A summit is defined as the highest peak of a mountain. It’s also a meeting of high-level officials. In education, corporate politicians and reformers promote themselves as child experts. Yet they are far removed from the classrooms where teachers climb mountains every day to help students learn. Chicago teachers recently fought for paraprofessionals to have […]
The Failure of Betsy DeVos and 30 Years of Corporate Influence on Public Schools!
Frustrated by public schools? Look no further than the corporate education reformers and what they have done to public education. Education Secretary DeVos and her corporate billionaire friends have been chipping away at the fabric of democratic public schools for over thirty years! The problems we see in public schools today are largely a result […]
Classroom in a Bathroom? Overcrowded Building Problems Betsy DeVos Doesn’t Think About
Please tell Betsy DeVos that when Americans fail to invest in public school buildings, it affects how students learn. Betsy DeVos has never worked in poor building conditions. She doesn’t understand how difficult it is for students and teachers. On September 20, DeVos stated in her Education Freedom speech to a parochial school audience, that […]
Investigating the Corporate Fingerprints in the Media Attacks on Teachers and Colleges of Education
A media rollout of criticism towards teachers and their COEs mostly over reading, has fueled debate about what teachers know about teaching. Are these reports what they seem, or is something else going on? None of these commentaries look at the effects of Common Core State Standards. Look closely and one finds corporate school reform fingerprints. If reformers […]
Diane Ravitch’s Education “Wisdom and Wit” is Critical at this Time
We will someday view this era as one in which the nation turned its back on its public schools, its children, and its educators. We will wonder why so many journalists and policymakers rejected the nation’s obligation to support public education as a social responsibility, and accepted the unrealistic, unsustainable promises of entrepreneurs and billionaires. […]
35 Ways They Dumb Down America: Still, There’s Hope!
They took all the trees And put them in a tree museum And they charged all the people A dollar and a half to see ’em Don’t it always seem to go That you don’t know what you’ve got ‘Till it’s gone They paved paradise And they put up a parking lot ~Joni Mitchell, Big […]
An ADHD Medical Device Again Raises Questions about Classroom Rigor and the Lack of Recess
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) says that 5 percent of American children have ADHD. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts the number at more than double the APA’s number. The CDC says that 11 percent of American children, ages 4 to 17, have the attention disorder. ~The A.D.D. Resource Center, Oct […]
Leaving Childhood Out in the Rain!
Why do corporate CEOs, foundations, and policymakers want kindergartners to learn more advanced material at a faster rate? Why is this important to them? If children are made to grow up quickly, what happens to childhood? Why are they against play and art for children in public schools? Why do they push children to read […]
Quit Saying Special Ed. Costs Too Much! 8 Cost-Cutting Signs to Watch Out For
In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed Public Law 94-142. The law guaranteed every child a free appropriate public education. This positively impacted millions of children across the country. The law was later reauthorized and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Many politicians never wanted to fund special education. From the start, there was no […]
Finland’s Sad Embrace of America’s Corporate School Reforms
For years, Americans have repeated a mantra when discussing public schools, “Look to Finland!” Now, we see the same dangerous reforms happening in Finland’s schools that are happening in America’s schools! Prominent leaders believe that teaching is still a strong profession in Finland. And certainly using technology can be useful. I guess, like most reforms, […]