Veteran teacher Arthur Goldstein of New York City analyzes the age-old question: Is it possible to drink cereal crumbs?
He offers a video demonstration and asks us to consider the meaning of this experiment:
If it is possible, what are the implications for American education?
If it is not, will anyone know?
And who will take this idea and run with it?
A reader in Texas responds to a post about the Dallas superintendent, who has sent out directions to schools to express themselves only in positive terms:
This blog reminds me: we got a new superintendent in our district where I was the deputy superintendent. His FIRST act was to send out a memo to all staff. His directive was that absolutely everybody had to start all letters and all memoranda and all emails with this statement: “Today is November 21, 2012, and it is a wonderful day!”
Many of us spent the rest of the day writing and sharing parodies. “Today is xxx, xx, xxxx, and it is a wonderful day! I am writing to tell you that due to budget restraints we have eliminated your position, effective immediately.”.
“Today is…., and it is a wonderful day! Due to the flu epidemic, we have determined it prudent to close our schools for the next three days in order to prevent more cases.”
“Today is …, and it is a wonderful day! Please join me in sending condolences to the parents of the young man who lost his life in the school bus accident last week.”
“Today is …., and it is a wonderful day. This letter is to inform you that since your daughter failed the exit assessment, she will not graduate with her class next week.”
“Today is …., and it is a wonderful day! The Texas legislature cut $5.4 billion from the education budget, so we must close schools, lay off staff, and eliminate preschool programs.”
Needless to say, we formed a pact and swore we would commit civil disobedience, and we did! He continued the ridiculous practice, but he never said a word to those who refused. This man lost every iota of credibility that he might have enjoyed simply by virtue of his position with that one demand for happy talk.
I know, I know. As deputy supt., I probably should not have led the coup. 🙂
EduShyster has done it again.
Imagine a conference on the freshest, boldest education idea of ever. Who would you want to hear from? Of course, those two ex-chancellors Rhee and Klein, who both had their chance and made no difference other than to introduce the concept of disruption to an entire school district.
And here is the idea of the year: schools should operate like law firms! Read on. Don’t laugh.
I recently posted a hilarious item that asked what would happen if basketball leagues were run in accordance with the rules of No Child Left Behind.
John Thompson asks what would Major League Baseball look like if it were conducted in accordance with the requirements of Race to the Top and the School Improvement Grants.
Why this sudden interest in sports analogies? My guess is that education policy has become so insane that he only way to explain how wacky it is is to transfer its rules into a different context. These days, policymakers will say outrageous and absurd things about education and no one calls them on it. Transpose the same ideas to a realm where the public understands what is happening, and the absurdity stands out in sharp relief.
EduShyster has done it again.
This time she nails the Boston Globe.
This is the Boston Globe’s dream as expressed by its lead education writer:
“There’s a lot at stake in the takeover of the Gavin by UP Academy. If it succeeds at raising student achievement with an identical student population, then the main complaint of charter school critics will lose its resonance. If relatively inexperienced teachers can do what veterans can’t — namely turn around a school where only one out of four students performs at grade level — then the public cry for longer school days, merit pay, and stricter teacher evaluations will grow louder.”
How great would that be? If the test scores go up at Gavin, now taken over by UP Academy, every inner-city school could have teachers with high expectations but no professional training. All that is needed is a four-year degree, preferably from an Ivy League college or university. Every teacher could be judged by the rise or fall of student test scores. All unions would be abolished. No tenure, no seniority, just test scores. That solves all problems, right?
EduShyster explains the secret of UP’s success.
Before the election, impassioned supporters of both candidates were threatening to move to Canada.
On the traffic report in Tulsa, this helpful newsman offered very specific directions.
Watch it. Even the crew was laughing.
Teachers in Magnesia, Texas, were in for a big surprise when they reported to their schools one day recently and found their chairs had been removed.
They quickly learned that they were on the cutting edge of the latest reform idea.
THIS IS A SPOOF!!
Too many readers couldn’t tell.
Hard to satirize current madness!
Sometimes people complain that Mitt Romney can’t understand today’s schools because he went to an elite private school.
But don’t be too quick to judge.
EduShyster points out that his school had a lot in common with today’s “no-excuses” schools.
Just forget the part about small classes, ample athletic facilities, a gorgeous campus, lots of arts, no standardized tests.
EduShyster is always on the lookout for the leading lights of “reform.”
Is Douglas County, Colorado, the one?
Break open a box of wine and enjoy.
Little did Anthony Cody and I know that the sister of Edushyster had a letter in the collection that we forwarded to the President this week.
EduShyster is the acerbic, hilarious blogger in Massachusetts who sees through all the baloney that we read day after day about “reform.”
One detail emerged in this post. EduShyster refers to herself. So, unless he is pulling a fast one with a fake pronoun, we have narrowed the possibilities in the Bay State by half.
Diane Ravitch's blog 