The following articles have been compiled over time and may be of interest to those who care about the future of public education in America.
Anyone who takes the time to read this page will no doubt observe that most of these articles are against the education reforms supported by the Bush and Obama administrations. However, if the "reformers" could produce credible scientific evidence and data that any of these so-called reforms work, I might be willing to buy into them. The data that they have produced have been interpreted incorrectly or simply made up.
Anyone who takes the time to read this page will no doubt observe that most of these articles are against the education reforms supported by the Bush and Obama administrations. However, if the "reformers" could produce credible scientific evidence and data that any of these so-called reforms work, I might be willing to buy into them. The data that they have produced have been interpreted incorrectly or simply made up.
I am deeply troubled by the amount of power and influence that Bill Gates has in framing the debate around public education. He thinks we should increase class sizes so more students can be in front of the best teachers. Seriously, Bill? Do you want your kids crammed into a room with 40-50 other kids? I dare you to spend a week teaching a class of 30 ninth graders.
Education Budget Cuts Don't Have to Hurt Learning by Bill Gates, The Huffington Post.
A scholarly counterpoint to Bill Gate's education proclamations:
Fact-Challenged Policy by Richard Rothstein, The Economic Policy Institute.
Not so scholarly, but I liked this response to Bill Gates:
Not so scholarly, but I liked this response to Bill Gates:
Bill Gates: Have I Got a Deal for You! by Danny Westneat, The Seattle Times.
More evidence that the "reform" movement is being driven by those not qualified to be behind the wheel. It is remarkable to hear so much rhetoric from these individuals about teacher qualifications and accountability, when they lack both themselves.
Affirmative Action for School Reformers? by Dean Baker, The Huffington Post.
Diane Ravitch has become my new hero for her tireless advocacy of teachers and public education.
More evidence that the "reform" movement is being driven by those not qualified to be behind the wheel. It is remarkable to hear so much rhetoric from these individuals about teacher qualifications and accountability, when they lack both themselves.
Affirmative Action for School Reformers? by Dean Baker, The Huffington Post.
Diane Ravitch has become my new hero for her tireless advocacy of teachers and public education.
The Answer Sheet: Ravitch Answers Gates by Valerie Stauss, The Washington
How Diane Ravitch Became My Intellectual Hero by John Thompson, The Huffington Post.
American Schools in Crisis by Diane Ravitch, The Saturday Evening Post.
Since I discovered HuffPost blogger Randy Turner, I have been impressed by his perspective on teaching, especially since he spent 22 years as a journalist before pursuing a teaching career.
Since I discovered HuffPost blogger Randy Turner, I have been impressed by his perspective on teaching, especially since he spent 22 years as a journalist before pursuing a teaching career.
Reality Checks for "Reformers"
Ken Robinson is a leading authority on how to foster creativity and innovation. He has been featured in many TED talks and authored several books that should be read by educators and those who think they should be making decisions about education. Here Ken Robinson talks about his recent book on Creative Schools and his views on our approach to education "reform."
Sir Ken Robinson has a lot to say about U.S. school reform (it isn't good) by Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post
Much of the "reform" movement rhetoric is wrapped around false assumptions based on false or misleading data. One false assumption that will be especially damaging to students is the notion that quality of teaching and the educational experience can be measured with a small number of high stakes tests. When people say that we are lagging behind other nations or that we used to be number one in the world and we are now falling behind need to look more closely at what the data tell us.
Think Again: Education by Ben Wildavsky, Foreign Policy Magazine Online.
Finally someone in the media addressed one of the 800 pound gorillas that supposed reformers choose to ignore. You can lead a horse to water, you can put the horse's head in the water, the horse may even drown while refusing to take a drink.
Why School "Reform" Fails: Student Motivation is the Problem by Robert J. Samuelson, Newsweek.
Interesting blog comparing Finnish education reform with that in other Western nations.
On a Road to Nowhere by Pasi Sahlberg.
Another blog entry by a Canadian comparing
Paradoxes of the Finland
TheU.S. seems to be working toward “de-professionalizing” teaching, Sahlberg said, pointedly criticizing programs like Teach For America
Lesson from The
If we are going to use international comparisons to claim that we are lagging behind in education, then why won't we look to the successful nations as models for reform?
Why are Finland
Another related article from the Washington Post:
Another related article from the Washington Post:
Transporting Finland 's Education Success to the US
An economist's excellent analysis of the current state of education.
An economist's excellent analysis of the current state of education.
Why US
From this excellent analysis: The "applause line about school failure is an 'urban myth.' The governor, mayor and other policymakers have neglected to check facts they assume to be true. As a result, they may be obsessed with the wrong challenges, while exacerbating real, but overlooked problems."
America
Diane Ravitch wonders, as do many of us, if Obama really understands what Arne Duncan and the DOE are up to. His SOTU speech showed a remarkable disconnect from his vision of education inAmerica
From this excellent analysis: The "applause line about school failure is an 'urban myth.' The governor, mayor and other policymakers have neglected to check facts they assume to be true. As a result, they may be obsessed with the wrong challenges, while exacerbating real, but overlooked problems."
The Facts that School Reformers Ignore by Richard Rothstein via Valerie Strauss' The Answer Sheet column in the Washington Post.
This article begins by describing how even Fareed Zakaria, a columnist whom I have often admired, has been sucked into the "schools are going down the toilet" diatribes from the "reform" camp. It goes on to explain that such positions are not actually based on evidence and data.
Flunking the Test by Paul Farhi, American Journalism Review.
A compassionate advocate for kids gives an eloquent appraisal of the poverty vs. no-excuses education debate.
This article begins by describing how even Fareed Zakaria, a columnist whom I have often admired, has been sucked into the "schools are going down the toilet" diatribes from the "reform" camp. It goes on to explain that such positions are not actually based on evidence and data.
Flunking the Test by Paul Farhi, American Journalism Review.
A compassionate advocate for kids gives an eloquent appraisal of the poverty vs. no-excuses education debate.
Diane Ravitch wonders, as do many of us, if Obama really understands what Arne Duncan and the DOE are up to. His SOTU speech showed a remarkable disconnect from his vision of education in
Does Obama Understand Race to the Top? by Diane Ravitch via Valerie Strauss' The Answer Sheet column in the Washington Post.
A thoughtful analysis of what Obama's administration could have (and should have) done differently to improve education for all students.
A thoughtful analysis of what Obama's administration could have (and should have) done differently to improve education for all students.
Obama's Educational Report Card Grade is F by Alan Singer, The Huffington Post.
I am thankful for Diane Ravitch, who continues to be a passionate advocate for teachers and public eduction, in spite of the growing onslaught against us. [U]nfortunately, it is hard to find any leader of either party who stands forthrightly today as a champion of students, teachers, public schools and good education. This is a tragedy of our times.
Flunking Arne Duncan by Diane Ravitch, The New York Review of Books Blog.
As one commenter said: “It is abundantly clear that economic indicators have the highest correlation to a student's academic performance, yet it is the one factor that is excluded from all the Value Added Models for teacher evaluations. The gap continues to grow...because poor children who perform poorly on standardized testing, will be subject to even more meaningless tests and become disengaged from school even further. Let schools be a source of joy, stability, and celebration in these students' lives.”
Education Gap Growing Between Rich and Poor via Democracy Now!
Once again those who are not involved in education as teachers or researchers are controlling the discussion and policy recommendations while marginalizing those who actually have done the hard work of data analysis.
Condi Rice - Joel Klein Report: Not the New "A Nation at Risk" by Valerie Strauss, The Answer Sheet, The Washington Post.
A follow-up to the previous article:
Best Part of 'Schools-Threaten-National-Security' Report: The Dissents by Valerie Strauss, The Answer Sheet, The Washington Post.
Teacher Evaluation, Merit Pay and Standardized Testing
I have stated elsewhere that I believe Arne Duncan's waivers are unconstitutional and found at least one article in support of that contention. However, what I am sharing here is even more disturbing. Apparently Duncan does not believe in parental rights and is considering punishing districts who don't meet his test participation quota.
There is so much discussion about firing bad teachers and rewarding good ones, but there is no clear, widespread definition of what good teaching looks like. Here's an article that suggests there is hope for the future of teacher evaluation.
I am thankful for Diane Ravitch, who continues to be a passionate advocate for teachers and public eduction, in spite of the growing onslaught against us. [U]nfortunately, it is hard to find any leader of either party who stands forthrightly today as a champion of students, teachers, public schools and good education. This is a tragedy of our times.
Flunking Arne Duncan by Diane Ravitch, The New York Review of Books Blog.
As one commenter said: “It is abundantly clear that economic indicators have the highest correlation to a student's academic performance, yet it is the one factor that is excluded from all the Value Added Models for teacher evaluations. The gap continues to grow...because poor children who perform poorly on standardized testing, will be subject to even more meaningless tests and become disengaged from school even further. Let schools be a source of joy, stability, and celebration in these students' lives.”
Education Gap Growing Between Rich and Poor via Democracy Now!
Once again those who are not involved in education as teachers or researchers are controlling the discussion and policy recommendations while marginalizing those who actually have done the hard work of data analysis.
Condi Rice - Joel Klein Report: Not the New "A Nation at Risk" by Valerie Strauss, The Answer Sheet, The Washington Post.
A follow-up to the previous article:
Best Part of 'Schools-Threaten-National-Security' Report: The Dissents by Valerie Strauss, The Answer Sheet, The Washington Post.
Teacher Evaluation, Merit Pay and Standardized Testing
I have stated elsewhere that I believe Arne Duncan's waivers are unconstitutional and found at least one article in support of that contention. However, what I am sharing here is even more disturbing. Apparently Duncan does not believe in parental rights and is considering punishing districts who don't meet his test participation quota.
As opt-outnumbers grow, Arne Duncan says feds may have to step in by Patrick Wall,
Chalk Beat New York.
The amount of
power and control that Pearson has over students, their parents and teachers is
deeply disturbing. I have always known that textbook publishers create crappy
question banks, but I can choose to use them, or change them, or find my own.
Not so with the government mandated assessments.
These are the
days in which our kids’ high school graduations hinge on tests created by the
very same company — Pearson – that messed up the answer to this question. Tests
we parents will never get to see. Tests we parents will never get to review.
Tests we parents will never get to question.
Pearson's Wrong Answer - and Why it Matters in the High Stakes Testing Era by Sarah Blaine, with introduction by Valerie
Strauss, The Washington Post.
There is so much discussion about firing bad teachers and rewarding good ones, but there is no clear, widespread definition of what good teaching looks like. Here's an article that suggests there is hope for the future of teacher evaluation.
Classroom Tours Aim to Find Great Teaching The Seattle
The kind of education reform that is being pushed by those in leadership positions is not supported by evidence. And an increasing emphasis on high stakes testing and test preparation will produce even more adults in power who seem incapable of critical thinking based on evidence.
The kind of education reform that is being pushed by those in leadership positions is not supported by evidence. And an increasing emphasis on high stakes testing and test preparation will produce even more adults in power who seem incapable of critical thinking based on evidence.
Test-based incentives don't produce real achievement by Valerie Strauss, The Answer Sheet, The Washington Post.
Why are "reformers" like Arne Duncan, Michelle Rhee and Bill Gates hell-bent on ignoring scientific data?
Why are "reformers" like Arne Duncan, Michelle Rhee and Bill Gates hell-bent on ignoring scientific data?
Panel Finds Few Learning Gains from Testing Movement by Sarah Sparks, Education Week.
This is a remarkable interpretation ofPISA
This is a remarkable interpretation of
Firing Line: The Grand Coalition Against Teachers by Joanne Barkan, Dissent Magazine.
One of many articles addressing the aftermath of theAtlanta School
One of many articles addressing the aftermath of the
Cheating or Protecting? Depends by Timothy Slekar, The Huffington Post.
The research has shown that when based on test scores, teachers' effectiveness ratings vary from year to year, class to class, and from test to test. They even change if you use a different statistical model to analyze them. The use of standardized tests is no better than tossing a coin to decide which teacher stays and which goes.
The research has shown that when based on test scores, teachers' effectiveness ratings vary from year to year, class to class, and from test to test. They even change if you use a different statistical model to analyze them. The use of standardized tests is no better than tossing a coin to decide which teacher stays and which goes.
Ignoring the evidence on teacher evaluations by Wendy Lecker via the Stamford Advocate.
Anthony Cody, a Teacher Leader inCalifornia, gives an evidence-based account of what can and does work in education everywhere, not just California
Anthony Cody, a Teacher Leader in
A Chance to Choose a New Direction for Education in California
In what other profession indeed.
In what other profession indeed.
In What Other Profession... by David Reber, the Topeka
A NY teacher tells Bloomberg what he can do with his bonus money. Neither Bloomberg, nor Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott, nor Bill Gates, nor any of the “reformers” understand what we do, as they know nothing whatsoever about teaching. I’d also suggest they know little about so-called merit rewards, or how they actually work.
A NY teacher tells Bloomberg what he can do with his bonus money. Neither Bloomberg, nor Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott, nor Bill Gates, nor any of the “reformers” understand what we do, as they know nothing whatsoever about teaching. I’d also suggest they know little about so-called merit rewards, or how they actually work.
No to Bloomberg's Bonus by Arthur Goldstein, New York
This is a moving personal account of the effects that budget cuts and education "reforms" have had on one teacher's family.
This is a moving personal account of the effects that budget cuts and education "reforms" have had on one teacher's family.
What a Pain: Married to a School Teacher by Andrew Schmeichel via his blog Political Kick.
NEW YORK CITY: In New York, the results have been released, and New York teachers are now being ranked by student test scores. And teachers are having their names published in the paper from most to least effective.
Never mind that the state has admitted a high error rate and the convoluted formula they are using is so confusing that even experienced statisticians haven't been able to explain it.
Never mind that the state admits the data is based on tests that were judged inadequate.
Never mind that the data is a few years old. Never mind that the value-added model applies the "soft bigotry of low expectations" to non-white students.
Never mind that teachers whose students scored far above the state average and the proficient level were still judged poorly because the value-added models said that the students should have done better based on their demographics and "projected" performance outcomes.
Let's just brand one third of all teachers with a scarlet "I" for ineffective, and toss them out with the garbage. What the hell is happening to this country?
In New York Teacher Ratings, Good Test Scores are Sometimes not Good Enough by Sharon Otterman and Robert Gebeloff of the New York Times.
Why teacher ratings don't tell much by Meredith Kolodner via Inside Schools: Your Independent Guide to NYC Public Schools.
Why public shaming of teachers is exactly what the corporate reformers want -- with nationwide implications for our schools by Leonie Haimson via New York City Public School Parents.
An especially troubling account about the woman who was labeled the "worst" teacher in New York:
The True Story of Pascale Mauclair by Leo Casey via Edwize.
Applying a Precise Label to a Rough Number by Michael Winerip via SchoolBook, New York Times.
The comments on the following are especially informative.
How to Demoralize Teachers by Diane Ravitch via Bridging Differences, Education Week's Blogs.
A principal at a high performing school explains why she is "absolutely sick" about the public release of TDRs by Elizabeth Phillips via NY Public School Parents.
There are many articles that attempt to deconstruct the destructive VAM data from New York, but this is an especially good piece.
VAM gets Slammed: Teacher Evaluation Not a Game of Chance by Anthony Cody, Education Week Teacher Blogs, Living in Dialogue.
A follow-up to the previous article discusses other possible ways to evaluate teachers that would benefit students and develop the teaching profession.
Teacher Evaluation: Should We Look at Evidence of Learning? by Anthony Cody, Education Week Teacher Blogs, Living in Dialogue.
Another important addition to the discussion around the VAM evaluations of teachers.
Measure for Mis-measure with New York City Assessments by Alan Singer, The Huffington Post.
Chicago appears to be vying to become the next New York in terms of education reform. Here are some chilling accounts of education "reform" in the windy city:
Researchers blast Chicago teacher evaluation reform by Valerie Strauss, The Answer Sheet, The Washington Post.
Chicago is Ground Zero for Attacks on Public Education by Hyde Park Johnny, The Daily Kos.
I am grateful to see faculty members in the higher education realm come to the defense of K-12 teachers.
Who Breaks a Butterfly Upon a Wheel by Bill Lyne via United Faculty of Washington State Blog.
A short video segment that explains the problems with basing teacher evaluations on value-added test scores.
Merit Pay, Teacher Pay and Value Added Measures by Daniel Willingham via YouTube.
Linda Darling-Hammond is a well known researcher and educator who many thought would be Obama's choice for DOE, until he picked Arne Duncan, a failed superintendent of Chicago Public Schools. Here she examines the myriad problems associated with using VAMs to evaluate individual teachers.
Value-Added Evaluation Hurts Teachers by Linda Darling-Hammond, Education Week.
Another view of VAM from a classroom teacher in Florida. I truly do not understand why we are using percentile rankings for anything having to do with students and schools. All tests will produce one percentile rankings and 99 percentile rankings, even if all test-takers can show proficiency on a particular test. If all schools or all states are making objective gains in student achievement, you are always going to have half in the bottom 50%. Rating students, teachers and schools on percentiles hides the progress that we are making.
Why I Decided to Become a Private School Teacher by Nadia Zananiri via Nancy Flanagan's Education Week Blog Living in Dialogue. Why teacher ratings don't tell much by Meredith Kolodner via Inside Schools: Your Independent Guide to NYC Public Schools.
Why public shaming of teachers is exactly what the corporate reformers want -- with nationwide implications for our schools by Leonie Haimson via New York City Public School Parents.
An especially troubling account about the woman who was labeled the "worst" teacher in New York:
The True Story of Pascale Mauclair by Leo Casey via Edwize.
Applying a Precise Label to a Rough Number by Michael Winerip via SchoolBook, New York Times.
The comments on the following are especially informative.
How to Demoralize Teachers by Diane Ravitch via Bridging Differences, Education Week's Blogs.
A principal at a high performing school explains why she is "absolutely sick" about the public release of TDRs by Elizabeth Phillips via NY Public School Parents.
There are many articles that attempt to deconstruct the destructive VAM data from New York, but this is an especially good piece.
VAM gets Slammed: Teacher Evaluation Not a Game of Chance by Anthony Cody, Education Week Teacher Blogs, Living in Dialogue.
A follow-up to the previous article discusses other possible ways to evaluate teachers that would benefit students and develop the teaching profession.
Teacher Evaluation: Should We Look at Evidence of Learning? by Anthony Cody, Education Week Teacher Blogs, Living in Dialogue.
Another important addition to the discussion around the VAM evaluations of teachers.
Measure for Mis-measure with New York City Assessments by Alan Singer, The Huffington Post.
Chicago appears to be vying to become the next New York in terms of education reform. Here are some chilling accounts of education "reform" in the windy city:
Researchers blast Chicago teacher evaluation reform by Valerie Strauss, The Answer Sheet, The Washington Post.
Chicago is Ground Zero for Attacks on Public Education by Hyde Park Johnny, The Daily Kos.
I am grateful to see faculty members in the higher education realm come to the defense of K-12 teachers.
Who Breaks a Butterfly Upon a Wheel by Bill Lyne via United Faculty of Washington State Blog.
A short video segment that explains the problems with basing teacher evaluations on value-added test scores.
Merit Pay, Teacher Pay and Value Added Measures by Daniel Willingham via YouTube.
Linda Darling-Hammond is a well known researcher and educator who many thought would be Obama's choice for DOE, until he picked Arne Duncan, a failed superintendent of Chicago Public Schools. Here she examines the myriad problems associated with using VAMs to evaluate individual teachers.
Value-Added Evaluation Hurts Teachers by Linda Darling-Hammond, Education Week.
Another view of VAM from a classroom teacher in Florida. I truly do not understand why we are using percentile rankings for anything having to do with students and schools. All tests will produce one percentile rankings and 99 percentile rankings, even if all test-takers can show proficiency on a particular test. If all schools or all states are making objective gains in student achievement, you are always going to have half in the bottom 50%. Rating students, teachers and schools on percentiles hides the progress that we are making.
Education reformers have attempted to improve the quality of teachers by changing public policy with questionable initiatives and by insisting, falsely, that educators are to blame for many of the public education system’s — and the country’s — problems.
Five Ways School Reform is Hurting Teacher Quality by Brett Rosenthal via Valerie Strauss' The Answer Sheet, The Washington Post.
Corporate Interests and Privatization
Standardized testing exists largely to benefit private companies like Pearson and the technology companies they partner with to administer their tests.
Headquartered in London and with U.S.
operations based in Iowa, Pearson PLC has quietly grown into possibly the most
powerful education firm in the United States. It has $16.7 billion in market capitalization,
$7.2 billion in sales and $357 million in 2014 profits globally.
At a time when teachers are being fired
due to budget shortfalls, hundreds of millions of dollars are being pumped into
testing companies, with Pearson emerging as the biggest winner in this race to
the top of the testing world.
Uncommon Costs by Claude Solnik, Long Island Business NewsThe truth about corporate involvement in education reform: it's really not about what's best for kids. That LA public schools are ranking teachers according to student test scores alone but demanding no accountability from the charters is appalling beyond words.
The Bait and Switch of School "Reform" by David Sirota, Salon.com.
While this will most likely feel like more of the same on this page, there is information in here that isn't fully represented in the previous articles.
While this will most likely feel like more of the same on this page, there is information in here that isn't fully represented in the previous articles.
Instead of making long-term investments in these communities, the strategies promoted in Race to the Top and the current proposals for ESEA will cordon off “failing” public schools and seek to close, replace or reconstitute them, or use them to experiment with high-risk reforms like for-profit educational management firms. These approaches have a dubious track record. Many reconstitutions—where...staff are fired and replaced—have resulted in a less qualified teaching staff and lower achievement after the reform. The largest national studies of charters have found that while some are highly successful, most are more likely to underperform than to outperform district-run schools serving similar students. Moreover, the fact that charters enroll fewer English learners and special education students makes it difficult to compare their performance with that of other public schools.
Why is Congress Redlining Our Schools? by Linda Darling-Hammond via The Nation.
Investment banker Michael Moe has worked for almost fifteen years at converting the K-12 education system into a cash cow for Wall Street. A veteran of Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, he now leads an investment group that specializes in raising money for businesses looking to tap into more than $1 trillion in taxpayer money spent annually on primary education." Why we should not allow corporate interests to divert funds from public schools.
Investment banker Michael Moe has worked for almost fifteen years at converting the K-12 education system into a cash cow for Wall Street. A veteran of Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, he now leads an investment group that specializes in raising money for businesses looking to tap into more than $1 trillion in taxpayer money spent annually on primary education." Why we should not allow corporate interests to divert funds from public schools.
Selling Schools Out by Lee Fang, The Nation, The Investigative Fund.
ALEC is a shadowy organization that seems to have tentacles extending into every facet of American life, including education. They think we need to fight a war on teachers. "In this analogy, the teacher unions represent the Nazis, while the forces for corporate reform represent the doughty British and their allies."
ALEC is a shadowy organization that seems to have tentacles extending into every facet of American life, including education. They think we need to fight a war on teachers. "In this analogy, the teacher unions represent the Nazis, while the forces for corporate reform represent the doughty British and their allies."
ALEC Reports on the War on Teachers by Anthony Cody via Education Week Teacher Blog Living in Dialogue.
Michelle Rhee and her group Students First generate rhetoric that appeals to many people but is based on lies and misrepresentation. There are many important points made in this article, including this: The core of our story must be that a good education is the result of an enduring relationship of student to teacher, and that the commitment of the educational system to the teacher -- to her training, evaluation, and job satisfaction -- will translate into her effective commitment to the education of her students. It is because this relationship is so essential to education that education cannot be industrialized. Neither the teacher nor the students are interchangeable parts.
Learning from Rhee by Joanna A. Bujes, Monthly Review Online.Michelle Rhee and her group Students First generate rhetoric that appeals to many people but is based on lies and misrepresentation. There are many important points made in this article, including this:
The disturbing news just keeps coming. Diane Ravitch describes the most recent assault on public education in Louisiana. Remove any professionalism and sense of security from teachers; expand privatization...through charters and vouchers; intensify reliance on high stakes tests to evaluate teachers and schools; tighten the regulations on public schools while deregulating the privately managed charter schools. Keep up the attack on many fronts to confuse the supporters of public education.
Ravitch: A War on Public Education in Louisiana by Diane Ravitch via Valerie Strauss' The Answer Sheet, The Washington Post.
Reformers will deny that they care for anything other than what's best for kids, but the fact that so many have already profited from reform in states where charter schools have little or no accountability gives this commentary great credibility.
How to Destroy Education While Making a Trillion Dollars by Robert Freeman, Common Dreams.
Joanne Barkin has done some excellent reporting on education issues for Dissent magazine. The following articles are as disturbing as they are revealing.
Got Dough? How Billionaires Rule our Schools
Firing Line: The Grand Coalition Against Teachers
Hired Guns on Astroturf: How to Buy and Sell School Reform
Charter Schools
These "reform" activist cure-alls are more segregated and less successful than regular public schools.
Charters Aren't the Answer by David Sirota, Salon.com
A cogent (I wish final) statement against the implementation of charter schools in Washington State.
Northwest View: Charter Schools a Distraction to Education Reform by Washington State Senators Rosemary McAuliffe abd Kevin Ranker via The Bellingham Herald.
The jury is still out, but it shouldn't be. The evidence keeps coming in that charter schools are not the answer to improving education and closing the achievement gap.
Studies Find Charters Vary in Quality, Creativity by Jackie Zubrzycki, Education Week.
This article examines studies done on charter schools by the
Charter School Data Fuels Controversy in Georgia by Jack Hassard via Anthony Cody's Living in Dialogue Blog, Education Week.
One pattern of failure in education reform is that political leadership and the public focus attention and resources on solutions while rarely asking what problems we are addressing or how those solutions address identified problems. The current and possibly increasing advocacy of charter schools is a perfect example of that flawed approach to improving our schools across the U.S.
I came across this blog recently when I found a link to a well-written post about Teach for
Teach for America
A link in the comments section of the previous post takes you to an analysis of data often touted by TFA about their long-term impacts on education, and how TFA leadership provides false data to promote their fundraising efforts.
Two out of Three Ain't Bad- but is it True? by Gary Rubinstein, Teach For Us.
This is long but, for those who care about the future of public education, it is worth a read. Teach forAmerica
Teach For America Corps Members in Dialogue: Can this Model Work? by Anthony Cody.
Teach For America Corps Members Debate: The Leadership Pipeline by Anthony Cody, Education Week Teacher Blogs, Living in Dialogue.
This video was made by a former TFA member who explains why he left TFA:
A former Teacher for America, Inc. recruit speaks up via Seattle Education News and Commentary.
Gary Rubinstein is a math teacher, statistician and Teach for America alum who has analyzed the "research" presented by TfA to justify their continued presence in a world where experienced teachers are being laid off. Rather than single out any more of his blog posts, I would recommend perusing all of his postings, including his "Open Letter" series.
Gary Rubinstein's Blog by Gary Rubinstein
And those who want to keep track of up-to-date information about education "reform" should follow the blog of our most tireless champion.
Diane Ravitch's Blog by Diane Ravitch
A link in the comments section of the previous post takes you to an analysis of data often touted by TFA about their long-term impacts on education, and how TFA leadership provides false data to promote their fundraising efforts.
Two out of Three Ain't Bad- but is it True? by Gary Rubinstein, Teach For Us.
This is long but, for those who care about the future of public education, it is worth a read. Teach for
Anthony Cody posted consecutive articles about Teach for America Chester Upland School District in Pennsylvania chose to continue to work without pay when the district went broke, while the US government gave a $50 million grant to Teach for America
Hyper-accountability, Burnout and Blame: A TFA Corps Member Speaks Out by Jameson Brewer.Teach For America Corps Members in Dialogue: Can this Model Work? by Anthony Cody.
Teach For America Corps Members Debate: The Leadership Pipeline by Anthony Cody, Education Week Teacher Blogs, Living in Dialogue.
This video was made by a former TFA member who explains why he left TFA:
A former Teacher for America, Inc. recruit speaks up via Seattle Education News and Commentary.
Gary Rubinstein is a math teacher, statistician and Teach for America alum who has analyzed the "research" presented by TfA to justify their continued presence in a world where experienced teachers are being laid off. Rather than single out any more of his blog posts, I would recommend perusing all of his postings, including his "Open Letter" series.
Gary Rubinstein's Blog by Gary Rubinstein
And those who want to keep track of up-to-date information about education "reform" should follow the blog of our most tireless champion.
Diane Ravitch's Blog by Diane Ravitch
More to come...
Important note: Many of these articles came to my attention because they were posted by members of the Facebook groups Dump Duncan and Teachers' Letters to Obama. These are vibrant communities and I strongly encourage you to join.
