Posted on November 18, 2013 and updated for April 2, 2014 by Nancy Bailey Last November I wrote about why parents worried about Arne Duncan, who stands in support of Common Core State Standards. It was after he said, in reference to the standards, “It’s fascinating to me that some of the pushback is coming […]
Why the Education Reformers Worry about Special Education
Posted on November 12, 2013 with updated changes by Nancy Bailey I heard someone, a parent or teacher, blurt out at an informal education meeting that education reformers are afraid of special education. I think that person is right. Many of those currently in charge of condemning public schools don’t understand anything about students with […]
High-Stakes Testing, Common Core and Students with Disabilities—What Now?
Originally Posted on October 28, 2013 by Nancy Bailey I changed the title of this old post to include high-stakes testing because it reminded me of the word “appropriate” and the situation in Florida surrounding The Ethan Rediske Act. I think it is important to revisit some of these court cases. What meaning do they […]
Common Core State Standards Don’t Rhyme With Individual Educational Plans
Originally Posted on October 3, 2013 by Nancy Bailey Think about it. Common Core State Standards do not rhyme with Individual Educational Plans. Say it slowly. Listen to the words. They don’t go together. The whole point of CCSS is for everyone to get to the same standard. It is the same goal. You can […]
Revisiting “A Strange Ignorance…” LEAD Poisoning and Student Achievement
Originally Posted on September 22, 2013 by Nancy Bailey. This was posted last September and I have included some changes and updates. Talking about children and lead poisoning can quickly make you look like a harbinger of bad news–a real Debbie Downer. Lead poisoning is probably not a problem for most children, but it is […]
Growing a New Website and Book this Spring!
I am going to stop posting new posts for a while on my blog (probably for some of you sighs of relief!), while I work to improve my website. I am adding links to activism sites—including more material. And I am including some new features which I hope will be more interactive. In the meantime, […]
Mayors Go Looking for Bill Gates’ Education Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow
US mayors went to Washington DC the other day to talk about education issues with Bill Gates—the richest man in the world. Struggling to fiscally keep their cities alive, mayors will do anything to draw in the Gates’ dollars. And you wonder why he is in charge of education in America. It’s like Leprechauns finding […]
The Lawsuits Students Really Deserve in New York City and the Rest of the Country!
Aren’t there some fine lawyers who would, preferably with pro-bono work, support families who have children with disabilities, all kinds of disabilities, or children who have second language hurdles, or the really really poor children, to sue the charter operators and their rich donors for denying these students a slot in their elite charter schools? […]
Platooning—Another Weird Education Word and Common Core Strategy for Elementary School
Since I already have a list of weird education words here’s a new one to add. How many of you have heard of “platooning”—which, in reference to education, means moving elementary students, subject-to-subject, teacher-to-teacher, to meet the new Common Core State Standards? Instead, of one primary teacher, students move around—subject to subject. This idea has […]
SAT Scores Damned Public Schools and Teachers for Years—Why a Facelift NOW?
We’re told the SAT needs a facelift to level the playing field and make the test more relevant for disadvantaged students. Whoa! Let’s rewind that tape a bit shall we? The SAT has been used for years to damn public schools and teachers who were unjustly accused for not preparing all students well enough for […]