
I have completely lost the definition of propaganda. This unnamed lout who confronted this MSNBC reporter apparently is the shining example of what happens if you disagree with the left-wing liberals of America and from the comments that follow the article everyone on the Left side of the political spectrum believes with all there hearts that this is true. So what is the definition of propaganda again?
Labeling & profiling is always wrong, unless you know you are right.
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And on a completely different subject…
Who doesn’t love a snow day? (Except last winter when we had too many…)
Here’s a little moment of levity and humor for everyone.
Enjoy!
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The latest attach on teaching in North Carolina is well under way. The General Assembly’s appointed henchmen are reducing teacher health insurance by cutting plan benefits (which are modest at best) and eliminating a teacher’s ability to insure spouses and children. I feel sad to have spent my years as an NC teacher.
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List of Hillary Clinton’s speeches: http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user5/imageroot/2015/08/Hillary%20Clinton%20Speeches%202013-2015_1.jpg
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“Half of Hillary Clinton’s Speaking Fees Came From Groups Also Lobbying Congress” http://time.com/3889577/hillary-clinton-paid-speeches-lobbyists-influence/
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Good Morning, Diane,
The Texas Superintendent of the Year, Mary Ann Whitaker, addressed the Texas State Board of Education last week. Her story is so compelling about how she moved from a test/compliance focus to what is best for kids. She exemplifies the moral courage and intellectual leadership needed today.
Also, your tribute to Phil Schlechty was wonderful. Thank you-John Horn
Here is the link to the short video: https://vimeo.com/153732722
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Secretary Duncan gives himself a low grade on desegregation…leading to the conclusion he gives himself a high grade on everything else. He continues to hammer the use of standardized testing for teacher evaluations: http://laschoolreport.com/38487-2/
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To be clear…he continues to hammer on the need for more use of teacher evaluation by student standardized test scores.
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Hi Diane, Thank you for working to improve our education system. I hope to meet you in person someday. Are you going to SXSWEdu this March?
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Aleshab, sorry I won’t be at SXSWEdu. Love Austin.
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This candidate must be stopped Diane. She believes that baby dinosaurs were on Noah’s Ark. http://tfninsider.org/2016/02/08/2016-elections-this-years-extremist-candidate-for-the-texas-state-board-of-education/
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I assume you have read this. http://dailyhaymaker.com/?p=13850
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Diane, I just found this information this morning. Hillary Clinton’s statements not withstanding, she has a Rheephormist as her campaign treasurer. Unsettling.
If you could disseminate this information, that would be great. Thank You!
Here is the Alternet excerpt and link:
“Hillary Clinton’s campaign is holding fundraisers in Mexico this Wednesday, just one day after the New Hampshire primary. Clinton is not attending the events, and offshore fundraising efforts aren’t rare for presidential candidates, but the players involved have direct connections to Walmart, where Clinton served as board member from 1986-1992.
“The events are being hosted by Clinton campaign treasurer Jose Villarreal, who has maintained close connections to Walmart and the Walton family for years. As the Huffington Post’s Samantha Lachman detailed in 2015, “Villarreal has spent decades on the boards of companies dominated by the Waltons, who remain a target of choice for the progressives whom Clinton’s 2016 campaign is trying to win over. He was the lead director at Walmart; a board member at First Solar, an energy company where the Waltons are the largest investors; and a board member at Teach for America, the KIPP Foundation and Leadership for Educational Equality, to which the Waltons also have strong ties.”
http://www.alternet.org/labor/clinton-offshore-fundraising-effort-being-co-hosted-walmart-lobbyist
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Diane, I thought I would share this article with you. I am sorry if it is a duplicate post. I am hoping people will be aware of this information. Thank You
“Hillary Clinton’s campaign is holding fundraisers in Mexico this Wednesday, just one day after the New Hampshire primary. Clinton is not attending the events, and offshore fundraising efforts aren’t rare for presidential candidates, but the players involved have direct connections to Walmart, where Clinton served as board member from 1986-1992.
“The events are being hosted by Clinton campaign treasurer Jose Villarreal, who has maintained close connections to Walmart and the Walton family for years. As the Huffington Post’s Samantha Lachman detailed in 2015, “Villarreal has spent decades on the boards of companies dominated by the Waltons, who remain a target of choice for the progressives whom Clinton’s 2016 campaign is trying to win over. He was the lead director at Walmart; a board member at First Solar, an energy company where the Waltons are the largest investors; and a board member at Teach for America, the KIPP Foundation and Leadership for Educational Equality, to which the Waltons also have strong ties.”
http://www.alternet.org/labor/clinton-offshore-fundraising-effort-being-co-hosted-walmart-lobbyist
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Ohio opt-outs affecting state reporting: http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/02/testing_opt-out_movement_forces_two_separate_grades_on_state_report_cards.html#incart_river_index
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Additional honor and training for teachers working in low-income school? What an idea!
http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/opinion/index.html?intc=main-topnav
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Bruce . Yes crazy idea . Charter Scholl requirement , money FIRTS and good teachers last ( Kids , are in the Midle of the shooting ) yes in the Midle of Charter make more money , hired with out certification. That is what I mean students In the Midle of that war , always innocent paid the consequences of the mistakes of others .
Take it easy
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How things all come together, reform meets austerity in NC. https://www.ednc.org/2016/02/11/a-maze-of-facts-muddies-the-education-funding-issue-in-haywood-county-but-a-basic-understanding-is-important/
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John King has to go through a hearing after all. Worth watching?: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/269186-obama-formally-names-education-secretary-nominee
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“There is nobody better to continue leading our ongoing efforts to work toward preschool for all, prepare our kids so that they are ready for college and career, and make college more affordable,” Obama said in a statement.
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Diane,
I think this piece from Good Morning America is revealing when it comes to the dangers of academic competition, pressure and bullying for school age children K – 12.
Disturbing Suicide Cluster Prompts CDC to Start Investigation in Palo Alto.
https://gma.yahoo.com/disturbing-suicide-cluster-prompts-cdc-start-investigation-palo-004558635–abc-news-wellness.html
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I keep trying to start some kind of action to demonstrate a united voice in the face of the destructive forces of corporate education reform.
I’ve been encouraging letter writing – targeted messages on key education issues, sent en masse to specific people.
I know letter writing isn’t for everyone.
Today, I designed a petition. It’s much easier to join in. Just click, fill in the blanks, and submit. You may even decide to forward it to others or post it to your favorite social media site.
Today’s effort is focused on stopping the confirmation of John King as Secretary of Education. I’m a New York teacher and I know first hand the significant damage he caused our schools while Commissioner of Education. We will feel his dogmatic, illogical approach for years to come.
Some may say “What’s the use?”
I say, “Let’s start somewhere.”
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/102/056/568/stop-john-kings-appointment-to-secretary-of-education/
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I am seriously concerned about my children’s public education. We live about 1.5 hours north of NYC in Beacon NY. We are on our 9th superintendent in 10 years. Please help!
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/opinion/editorials/2016/02/20/beacon-schools-need-stable-leadership-top/80580176/
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Diane and Others,
Do you have knowledge of the history or the experiences of those working with the “Theory of Action for Change?”
A local public school district adopted it very quietly. I Googled the title, and came up with the description at two sites:
Click to access Theory%20of%20Action%20for%20Change%20March%202012.pdf
and
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/superintendent/theory-of-action-for-change
Thanks for any help.
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Oakland School Board has been trained in Donald R. McAdams Theory of Action for Change. Donald R. McAdams was a trainer for the first cohort of the Eli Broad Foundation superintendent training. And, Oakland’s rookie superintendent was trained by the Eli Broad Foundation Superintendent Academy.
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Chinese students get taste of American education at Tacoma schools in our local paper. Here’s the quote to remember:
“I think the greatest thing I learned in America is their way of studying,” added her friend Jiao Xiao Yuan, also known as Caroline.
“They are not studying for a test, all the way around. They really read books, and they write what they feel about the book.”
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Thanks, Jim, for responding with this helpful information. I’ll find the school board book by MacAdams.
What differences have you observed, or has the training been recent?
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Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow” is certainly the most consequential book on public policy published in the last 20 years, maybe even in my lifetime. Her take on Hillary Clinton and the black community is worth reading. Christopher Hitchens observed that Bill Clinton “used the rhetoric of the New Democrat to undo the New Deal.” I believe Hillary Clinton will continue that legacy. Should she be elected, be prepared to see the constituencies who loyally supported her be cast aside in the name of corporate “centrism.” That will include public education. http://www.thenation.com/article/hillary-clinton-does-not-deserve-black-peoples-votes/
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Have you seen this, the latest Bill and Melinda Gates newsletter:
View at Medium.com
A mixture of naivety and ulterior motives ! (more of the latter I suspect)
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This was my 6th grade child’s Language Arts homework yesterday. The caption along with it stated: As the United States seeks to compete with rapidly growing countries like China and India, the U.S. education system is often seen as a starting point in building up a skilled workforce. This text set explores the problems and possible solutions in the U.S. education system.
Does anyone else find this concerning?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In October, President Barack Obama said students spend too much time taking tests. He said students should spend a little less time being tested.
On Tuesday, the Education Department suggested how schools can reduce testing.
The department sent a letter to state school officials. States and districts receive money to develop tests. The letter showed how the money can be spent to limit testing. Instead, states can spend the money to make sure students are not being tested twice on the same subject. The states can also check to see if they are giving bad tests that can be dropped.
The letter gave other ideas, as well. States could use the money to improve current tests and decrease the amount of time students spend taking them.
A Better Balance
Education Secretary John King Jr. said that good exams are important. They give useful information. They show whether students are developing the thinking and problem-solving skills they need.
Still, there has to be a better balance between taking tests and learning, King added. Schools may mean well. Yet there are too many places around around the country that have not figured out the right balance.
In October, Obama said good tests measure how well students are doing in school. The government will develop a plan to make sure “we’re not obsessing about testing.”
Students spend about 20 to 25 hours each year taking tests, according to the Council of the Great City Schools. The council is a group of the largest city school districts. Last year, it studied the 66 largest school districts in the country.
Between prekindergarten and 12th grade, students take about 112 standardized exams.
Oklahoma And Tennessee
The No Child Left Behind law was passed in 2002. It caused a huge jump in the number of tests. The law required yearly testing in reading and math in grades three to eight. High school students are tested once in those subjects.
Those tests would still be required under a new education law. States have more say, though, on how to grade teachers, schools and students.
The Education Department gave examples of two places that have cut back on testing.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, the district shortened the time spent on testing. Some tests are not given as often, one test was dropped, and schools do not have to give others. Third-graders, for example, had been spending about 1,240 minutes on tests required by districts. They will now will spend 660 minutes on them, the department said.
Tennessee also is shortening some of its tests.
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This was my 6th grade child’s Language Arts homework yesterday. The caption along with it stated: As the United States seeks to compete with rapidly growing countries like China and India, the U.S. education system is often seen as a starting point in building up a skilled workforce. This text set explores the problems and possible solutions in the U.S. education system.
Does anyone else find this concerning?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In October, President Barack Obama said students spend too much time taking tests. He said students should spend a little less time being tested.
On Tuesday, the Education Department suggested how schools can reduce testing.
The department sent a letter to state school officials. States and districts receive money to develop tests. The letter showed how the money can be spent to limit testing. Instead, states can spend the money to make sure students are not being tested twice on the same subject. The states can also check to see if they are giving bad tests that can be dropped.
The letter gave other ideas, as well. States could use the money to improve current tests and decrease the amount of time students spend taking them.
A Better Balance
Education Secretary John King Jr. said that good exams are important. They give useful information. They show whether students are developing the thinking and problem-solving skills they need.
Still, there has to be a better balance between taking tests and learning, King added. Schools may mean well. Yet there are too many places around around the country that have not figured out the right balance.
In October, Obama said good tests measure how well students are doing in school. The government will develop a plan to make sure “we’re not obsessing about testing.”
Students spend about 20 to 25 hours each year taking tests, according to the Council of the Great City Schools. The council is a group of the largest city school districts. Last year, it studied the 66 largest school districts in the country.
Between prekindergarten and 12th grade, students take about 112 standardized exams.
Oklahoma And Tennessee
The No Child Left Behind law was passed in 2002. It caused a huge jump in the number of tests. The law required yearly testing in reading and math in grades three to eight. High school students are tested once in those subjects.
Those tests would still be required under a new education law. States have more say, though, on how to grade teachers, schools and students.
The Education Department gave examples of two places that have cut back on testing.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, the district shortened the time spent on testing. Some tests are not given as often, one test was dropped, and schools do not have to give others. Third-graders, for example, had been spending about 1,240 minutes on tests required by districts. They will now will spend 660 minutes on them, the department said.
Tennessee also is shortening some of its tests.
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FROM A LETTER to teachers and admins from NYS Deputy Commissioner of Education, Angelica Infante, dated January, 2016:
Subject: “Changes for the 2016 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts and Mathematics Tests
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is making significant changes to the 2016 Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics Tests…These changes will improve the testing experience for students and the validity of the assessments.
This memo outlines changes made as a result of feedback from the field:
· Greater involvement of educators in the test development process,
· Decrease in the number of test questions, and
· A shift to untimed testing.
THOUGHTS fromwhereiteach:
The letter goes on to detail each of the above bullet points.
But sadly, these responses appear to be nothing more than superficial responses to very serious, substantive concerns.
The “greater involvement of educators” has yielded no real changes to date. The standards remain developmentally inappropriate; the tests remain too long, cover too many days, and continue to be developmentally inappropriate in both scope and complexity.
The “decrease in the number of test questions” is misleading – almost laughable, actually. The number of reading passages over the three days of ELA testing (for Grades 5-8) will be reduced by exactly one. The number of questions will be reduced by the accompanying 7 questions. On Day 2, exactly one short answer question will be removed. Math tests will be shortened by exactly two multiple choice questions on Day 1. No changes are scheduled for Days 2 and 3.
Are we really expected to accept these minor changes as anything more than editing? Surely no one seriously thinks these minor changes really address concerns about length of testing, developmental appropriateness, or stress caused by testing?!
And finally, “a shift to untimed testing.”
What can that possibly mean and what concern does the SED hope such a change will address? To date, my district administrators, and therefore all teachers in my district grades 3-8, have yet to be instructed on how an un-timed test will be administered. This is all they’ve said so far: “This change will provide students further opportunity to demonstrate what they know and can do by allowing them to work at their own pace. In general, this will mean that as long as students are productively working they will be allowed as much time as they need to complete the ELA and Mathematics tests. Additionally, this change in policy may help alleviate the pressures that some students may experience as a result of taking an assessment they must complete during a limited amount of time. “
But exactly how long do we let children “work at their own pace?” How do we determine if a student is “productively working?” What do we do when some students finish in fifteen minutes and others “choose” to work for two or three hours?
Does anyone really believe this change of policy will actually “help alleviate the pressures” of testing????
Okay, call me naïve, unknowing of so much. But I believe those who make such policy decisions really suffer from a lack of “Intelligent Disobedience” skills. They know what they propose has no real value in addressing the serious concerns that have been raised about over-testing. But they’ve been given a job to do – “address the concerns.” And so they make a random list of changes that superficially could seem to respond to the concerns. But they are counting on no one using their own critical thinking skills to analyze what the “changes” really amount to (or don’t amount to.)
When what they should really be doing is saying “Wait a second, parents, teachers, administrators, citizens – stakeholders with significant things to lose – are asking for change. I need to ensure I propose real change. I need to make sure I contribute to solutions and not perpetuate the problems. I need to make sure my superiors don’t co-opt me to further their own political agenda which is hurting children and our schools.”
But that is but a dream I have. I know human nature keeps most from thinking critically when it may be in opposition to directives from above.
So again, I recommend “Intelligent Disobedience – Doing Right When What You’re Told to do is Wrong” by Ira Chaleff. Please check it out. Pass it on. Share the message.
And then find your own inner “intelligent disobedient” self. And start asking questions. Refuse to be a pawn in someone else’s terrible game.
Is anyone else with me on this?
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In Italian, it is said, “Chi tace, accconsente.” (Who remains silent, agrees.) And while that is not always the case, it is becoming even more apparent in this current climate that dissension in “yooge” numbers with intelligence is the only thing “we got”.
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Diane,
What do you know about Harvard’s Graduate School of Education’s “By All Means: Redesigning Education to Restore Opportunity” program? I’m a teacher in Oakland, CA, and this past week Oakland Unified School District announced that it has been chosen to be 1 of 6 school districts participating in this multi-year program. The other school districts are Louisville, KY, Providence, RI, Salem, Somerville, and Newton (!), MA.
The program is supposed to bridge the gap between poverty and achievement. Besides Harvard, the other player is this game is a group called A Broader and Bolder Approach to Education (www.boldapproach.org).
This all sounds great and I hate to sound jaded, but something smells fishy.
PS I love your blog, read it everyday. I can’t thank you enough for your hard work.
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Kathleen,
I will check it out.
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Kathleen,
It is usually a good idea to be wary of Harvard. BBA, however, is a good group. If it is involved, the program will be holistic
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A Corporate Game in Florida with No Accountability
Hello, Diane:
I came across your blog after making a search using the following words: Why can’t I pass the Florida Educational Leadership Exam 3.0 (FELE 3.0)? I read one entry in your blog that made me realize I may not alone, and inspired me to share my own experience dealing with Pearson. I thank you deeply for your blog and the opportunity to share. I have been trying to find an answer to my question for exactly 12 months. I took the FELE 3.0 four times since last year and have not been able to pass one of its four sections. I am retaking it again this coming week. The exam used to be three subtests, but Pearson or the state split the last subtest into two parts, which are deemed today the most difficult by Florida university professors. I was able to pass that subtest and the second subtest the first time around. My battle a year later is still trying to pass the first subtest of this state exam.
I have been a teacher in Florida for 13 years. I am certified in two areas. I wanted to pursue my master’s degree for several years and finally was able to do so in the summer of 2013 by enrolling into a two year educational leadership program at a local state university. Throughout my two years of study, every single one of my professors found me to be a very intelligent candidate. They shared their observations about my research abilities and commitment and constantly told me I was a great student. I aced every single one of my courses with 100%, except for one where my final passing grade was a 96%. For two years, I thought I was doing great, until I sat to take the mandatory and upgraded Florida Educational Leadership Examination 3.0. The university will not grant me my diploma until I pass that exam.
The new exam has been around since January 2014. They call it the FELE 3.0 to differentiate it from the previous FELEs. I found out that about 86% of candidates who sat for the older FELEs used to pass the exam the first time. Now, only 24% of candidates taking the new FELE 3.0 passed the first time in 2015!! Yes, Pearson and the State of Florida made the test more rigorous, but give me a break; only 24% are passing this exam the first time?! The rest of us keep taking subtests of the exam several times, with some of us missing the 200 mark within 10 points or much less. In my case, I have failed it by 3 points twice! Several of my classmates from a year ago are still struggling with passing some subtests of the test as well. In the meantime, Pearson is laughing its way to the bank.
The infuriating thing about my experience is that:
1. Every time I sit for the subtest, I have to pay Pearson the entire exam fee of $225, as if I’m taking the entire 7-hour exam all over again. I am only taking a two-hour subtest. They lower the fee for the third subtest because it is the one most candidates are not passing, but those of us having to retest on other sections have to pay the full fee.
2. I have to remain enrolled at the university and paying tuition until I pass the exam (no one can give me a straight answer to the question: Is this a state or university policy? They keep giving me the run around.) In the meantime, I owe Sally Mae $70,000 so far for a master’s degree I have not yet finished because I fail the state exam by a few points. Yes, $70K. No kidding.
3. I have to wait a minimum of 3 weeks to find out how I did in the test, which increases the amount of wait time (and keeps me longer in limbo).
4. Pearson charges you $75 if you want to know what questions you missed, but don’t offer any guidance as to how to prepare better to pass the next time. On top of that, you have to wait longer, 31 days, to sit for the exam after doing this. (They really milk it.)
5. I have had to find my own resources to study from (basically national research and studies I find on the web) since the exam is so new and nothing like the older one. Most of the FELE resources I’ve had access to, including one seminar I had to pay on my own, are outdated).
6. When I contacted the state twice to find out where I can study from (because my university had no clue), they gave me a list of reference books. I bought every single one of them, spending a lot of money on books that have vast information. I don’t know what to pinpoint and what is it I am still missing that is making me fail by 3 points! My professors are at a loss too. I found out the second time when calling the state that my calls are re-routed to Pearson, who refused to tell me who they were. I only know it was Pearson because of the area code of the number, which is in Andover, Massachusetts.
Most people know that, because of all the major changes the Common Core State Standards brought to education, everything else has changed, including how schools are expected to be managed. Now, administrators are called to be instructional leaders rather than the building managers they once were. This is fine with me; I agree with all of that. I agree that rigor needs to be increased in most classrooms and that students must be challenged. I welcome school reform, but not at the expense of companies getting richer from those who cannot afford to continue taking exams and taking loans until they pass a state requirement that doesn’t really measure the real-time success of an aspiring administrator. I am not OK with an organization such as Pearson getting rich from unsuspecting graduate candidates. I am getting ready to take the exam again for the fifth time this coming week. Will I pass it? Will I not? If the exam is rigged to the point that African Americans and Hispanics cannot pass it, then I am royally screwed. I am Latina and black. Here I am, with my career in limbo because I cannot pass a Pearson exam by three miserable points. I really want to know what the hell is going on. I would like to see more people with my experience come forward and speak out. Something needs to be done about this.
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Mary D’Oleo,
Let me know how it goes with the next exam.
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Hello, Diane: You wanted to know how I did with the FELE 3.0 this fifth time. Well, I missed the mark again, this time by 10 points right on the nose. This means that I am still given the opportunity by Pearson to “challenge” the questions I missed through a score verification session. I went ahead and paid the $75 dollars to do so. Instead of going for the session at the same place I tested before, which is only four miles away from me, I had to travel over 100 miles and 1.5 hours away to Orlando since Pearson only offers this service at four centers in the state (Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Miami), although they have many more centers throughout the state. Thanks for wanting to follow up.
________________________________
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Maria, this is outrageous!
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A court decision and this?
http://www.idtheftcenter.org/alertcaparents.html
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Does anyone know the company “Great Minds?”
Their “Great Minds” logo has suddenly appeared on NYS engageny curriculum materials this year, in place of the “Common Core” logo. The curriculum seems much the same as it has since it was first presented with the roll out of CCSS here in NYS, except that the page numbering system changed, making it challenging to locate materials if you’ve previously downloaded pages.
Just wondering if anyone has any info/insight.
Thanks.
(As a curiosity, I also noticed that former Vice President of NYSUT, Maria Neira is listed as a Trustee…)
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In case you haven’t already seen this, here’s the link to a thoughtful editorial in today’s Daily Record regarding “research” about NJ’s supposedly failing schools.
http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/opinion/editorials/2016/02/29/beware-anti-public-school-agenda/81120958/
KGW
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Does anyone know anything about George Lorenzo’s “Developmental Education: A National Perspective,: which is the required reading for the “task force on developmental education” at my college. My strong feeling is that this is another set-up: the administration has already decided how to “reform” our remedial program and is looking for rubber stamps. (Although I am currently the person who has taught (reading) in this program longer than anyone else at the college and I am a highly qualified reading specialist, I’m not on the task force.)
As far as I can tell, this guy has never taught and this monograph is strictly self-referential. I can’t even find a copy! Help appreciated, please: arnoldj@post.harvard.edu (no, that is NOT where I teach; it’s a forwarding e-mail).
Thanks.
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IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO SIGN THE PETITION
Today’s Washington Post has an article by Valerie Strauss: “Activists urge Senate not to confirm Obama’s pick for new education secretary”
In part it reads:
“Dozens of students, parents, educators and activists are urging the U.S. Senate not to confirm John King, President Obama’s choice to succeed Arne Duncan as education secretary, because he pushed education policies when he was education commissioner of New York State that they say were “ineffective and destructive.”
The Senate education committee held confirmation hearings last week and his confirmation by the panel and the full Senate is expected this month. But a growing number of King critics are speaking out, including a few school boards in New York, which passed resolutions against his confirmation. Now a letter signed by a long list of individuals and organizations warns senators not to be “misled” by King’s “vague promises to do better.” Signatories include education historian and activist Diane Ravitch, educator Deborah Meier, and Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis.”
It’s not too late to have your voice added to a growing chorus. Sign the petition here:
(sorry I can’t get the link to embed)
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/102/056/568/stop-john-kings-appointment-to-secretary-of-education/
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I guess you are familiar with David Didau from the UK. His latest post is excellent. Here’s the link:
http://www.learningspy.co.uk/featured/unscrupulous-optimism-education/
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Educate The Whole Child: Dr. Chris Nye — WE CAN PREVAIL WITH A BETTER MODEL
The great architect and inventor, Buckminster Fuller, once said, “To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” The heroic efforts of parents and teachers opposing the present education paradigm will only effect lasting change if we can advance a better model, a compelling alternative. Without pretending to be the only answer, Educate the Whole Child offers another paradigm that changes priorities away from data and toward nurturing the talents of individual children. The website http://www.educatethewholechild.org provides links and details.
An important step in moving away from an accountability paradigm to a whole child one will be identifying schools that can serve as models for this more nurturing approach—schools like Mission Hill in Boston. Graciela Garcia Elementary School in Pharr, Texas, recently became the first school in the nation to achieve a Whole Child Certification.
Concluding a year-long process resembling an accreditation, Christopher Nye, Co-Director of Educate the Whole Child, presented the certificate to Principal Yolanda Castillo, students, and staff on February 15, 2016.
Thomas McGuire, who served as evaluator for the school, commended the school’s leadership for creating a climate so conducive to learning. He went on to say,
“This learning environment…is evident throughout the school and is reflected not only in test scores, but also in student behavior, teachers’ professionalism, and parent involvement.” He went on to say, “Together these factors ensure that every student at the school is engaged, nurtured, and loved each day.”
Garcia Elementary is already recognized as an International Baccalaureate School, which is another form of accreditation drawing together schools from around the globe dedicated to making a better world through education. It also has a very successful dual language program, which makes it a model other schools with many English language learners can emulate.
“Attaining this recognition is indeed a great accomplishment, showcasing our ongoing process for continued improvement,” Principal Castillo said. “We share the commitment to test and to continuously refine the teaching craft as we learn from our collaboration with Educate The Whole Child. This accomplishment couldn’t have been possible without the dedication, commitment and persistence of the staff, students and parents.”
Drawing on the best holistic approaches and recognizing that children have multiple intelligences, Educate the Whole Child identifies five kinds of learning that a child should be exposed to, every day if possible. They are:
• Cognitive-intellectual activity, associated with the left brain
• Creative-intuitive activity (the arts), associated with the right brain
• Structured physical movement and unstructured, self-directed play
• Handwork, making things that can be useful
• Engagement with nature and community
According to Nye, it is utmost important that as part of the educational process, children grow into caring, balanced, capable adults.
“There is no point to having stratospheric scores on high-stakes tests, if one can’t construct a fulfilled life or be a good citizen and parent,” said Co-Director Nye. “The five strands of learning, which together engage the head, the heart and hands are celebrated in the successful instruction children receive at Garcia Elementary.”
For additional information or to join a Facebook group discussing Whole Child Education issues, contact Outreach Co-Director, Tom McGuire: tom@principalresidency.org
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Is this a real effort to improve teaching, or just another attempt to lower teh bar for unqualified teachers?
http://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/03/04/auditor-minnesota-teacher-licensing-system-broken
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So I guess there is a “feel good” pro-testing movie now called “How is My Kid Doing?” I watched the teaser on youtube and heard a parent say “It bothers me when I hear parents say they are not allowing their children to take these (standardized) tests,” then really cute kids are interviewed about that they want to be when they grow up, and the narrator connects the dots for you between testing and make all your kid’s dreams come true. I noticed that the Gates Foundation, National PTA, and Stand For Children are behind this project.
Just thought you should know if you didn’t already.
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Oops! Forgot to share the link:
http://howismykiddoing.com
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Regarding the ‘howismykiddoing.com’ site, it appears to be the work of the Council for a Strong America (CSA).
“This is the umbrella nonprofit for five membership organizations comprising the unique and powerful voices of business, military, law enforcement, faith, and sports all working together to prepare young Americans for success. CSA serves as the corporate nonprofit for its membership organizations. Fight Crime: Invest in Kids was launched in 1996 followed by America’s Edge (2008), Mission: Readiness (2009), Shepherding the Next Generation (2010) and Champions for America’s Future (2013). Members of each CSA organization engage in a variety of activities including releasing research reports at press conferences, writing opinion pieces in the media and meeting with policy makers to educate them on effective investments that help children succeed.” (Charity Navigator)
Hummmmm……….
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We have had a whole child approach for over 100 years. It’s called Montessori, and yes, we need more of it!
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