Archives for category: Florida
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Florida Will Release Teacher Ratings to the Media

By dianeravitch
November 27, 2013 //
20

In her invaluable blog called VAMboozled, Audrey Amrein-Beardsley discusses Florida’s decision to release teacher data evaluations to the public.

While she does not question the decision to make the ratings public, she explains that the ratings are fundamentally flawed.

My view: the ratings are so flawed and so misleading that they should not be made public. They are not only inaccurate, but the release of this flawed data is demeaning.

In what other profession, in what other branch of public service, are job ratings made public? Do newspapers print the job ratings of police officers and firefighters?

Categories Florida, Teacher Evaluations

The Common Core in Florida: A Mixed Assessment

By dianeravitch
October 26, 2013 //
82

This is an interesting and even-handed report by Sarah Carr on the implementation of Common Core in the Florida schools.

Clearly, the new standards will be easier for affluent students and harder for disadvantaged students. There is no indication that they will close the achievement gap. Maybe the bright students will arrive in college even better prepared for their English classes. Who knows what will happen to the English learners and the students who are struggling to read?

Two things jumped out at me:

First, the English teachers said they would not be able to teach To Kill a Mockingbird or The Great Gatsby anymore. No time for that. Anyway, they are not informational text.

Second, one English teacher said she would just have to give up assigning whole novels. Now, students will read excerpts. That makes me despair. Authors write whole novels, not excerpts. You cannot understand what the book is about unless you read the whole thing.

And one other point: Did no one read the New York Times’ article about the study showing that reading great literature is the best preparation for a job interview and for personal interactions?

Categories Common Core, Florida

Students Leaving New Charter School in Florida in “Droves”

By dianeravitch
October 25, 2013 //
35

University Preparatory Academy in Pinellas County claimed it would outperform all the local public schools.

But 69 students have left the school in the early weeks of school, complaining of bullying and other problems.

They are returning to their local public schools.

The Tampa Bay Times writes:

Children are leaving University Preparatory Academy, the charter school that promised to do better than their struggling neighborhood schools.

They are leaving in droves.

Since the school year began, 69 children have withdrawn from University Prep. They are returning to Maximo Elementary, Woodlawn Elementary, Bay Point Middle and other under-performing traditional public schools.

Earlier this month, 20 children left in one week. Eight have left in the past three school days.

Four teachers have quit, along with the school’s curriculum director.

A Pinellas County Schools administrator interviewed parents last month, when 23 children had left, to determine whether University Prep was telling families to leave. But parents said they were pulling their children voluntarily. They were concerned about bullying, missing textbooks and other issues.

University Prep has received initial approval to open a school in Tampa next fall, and has explored campuses in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Cheri Shannon, the school’s founder and principal, says the St. Petersburg school with just under 500 students is experiencing “growing pains” typical of a charter’s first few months.

Egged on by Jeb Bush and his powerful political machine, Florida has been eager to hand out charters and slow to enforce any quality control.

The end game is to marginalize traditional public schools and eventually to turn over the lion’s share of public education to for-profit charter operators and chain schools.

That way, education will be just another consumer good, not a civic obligation.

And the motto of education will be: caveat emptor.

Take your chances with fly-by-night operators, schools run by ex-cons, schools run by fast-buck entrepreneurs, schools run out of church basements.

That’s the vision.

Florida wants to be first in making it happen.

Categories Charter Schools, Florida

Reader: A Motto for Mr. Pitbull’s Charter School?

By dianeravitch
October 16, 2013 //
20

Yesterday, I posted a story about a charter school in Miami founded by a rapper known as Pitbull. This fellow was lauded by NPR for his philanthropy in founding a charter school. The fact that he has no qualifications to run or create a school is of no matter. He is known for his vulgar language and his contempt for women. The school will be managed by a for-profit corporation that has become very rich in this new entrepreneurial venture called “charter schools.” Read the post, but more important, read the investigative reporting by Jersey Jazzman and Mother Crusader. Mr. Pitbull’s school is a real money-maker. So, hey, this is America! Anyone can open a school! Come and get the taxpayers’ dollar! No one is watching the store! This is called “reform.” Will the students study the works of the founding father, Mr. Pitbull?

This reader looked up some of Mr. Pitbull’s oratory and though that this printable selection should be posted as a plaque on the building:

I hadn’t heard of Mr Pitbull before this, and so naturally I rushed to look up the lyrics of his songs. You are correct in saying that most of the lyrics are not worth repeating, but I thought this little excerpt from his 2004 song ‘We don’t care ’bout ya’ was relevant in this context:

We don’t care about yo clique
We don’t care about yo crew
We don’t care about yo bitch
We don’t care what you do
We don’t care about your car
We don’t care about your chips
We don’t care about shit
except getting rich

Maybe this could be engraved on the new school’s signboard as a kind of motto.
Categories Charter Schools, Florida, For-Profit, Privatization

NPR Lauds Pitbull’s Charter Money Pit

By dianeravitch
October 16, 2013 //
26

I never thought I would see the day when NPR ran a story complimenting a misogynist rapper for opening a charter school. This rapper, who calls himself Pitbull, writes lyrics that are too filthy to repeat on NPR or on this blog.

But there is Claudio Sanchez, reporting on the charming phenomenon that celebrities who are not educators and who apparently have no education themselves are opening charter schools! Isn’t that wonderful! Shouldn’t we all be impresssed!

Well, no, it is not that Mr. Pitbull has a heart overflowing with love of children or love of learning. He is making a lot of money. Fortunately for the readers of this blog, we have read Jersey Jazzman and Mother Crusader, both of whom did the sort of research that NPR did not do. Mr. Pitbull has another name: Armando Perez. In Jersey Jazzman’s article, you will see Mr. Pitbull-Perez has hired Academica, a for-profit charter chain with revenues of $158 million, to run his new charter school. Academica is owned by Mr. Fernando Zulueta, who controls some $115 million in real estate in Miami, all exempt from property taxes because his for-profit schools are “public.”

The story–and the money trail–gets way more complicated, but NPR did not see fit to discover any of the backers of Mr. Pitbull’s school.

The story gets entangled in Florida Republican politics, as Mother Crusader shows.

As always, it is a good thing to follow the money. Who is putting up the money, who is getting the money, who is making out like bandits?

But there is a lingering question: Why does anyone think it is a good idea for celebrities to open their own schools and to get public dollars for their profitable vanity project? How are we supposed to “outcompete” the globe by turning our children over to uneducated sports stars and rappers?

Categories Charter Schools, Education Industry, Florida, For-Profit, Privatization

NPR Lauds Pitbull’s Charter Money Pit

By dianeravitch
October 16, 2013 //
9

I never thought I would see the day when NPR ran a story complimenting a misogynist rapper for opening a charter school. This rapper, who calls himself Pitbull, writes lyrics that are too filthy to repeat on NPR or on this blog.

But there is Claudio Sanchez, reporting on the charming phenomenon that celebrities who are not educators and who apparently have no education themselves are opening charter schools! Isn’t that wonderful! Shouldn’t we all be impresssed!

Well, no, it is not that Mr. Pitbull has a heart overflowing with love of children or love of learning. He is making a lot of money. Fortunately for the readers of this blog, we have read Jersey Jazzman and Mother Crusader, both of whom did the sort of research that NPR did not do. Mr. Pitbull has another name: Armando Perez. In Jersey Jazzman’s article, you will see Mr. Pitbull-Perez has hired Academica, a for-profit charter chain with revenues of $158 million, to run his new charter school. Academica is owned by Mr. Fernando Zulueta, who controls some $115 million in real estate in Miami, all exempt from property taxes because his for-profit schools are “public.”

The story–and the money trail–gets way more complicated, but NPR did not see fit to discover any of the backers of Mr. Pitbull’s school.

The story gets entangled in Florida Republican politics, as Mother Crusader shows.

As always, it is a good thing to follow the money. Who is putting up the money, who is getting the money, who is making out like bandits?

But there is a lingering question: Why does anyone think it is a good idea for celebrities to open their own schools and to get public dollars for their profitable vanity project? How are we supposed to “outcompete” the globe by turning our children over to uneducated sports stars and rappers?

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Education Industry, Florida, For-Profit, Privatization

Florida Governor Appoints TFA Leader, 32, to State Board

By dianeravitch
September 23, 2013 //
42

Florida Governor Rick Scott appointed Rebecca Fishman Lipsey to the Florida State Board of Education. Lipsey describes herself as “a lifelong educator,” based on her long service to TFA.

Meanwhile, TFA leaders continue to pop up in service to the nation’s most reactionary governors, including Jindal in Louisiana, Haslam in Tennessee, and McCrory in North Carolina. All these governors are bent on privatizing public schools and funneling public dollars to entrepreneurs, private schools, for-profit corporations, and religious schools. Scott’s Florida is overrun with for-profit charters and scandalous real estate transactions involving charter entrepreneurs. Will Lipsey abet Scott’s goal of monetizing public education in Florida?

Here is the press release.

“Lipsey, 32, a former New York City public school teacher from Aventura, has held multiple leadership roles with Teach for America from 2006 to 2012 and served as the executive director of Teach for America in Miami-Dade from 2008 to 2012. From 2004 to 2006, Lipsey was a fourth and fifth grade public school teacher in New York City. Lipsey is currently serving as the chief executive officer of Radical Partners LLC. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and master’s degree from Bank Street College of Education.

“Governor Rick Scott said, “With an exceptional career in education, Rebecca is committed to student success and accountability, and it is clear she will be a tremendous advocate for all Florida students. Rebecca will help continue to ensure we are holding students to high standards in Florida and giving them the support they need to succeed in college and their career.”

“Rebecca Fishman Lipsey said, “As a life-long educator, I am deeply committed to what is best for children and could not be more humbled to bring my experience to the table. Having worked closely with principals, parents, educators and students from diverse backgrounds, I know that it is possible for all students to succeed.”

“Lipsey succeeds Kathleen Shanahan and is appointed for a term beginning January 1, 2014, and ending December 31, 2017. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

Categories Florida, Teach for America TFA

Sacramento: TFA Kids Staff Charter Schools

By dianeravitch
September 20, 2013 //
20

No surprise: Sacramento gets new charter schools staffed by inexperienced Teach for America recruits, non-union, of course.

Michelle Rhee’s husband is mayor of Sacramento.

How many would choose a doctor or lawyer with five weeks of training? Raise your hand.

Lots of money from the anti-union Walton Family Foundation, as well as Gates and Broad.

Maybe the foundations think that it’s good enough for poor kids, not for their own.

Categories Broad Foundation, Charter Schools, Florida, Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Privatization, Rhee, Michelle, StudentsFirst, Teach for America TFA

Oops! Bennett Left GOP Fundraising Lists on DOE Computers

By dianeravitch
September 16, 2013 //
3

Former State Superintendent Tony Bennett left detailed fundraising lists on Department of Education computers. Whether he broke the law or was merely careless is under investigation. Meanwhile, the files are public due to a Freedom of Information request by reporter Tom LoBianco of the Associated Press.

Categories Florida, Indiana

Tony Bennett Embroiled in Néw Scandal

By dianeravitch
September 12, 2013 //
12

The Associated Press reports that Indiana’s former superintendent Tony Bennett may have violated state law by using state offices and staff for political activities.

“INDIANAPOLIS — Former Indiana schools chief Tony Bennett kept multiple campaign databases on Department of Education servers and ordered his staff to dissect a speech by his Democratic opponent for inaccuracies last fall in apparent violations of Indiana election and ethics laws, documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

“Bennett on Wednesday denied instructing his staff to do campaign work and told The Associated Press one of the lists was used to make “thank you calls” on his own time after the election.”

Is this why he was so fast to resign as state commissioner in Florida? It is very puzzling.

Categories Administrators, superintendents, Florida, Indiana
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