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Friday, January 4, 2013

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-4-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

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As Detroit Public Schools Shrink, Proportion of Special Ed Kids Soar



School Board Showdown in Los Angeles

Steve Zimmer is an alumnus of Teach for America.
He is not your typical TFA-er.
He was elected to the Los Angeles Unified school board in 2009, after seventeen years as a public school teacher.
He will be opposed by Kate Anderson, who has endorsements and major funding from the powerful charter 

The Dichotomy Between Corporate Reform and Real Reform

Anthony Cody has written a crisp analysis of the differences between what corporate reformers want and what supporters of public education want.
People like Anthony and me are often told to be accommodating, to be more receptive of the corporate style ideas.
But, as Anthony shows in this article, there are genuine differences.
Public education is facing an existential threat to its existence from people 

Peter Goodman: NYC Needs a Chancellor Who Can Lead

New York City has been swaddled in hype and spin for the past dozen years. The mayor gained control of the schools in 2002 and he appoints the chancellor. He also appoints a majority of the school board, who serve at his pleasure. He has appointed three chancellors in a row who were not educators.
Peter Goodman, who writes a blog called Ed in the Apple, says that the next mayor should appoint a chancellor whom educators can respect. NYC has been subjected to an endless parade of reforms, initiatives, accountability measures, and reorganizations. Disruption has been the only constant. Teachers keep on keeping 

Diane in the EVENING 1-3-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: FOUND: One Brave Superintendent in Connecticut! by dianerav Earlier today, I posted Wendy Lecker’s article, in which she said she was in search of one brave superintendent in Connecticut, who would stand up against the data-driven, test-obsessed climate of the times. I have found him. He is Thomas Starice, the superintendent of the Madison, Connecticut, public schools. Superintendent Scarice consulted with his school board, parents and the local community. He has shown leadership in responding to the state’s recently passed legislation about linking tea... more »