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.
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Diane Ravitch's blog 
Hi Diane,
I’m not sure if you’ve been following this, but I just wanted to share some info about the walkout that students in Boston organized this week to protest school budget cuts. Watching these kids stand up and fight for their education was easily one of the most moving things I’ve experienced in my time as a teacher. How a government allocates resources is a direct reflection of the values of its constituents. What can we do to show these kids that they matter?
Here’s the story: http://usuncut.com/resistance/boston-public-schools-walkout/
Best,
Joelle
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There’s a nice article on boston.com about how the students organized the walkout and now the mayor eliminated the cuts to the high school language and arts programs.
http://www.boston.com/news/education/2016/03/11/how-group-boston-teenagers-organized-massive-district-wide-protest/MorhkS0a2mcLJOD1sz9hxJ/story.html
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A physics professor answers a question put forth by Justice Roberts about the value of diversity in education.
http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/magazine/physicstoday/article/69/3/10.1063/PT.3.3092
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Thank you so much for posting this! It is one of the more enlightening pieces I’ve read in quite some time. Have already forwarded it to many friends.
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Hi again Diane,
I just wanted to follow up on the Boston Public Schools walkout story I posted earlier in the week. It seems like our students have made enough waves that our mayor is now working to block the budget cuts. Pretty awesome stuff. Here’s the story.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/03/10/walsh-moves-spare-high-schools-from-cuts/0VzBeWWl1Iq2AeiaBrUDkP/story.html
Thanks,
Joelle
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These folks become more and more odious with each passing day.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-03/god-wall-street-and-the-new-push-to-save-u-s-catholic-schools
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My child attend Watkins Glen High School and I am very involved in watching the administration and how they have little regard for following policies, procedures and education law.
Today I was escorted from the District waiting area (a space between 2 security entries) by 2 police officers because I was told I was trespassing.
After last weeks Board meeting (meeting had officially ended), the superintendent invited all the board members to attend today’s staff meeting because he was going to inform them(staff) the district is losing enrollment and they need to expect staff cuts.
AS Board members have no special privileges outside of properly convened meetings and assignments conferred to them through motions, I decided to attend this meeting. I am a parent member of the High School Building Leadership Team.
Superintendent met me at the second door and shouted and pointed that I was not allowed in the building. Stated this was a closed meeting because they would be discussing personnel and staffing issues. Told me to leave or he would call the police and charge me with trespassing.
So I waited, two police vehicles arrived and the two officers escorted me out of the building. Took my information and said they would confer with the District Attorney to see if charges would be filed against me.
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I thought you might find this relevant for a future blog post
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Say what you will about Trump, his current anti-Kasich ad in Ohio finally takes Kasich to task for his Lehman Brothers gig and how its failure paved the way for his election as governor. Too bad Ohio Dems never had the gumption (trying to keep this clean) to do so.
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This is just one example of many happening across the country of the efforts by autocratic, for profit corporations to turn our public schools into profit centers and our children into products. Is this superintendent a graduate of the unaccredited Eli Broad Academe?
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Thought you teachers would enjoy this one:
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Opinion pieces like this one about the Boston budget cuts and charter cap battle rankle:
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/opinion/20160312/holmes-this-school-rivalry-only-hurts-students
Nothing like making up your facts and ignoring the need to cite any kind of research. Other peoples’ talking points will do just fine!
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I am frustrated. My son has always struggled with school and in 1st grade the Broward school system placed a sub in his class for the entire year. This sub did not speak or write proper English. I didn’t realize what was going on till 5 months into the school since I received NO notification that the teacher had not been in class. After making a big deal I forced the school to move my child however the damage was already done. My son had lost 5 months of the school year and he tried to catch up but he couldn’t. Now with this FSA / FCAT they are teaching our children as robots. All children learn differently however with this new testing system that is not possible. The children are all taught the same way and my son is struggling. He is very smart and the testing is making him feel as a failure and dumb. I have reached out and questioned the testing but I get no proof from the school board. What can I do?
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Diane, you had previously posted links about the former Broad superintendent Penny MacCormack in Montclair, NJ and the “investigation” that was launched over allegedly leaked assessment tests. The investigation was taken over by the state DOE, but the results were limited and never fully revealed.
Over the last few weeks there was talk about new information on the investigation, and some allegations of wrongdoing by the board, but at Monday’s BOE meeting things blew up…
http://baristanet.com/2016/03/montclair-boe-more-allegations-questions-and-an-enemies-list-of-names-from-assessmentgate/#comment-415626
And now there is evidence that, not only did people in the investigation realize early on that the “leak” was really due to technical issues and improper protocols, they also created what is essentially “an enemies list” of people to investigate, including teachers, parents, and even non-parents in the community. Further, there is evidence that the Super or others on the board had begun a covert investigation of a person or people working in the district a full year before the “leak” incident occured…
http://baristanet.com/2016/03/montclair-emails-paint-picture-of-clandestine-operations-and-confusion-over-assessment-investigation/
You may recall that superintendent Penny MacCormack was pushed hard for the Montclair job by Christopher Cerf, the New Jersey education commissioner at the time (and also a Broad graduate). MacCormack was backed by board members with strong links to the reform / charter movement who live in Monclair, including big wigs from KIPP and Uncommon Schools, and one former board member who is the wife of Don Katz, of Audible, who is virulently anti-union.
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hi Diane – I love your posts and have been following you for sometime. Can we get you to come over and speak in England? It would be great to hear you.
I am Dean of the Institute for Education at Bath Spa University responsible for teacher training of some 500 student teachers and an undergrad programme of 600 students.
All the best
K
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Love to come to England.
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Bernie Sanders teaches math, physics, social studies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTn3jUoMdVI 😉
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…to the united states congress, no less
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In Carroll County, MD, we are in the fight of our life for a new contract that treats all educators professionally and fairly. Many of the educators have written the county commissioners with their concerns. This is the response to one of the letters from a former Carroll County employee that left and took a new job in Howard County:
Dear Rebecca,
Howard county is the second richest country in the United States, surpassed only by Loudoun, VA.
You have chosen to commute an extra 5 to 10 hours a week in exchange for a promotion & higher pay, and no doubt, you have made the right decision for yourself.
My position is this:
1. Carroll County teachers make more money than most, if not all, of their private school counterparts;
2. They make more money than all their parochial school counterparts.
3. Carroll teachers receive a platinum healthcare plan unmatched in the private sector, and a defined-benefit pension plan that is all but extinct in the private sector.
4. The starting salary of about $43,000 for a new teacher, for a 10-month work year is higher than the average 12 month private sector job which is about $40,000 in Carroll.
5. We will continue to do our best to issue modest raises, and I will support raises. However, we will not catch Howard. Those employees that insist on using the second richest county in the U.S. as their benchmark, and who are coveting HoCo Salaries should either (a) reach peace with themselves and accept the benefits of remaining in Carroll, or, (b) if they are unable to do so, they should immediately leave CCPS, and seek employment elsewhere.
No one in the private sector would seriously consider complaining to his/her employer every day demanding they match the salaries of the wealthiest one or two companies in an industry. I worked for a technology company that paid salaries that were about half of commissioned competitors. Some people did leave to pursue the higher salaries. God Bless them… that is their right. Staying and complaining is not.
Are our salaries a little low? Yes. Will I make a good faith effort to increase them somewhat? Yes.
But, personally, I am perfectly prepared to fire any employee that continually complains and deliberately engages in a work slow-down at the expense of our children… especially when, during the past 4 years, they had been receiving BONUSES, a COLA, PENSION SUBSIDIES, SALARY ADDERS, and a STEP INCREASE.
Regardless, I am glad you are happy, and appreciate your letter.
Commissioner Richard Rothschild
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This has been warmly received and I thought that it might be of value to your readers especially because the spring assessments are nearly upon us …
“Time,Time, Time, see what’s become of me …”
I’m an old father now. My sons have sons. I own lots of memories. I polish the sweet ones and never dust the ones that hurt. I mind time now. I didn’t used to. In fact, like lots of you, I was reckless with time. Not any longer.
When I was a boy of about 9 or so, I had the temporary misfortune of being the last to the dinner table … and that meant sitting just to the left of my father. That was like sitting next to the district attorney … or the pope. My brothers loved my dilemma … because that’s what brothers do. It’s in the Irish Manual of Life.
So … there I was … waiting for my moment of challenge. The knives were clanging plates and there were two or three different conversations happening around this table with the fat legs. Someone mentioned that my grandfather had a birthday in a few days … and that little-bitty mention sprung my father’s mind.
“So, young Denis” said my father, “ how long would you like to live? What is a good, long life?”
Right off the bat I’m thinking this is a trick question … because my father was never familiar with the obvious. So, there I sat … and my brothers had caught wind of my dinner-table distress … and they were loving every minute of it.
Meanwhile, my father was sipping his usual cocktail and pushing some food around his plate … which means he’s kinda waiting for an answer … to the trick question. And I don’t have much in the way of trick answers … because … I’m nine. Gimme a break.
After several long minutes he leaned over and asked, “And?”
I went full-out bravado … more for my brothers than for any other reason. I gotta live in this family after all, right? Strong is the key. Trust me.
“Seventy. Seventy years old is a good, long life.”
I was so pleased with my answer, I smirked at every guy at the table … until I noticed that my father was completely unimpressed … still sitting there … at the head of the table … playing fork-hockey with his peas.
And me? I’m waitin’ for a sign … any sign! … that my skinny answer is sufficiently smart. I’m dreaming of the big back-slap … or even the dreaded hair-muss.
There was none.
In fact, it seemed I was completely off his radar for a long moment.
I shouldn’t have been surprised. My father didn’t do that sort of stuff. I must’ve had him confused with my best friend’s father … who was really normal.
After a few long minutes, he clasped his hands and leaned over toward me. And then the verdict.
“You’re a silly boy.”
Mind you … he said it softly. No mocking at all. Just a soft, blunt statement … designed to make me think all over again. To spin my brain-gears a bit more. And I did. Even my brothers were cranking their brains. I think that was part of my father’s strategy … to make the moment belong to everyone. To glue everyone into the lesson.
Then he leaned over once again … and in a loud whisper … so all could hear … he said …“If you live to be seventy … you will have lived just 840 months. Does that seem long enough for you?”
And, of course, it didn’t then … and it doesn’t now. And I learned the lesson he intended me to learn … to be careful with numbers and to respect time. And to not waste time … or let others waste my time.
So, from this old father … to you young fathers and young mothers … mind the time.
Mind those sweet moments with your children and seldom say “Hurry up!”. Don’t wish for anything except this moment. Leave tomorrow alone. Tend to today.
Don’t let anyone hurry your child.
Don’t let anyone sandpaper their softest years with grit or rigor … because there’s plenty of that stuff in the eight hundred months ahead.
Don’t let anyone run innocence out of your child’s life. It has its own cadence and rhythm … and it’s plenty fast enough.
Don’t let others spin those clock hands faster than they already spin.
Mind the numbers in your life as never before. Pay as much attention to the little moments as you do the big moments.
Remind yourself that a five year old is sixty months on this planet. Less than 2,000 days old. They’re still brand new people! No one has the right to whisper anything about college or careers to a child determined to conquer the monkey bars. All adults should respect the Law of the Chair … if a child’s legs do not reach the floor … well … they are reality-exempt.
That eight year old … the one who sleeps in his Little League uniform? He’s a third grader. Not yet 100 months old. Let that sink in. Why is he rip-roaring mad at himself over some junk-test? That’s not the worry of an 8 year old. He should be anxious about base hits … not base line scores. His only career thought is what professional team to sign with … and that’s heavy enough.
That music-blasting “tween” is maybe 150 months old. At that age their job is to not walk into door jambs … and to try to put a lid on some hormone havoc. They’re still closer to babyhood than adulthood. Why do we let schools bum-rush them into anxiety-hell over tests? Mother Nature has already over-supplied them with all the anxiety they can barely handle. Why don’t we just lay off ‘em … and let ‘em outgrow this messy moment? It’s bad enough as it is … leave it be.
I’m glad my father cured me from becoming number-numb. My hot-seat moment has served me well for … for lots of months. Maybe this will shake up your consciousness … and slow you down some. And maybe … maybe you won’t say “Hurry up!” quite so often. And perhaps you’ll remind that school to slow down … that there are children on board … and they are entitled to every last drop of innocence.
Don’t let them tug your child into their warped world. If they think education is all about numbers, well, they’ve already forfeited their privilege to enjoy your child. They’re just as silly as I was … but I was only about a hundred months old. What’s their excuse?
Denis Ian
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Are you at aera this year? Fancy a coffee? K
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I will be at AERA on April 11
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Is there any relationship between the gentrification of some urban areas and the growth of charters?
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Can we all take a moment to be happy, grateful, and hopeful in NY State?
It seems to happen so rarely these days that there’s anything to celebrate in the public education policy arena.
Betty Rosa was just chosen to be our next Education Chancellor.
I’ve met Ms. Rosa several times at NYSAPE forums where she is happy to speak and just to listen. She is a tremendous supporter of real teaching, real learning, and understands what our true challenges are.
Surely, the tides can start to turn now…
Let’s do what we can to help and support Ms. Rosa in her new position.
Maybe New York can help lead other states in a new direction.
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Finally, some good news for the Great State of NY! Thanks for sharing.
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Hi Diane. I thought you may be interested in this article and the video titled, “Last Straw for NY Public Schools” made by Westchester/Putnam School Boards Association and the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents.
Link to article: http://somers.dailyvoice.com/schools/area-school-boards-superintendents-release-advocacy-group-video/644924/
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3IDbff6zOc
Take care,
Jackie M.
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Dear Diane,
A student of Hispanic descent said this in class the other day, and I thought I HAD to share it with you.
The student was complaining about having to write a Common Core English essay, and he announced to the class, “This is why Trump needs to get elected. He’ll deport us all to Mexico and we won’t have to write this s***, anymore.”
The comment was so wrong I’m so many levels that it was almost right.
Thought your readers and teachers would want to know how the news filters down to some kids.
Cheers,
Neal Shultz
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Neal, very funny!
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I bet that student was in a charter school
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OH MY GOD
AS I METION BEFORE LAST NIGHT I WAS AT HOME AND A PRIVATE DETECTIVE INVADE MY HOUSE AND I ASKED PLEASE SHOW ME JUGE ORDER TO GET INTO MY HOUSR LIKE THAT . TO OFICERS OF CITY OF HIALEAH TRY TO FORCE SIGHT A PAPPER . I REPLAY GET OUT OF MY HOUSE . YOU ARE MAYOR FALOWER AND TRUMP FAN . A LATIN DETECTIVE . I REPLAY YOU SHOULD TELL YOUR DAD THAT CRAZY COMENT . YOU NEED MEDITE , TRUMP IS LATIN HATER . GET OIT OF MY HOUSE YOU ARE HERE TO ARRASMENT BECAUSE I COMPLAIN CHARTER SCHOOL ABUSE .POR KID
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I’m sure that the student was in a charter school because he was influenced by them. That’s what charter schools do to you they brainwash you to like Donald trump, and that’s a major problem going on with the charter schools.
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Trying to understand this Valerie Jarrett quote on Twitter: “Cuba has an extraordinary resource — a system of education which values every boy and every girl.” fb.me/3atLbI8u0
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Someone should tell Valerie Jarrett that Cuba has no charters
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Dear Diane . CUBA HAS NO CHARTER SHCOOLS Right , I ‘ from Cuba , I Gre w up in Cuba . I’m not English Speaker , I can read pretty good , because in Cuba I love your comments . Reason # 1 . Always you are on the justice side # 2. I was blind about charter schools. Cuba absolutely has no charters, that is why the education is great, actually one of the greatest nationwide. In Cuba you can find people who speak perfect English, Russian, German and many others. I grew up in Cuba, and when I came to the US, I had no time to go to school because I had 2 kids. The only thing I know is that charter schools is the worst experiment that has been done ever, that are behind criminal masterminds or people that love money. In CUBA education is public education and in 7th grade kids have more knowledge than kids who are graduated in 12th grade in charter schools . The Cuban seventh grader that had just arrived from Cuba did better than any twelfth grader in CHARTER SCHOOLS
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Thank you, Reibel Castillo.
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You’re VERY much welcome.
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Things are looking up in New York State. Maybe we really shall overcome.
But I’m still concerned about the union I give a lot of money to. I’m concerned about how little I feel listened to. I’m concerned about a group that’s so obviously NOT mentioned in NYSUT President Karen Magee’s interview on WAMC earlier today. (Maybe it was just bad editing?)
Ms. Magee’s words:
“We got to this point because, over the last two years, NYSUT built stronger coalitions with students, parents and education advocacy groups. Together, we’ve raised public awareness about the misuse of state tests and other important issues at rallies… at education forums… and in the news media.
Together with parents and others, we’re building a movement… using advocacy as a springboard to press for the changes we want to see.
This ongoing advocacy — our collective voices working together — is how we’ve helped swing the pendulum towards policies in public education that provide an environment for students to learn and for teachers to teach.”
Anybody see “teachers” mentioned here? “Our” collective voices? I fully support parents and am hugely grateful for NYSAPE and other groups. But where do teachers’ voices come in?
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NYT — NYC tells teachers to shush about testing
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Get out your hankies, corporate apologist (and probable profiteer) gets his feelings hurt: http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/03/setting_the_record_straight_on.html#incart_river_index
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Dear Diane,
I’m a library media specialist in Florida and have taught for 25 years. In those years I have experienced the degeneration of school library media programs which has accelerated with the advent of Race to the Top. With “testing season” upon us, the school media center will be closed to book checkout, research, information literacy lessons, enrichment activities, etc. and I will become a test administrator for weeks at a time. School-wide, instruction will come to a halt. Students will be regrouped into “testing groups” and very quietly marched in and out of the library and computer labs for long sessions of testing. Even the most behaviorally challenging students know the drill and march to the testing orders. It’s scary how compliant they are. If nothing else, we have taught our children how to take a test – not pass a test, because we already know a high percentage will fail thanks to the arbitrarily set cut scores – but they have been taught since 2nd grade (and now Kindergarten) how to BEHAVE during a test. Is this our educational legacy?
The most distressing aspect of becoming a robotic, script-reading test administrator in a high poverty school is seeing the resignation to failure on the faces of many of our students. They know they’re going to “fail”; they fail every year. The year we switched from FCAT to FSA (Common Core), I told my students, “Congratulations, you’ll never have to take another FCAT test again.” They cheered. Then I told them the bad news – that the new tests will be longer and harder and on the computer. One girl asked, “Why they going to make us take a harder test when we can’t pass this one?” A good question and one I could not answer.
This year, during the FSA Writing Assessment, a student raised her hand and asked, “What are they asking me?” I told her I couldn’t help her with that. I suggested she go back and reread the prompt. She was a very low level reader and the article on which prompt was based was too hard for her. She knew it, I knew it, her reading teacher knew it. Her teachers know because they work with her every day, so how does taking this test help her in any way? She raised her hand again, “How am I supposed to answer when I don’t know what they’re asking.” I encouraged her to try. At that point, she huffed, turned off her monitor, and put her head down. She didn’t realize it, but she had opted-out.
What are we doing to a generation of students who are repeatedly being told they’re failures? How do these tests inform the people that can actually help them with their academic or emotional needs? (And the emotional needs are great and must be met before meaningful academic progress can be made. No standardized test can address this.) They don’t inform, they label. Parents and teachers know from working with their children on a daily basis the needs of the child, so who benefits from the massive amounts of data the tests are producing? When I think of the money one district alone, even one school alone, must spend on computers, tests and materials aligned to the tests – new tests mean new textbooks, hardware and software – I believe the answer is obvious. Hint: It’s not the kids.
I’ve become so disheartened by billionaire reformers meddling in public education and the trend toward privatization that I’ll be attending NPE’s conference in Raleigh next month. I’m looking forward to seeing you and meeting others that are trying to push back against reforms that are hurting our children.
Anna Thoma
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I’m reading David Halberstam’s “The Best and the Brightest,” incredible book about the Kennedy Administration’s failed policy in Vietnam, over spring break. Maybe my mind goes too quickly to education policy, but I find the parallels to the Education Reform Movement to be incredible. Excerpt after excerpt shows history repeating. Here’s the passage I just read on a similarity between JFK and LBJ’s foreign policy disasters:
“…But the component parts were there: serious misreading of aspirations of a nonwhite nation; bringing Western, Caucasian anti-Communism to a place where it was less applicable; institutions pushing forward with their own momentum, ideas and programs which tended to justify and advance the cause of the institution at the expense of the nation; too much secrecy with too many experts who knew remarkably little either about the country involved or about their own country; too many decisions by private men of the Administration as opposed to the public ones; and too little moral reference. And finally, too little common sense. How a president who seemed so contemporary could agree to a plan so obviously doomed to failure, a plan based on so little understanding of the situation, was astounding.”
Am I stretching?
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Vietnam was managed by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara reform of war management based on data based managed of objectives. The base for management of Vietnam War was body counts. The basis of the reform of public education is by management of education by objectives. The outcome based data is metric of student test scores. Reform of management didn’t work out so well in Vietnam. And, management by test score data isn’t working out so well in reforming American education system.
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No, you are not stretching. In fact, Barbara Tuchman wrote about what causes this in her “The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam” (1984)
“A glittering narrative . . . a moral [book] on the crimes and follies of governments and the misfortunes the governed suffer in consequence.”—The New York Times Book Review
Barbara Tuchman defines folly as “Pursuit of Policy Contrary to Self-Interest.” In THE MARCH OF FOLLY, Tuchman examines 4 conflicts: The Trojan Horse, The Protestant Secession, The American Revolution, and The American War in Vietnam. In each example an alternative course of action was available, the actions were endorsed by a group, not just an individual leader, and the actions were perceived as counter productive in their own time. Many individuals are guilty of folly (Tuchman also calls this woodenheadedness), but when governments persist in folly, their actions can adversely affect thousands, even millions of lives. Folly is a child of power. “The power to command frequently causes failure to think.”(p.32). THE MARCH OF FOLLY may not be as well known as A DISTANT MIRROR and THE GUNS OF AUGUST, but it is my favorite of her works. I heartily recommend it to any Tuchman fans who have not yet discovered it.
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Diane,
You might be interested in the recent Young Turks interview with Bernie Sanders. The Young Turks have almost 3 million followers on YouTube and more than 800 thousand have watched this interview so far and it was published March 23, 2016.
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Hope you’ll read this link and not pass judgement before you read it (simply because of the source). I’ve generally found you to be fair when approaching issues. I hope you will continue to be. This article shows what a mixed bag education reform is; which has also been my point about people being so paint-with-a-wide-brush-but-gather-attention-for-our-own-brand-while-bashing NC in general.
My only issue with NPE taking hold of HB2 is that it is turning public education into a purely leftist liberal issue. And by doing so lots of reasonable and good conservative folks are being isolated and left out of the conversation about education. Education being the purpose of the conference, right?
Maybe I sensed that’s what might happen with the upcoming conference. In essence, NPE’s energy is moving backwards itself—back to 20th century mindsets of protests and demonstrations. I don’t think that is going to help anything. I don’t think it will hurt, but other than making a statement on the organization itself, I don’t see how it’s going to help NC’s schools (reform being such a deep issue and far deeper and wider reaching than conservative or ALEC-driven laws). This week I’ve found myself re-reading Michele Rhee’s book; re-reading the Teacher Wars, so that I myself (a North Carolinian who is not a Republican but who understands that a lot of our citizens are. . .a lot of good citizens are)—don’t get blinded by emotion over a bill that is embarrassing our state but that stands the chance of eclipsing productive conversations about our schools.
I understand that you take HB2 very personally (although you are not a NC resident; and we are not the only state with these conversations going on) and I understand people fear being turned away or fired for their sexual orientation far more than is likely for it to occur (actually, it would be interesting to know whether such a law really does make things better or if it just feels like it does—a law of reassurance, if you will; it seems anyone wanting to work or do business with an entity that is not comfortable around LGBT causes would create an uncomfortable situation for them to begin with. .. but who knows. . .I can’t really speculate on that—we can’t legislate being nice anymore than we can properly measure grit). But anyway, the link . . .and I hope the conversations in NC will be thorough, as I have expressed from day 1. Our children need for those who see the value of public school to stay focused.
(And I don’t need a retort. . .I know what you think and feel and that you have lumped a lot of issues together in your quest to come and protest in NC). But please, education. public education. for all.
https://www.nccivitas.org/2016/are-schools-for-academics-or-social-justice-activism/
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That article is a mess, but a statement near the end essentially tells us everything we need to know about this person’s beliefs and educational (mis)understandings:
“The infusion of social justice at the expense of time spent on actual academic subjects is never a good thing”
We wouldn’t want students to be involved in things like “justice” at the expense of unrelenting literacy instruction…
I wonder if it is possible to become aware of social injustices, and take action against them, while also learning to read and write. HMM.
You know what, I never personally saw “education” and ‘justice” as a “left” vs “right” issue. These should be issues of humanity, not partisan politics. The labels of liberal, conservative, and so on tend to distract us from real issues rather than reveal the truth. I think this article, and the comments, are a good example of that.
I don’t really want to comment on the specific event described in the article, and whether it was an overstepping of teacher boundaries — because it seems we don’t really know the details of what happened there, and it would depend on a lot of factors that are rooted in the school and community.
I do, however, know that the premise is flawed.
Of course, I speak for myself, not Diane or anyone else here.
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There are so many code words embedded in this piece that force me to “pass judgement” [sic]. In following this incredible blog over the years, in my opinion here’s what binds those of us who follow it:
We support public education because it is one of the fundamental pillars upon which this nation is built. In doing so we value the development of civic virtue, respect for the scientific method, and recognizing individuality and diversity of opinion. We promote local control, especially when it fosters and honors the principles listed above. Most of all, we want our children to be educated in nurturing, challenging environments so they can navigate adulthood with the healthy skepticism a thriving democratic republic should demand of its citizens.
It is not, as Ed rightly points out, a “right-left” issue. Sorry, but that article pointed out why we hold this website in such high regard and are, at times, compelled to explain why we pass judgment.
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https://www.nccivitas.org/2016/are-schools-for-academics-or-social-justice-activism/
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Involved Mom,
I am reluctant to share this news with you, but Asheville–where you live– is a hub of gay life in North Carolina. I assume this has not been a problem for you or your fellow musicians.
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Wait a minute — music, Asheville . . . Joanna Best, is that you?
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Diane –
Wanted you to know in case you hadn’t seen it that Eva Moskowitz did a Q&A on Quora.com today. Here’s a link to her answers. (Joining is free if you have trouble seeing them. And Quora is an interesting source.)
https://www.quora.com/profile/Eva-Moskowitz
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This why vigilance and not mocking are in order. Stay focused. NPE is about education. Now as for NC, please read this.
http://www.thomhartmann.com/users/dan-mahoney/blog/2016/03/nc-hb2-koch-brostrojan-horse
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Good reading to prepare you for your trip south. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/03/exit-left/476190/
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Dr. Ravitch, an update on WA state’s charter battle. Today Governor Inslee allowed the legislature’s last-minute proposal to fund charters with the state lottery to become law without signing the bill. Here’s a Seattle Times story.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/charter-school-bill-likely-to-become-law/
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Thanks, EB. Will post
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Hi Diane,
Thought you and your readers would find this pertinent to the topics about teacher evaluations in NM.
A very sad letter about why a young teacher is leaving education.
Pam for NM
http://www.taosnews.com/opinion/article_4064f2c2-f785-11e5-b630-eb7027e77cd2.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share
Sent from my iPad
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Dear Dr. Ravitch,
I saw this Tedx Talk that might be of great interest to you. It was given in Seattle in March. Here are the links. Also, if you haven’t seen Michael Moore’s “Where to Invade Next?” you must. . . it’s priceless. Especially about education.
More than a Score: giving students a solid chance | Jesse Hagopian | TEDxRainier
YouTube:
Common Dreams:
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/04/02/more-score-tedx-talk-join-uprising-against-high-stakes-testing
From The New York Times:
A Silicon Valley School That Doesn’t Compute
See Michael Moores “Where to Invade Next?”.
Amazing Film – includes points on education and society.
Texas GOP rejects ‘critical thinking’ skills. Really.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/texas-gop-rejects-critical-thinking-skills-really/2012/07/08/gJQAHNpFXW_blog.html
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From ACES Too High blog:
A landmark trauma-informed education bill to address “chronic absences of students” in the state’s public schools was signed by Governor Kate Brown last week. The bill, H.B. 4002 (https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2016R1/Measures/Overview/HB4002), requires two state education agencies to develop a statewide plan to address the problem and provides funding for “trauma-informed” approaches in schools.
While bill’s $500,000 in funding falls vastly short of the original $5.75 million requested for five pilot sites in an earlier version (H.B. 4031, https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2016R1/Measures/Overview/HB4031), it provides a start to leverage additional funds in the future, including those available through the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, signed by President Obama in December (http://acestoohigh.com/2016/01/07/the-every-student-succeeds-act-includes-specific-trauma-informed-practices-provisions/). Both the Oregon bill and the federal law represent strong bi-partisan support for trauma-informed approaches in schools.
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http://www.greaterpatchogue.com/2016/04/notes-quotes-dr-hynes-state-of-the-pat-med-district/
This is how our school district is focusing on the whole child…not a test and punish system…
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North Texas parents opting out of STAAR test
http://www.fox4news.com/news/118323927-story
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Refuse the tests in Syracuse NY
http://www.syracuse.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/04/parents_of_schoolchildren_should_opt-out_of_state_tests_your_letters.html
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Updated with video: North Texas parents opting out of STAAR test
http://www.fox4news.com/news/118323927-story
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By now, teachers and many parents of students grades 3-5 taking the NYS ELA test today are aware there was a planning page missing from the test booklets. While this may seem trivial to some, the planning page is referred to in the test directions and is used by at least some students to create an organized, coherent essay. Without the planning page, and because teachers aren’t supposed to read the tests according to some interpretations of the testing directives, students may have been at a disadvantage due to the omission. There is no way to measure the impact on essay quality due to the error. The SED’s response was to issue a statement (found on their website) late today that indicates students may use a piece of scrap paper for tomorrow’s planning purposes.
One could possibly forgive this possibly unintentional error. On the other hand, in the current climate, when there has been so much pressure put on parents and teachers to accept the words of Education leaders and admins that significant change has occurred and we should now trust the system and “opt back in,” this error carries more significant weight. If the publishers neglected to catch this blatant omission, what other more nuanced changes did they neglect to make that are far more difficult for us to take note of?
Has trust really been earned?
And should there be greater consequences for the error than just issuing an apology and giving permission for students to use scrap paper?
Any one?
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http://www.nj.com/education/2016/04/nj_likely_to_make_parcc_a_graduation_requirement.html#incart_river_index
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http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/teachers-sanders-clinton-unions-221661
…important to read.
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Weingarten makes up lame excuses for endorsing too early and without true member support. Garcia is scared of Trump, but conveniently ignores that Sanders is a better candidate vs. Trump. Both of them have a strong *personal preference* for Hillary, (as if politics is simply about voting for your favorite friend.) Both of these union leaders are being fundamentally dishonest about the support base.
For some reason, Hillary Clinton seems to inspire anti-democratic sentiment in her supporters/enablers. This is a clear warning sign. Public educators, especially of the activist persuasion, share a fundamental vision of Democracy; so it would make sense that the BATs polled LAST JULY were 93%+ for Sanders, and are “overwhelmingly vocal” in support of his candidacy. The support was overwhelming for Bernie in this membership… eight months ago. Awareness of Bernie Sanders and his message has only grown since then, along with his support.
Ultimately, it is a wonder why all these activists for democracy and justice are being so strongly vocal for a Sanders presidency, and expressing themselves with such urgency…
As for those who remain silent or undecided, I simply cannot fathom that this is the right time to wait out such an important choice, a historically significant opportunity that may soon vanish if it is not backed by the full force of activism.
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Diane please endorse Democrat Todd Kaminsky for NY state senate for the special election April 19th. It will put a stop to the pro common core and pro charter schools movement . Here are some details
http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2016/04/dems-knock-charter-support-for-mcgrath-in-sd-9/
Please look into it . Public Education of ny needs your help
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Sadly, this is the canned response I got from Sen. Sherrod Brown after I contacted his office in opposition to the nomination of John King:
Thank you for getting in touch with me about the nomination of Dr. John B. King to lead the Department of Education (ED) as Secretary of Education.
In October 2015, Secretary Arne Duncan announced that – after serving as Secretary for almost seven years – he was leaving ED at the end of 2015. Dr. John King Jr. was then named the Acting Secretary of Education. President Obama formally nominated Dr. King to become the next Secretary of Education in January 2016.
Dr. John King Jr. is highly qualified to serve as the Secretary of Education. He started his career in education as a social studies teacher in San Juan and Boston. He later became an administrator, a principal, and a founder of the Roxbury Preparatory charter school network. Dr. King also served as the commissioner of Education for New York State and was Senior Deputy Commissioner of P-12 education for New York. He has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to educational equity, closing the achievement gap, and making sure all students graduate prepared for college or career ready.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a hearing on Dr. King’s nomination in February and his nomination was moved forward for consideration by the entire Senate. Some groups have expressed concerns about his relationship with charter schools and other concerns about his tenure as commissioner of New York schools. I met with King and discussed the importance of strong defense to repayment regulations to protect students and taxpayers as well as the need for oversight and accountability for all schools, especially charter schools that receive public funding. I was pleased to hear Dr. King’s willingness to address my concerns. Moreover, it is important to have a confirmed Secretary of Education to direct the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act and who can be held accountable for the work of ED throughout the remainder of this administration.
On March 9, 2016, the Senate voted on Dr. King’s nomination. While a delayed flight from Ohio back to Washington, D.C. prevented me from casting a vote, my intention was to support Dr. King’s nomination. Dr. John King Jr. was confirmed by a vote of 49-40.
I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this confirmation. The Senate has a constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on all presidential nominees. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that all nominations are quickly and fairly reviewed. As Congress considers education-related legislation, I will work to ensure that all students – regardless of income or geography – have access to a high quality education.
Thank you again for getting in touch with me.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
United States Senator
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I’m not surprised to read this, Greg. Have received similar non-responses from Senator Brown in regards to education policy. Disappointing…but par for the course.
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Senator Brown is allegedly a friend of public schools, not a neoliberal
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Diane, I’ve never seen a single word from Senator Brown to suggest he’s anything but 100% behind Obama-Duncan-Gates educational philosophy. Here’s a response I got from him about the Common Core in 2014:
Thank you for sharing your views on the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
American students must be able to compete in an international economy. This voluntary initiative seeks to set national standards for math and language arts that are benchmarked to international standards. Since 2010, states have had the option to join the initiative and to implement the standards that were established by local educators. Over 40 states and the District of Columbia have elected to adopt the standards.
Your views on this and other aspects of education reform are welcomed, and I will keep them in mind as Congress moves forward with the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Thank you again for being in touch with me.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
United States Senator
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I must have been misinformed
I thought he was pro public school
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from the American Prospect ( http://prospect.org/article/great-diversion-0 ) an excellent article about charters in Massachusetts:
The Great Diversion
Charter schools may or may not improve student outcomes—but they divert funds from other public schools.
by Gabrielle Gurley
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Have you heard stories of students who sat for upwards of 3, 4, even 5 hours in a day to complete then-timed tests in NYState? Have you read about the planning page missing from the 3-8 ELA tests? (For those students who rely on planning, that could significantly impact written organization and coherence.) Students are taught not to go past a “Stop Sign” so those that say they should have just used blank pages don’t understand the fear and obedience students test under. (If there were blank pages, they came after the stop sign. Not all grades had blank pages, though.) Some teachers noticed and some didn’t. (There’s contradictory language on whether teachers can read the tests.)
Students received different directions for completing written responses on the second day of testing, as the news wasn’t shared until after testing began on Wednesday morning.
Finally, our state union, NYSUT, is putting together resolutions to address the specific testing abuses witnessed and experienced this past week.
The insanity HAS to STOP.
PLEASE, share this news. It needs to be on the front page of all papers that are so quick to support testing and its importance.
Please, share widely.
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oops. second line should have read “un-timed” tests…
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I am a former school board member in Washington TWP – Sewell, retired school counselor from Cherry Hill, NJ and have continued to be an ardent follower of CCSS, PARCC, and Opt-out issues. I have followed you and the other editors on the educational issues – thank you!
The NJ State Board of Education has taken its first vote to mandate the PARCC exam as a graduation requirement. A second vote will be coming up soon and I would like to
address the unelected, non responsive, group regarding what I feel is a loss of my constitutional right as a parent to decide what is
best for my (grand)children and children in NJ. This is a move by the SBOE to call a halt to the OPT-OUT movement by parents. Even if they allow other
tests, i.e. SATS or ACT, Aspire, for graduation the child would still have to sit and be “punished” by the mandate for PARCC. Do my rights get abolished
and if so, what recourse do I and others have, if any, to put a halt to it?
I would be pleased to have any direction/assistance if this issue…
Jack Scheidell
30 mcgregor ct
Turnersville NJ 08012
856-693-5657
jscheidell@comcast.net
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Diane,
I wanted to share some good news with you – I completed my dissertation in education and received my doctorate! It was the most stressful and rewarding experience of my life, and despite all the angst and anxiety, I survived intact!
However, the world of education has changed radically since I began my doctorate. Here in Texas, education is still not funded adequately or equitably. The school that I’m principal of just spent the last of our budget, and we know we don’t have enough supplies for the rest of the year. Costs went up, but the budget stayed the same. We’re still short 40 science books, because the district didn’t account for the growth our campus experienced this school year, but hey, science isn’t tested in the grade effected, so, and I’m not making this up, the book coordinator asked we could just photocopy 40 books. No wonder we don’t have enough paper to make the year!
More disturbing is the fact that state testing remains the gotcha that dooms teachers, administrators, schools and districts. Though some understanding the escalating standards are unsustainable, there are still enough pitfalls to trap educators. For instance, how special education students are assessed.
If you didn’t know, the state expects ALL students to test on grade level and meet the state expectations for students. In the past, testing for special needs students included accommodations and modifications to provide equity in the assessment for them. Now, they take the exact same test as all general education students, just online instead of accommodated.
I recognize the goal to measure every student the same, but it is unrealistic to expect special needs students to perform at the same level as general education students. Several of my colleagues and I liken this to expecting all students, both able bodies and differently-abled, to run the mile on the track at the high school. It’s not just or equitable to maintain a set standard for success in that case, but for the state assessment, we’re doing just that.
Of course, the ramifications of this expectation effects the schools and districts, not the students. In fact, the way the assessment rules have been amended, it is perfectly reasonable for a student to meet the required standards less than 50% of the time 3rd grade through high school, and still be promoted and even graduate. No, it’s how it impacts the schools and the districts. That is so demoralizing.
Since the state demands we get all students to grade level, if we don’t, we are considered Improvement Required (IR), or as I call your school sucks. The hoops you have to jump through are endless and pointless. And, since we are rated on an entirely new and unique population every year, it’s not like there’s a reasonable standard we can ever meet.
So, in four short weeks, the state will demand we test our students over standards that are constantly changing, on a test that has nothing to do with what we should be doing in our classrooms, to please bureaucrats who I believe are truly intent on destroying public education.
I once thought education was the most principled and noble profession, and I think it can be, and it should be. But, right now, I can only feel a target on my back.
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Congratulations!
What you describe is nutty.
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A nice piece on gifted from Sunday NYT
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Multicultural Education Must Be an Integral Part of Education Reform
Would Multicultural Education directly address issues of equity in our schools and help close achievement gaps?
Today’s educational reform talks about making things “fair”, rather than “equal”, for all students. The word “equality” (a legal term) has been replaced by the word “equity”. Equality addressed social justice by advocating for a system where all students, regardless of socioeconomic status or racial/ethnic identity, competed using the very same tools provided by the establishment. However, historically disadvantaged students still struggled due to the very same issues that kept them at a disadvantage all along (social, economic, disproportional representation of racial/ethnic groups in low-level classes with lower academic expectations, family backgrounds, minority teacher staffing, biased standardized testing, etcetera). Huge achievement gaps between minority groups and their White counterparts still exist, and researchers argue that the equality system was not a fair system of educational competition. On top of that, we’ve ended up with large numbers of students of color labeled as “cognitively” disabled and as part of the exceptional student group. Of course, this is to be expected because this is where states can reap the benefits of federally funded programs.
Then enter the era of educational equity, emphasizing fair and just treatment of disadvantaged students; but what does “fair and just” mean? The Glossary of Education Reform gives you a pretty good idea, adding that “Inequities occur when biased or unfair policies, programs, practices, or situations contribute to a lack of equality in educational performance, results, and outcomes” (http://edglossary.org/equity/). The chant is that “sameness does not equal fairness”, and that “fair” means “everyone getting what they need in order to be successful”.
In order to address cultural responsiveness, I’ve been looking like crazy for a university that offers a graduate program in Multicultural Education to help establish equitable educational systems in Florida. I also looked for online programs offered outside the state after not finding any locally. I am baffled at discovering that multicultural education programs are almost impossible to find in the U.S., except in a few northern states like New York. Some universities that offered these programs elsewhere have discontinued them due to “low enrollment” and the fact that “the state does not offer incentives” for these programs. In other words, multiculturalism is not and has not been considered a critical area in most states (like are reading, science, or math under the Common Core).
What gets me is that the new corporate educational reform speaks from both sides of its mouth. From one side, tons of research has been conducted on cultural proficiency and culturally responsive classrooms where teachers know how to openly address diversity issues, recognizing their own cultural shortcomings in order to eliminate educational barriers. However, the important detail of providing meaningful training in this specific area has been conveniently left out of the reform movement and was not even addressed by the association of governors who initiated the Common Core Standards. I am beginning to suspect that this “minor oversight” is part of the same game to purposely keep minority students at a disadvantage at all cost. Just talking about cultural responsiveness from the pulpits of education is not enough. Teachers need to be trained on cultural responsiveness through teacher preparation programs that teach from a multicultural perspective, and teach how to effectively create curriculum and instructional practices that recognize and include the importance of diversity at deeper levels of understanding. However, meaningful and in-depth training is non-existent at most universities or districts throughout the country.
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Hello Diane,
I am very curious to hear your thoughts on gifted/highly capable classrooms. As a teacher, I notice the top of my class is pulled out to form the gifted classroom. I feel that the gifts these children possess can be shared with other students that are not considered “gifted”. Classroom discussions are missing the “gifted” perspective which could help bring the other learners up. I believe in challenging all students and meeting them where they are in their learning but is segregation really the answer?
Thank you so much!
With sincere respect and gratitude,
Jessica
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Just something I wanted to share with you:
I just read an article about a mom who was bringing her son to his family doctor regularly for a medical issue he was having. But her insurance company said they were going to stop the insurance payments if she didn’t go to the specialist they recommended. The specialist cost way more than her regular doctor.
But she ended up taking her son, and the specialist said he had to run a battery of tests, but refused to inform the mom what tests were going to be run! Nuts!
On top of that, her sons condition required timely attention but her regular doctor would not be told the results until far after the boys required visit to him. When the doctor insisted he wanted to see what tests were being run before hand, the insurance company told him that was not possible- neither the family or the regular doctor could see the actual tests before, or after. They would only be supplied results.
Knowing that her insurance payments could be cut, the mom relented. Afterwards, the son was upset and explained what went on to the family doctor. He said no one would answer his question or explain what was going on when he got confused. The doctor realized that while the boy was only 7, he was tested with medical equipment that was either faulty or recommended for children 12 and up!
The tests came back and the boy had not done well but the specialist would not give any further information.
Sound outrageous? Not on your watch?
Replace the boy with a student, the family doctor with a teacher, the insurance company with the federal govt and the specialist with Pearson.
It is outrageous and it is on our watch.
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Diane- we are trying to redefine public education for our school community in Patchogue-Medford, NY. We have a diverse community working together and focusing on the whole child and celebrating public education. Thought you could use some good news.
http://www.greaterpatchogue.com/2016/04/notes-quotes-dr-hynes-state-of-the-pat-med-district/
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Dear Mr. Hynes,
Are you hiring?
Signed,
Still-passionate-veteran-elementary-teacher-looking-for-sanity-in-public-education
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Same day California case overturned new one started in Minnesota!
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Diane I’m an educator and a colleague suggest I send you my daughter’s take on SBAC testing in her Vermont grade 4 classroom. https://youtu.be/KW5ScOsLNqA – this came straight from her heart.
Well there’s this very stupid test that we’re doing at school and it’s called SBAC
IF YOUR NOT FA MIL URE
It stands for Smartness Something something something something
Cause you’re dumb if you don’t pass it
We’re allowed to have gum but that’s all
We’re allowed to have gum but that’s all
Oh I hate SBAC
it’s so bad it’s so bad it’s so bad
But there are a lot of benefits.
Like movies all day
Ya there are a lot of benefits.
Like games
and half an hour long breaks
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The Baltimore Algebra Project is organizing a STUDENT WALKOUT TODAY AT NOON!!!! Baltimore students are protesting the PAARC tests that fail to measure our real student talents, judge students on content they have not learned, doom to students to fail high school, and take valuable time away from actual education!
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Didn’t know if you were aware that Alice Walton just put a lot of money into Clinton’s campaign. Of course when it comes to trade agreements, minimum wage, etc. it is obvious that Clinton will stand with the corporate donors. I would bet that would be the same with education. Teacher organizations should be very wary of this. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/2/26/1491699/-Walmart-billionaire-Alice-Walton-just-dumped-353-000-into-HillaryClinton-s-campaign
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Hi Diane,
I’m impressed you’ve found the time to keep up with the blog posts while at the NPE Conference!
I couldn’t make it there, but was hoping someone would at least mention the testing debacle here in NY State.
Is anyone talking about the missing page of the ELA booklets?
AN ENTIRE PAGE – MISSING.
I can’t understand why the corporate-funded Charters in NYC aren’t screaming. The charters that put all their eggs in the testing basket, that hold pep rallies with their students to get them “psyched’ to “slam” the tests.
Nothing from them, despite the real possibility the missing planning page could seriously impact their test scores.
Which is the only evidence most can provide for the “success” those public-funded corporate sponsored charters can claim.
Nowhere do I sense even a hint of “intelligent disobedience.”
Obedient obedience abounds.
OY!
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Diane, I hope that you don’t mind that I made use of some of your posts to address the opt-out situation on Cape Cod: http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20160407/OPINION/160409693
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I’m not in NC, but I had time to listen to an interesting interview with NY Commissioner of Education MaryEllen Elia done by the Poughkeepsie Journal.
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/opinion/editorials/2016/04/14/the/83028702/
It’s long but well-worth the time to watch and listen.
The questions are direct and cover many concerns that have been raised about receivership, testing, teacher evaluations, and more. The answers are often evasive but there is satisfaction in hearing the questions at least being asked.
Among some important highlights: Ms. Elia seems to firmly believe a teacher evaluation system has to produce positive outcomes, be created in conjunction with teachers, be done at a local level, and be for the benefit of students. She agrees there’s more work to be done with righting past wrongs. She says there’s a plan to give parents more useful information on their child’s tests results, and she thinks there needs to be a partnership with universities to ensure students graduating from high school are in fact “college ready.”
Things not asked or not answered clearly – what about the missing pages in the ELA test booklets this year? What impact does the missing page have on test validity? Was she aware some teachers knew and were able to alert their students to the missing page, and other teachers didn’t know until the test booklets were collected? What impact does students sitting for vastly different amounts of time have on the scores they get? (Is a “3” from a student who took 70 minutes to take a test equivalent to the “3” another students took 3 hours to get?) How can she keep saying teachers reviewed and approved all the test questions on all the tests, thereby implying all the test questions are now developmentally appropriate and well-written (a major concern of all stakeholders) when in fact the teacher reviewers could only replace bad questions from a list of Pearson created questions that could also be bad but maybe not AS bad… This strikes me as a tad disingenuous…
Watch the video and then add your own comments to the PJ page. Maybe the paper will start covering the story of missing test pages and the travesty of un-timed tests.
Somehow we have to get the papers to cover this story.
The public MUST know.
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I hope you are seeing what’s going on in Oklahoma!! It’s been amazing!! Educators are
running for office!! http://youtu.be/1nDn3gX5hIE
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Oklahoma, be sure to seek NPE Action endorsement
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This is great. I hope some of these teachers and other supporters of public education win. Also, I’d like to see at least officeholder lose his or her position because of their votes on education policy. For now, looking for just one!
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We need a website like DailyKOS, but for educators. Concentrate education activism/writing in one space. Otherwise, edu-bloggers will remain spread across the internet, barely known or heard.
Comments section on this blog is not enough to hear all voices. Cannot count on Diane to present all perspectives.
We are not feared or respected by the corporatists, unless united.
Who is willing and able to take the next step?
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I vote for you.
Or maybe convene an “Education Bloggers Summit” and all there can brainstorm a plan. (Summit can be in cyberspace for ease of convenience…)
There are certainly enough smart people associated with this blog to get something going if it were organized.
~just some thoughts from a newbie blogger…
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I wish I had the time and resources to do it myself.
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I have a web site started years ago for primary teachers. Once Common Core entered the scene I devoted 11 pages to show how problematic CC is: ” Common Core – Problematic on all fronts: philosophically, psychologically, sociologically, pedagogically, politically, economically, and morally.”
Grant it, the site needs much reorganization- over hauling-but this is all time and my brain allows.
http://maryidefalco.com/reading%20site%20reconnected/Reading_Primary_Teachers.html
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More ETS testing problems in TX – Lewisville ISD
LISD is one of the few districts using the accelerated block schedule. We had Dec administrations of the new ETS tests and experienced statistically significant scoring issues on the Eng 1& 2 compositions. Many students received a “0 – nonscorable” on the short answer while also receiving a “6-8 Satisfactory to Accomplished.”
In addition to these errors, LISD has received incorrect test shipments, late test shipments, incorrect data files as well as the online testing issues you have already blogged about.
http://www.lewisvilletexan.com/xoops/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4332
https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=38597733
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Back in the old days people would be charged. Not so true anymore. One can hope though. So much for mayoral reform and accountability and DC Council oversight. We haven’t missed this. Hope they haven’t as well.
AP NewsBreak: DC schools chief asked contractor for $100K
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/5f31d4194ccb4b5190e21f65590efbf1/apnewsbreak-dc-schools-chief-asked-contractor-100k
D.C. schools chancellor asked a major contractor for big money
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-public-schools-chancellor-asked-a-major-contractor-for-big-money/2016/04/19/473ce79c-0650-11e6-bdcb-0133da18418d_story.html?postshare=7331461118769425&tid=ss_fb
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In New Orleans, it’s all about the passion to teach: http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2016/04/new_orleans_charter_salaries.html#incart_river_home_pop
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Thank you for all of your tireless sharing! Invaluable. May I repost on WinkWorld and social media?
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Joanwink, yes, post away.
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Joanwink, yes, post away.
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Thanks.
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Hi Diane,
Please consider running this guest voices piece that appeared on my blog by the mother of a former NorthStar Academy/Uncommon Schools student: https://parentingthecore.com/2016/04/19/guest-voices-maatie-alcindor-on-northstar-academy/
Thank you! It was great to see you in Raleigh.
Best regards,
Sarah Blaine
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Hi Diane!
I found you on twitter and loved your posts about education.
My name is Milena and I’m writing from Brazil.
Even with this messy politics we’re happening, we’ve been making our way through.
Part of my studies I did in a private school, but by the age of 15 I changed schools and entered the public education system, which I always hear that wasn’t good.
I surprised myself in a technical school, studying chemistry and traveling the world with an wonderful sustainable project in farm development tools.
Since my family could support it, I traveled around the world and that’s how I manage to learn English and Spanish.
Nowadays I’m owner of an Language Immersion in the South of Brazil. A project called The Fools. We receive people from all over the country to teach English, Spanish, Italian, French and German.
Since the financial situation in the country is quite unstable, Brazilians are not being able to travel as much as we’d like to, neither paying for extra expenses such as a language school. The Fools is making a great role in the Language Learning system, with a pretty affordable price (to make sure any people from Brazilian society join it – U$100 per weekend – all included, accommodation, organic food and the language program).
Our staff consist in native speakers from each Language and Brazilians with experience abroad and it happens in an organic farm – we produce milk-based products, biscuits, bread besides wide range of citrus).
The idea is education in practice – activities that happen simultaneously: Carpentry, Trail, Public Speaking, Cooking, Dancing, Business skills, Handcraft work, Philosophical Discussion,Ultimate Frisbee, Gardening, Yoga, Thai Massage…
Is amazing the reaction from people to be able to learn whatever you want to, putting a language in practice and getting to know a new culture!
Well…
I wanted to share my story,
I believe that initiatives like this can change the path of education.
Thanks for reading 🙂
Milena
http://www.thefools.com
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Diane – I thought you might be interested in two stories about the Massachusetts charter debate:
Here, Senate President Stan Rosenberg talks about the RISE Act improving education for all of our students:
http://www.masslive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/04/the_rise_act_better_public_edu.html
Here, Sec of Ed. Jim Peyser claims there’s no need for charter teachers to be certified, though state law not only requires traditionally trained teachers to be certified, they must also complete a Masters within their first 5 years to retain their license.
“Peyser said the state should consider eliminating the teacher certifications process because certifications are a ‘bureaucratic exercise.’ A test required by charter school teachers to take, Peyser said, covers all material, rendering certifications needless.
Teachers at charter schools are not required by the state to have a certification; instead, charter school administrators can require teachers to pass an exam.
‘I don’t understand teacher certifications as a necessary requirement to be in the field,’ Peyser said. ‘We see no evidence that charter school students are worse.’ ”
http://lexington.wickedlocal.com/article/20160422/NEWS/160428080/SHARED/st_refDomain=t.co&st_refQuery=/2lYl15wiNM/?Start=1
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WHY THE MISSING NYS ELA TEST BOOKLET PAGE MATTERS:
For those who haven’t heard, there was a page missing from the 2016 New York State ELA test booklets for grades 3-8. Given the excessive importance given to these tests, the enormous amount of money spent on creating, prepping for, and administering these tests, this omission has to be important in some way. I admit I continued to be confused why there is so little public discussion about the missing test booklet page. Even amongst my colleagues, there is a general sense that it is a minor detail not worth wondering or worrying about.
While some might say I’m just looking for stuff to complain about, I maintain that the missing page has much more significant implications.
Here are some things worthy of pondering:
1) Even if you personally don’t plan your writing ahead of time, many students do (particularly students who have been test-prepped for months and given a “formula” for writing high scoring essays.) Your personal feelings about the importance of a planning page doesn’t make the absence of one any less important to those students that needed it.
2) The test booklet directions, as well as the directions read aloud by teachers, refer to a “planning page” that wasn’t there.
Students are instructed not to go past “stop signs” nor to write in any spaces not designated for answers. Any blank pages that may have been used occurred after the “stop signs.”
3) A main intent of these tests is to claim a standardized (read: “irrefutable”) ranking of students across the State. But standardized test scores require standardized testing conditions. On Wednesday, April 6th, only some students were alerted to accommodations they could make in the absence of the official “planning page.” Other students did not receive that advantage. Blank pages were only available in some grades’ test booklets, and occurred after the “stop signs” that test takers are instructed not to turn past. TO SUMMARIZE – a planning page, critical for organized and coherent writing for some students, was missing in all test booklets. Only some students were instructed on alternative spaces to use for planning. CONCLUSION – all students did NOT test under standardized (read: “the same”) conditions.
4) What protocols does the testing company Questar have in place to insure accurate, error-free publishing of standardized test booklets? How and why did the protocols fail? Is there any consequence to the testing company for its error of omission? What other errors may have been made that are far less obvious?
5) Can the scores of the essay on Day 2 of NYS ELA testing be considered valid under the conditions outlined above? (read: “Testing conditions were not standardized across the State. Valid scores require standardized conditions.”)
Just some food for thought…
Your thoughts?
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Alice and Ed Detective –
You may want to check out edubloggers.org.
“EduBloggers: Dedicated to truth-telling for democracy.
The Education Bloggers Network is an informal confederation of more than 200 education reporters, advocacy journalists, investigative bloggers, and commentators. Members of the Education Bloggers Network are dedicated to providing parents, teachers, public education advocates and the public with the truth about public education in the United States and the efforts of the corporate education reform industry.”
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That’s a good website for finding more bloggers. But the writing community itself is not on the website, it simply links to everyone else’s sites.
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Efforts to unionize at New Orleans charter schools: http://prospect.org/article/teachers-look-unionize-another-new-orleans-charter-school
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A SAD LEGACY
It was one of those newspaper items on March 19, 2016 that most people just gloss over. Yet this news article is a terrible indictment of some past practice in the School District of Philadelphia.
In 2011, the School Reform Commission which oversees the School District of Philadelphia fired one of its central level administrators. His name was Francis X. Dougherty and he had gone public about a “no bid” $7.5 million contract which was pushed through by then superintendent of schools Arlene Ackerman. When Dougherty revealed that this contract did not follow the required proper bidding procedures, he was terminated for essentially “not keeping his mouth shut.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer eventually documented how Ackerman engineered the last-minute award of what began as a small contract for surveillance cameras at South Philadelphia High School to a minority firm which was not on the list of State-approved contractors. The bid award was also dramatically increased. The new contractor, reportedly at Ackerman’s insistence, was now awarded a multi-million dollar without any competitive bidding after work on the job had already begun by another contractor.
Not surprisingly, a federal jury has now found that Dougherty had been wrongfully dismissed on the basis that Ackerman had initially denied Dougherty’s right to free speech by placing him on leave and then subsequently recommending his termination.
As a result of this debacle, the School Reform Commission recently agreed to pay $725,000.00 to Dougherty. Worse yet, the School Reform Commission has paid nearly $1 million to defend itself in the Dougherty case.
During Ackerman’s tenure, throughout the trenches of Philadelphia’s schools, many employees sarcastically referred to her as “the queen,” an unflattering characterization given to her by Philadelphia Magazine. There were many news reports that as the school system’s educational leader, Ackerman was known for her autocratic style. She never liked to be questioned. At a time when residents were losing jobs or taking pay cuts, Ackerman resented people questioning her large salary and those of her top aides. And she was often deaf to educational concerns presented by the public.
When Ackerman finally was forced out by the School Reform Commission after only three years as Philadelphia’s superintendent of schools, she was awarded an excessive separation pay of $900,000.00, Ackerman claimed that she had only cared about the students but this seems ridiculous just in the context of the “no-bid” fiasco and her separation package.
However Ackerman is not the main issue of this article.
The more important and larger concern is how all of this could have happened with the State-imposed School Reform Commission in charge of the school district.
With school buildings in decay, cutbacks occurring to school nurses and guidance counselors, reductions of art and music programs, and larger class sizes proliferating, many millions of dollars just in the instances cited above went uselessly out the window instead of into Philadelphia’s schools.
Tragically, the arrogance of power often prevails over the educational needs of city children and there is not just one guilty party.
(Joseph Batory, a former superintendent of schools in the Upper Darby (PA) School District, has been published extensively on the politics of education.)
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Time To Abolish Philadelphia’s School Reform Commission by Joseph Batory
It is clearly time for Philadelphia to rid itself of the State-imposed School Reform Commission (SRC) overseeing the city’s public schools. This politically appointed board, with three members appointed by the Governor and two by the Mayor, has been a colossal failure. The SRC has presided over an educational disaster in Philadelphia.
Given the priority goal of establishing better fiscal oversight for the schools in 2001, the SRC’s legacy has been perpetual budget deficits in spite of the fact that Philadelphia’s public schools have been stripped of many teachers, nurses, librarians, counselors as well as basic supplies. Incredibly, a 12-year-old child died because she dared to have an asthma attack on a day when the school did not have a nurse. In terms of services to and opportunities for students, Philadelphia schools are running far behind their suburban counterparts. What sort of formula for public school success is this?
The SRC has regularly has demonized the teachers union, limited parent, student and community voices, and promoted the expansion of the charter school sector, despite the fact that these actions have only worsened the District’s fiscal problems.
On top of all of this, a Boston consulting group was paid more than $2 million by the William Penn Foundation via an incestuous relationship with the SRC to create a biased “Blueprint for Reform.” This plan laid out a five year course of privatization which would close one-fourth of Philadelphia’s schools, placing 40% of students into charters, and dividing up the remaining schools into NYC-inspired “achievement networks” run by third party operators.
The SRC’s two most famous CEO/Superintendent appointments were little more than “top down” dictators rather than “enablers” who demeaned principals and teachers, robotized teaching, and produced minimal school improvements at best. Yet each of them was well rewarded with generous salaries, including a $65,000.00 bonus in just one year to one of them on top of her annual salary.
The SRC’s policies have provoked broad and sustained opposition from the public over the last two years. On numerous occasions, parents, students, and educators have taken to the streets and to City Council and SRC meetings to register their dissent.
Thankfully, at least one State Senator is trying to do something. Senator Mike Stack (D-Northeast), is now calling for Philadelphians to elect school-board members. His proposed Senate Bill would return a locally elected school board to Philadelphia.
Stack told the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Education recently. “The SRC fails the accountability and transparency test because it is not elected by the taxpayers. Therefore, it is not accountable to parents, students, and certainly not the taxpayers. It is only accountable to the Governor or Mayor who have appointed them.”
Helen Gym, co-founder of Parents United for Public Education agrees. The SRC is “a body that has refused to commit to transparency,” she said. “SRC policy denies people an adequate opportunity to speak to the issues. It is a serious imposition on the public.”
Make no mistake about it. An elected school board is no panacea. However, the School Reform Commission has had its opportunity to create positive change for Philadelphia’s schools and failed miserably. Tragically, Philadelphia’s public school children have been and continue to be victims of this political abuse and neglect. The School Reform Commission needs to be abolished.
(Joseph Batory is a former superintendent of schools in the Upper Darby School District. He has written extensively on the politics of education.)
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What Is The Best Way To Improve Education in America?
By Joseph Batory
Amidst the endless debate over improving education in the United States, one simple reality about “where the action really is” for educational improvement is not getting enough attention. Prekindergarten education matters and it can make a huge difference for the better.
The simple fact of the matter is that the most important learning for all human beings occurs between birth and 5 years of age. Children’s brains in those early years are remarkably fertile —- neural connections are transmitting and storing masses of information every second. It is during these early years when our social, emotional, behavioral and cognitive (intellectual) competencies are developed.
More than 85 percent of the foundation for effective communication, problem solving and critical thinking is developed by age 5. What parents do in these years is critically important.
The conservative view of public education in the USA argues that all children have equal potential to learn. If only this was true. As just one example, psychologists Betty Hart and Todd Risley spent years cataloging the number of words spoken to young children in dozens of families from different socioeconomic groups. What they found was not only a disparity in the complexity of words used, but also astonishing differences in the number of spoken words. Professional parents on average spoke more than 2,000 words per hour to their children whereas poverty/low income parents on average spoke only about 600 words per hour to their children. This resulted in a gap of more than 32 million words between rich and poor children by the time the youngsters reached the age of 4.
The need for some pre-kindergarten experiences for all children could not be more obvious. Yet, millions of American children never receive the advantages of a quality pre-school experience at ages 3 and 4, i.e., those educational, health and social supports that build the basis for their future success.
Tragically, the United States lags far behind most of our international competitor nations in providing pre-school and childhood care services. And this is a huge shortcoming that keeps our nation at a disadvantage in many ways. The bottom line is that high-quality early childhood programs can have a significant impact on later success in life and on American society.
Among industrialized countries, the United States invests the least in early childhood care and education services — 0.5 percent of GDP compared to anywhere between 2 percent and 6 percent in European countries. The United States child-care policies in recent years have improved but we still remain far behind other industrialized countries in supporting our citizenry.
If children start school ready to learn because of their pre-school experiences, they are much more likely to be able to read by third grade. The child who reads by grade three is much more likely to be a high school graduate. And high school graduates are much more likely to go on to further education or at the very least enter the job market as a taxpaying citizen.
A recent national survey of income levels noted that an average high school dropout earns $17,299 annually while the average annual salary for a high school graduate is $26,933. Over a lifetime, the net gain to the high school graduate is $630,000. And this greatly affects the U.S. economy.
It is ironic that in wealthy areas of America like the east side of Manhattan, parents have their 3- and 4-year-olds on waiting lists to gain admission to elite pre-school education costing five figures annually. Yet, in spite of our many Headstart programs across the nation, there are still millions of poverty level and lower-income parents for whom pre-school education of their children is not happening.
The devastating outcome of the lack of pre-school education has been made clear in a number of research studies that correlate children who did not have quality pre-school experiences with being more likely to commit violent crimes in later years.
The United States has long had a backwards approach to problem-solving. That’s because our country tends to spend 15 percent of its available resources on prevention and 85 percent of the cure. It would make much more sense economically to spend 85 percent on prevention and then eventually save huge amounts of money that would no longer needed to try to remedy the problem.
A prime example has been the USA’s approach to prisons. Instead of trying to find ways to reduce incarceration —- and many researchers have indicated that pre-school education is one way —- we have just kept concentrating of the much more costly alternative of building more prisons to contain more prisoners. Since the 1980s, our national prison population has increased from 500,000 to more than two million, now at a staggering cost of more than $70 billion each year. If the researchers are even somewhat correct about the impacts of high quality early childhood education, for the long term, we could be reducing prison costs and developing thousands more productive citizens through high quality prekindergarten programs now.
At the national and state levels, we need more political will and determination to increase and enhance pre-school education and care. We also need to create more programs to better educate parents about the fact that everything they do with children at home in those very early years is affecting what those children will eventually become. More intense focus and action plans regarding the critically important prekindergarten years can only improve society for all of us and create a more productive and educated citizenry for the future.
________________________
Joseph P. Batory is the only Greater Philadelphia area recipient ever to have received the “Lifetime Distinguished Service Award” from the American Association of School Administrators
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Secretary of Education Peyser in Massachusetts thinks a test is enough to certify that teachers are qualified, but doesn’t agree with Common Core….hmmm.
http://m.lexington.wickedlocal.com/article/20160422/NEWS/160428080
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Hi Diane, you might want to share this new film by educators. I’m sure you know about it since you are in it, and you may have already shared. http://www.healourschools.org/
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NYT article on testing today:
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I encourage all readers of this blog to read Rev. William Barber’s NYT op-ed, “The Retreat from Voting Rights,” in today’s edition (April 28).
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http://pioneerinstitute.org/featured/the-education-writers-association-casts-its-narrowing-gaze-on-boston-may-1-3/
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http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article74020632.html
Charter being sued in NC
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A nice piece of propagand: http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-04-27/charter-schools-boost-the-education-odds-for-disadvantaged-students
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Another piece of crap:
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-04-27/common-core-standards-benefit-the-economy
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Campbell Brown starting anti-teacher news site, funded by billionaires:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/13/campbell-brown-seventy-four_n_7788244.html?utm_hp_ref=education-reform
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Diane, would it be possible to share this story from The Nation on your blog?
Thank You
“Jane Sanders has harsh words for public education.
“In this interview, Bernie Sanders’s wife explains how schools would be different under President Sanders.”
http://www.thenation.com/article/jane-sanders-has-some-harsh-words-for-our-public-education-system/
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“Bill and Melinda Gates, have very pure motives.”
I do not think their motives are pure. Anytime someone has to pay and bribe their way to get what they want, it isn’t pure. If anything, it is pure evil no matter what Bill and Melinda Gates might think.
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Eleanor,
The title is misleading- “Jane Sanders has harsh words for public education.” Jane Sanders supports public education and unions. She believes in John Dewey’s philosophy of contextualizing- experiences play a significant factor in learning. John Dewey wrote 29 books and 588 essay. There are 37 volumes of his writings. Among the books he wrote are: “Art as Experience”, “Experience and Education”, “Experience and Nature.” Consequently, Jane Sanders would have harsh words about out present school system where background knowledge is ignored explicitly with closed reading.
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After reading that interview, I think I’ll vote for Bernie in the California primary. Too bad it doesn’t look like he will end up being the Democratic candidate for president. The danger here is that HRC’s hubris will end up putting Trump in the White House. I think that Bernie has the best chance of beating Trump. And if Bernie runs as an independent candidate for president, that will also put Trump in the White House.
But what if there are four candidates for president in 2016: Trump, Cruz, HRC and Bernie—two independent candidates running against Trump and HRC?
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Is the enemy inside the house? http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/books/review/listen-liberal-and-the-limousine-liberal.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fbook-review&action=click&contentCollection=review®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0
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Three cheers to you, Lloyd!!!!!! At least we can try to make a difference -supporting Bernie. I didn’t wake up on time to change my party. We can not cross party lines in the Primary in NY. There are 27 states that allow people to cross lines in a primary regardless how they are register.
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I posted this on the blog last year. Although I feel there are so many other issues that have flowed from the CCSS that have taken a more central role, this is still well-worth reading. Thomas Newkirk’s assessment is still the clearest, most articulate writing on why it’s worth questioning the Common Core:
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Latest on Bill Gates and his forays into another area he knows little about. I guess he’ll do to food what he’s done to education.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/gates-foundation-accused-of-dangerously-skewing-aid-priorities-by-promoting-big-business-a6822036.html
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Utah guv candidates Herbert and Johnson trade calls to end SAGE testing and Common Core
Because SAGE does not affect a students grade or a teacher’s evaluation, Johnson said, it’s unclear what good the test does for the state.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/3856840-155/utah-guv-candidates-herbert-and-johnson
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Please read disgustingly positive NYT review of Angela Duckworth’s book:
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Status quo gonna status quo.
The higher up you are on the social ladder, the more likely you are to love the idea that grit solves our problems. If theory of grit is true, it confirms to “successful” people that the problem is not the system (which they “beat”), the problem is those who do not conform enough to “win” the game.
Theory of grit makes system change unnecessary. How convenient for those in power.
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Sarah Schwartz, I don’t understand why you refer to NYT review of Angela Duckworth’s book as disgusting. Listen to her TED talk:
She makes a lot of sense. How come 40 – 50 % of doctoral students drop out of their program? Some in some cases it is even higher- 80% depending upon the program. It is not the only variable but grit is significant.
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Hi Diane,
A Baffler piece critical of billionaires:
http://thebaffler.com/salvos/cake-eating
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A Boston Globe investigation reports more than 200 alleged victims of sexual abuse by school employees at elite private schools over decades.
http://uverse.com/watch/h___60724914?ref=yfp
I wonder if Campbell Brown will now include private schools in her campaign to keep sex predators out of schoolrooms.
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Lloyd, please contact Campbell Brown.
This is a case the The 74
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I think Mercedes Schneider already answered my question.
Campbell Brown’s Selective Indignation with Sexual Misconduct in Schools
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I tried to contact her. Her site does not make it easy and then it wants you to set up an account. No way do I want to give that shill my information. I’ll write her a snail mail letter and mail it to an address for The 74 if I can find one.
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The NY Times editorial board posted a strange opinion today. Arne Duncan was right. Upper income students are not prepared for college. Ignorant parents oppose the CCSS and standardized testing. Most parents are complacent and don’t care about their children’s education. Huh?
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I agree with your “Huh?” I’d love to hear what Duncan has to say about the U.S. global rank for college graduates. The U.S. is ranked 4th out of about 200 countries for the 4th highest ratio of college graduates in the world. Arne Duncan sold his soul to the devil.
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Readers of this blog know that poverty is the true cause of the education achievement gap. Yesterday, Google announced that they will no longer advertise for payday lenders, who contribute significantly to the cycle of poverty.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/05/11/477633475/google-announces-it-will-stop-allowing-ads-for-payday-lenders
I understand that this will not stop payday lending, but it does hider their growth and it brings more media attention to an industry that is starting to receive some much deserved scrutiny. Many states have already instituted or are currently considering interest rate caps to address these loan shark businesses. A current example is South Dakota, where a coffee house has taken on the loan sharks to get an interest rate cap initiative put on the ballot:
http://www.kdlt.com/news/local-news/sabotage-at-local-coffehouse/34408182
The industry responded by getting their own fake limit put on the same ballot:
http://dakotafreepress.com/projects/election-2016/ballot-measures/amendment-u-fake-18-rate-cap/
Anything that brings more attention to payday lending scams is welcome. I think that Google, in one day, has accidentally done more to improve education in America than the intentional efforts over a decade from the reformsters. While I don’t think Google deserves a spot on this blog’s honor roll, I think they at least deserve a shout-out for doing a little bit of good on a topic critical to education, especially in contrast to Duncan’s disastrous decade of disruption.
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So McKinney, TX voters approve $63 million for a high school football stadium just miles from another temple of ridiculous opulence in Allen, TX. I have to quit scratching my head on this one or else I’ll hit bone soon.
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I teach in NYC and am trying to change the rule that prohibits students from using scrap paper on the Algebra 1 regents exam. This is an issue for my students, who have to do their calculations in the margins of the exam and often run out of room to show their work. Any help would be much appreciated!
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Your discussion with Whitney Tilson rises above the common level of discussion. Congratulations. Without a description of a competent teacher the discussion reaches a dead end. I am not competent to propose such a description. Some considerations that come to my mind;
A competent teacher presents the lesson adequately.Engages each student in discussion and encourages student focus.
Competent teacher is a mentor to some students.Encourages & guides the development of students curiosity and interests. Helps students develop their ethics, leadership, and cooperatave abilities. find interests and abilities. What describes an incompetent teacher ?
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A teacher that thinks they are going to reach every student is a teacher who hasn’t learned what it means to teach a classroom full of students that have no choice. They have to be there. Education to age 18 is mandatory. No choice.
A good teacher understands this but still works everyday to teach as many engaged students as possible using a variety of methods and strategies that focus on a wide diversity of learning modalities because that teacher knows that all students do not learn the same way. And that teacher knows that she might be able to engage in discussion with every student but that doesn’t mean every student will learn what the teacher is teaching.
While there are incompetent teachers, I think there are more competent teachers that were burned out from the pressure and stress of this endless war to profit from public dollars and control the thinking of future generations. Evil lurks in the sunlight and the shadows. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely and a lot of powerful people are working hard to be the controlling factor.
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Can someone point to resources like lawyers or advocacy groups who are in a position to bring legal action against a school district for threatening to pull a student from an honors class or honors program if parents opt-out their student from highs stakes testing? The link below tells the story of a Washington State family who felt compelled to have their student take the SBAC because the school and district threatened the child’s place in an honors program if the test was not taken.
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20160514/OPINION03/160519525
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Standardization, testing, and the deprofessionalization of teachers have become a world wide problem.
Here’s an article from England titled, “Why I am quitting teaching after more than 12 years in the profession’. http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/teaching-crisis-why-i-am-quitting-after-more-than-12-years-a6929221.html
And another one from Australia, “Teaching Australia.” https://griffithreview.com/articles/teaching-australia/
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What do Diane and others here think of the Coalition of Essential Schools?
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Ed,
I know about CES through the work of Deborah Meier and other progressive educators. They are the opposite of the corporate reformers. They are child/centered and opposed to standardized testing.
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Can we talk about it more on this blog? The more we discuss the “right” ways to do education, the more we can invalidate the “imposter” reforms/reformers in the eyes of the public. CES is one of the best models we have of systemic reform, maybe even the best example of what we can/should do to make real improvements in this country. It is almost like a network of Finnish schools in our very own backyard. If CES is such a good contrast, let’s use it. Keep pointing to it when people ask what and how we should change.
https://essentialschools.org/
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An orange county high school senior gave an emotional speech this evening to the school board here in NC. He discusses how his mother has to work two jobs (one of them is as a teacher in the school system) and he also has to work after school in order to make ends meet. Teacher pay here in NC is one of the lowest in the country and the anticipated pay raise is minimal for next school year.
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Love Your BLOG!!!
Miami teachers are in need of help
Miami teachers are trying to raise awareness and funds for a lawsuit
Teachers say Miami-Dade has stiffed them $30 million in pay
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article77466692.html
If you have any ideas, please contact
https://www.gofundme.com/helpteachsalaries
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I’m disappointed the superintendent of Boulder Valley School District in Colorado thinks a fee to pay for 1:1 Chromebooks to support testing should be forced on parents without their input and without any community discussion on the impacts this will have on the children.
http://missourieducationwatchdog.com/schools-privacy-and-chromebooks-that-ship-has-sailed/
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Miami Herald
Performance Pay cartoon
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorial-cartoons/jim-morin/
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Here is the argument for teach-to-the-test corporate reform by Michael Hansen of the Brookings Institute. Test-based accountability laws are like speed traps on the road. They reign in those teachers that dare to teach above and beyond.
http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/brown-center-chalkboard/posts/2016/05/16-teaching-to-the-test-hansen?utm_campaign=Brookings+Brief&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=29732693&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_stZ3SpHvcBcuEL2m_brrTE5wDvqY2O7S6QV5DDrNHyMe4nueGulgDFV2sJ0qcJROMqRfNAkY68jgG4YXUIJf0sjj3wA&_hsmi=29732693
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Hi Diane,
I follow your blog religiously but almost never send a comment. Today’s L.A. Times has a bizarre op-ed by Marguerite Roza, listed as the “Director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University,” who attempts to make the case how charters are NOT detrimental to the LAUSD. Her arguments seem rather uninformed as she ignores or glosses over basic concepts like economies of scale and fixed costs. I’d love to have you react to her piece and share it with your readers. Here’s the link to the Times:
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-roza-charter-fiscal-impact-public-20160519-snap-story.html
I write my own, modest education blog as a member of ALOED (Alumni of Occidental College in Education) which I listed in my identifying information below. I taught Social Studies for 37 years at the middle and high school levels for the LAUSD until I retired (and took up blogging) in July, 2009. I’ve heard you speak in person twice since then. Once at a UTLA gathering and once at Oxy and I’ve read your last two books.
You might get a kick out of this entry that I wrote on my May 13th blog:
The “Ed News’ Hits a Milestone
It’s not quite in the same league as Diane Ravitch’s blog (26 MILLION page views in just over 4 years) but Tuesday the “Ed News” blog (https://tigersteach.wordpress.com) reached a nice milestone with 2 thousand views in slightly more than 40 months. The entire endeavor is aimed at supporting teachers, unions and the public schools of this nation and although it takes a major effort to produce each edition, I will keep doing it as long as you keep reading. Thanks to all of you and don’t forget to spread the word about the “Ed News” to everyone who you think might enjoy and benefit from reading it.
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Roza worked for the Center on Reinventing Public Education, which promotes charters and the “portfolio strategy”
No surprise that she can’t see the harm charters do to public education
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I checked the Center for Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) website and Roza is listed as an “affiliate.” I also discovered this under their list of funders:
We would like to thank our current funders:
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Laura and John Arnold Foundation
Michael and Susan Dell Foundation
US Department of Education
Walton Family Foundation
Anonymous
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If folks are wondering about Twitter take downs on PARCC, here’s a look at how social media is being monitored:
http://littlesis.org/news/2016/05/18/you-are-being-followed-the-business-of-social-media-surveillance/
“Geofeedia’s business grows ‘7-fold’ between 2014 and 2015
Started in 2011 by Phil Harris, a businessperson with stints at Priceline and Match.com, Geofeedia allows users to target a geographic area on their computer and scoop up the public social media posts of everybody within the target range. The posts are harvested from the companies with which Geofeedia has patents, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, Yik Yak, Seno-Weibo, and others. In addition to targeting a geographical region, users can also use Geofeedia to search social media posts based on people and keywords.”
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Clark County School District teacher association (CCEA) endorsement for school board president: Adam Johnson, MBA, TFA, and “President of the Charter School Authority and Board Member for Equipo Academy, a newly formed charter school in East Las Vegas.”
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Good grief,
Why is CCEA endorsing reformer?
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Correction: Candidate choice to replace school board president.
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https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Data/Report-Card-Resources/Ohio-Report-Cards/Value-Added-Technical-Reports-1/Technical-Documentation-of-EVAAS-Analysis.pdf.aspx
There’s an interesting link.
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Help! Rocketship Charter School is about to land on our local school site here in Concord CA.
Am looking for any help in slowing it down, or grinding it to a halt!
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Questions about Baltimore County Super. They voted a 4 year approval in Feb., yet questions remain!!!!!!!!!!? Not just about the children.
Dallas Dance (Houston, TX) Dallas Dance
http://towsonflyer.com/2016/05/09/ethics-complaint-filed-bcps-dallas-dance/
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