Archives for category: Students
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The State Assessment Is Useless

By dianeravitch
October 3, 2012 //
6

This parent did not permit his child to take the state test. She opted out. But through a computer glitch (surprise, surprise!), the parent received a report on the assessment that his child did not take. As he looked at the component parts, he was reaffirmed in his conviction that the test is utterly meaningless.

The test was given in May, but the results arrive in September. What is the value of that? And there are no examples of test questions that a student was able to answer or not able to answer. In fact, none of the information on the report was informative.

His conclusion: Opt out. Don’t let your child take the tests.

Categories Accountability, New York, Parents, Students, Testing

A Student Reports on Education Nation

By dianeravitch
September 28, 2012 //
1

Stephanie Rivera is preparing to be a teacher at Rutgers University, where she is a junior. Stephanie has her own blog. But what’s special about Stephanie is that she has strong values, she has guts, and she is articulate. As an activist devoted to educational equity, she rightly is suspicious of faux reforms sponsored by billionaires and corporations.

Stephanie attended Education Nation. This is her report on te various panels and town halls. It is well worth reading because Stephanie brings a fresh perspective to the issues and personalities.

Categories Corporate Reformers, Students, Teachers and Teaching

A Teacher-Parent Shares Her Outrage

By dianeravitch
September 24, 2012 //
5

This teacher won’t let her child participate in state testing but she cannot shield him from the test-prep curriculum. Perhaps if everyone opted out, it would change. She thanks the teachers of Chicago for taking a brave stand. So much more is needed to change the direction of education in this nation and to make it worthy of our children and our nation. What advice can you give her?

Second career, 14th year in the classroom, tears in my eyes… Having a child in our public schools has left me with more enemies than colleagues – within the District and our neighborhood.

I know in my heart my teacher friends want to be and do better for my son, and all of their kids, but can’t or won’t stand up to rage against the machine. Watching our kid suffer in order to stand up and speak out for public education, our kids, and our communities has been one of the most difficult things my husband and I have ever done. While we do opt out from State testing (and I wish EVERYONE would), that does not opt our son out from the dull-dry-dead test prep curriculum his teachers and schools are measured by – not to mention the loss of social status by not buying into the notion that performance bands are a valuable label of one’s humanity, for those not afforded the privilege to make their own labels.

I hope for a better day, and our Chicago brothers and sisters have been INSPIRATIONAL, but after spending a PD day on the common core today I am assured, more than ever before, that I can hope in one and wish in the other but neither will result in anything but disappointment and disgust and anger over an utter erosion of our precious democratic ideals – which for those with the means and wherewithall matters NOT ONE IOTA. Raised fist, big sigh…

Categories Students, Teachers and Teaching, Testing

A Teacher Explains How to Fix the Schools

By dianeravitch
September 20, 2012 //
6

Bruce Adams, a veteran teacher and artist in Buffalo, explains how to fix the schools in nine not-so-easy steps.

His recipe does not involve firing teachers or closing schools. It does not rely on standardized testing. It takes time.

Wall Street hedge fund managers, Eli Broad, and the Gates Foundation won’t like his plan, because he warns against expecting quick results. In fact, he says, “don’t expect overnight success.” That no doubt disqualifies him in the eyes of our impatient reformers, who can’t wait.

Adams writes:

We don’t give schools enough time to implement one educational philosophy before replacing it with a trendy new one. Radical improvement doesn’t occur overnight. If we overhaul the system tomorrow and remain consistent, we could expect comprehensive results by the time this year’s newborns reach their senior year. Seventeen years may sound like a long time, but if we had spent ten years transforming our system after “A Nation at Risk” identified the problem in 1983, last year’s graduating seniors would have provided the first cradle to grad results. Think long term, not quick fix.

Of course, it does matter if you implement sound ideas to begin with. If you impose bad ideas that demoralize teachers and turn children into test-taking robots, then seventeen years will be a hard and ugly eternity.

 

Categories Arts Education, Charter Schools, Education Reform, Students, Teachers and Teaching

Some People Never Learn

By dianeravitch
September 20, 2012 //
6

Here is an article written by a Texas businessman and former legislator complaining that young people in Texas are woefully underprepared for college or the workplace.

The answer: more testing and accountability.

He fails to note that Texas has been pushing that testing and accountability thing for at least 20 years. Remember Ross Perot? Remember the Texas miracle? The whole country is stuck with NCLB because of all the “Texas Brags” that turned out to be all hat and no cattle.

Some people say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting to get different results.

I’d say that the definition of ideology is doing the same thing over and over again without regard to evidence or experience.

When your method fails, and fails, and fails, and fails, don’t blame the kids. Blame the method.

Categories Accountability, Students, Testing, Texas

A Philadelphia Student Speaks Out

By dianeravitch
September 19, 2012 //
5

This student opposes the planned closure and privatization of 40 Philadelphia public schools. He realizes that the closures are concentrated in minority communities and have a harmful effect on the students and the communities. He notes that Governor Corbett wants to spend more on prisons and less on schools. This is ominous.

As I have said in the past, when students awaken, the reform game is over. There are all these billionaire-funded groups with names like “Children First,” “StudentsFirst,” “Stand for Children.” Put a “not” in front of them. Listen to students, not to millionaires and billionaires who claim to speak in their name.

Join this student tomorrow in the Journey to Justice in D.C. if you are in the area.

Categories Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Privatization, Students

Rev. Jesse Jackson Gets It Right

By dianeravitch
September 18, 2012 //
1

Who is hurting the kids? Reverend Jesse Jackson knows.

A lot of pious preaching came from reformers who opposed the Chicago teachers’ strike. They said, “You are hurting the children by keeping them out of school.”

We never hear them say that the Mayor and the school board are hurting the children by denying them small classes, decent facilities, a good curriculum, social workers, the arts, and well-maintained facilities.

The money’s all gone, the reformers say, but there’s always enough to give subsidies to developers and big corporations. The only time the till is empty is when the topic is public schools.

Categories Arts Education, Chicago, Parents, Students, Teacher Evaluations, Testing, Unions

Can You Suggest Readings That Helped You?

By dianeravitch
September 18, 2012 //
25

A reader asked for suggestions. I said I would ask for your ideas:

My sister is an experienced teacher struggling to keep her chin up in an impoverished district serving children whose parents are non-English speaking or meth addicts. She and her staff want to form a book study group this year – looking for ways to enhance their professional practice and their children’s lives – wanting desperately to have positive and productive conversations about this important work during these bleak times. Can you or any of your “followers” recommend some titles for them to consider? A retired teacher myself, I remain passionate about helping those who carry on.
Thank you for any and all suggestions.

Categories Education Reform, Students, Teachers and Teaching

Spread the word: Stop School Closings!

By dianeravitch
September 18, 2012 //
1

A note from a friend:

Attached you will see our media advisory that we are just about to get out. We are part of a national alliance of youth, parent and community groups who have joined to fight against school closures. We believe they have displaced our communities, in some places like Chicago increased the violence and are a violation of our civil rights.

Cities like Detroit, Chicago, NOLA, Boston, Philly just to name a few will ride to D.C. on what we are labeling our “Journey for Justice”. 500 youth and parents will converge on D.C. on the 20th of September and send a message to the President and Duncan.

Can you help us? We are really trying to get the #journey4justice hashtag to trend. We have already begun to tweet using it and are working to create a strategy behind this. We have a powerful video of rallies and protests over the years from different cities around school closure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6X5rRI7MyE&feature=youtu.be

Would love any ideas you might have about getting others to participate on Twitter or FB?

Zakiyah Ansari
Advocacy Director
ALliance for Quality Education
 
233 Broadway
New York, NY 10279
212 328 9266
917 309 5742
 
Twitter @zansari8
 
Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Categories Corporate Reformers, Education Reform, Parents, Privatization, Students

A Chicago Student Speaks Up

By dianeravitch
September 17, 2012 //
5

When students begin to understand and talk about the conditions in which they live and work, the national conversation will change.

Here is a column written by a Chicago student and published in Anthony Cody’s great blog, Living in Dialogue.

She asks a simple question: Why are certain schools given preferential treatment and others (like hers) shunned and neglected?

Categories Charter Schools, Chicago, Students
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