Jeb Bush continues to ride the failed Ferris wheel of school reform. He is most likely emboldened by state politicians and business leaders, like in Michigan, subscribing to harmful 3rd grade retention policies. Also, with a fancy university invitation for him to lecture about schools and stuff. Michigan is following Florida’s lead, and that of […]
Do Americans Hate Teachers, Or are they Duped by Teach for America?
With more than $75 million coming in from government at last count and another $220 million from the philanthropic community, we should be seeing more evidence of long-term student gains and far more alumni continuing their impassioned work in the classroom. Patricia Schaefer, NPQ, September 11, 2015 Do Americans understand that by contributing to a […]
The Upcoming, Troubling, PBS “School of the Future”
On Wednesday, Sept. 14, 9 pm ET, PBS and NOVA will air a two hour special called “School of the Future.” The advertisement tells us much. They are warning that the future for children demands that students need better preparation to succeed due to globalization. What they probably won’t tell us is that this future […]
The Devil is in the Details, Utah
Some Utah parents are worried about afterschool Satan Clubs. I don’t blame them. However, and I’m no religious expert by any means, if there is a devil, I think it is always sneaking into town when and where you least expect. Utah, in my opinion, has some devil-like programs designed to eliminate public-schools. First, there’s […]
Charter Schools 25 Years Later—and What to Expect in the Future
The charter movement has since expanded to include 43 states plus the District of Columbia, and over 2.5 million students—or about 5 percent of the total K-12 public student population. Arianna Prothers, Education Week June 4, 2016 Charter schools are 25 years old. My, how time flies. Yesterday, Education Week printed an interview with Ember […]
The LA Times Editorial—A Distraction
There’s so much bad news about public schools. When one article makes you want to pop the cork and dance in the streets, it is easy to get excited. Don’t. The tables haven’t really been turned. The LA Times Editorial criticizes the Gates Foundation for their poor philanthropic use of billions of dollars spent on […]
Public Schools With a President Bernie Sanders
What would education be like with a President Bernie Sanders? Would he stand by public schools and public school career teachers? I think between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders would be better to fight against the troubling school reforms that have plagued public schools for years. Most of what can be gathered about […]
Donald Trump’s Education Mirage
Donald Trump’s education agenda is puzzling. Where does he stand and what does he know about public schools, teachers and students? Pam Vogel for Media Matters in America, Eric Robelen in The Atlantic, and Valerie Strauss from the Washington Post questioned Trump’s education agenda. And charter school and No Child Left Behind promoter Nina Rees […]
Education Mirages and Presidential Politics—Hillary Clinton
Presidential politics and education—it’s like crawling through the desert. You see the same old landscape, and then, out in the distance you see real teacher support and quality schooling! And you hear “I will make public schools great again!” We are bombarded with statements that sound supportive of public schools and teachers, parents, and students, […]
Special Education and Vendors–Quality Concerns
Why must school districts rely on outside companies to hire school workers in special education? Isn’t there more room for error when they hire through unregulated companies? This is a practice that appears to have started with No Child Left Behind and should fall by the wayside now that NCLB is defunct–since the Every Student […]