Archives for category: Klein, Joel
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Your Child’s Data: Now Online

By dianeravitch
March 3, 2013 //
58

Crack investigative journalist Stephanie Simon has done it again. In this article, she describes the $100 million plan to collect confidential student data and put it into a giant database.

Simon writes:

“In operation just three months, the database already holds files on millions of children identified by name, address and sometimes social security number. Learning disabilities are documented, test scores recorded, attendance noted. In some cases, the database tracks student hobbies, career goals, attitudes toward school – even homework completion.

“Local education officials retain legal control over their students’ information. But federal law allows them to share files in their portion of the database with private companies selling educational products and services.

“Entrepreneurs can’t wait.

“This is going to be a huge win for us,” said Jeffrey Olen, a product manager at CompassLearning, which sells education software.

“CompassLearning will join two dozen technology companies at this week’s SXSWedu conference in demonstrating how they might mine the database to create custom products – educational games for students, lesson plans for teachers, progress reports for principals.”

The database was funded by the Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation and created by Wireless Generation, which is part of Joel Klein’s Amplify, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation.

As a grandparent of a child in the public schools, it makes me ill to know that my grandson’s personal and confidential data will be sold or given to entrepreneurs for marketing purposes. And even sicker to know that his information is in the possession of a company owned by News Corporation.

Categories Accountability, Education Industry, For-Profit, Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Klein, Joel

How Bill Gates’ Small Schools Failed in NYC

By dianeravitch
March 2, 2013 //
13

Marc Epstein used to work in a large comprehensive high school that was broken up into small schools. Since then, he has worked in many small schools. Based on his knowledge, experience, and research, he came to question and doubt Gates’ belief that NYC’s small schools were successful.

Read here to know why he reached this conclusion.

Small schools are not a new idea in NYC:

“Long before the small school initiative, New York had its own disastrous experiment with dividing up a low achieving comprehensive high school into four small schools.

“Andrew Jackson High School was renamed Campus Magnet almost 20 years ago but the name change did nothing to raise student achievement and stem school violence. It should have provided a cautionary tale for small school promoters. But the lessons of Campus Magnet were ignored. Two of the four schools are to be closed to make way for new schools that will replace failure with success according to authorities.

“When large schools are divided you also lose control of the student population. Students from co-located schools often disrupt classes in neighboring schools or enter a neighboring school to fight. Texting and cell phones provide instant communication to the Clockwork Orange sociopaths, only exacerbating the level of violence.”

Categories Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Klein, Joel, New York City

Joel Klein, the Quintessential Corporate Reformer

By dianeravitch
February 12, 2013 //
2

Mercedes Schneider continues her review of the board of the National Council of Teacher Quality.

Earlier entries reviewed the bios of Wendy Kopp, Michelle Rhee, and other prominent figures whose lives intersect again and again on the boards of the groups seeking control of American education, with the full-throated support of Secretary Arne Duncan.

Here is Joel Klein, the quintessential corporate reformer. This is part 9 of Schneidr’s deconstruction of the corporate reform leadership team at NCTQ.

Categories Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, For-Profit, Klein, Joel, National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), New York City, Poverty, Privatization

1% Elite Vs. Steve Zimmer in L.A.

By dianeravitch
February 11, 2013 //
12

The 1% really really really wants to beat Steve Zimmer.

Zimmer is a member of the Los Angeles school board who is up for re-election.

He is a former teacher (and TFA) in Los Angeles.

He is the target of a heavily funded campaign to oust him.

The LA Fund for Public Education (controlled by Superintendent Deasey) has paid for billboards featuring a picture of Zimmer’s opponent, in his district.

The anti-Zimmer forces have so far raised over $1.5 million to knock him out.

Among the contributors to the anti-Zimmer fund: billionaire Eli Broad and Rupert Murdoch employee Joel Klein.

$1.5 million is a huge amount of money for a local school board race.

This one will determine whether LA schools are controlled by supporters of public education or corporate elites.

That is why all friends of public education must support Steve Zimmer.

Tell the elites they can’t buy the schools or the children.

Categories Broad Foundation, Charter Schools, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Klein, Joel, Los Angeles

NYC: Better Than Buffalo?

By dianeravitch
January 20, 2013 //
1

Jersey Jazzman continues his series of posts in which he closely examines the record of Joel Klein’s tenure as chancellor. One of the claims of that era was: “Look at our scores. We are better than the upstate cities.”

Categories Klein, Joel, New York City, Testing

The Business Model and the Bus Strike in NYC

By dianeravitch
January 19, 2013 //
14

New York City is now in the midst of a school bus strike, stranding more than 100,000 students.

As usual, each side blames the other for intransigence.

But there are a few facts that should be remembered for context.

The Bloomberg administration has had complete control of the school system since 2002 and negotiated all existing contracts.

In 2006, then Chancellor Joel Klein gave a contract for $15.8 million to business turnaround consultants Alvarez & Marsal to reorganize the transportation program. Some of the executives were paid $500 an hour (plus expenses). On January 31, 2007, the buses adopted the A&M schedule for the first time. It was the coldest day of the year. Thousands of children were left stranded on bitter-cold corners. It was chaos.

Chancellor Klein defended the choice of A&M, saying they had saved the city at least $50 million.

Presumably, this is the system that the mayor now finds intolerable and outrageously expensive.

Alvarez & Marsal were previously known for its work in St. Louis, where they ran the district like a business for one year, collected $5 million, and left, shortly before the state declared the district o be in such bad shape that the state took control.

A&M’s last school assignment was in DC, where Chancellor Kaya Henderson hired them to review test security procedures, though they had no experience doing that.

Categories Bloomberg, Michael, Corporate Reformers, For-Profit, Klein, Joel, New York City

Jersey Jazzman Deconstructs Klein Record, Part 3

By dianeravitch
January 7, 2013 //
0

Jersey Jazzman decided to analyze Joel Klein’s claims of compelling progress in New York City during his tenure.

In this post, he takes a closer look at how New York City students fared on NAEP compared to other cities.

Some gains, but not as large as other, less heralded cities who took the same tests.

Categories Accountability, Klein, Joel, New York City

Jersey Jazzman Deconstructs Joel Klein’s Record

By dianeravitch
January 2, 2013 //
7

Joel Klein served as Chancellor of the New York City public schools for eight years. He had no previous experience as an educator. But he came to the job with a determination to reinvent the system and wipe out whatever he found. He has often boasted of the dramatic gains that occurred under his leadership, at the same time that he claims that public education is in terrible shape due to teachers’ unions and tenure laws that protect incompetent teachers.

Here Jersey Jazzman begins a multi-part dissection of Klein’s record as leader in New York City.

Categories Corporate Reformers, Klein, Joel, New York City

Merry Christmas from EduShyster

By dianeravitch
December 25, 2012 //
2

This is a wonderful gift catalogue that will give you laughs and solace on this special day.

EduShyster has created some priceless selections for the discerning shopper of edu-shlock.

Categories Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Humor, Klein, Joel, Teach for America TFA

Joshua Starr Belongs on Honor Roll: Proof

By dianeravitch
December 22, 2012 //
21

I previously named Joshua Starr, superintendent of Montgomery County public schools in Maryland, to the honor roll for his courage and wisdom.

He rejected Race to the Top Funding because his schools have a nationally acclaimed peer review evaluation system. He called for a three-year moratorium on standardized testing.

For daring to be different, he is now under attack.

He is wrong, says Checker Finn of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, for not following in the footsteps of Arne Duncan, Michelle Rhee, and Joel Klein.

Who thinks that Chicago or DC schools are a national model? In NYC, only 26% of voters approve of the Bloomberg-Klein reforms.

Josh Starr has dared to say what parents, teachers and 99% of educators believe. He belongs on the honor roll.

Categories Duncan, Arne, Honor Roll, Klein, Joel, Privatization, Race to the Top, Rhee, Michelle
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