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Defending Parents Against Stereotypes

by dianerav

A reader writes in support of low-income and working-class families and reminds us of the importance of collaboration:
Diane, thanks again for your clarity and calm through what must have been a difficult week.  Your small manifesto looks so obvious, when it is quietly laid out.
Unfortunately, the conversation also gets hijacked by those with an agenda to attack low-income families, and working class parents in general, with false and degrading stereotypes. When that happens, it undermines the teachers who serve the majority of honorable inner city residents and uneducated, but nonetheless dedicated, 

What Is the Public Purpose of Public Education?

by dianerav

In case you have forgotten how to answer that question;
In case you are befuddled by the nonstop attacks on public schools and those who teach in them;
In case you don’t remember the history of education in the past fifty years:
Please read this statement on “The Public Purpose of Public Education” by Jan Resseger.
It is one of the best, most concise summaries of the issues facing public education and our society today

A Former Coal Miner Said This About Teachers Today

by dianerav

I just learned about Kipp Dawson early this morning. I got an email about a radio program where she is interviewed.
What got my attention was that Kipp spent 13 years working underground as a coal miner before she became a middle-school English teacher in Pittsburgh. I dropped a line to her, noting her unusual transition from coal miner to teacher, and she replied as follows:
You know, there is a strong parallel between these two “lives” these days. Underground we all were one another’s life savers; literally, of course. We watched out for danger and warned one another, and when one of us got hurt, 

Neil Postman Had It Right in 1976

by dianerav

A reader recalls what Neil Postman wrote almost 40 years ago. He was known as a future-thinker, and this quotation proves he was:

I’m a public school teacher in NJ. Relevant in this context is a wonderful little book by Neil Postman entitled “The Disappearance of Childhood”. He ties the invention of childhood in the west over the past few centuries to universal literacy. In the book he argues that the concept of childhood peaked sometime in the first half of the 20th century, but since then has been worn down by a decline in literacy and our infatuation with other forms of entertainment media. Profiting from schooling, racing to the top, focusing on absurd objective criteria like Where Are the Miracle Schools? by dianerav Bruce Baker of Rutgers University has written a fascinating analysis of charter schools in New York City and Houston. Do they enroll the same students as the nearby district schools? Do they have higher test scores? Do they spend the same amount of money? These are very important questions, given the reformers’ belief that charter schools will close the achievement What’s Needed Now: R-E-S-P-E-C-T by dianerav A reader comments on the discussion about parents, teachers, and students: It is amazing to me how fast the conversation gets hijacked by those with an agenda to trash public education. I have stated before and will repeat it. Parents and educators must work together in partnership. It is the most productive way for our students to benefit from an education. It bothers me to hear disrespect directed toward either teachers, parents, or students. As an educator I feel it should always be our position to be positive role models. Others may disagree, but I A Line in the Sand in Washington State Against the “Trigger” by dianerav A reader in Washington State writes: In Washington State, where we don’t have charters, we are fighting a charter initiative. It includes the MOST aggressive trigger in the U.S. It would allow an approved charter to circulate a petition to parents OR teachers at a school and, if a majority sign, the charter takes over, building and all. This applies to ANY existing school,  The Century of the Coldhearted? by dianerav Jeff Bryant reflects on the events and ideas that transformed American society in the past century. A current exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City describes the 20th century as “the century of the child.” Now with technocratic ideas dominant in national policy, championed by both Obama and Romney and semi-articulated by Arne Duncan, Jeff wonders if this is “the century of the coldhearted.” What Does “Progress” Mean? by dianerav In California, there is a battle going on between a “reformist” group called Edvoice and the United Teachers of Los Angeles. California has a forty-year-old law called the Stull Act, which says that a teacher’s evaluation will include evidence of student progress. But how is “progress” defined? Some “reformers” will use any and all opportunities to make standardized test scores the measure of teacher quality, because that guarantees that 1/2 of all teachers will be below the mean and thus many will be A Cyber Teacher of Physical Education Explains by dianerav A supporter of cyber charters wrote to say that many activities occur in a physical setting, not online. In response to our exchange, a teacher posted the following comment: K12 Inc has the largest student population of all online cyber charter schools in the US and this is what they want from a PE/Health Teacher: https://re21.ultipro.com/KIN1002/JobBoard/JobDetails.aspx?__ID=*A5FEACB4EE4E6E98 Other teaching positions are similar –”Virtual” means teachers do it from home. I know because I taught at an  Pearson Plans to Award Degrees by dianerav Last year, for reasons not altogether clear to me, the British government issued a white paper saying that non-teaching institutions would soon have the power to award degrees. Now, as was anticipated, the Pearson corporation says that it plans to award degrees to complete its role as the ultimate education organization of our era. Of course, Pearson could just buy a struggling college or university and change its name, but it doesn’t plan to do that. It has already opened “Pearson College.” This is all very puzzling. Businesses awarding degrees in business, technology, or maybe even in liberal arts,  What I Think about Parents by dianerav Over the past few days, there has been a lively discussion about the rights and responsibilities of parents. This was occasioned by a letter I posted by a teacher, who said that parents don’t always know what is best for their children and that some parents are irresponsible. After this post appeared on a homeschooling website, and perhaps others as well, I received many comments Which Public Services Should Have a “Trigger”? by dianerav What other public services might be subject to a “trigger” law? Should 51% of the tenants of a public housing project have the authority to seize control and hand the property over to a private management company? Should 51% of the patrons of a public library have the authority to seize control and privatize it if they don’t like