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Friday, February 1, 2013

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An Economist Explains the Problem with Choice

This post is offered in honor of school choice week.
We are accustomed to hearing economists lecture on the virtues of markets and choice.
Here is an economist who sees choice differently.
Here is the money quote:
“Today institutions of higher education, public and private, remain largely segregated by race, religion and economic condition. White colleges and universities remain primarily white, Black institutions remain primarily 


Why You Should Support Steve Zimmer for LA School Board

The billionaire boys club wants to beat Steve Zimmer so they can proceed with dismantling public education in Los Angeles. Steve had the nerve to say there should be some oversight of charter schools, so the privatizers are out to get him. They raised over a million dollars from corporate types in just a few days.
There are many reasons to support Steve Zimmer. His courage, independence, and integrity are good reasons. Another is his passionate support for the arts.
From a strong supporter of


Did Jeb Bush Use His Foundation for Financial Gain?

Lee Fang has published a blockbuster investigation of Jeb Bush’s foundation. Fang is an investigative writer for the Nation Institute.
Last year he published a stunning exposé about the online industry in which Bush and his chief lobbyist were central players. That article followed the money.
In this new article, he digs into the financial entanglements of Bush, based on emails that were obtained by a 


Jeb Bush Foundation Under Fire for Conflicts

Coach Bob Sikes reports here that Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Educational Excellence is under fire by groups who claim that it is promoting the for-profit interests of its corporate sponsors.
The Bush foundation, which presumably has a tax exemption, claims that 90% of its funding comes from philanthropic donors, not corporations.


NYSUT: Slow Down on Common Core Testing

The New York State United Teachers urged the state education department to slow down the rush to testing the Common Core because neither students nor teachers are ready.
NYSUT says: Don’t test what hasn’t been taught.
Sounds sensible.
But this is the strange thing.
Open the link. Look at

Editorial Board Chastises John White

Louisiana State Superintendent often expresses his contempt for the teachers he supervises.
When news came out that the rate of teacher retirements spiked, and teachers said they were leaving because of White’s punitive assessment system, White claimed that those who were leaving were the worst teachers.
Time after time, he makes clear his disdain for teachers.
White’s experience consists of

Amazing Release of Bush Foundation Emails

This is the release of emails in response to FOIL of “In the Public Interest.”
Read to see interchange between Bush foundation and corporate interests.

Highly Ineffective: Mayor Bloomberg and Mayoral Control

Arthur Goldstein is a high school teacher in New York City. He blogs at New York City Educator.
The New York State Legislature gave Mayor Bloomberg control of the New York City public schools in 2002. Here is Arthur Goldstein’s assessment of Mayor Bloomberg’s decade of near-total control:
When Michael Bloomberg came into office, there was quite a lot of talk about mayoral control. After all, as always, the schools were in crisis. Op-eds warned end of the world was imminent if we did not address this crisis immediately. Mayor Bloomberg’s predecessor, Rudolph Giuliani, had attempted to procure control, but was frequently preoccupied with lawsuits (like the one demanding the right to bring his mistress into the home he 

Mercedes Schneider Reviews NCTQ Board: Part 3

Mercedes Schneider, Louisiana teacher and Ph.D. In statistics, is writing a series of posts about the National Council on Teacher Quality. NCTQ rates education programs and presents itself as a neutral, nonpartisan judge of teacher quality. Here Schneider begins an analysis of the members of the NCTQ board. Schneider finds that it is committed to the tenets of corporate reform, that it has a specific point of view about the issues it reviews.

Diane in the Evening 1-31-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: If I Were Secretary of Education…(2) by dianerav From a reader: 1, Dispose of Teach for America and alternative certification (except for vocational courses) or revise it completely as follows. Hire TFAs as paraprofessionals to work under experienced teachers for their first year. 2. Require a commitment of 5 years, not 2, so the schools get full benefit from them 3. Do not place them in schools with high percentages of disadvantaged and disabled students. Instead, put them in middle class schools and create incentives for the best teachers to go to the di... more »