Creating Artificial Student Failure in New York @nysed @nysut

2012

New York Teacher, Jennifer Fatone, posted some pretty shocking information on the UOO Facebook site recently, along with her comments and a letter to Steven Katz, the Director of New York State Assessments.  This is blatant.  This is wrong.  If there was any doubt that New York has an agenda to show failure in the […]

It’s Time; Let’s Talk

let_s talk

The rally on June 8 kind of bothered me.  I’m not sure why. It made me realize that teachers and locals aren’t getting the full story.  That bugs me.  Professionals are smart, and they like to have the full facts so that they can make good, thoughtful judgments about things.  Things like Race to the […]

Join the Tweetin’ Fun at #againstcommoncore

Tweet much? Thanks to Roseanne Eckert, I’m gonna start her idea up on Twitter. Using hashtag #againstcommoncore, fill in the blanks: I am a ________ and a _____________ and I’m #againstcommoncore. Example: I am a dad and an educator and I’m #againstcommoncore. No planned Twitter bombs or wars. Just an ongoing plug. Keep it up and […]

ExxonMobil sends Mafia-style Letter to PA

"We made you an offer you refused...bad move, PA. Bad move."

UPDATE: A source has confirmed that Pennsylvania Governor Corbett’s office did indeed receive this letter.   Now we’re starting to feel some heat!  Because of opposition movements (like my friends and me), Governor Corbett of Pennsylvania put the brakes on the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (aka the Pennsylvania Common Core).  Or, who […]

Reflections on the One Voice Rally in Albany

And you thought X-men was cool

If you’ve ever wondered where you can find the biggest collection of superheroes, find a place where there are lots and lots of public school teachers.  Find a place that looks like Albany’s Empire State Plaza on June 8, 2013.  This is the day when almost 20,000 educators, parents, and citizens showed up to tell […]

The One Type of Data That is Off Limits (For Now)

Trust us!

Health history and information is protected at a Federal level by HIPAA (Health Insurance and Portability and Accountability Act) laws.  This provides a challenge for education data collectors that are trying to gather health records and information on students under Arne Duncan’s P-20 program.  And, unfortunately, Arne isn’t allowed to mess with the HIPAA rules […]

Teenage Guest Post: Hey, Inept Test Maker!

images (1)

This is a guest post.  I have been busy traveling lately and haven’t had the energy or the sustained time to really write anything.  (Spoiler alert: Except for pieces of the new book!)  So here is a post from a debut blogger. She’s my daughter, Kayla! A friend of hers smuggled a writing benchmark question […]

All Lives Have Equal Value. Right, Bill and Melinda?

Isn't he cute? Let's get some data!

A letter from Susan DuFresne: Dear Bill and Melinda Gates, Yes, I include Melinda in this letter, because as I understand it, Melinda is very involved in the Gates Foundation’s ideas and policies on public education. Your influence has won you the Notorious PhD’s aka Mark Naison’s poll: Most Influential Corporate Reformer title. As a […]

Pledge Your Support to the Common Core!

pledge

New York Education Commissioner, John King, has partnered with Education Reform Now! to start getting private businesses on board with the Common Core State Standards.  Nobody in education really buys any of this garbage, so King has decided to start getting businesses to sign on and wrap a huge media campaign around it.  Hey, Exxon-Mobil […]

Games? We Don’t Have Time for #Games!

What is this curly, stringy thing? And where's the "send" button?

I’d like to share the moment I realized that school was no longer a place for learning, but had instead become a place for training.  In 2009, I taught math in a middle school in Oregon.  It was close enough to the Common Core implementation that we were starting to hear the buzz and receive […]

The First #Finland Comparison I’ve Cared About in Months

I’ve told people that I’m tired of hearing the ongoing, back-and-forth debate about Finland’s educational model. Christine McCartney is a New York teacher currently teaching and researching in Finland, which means I’m more likely to listen to her. She has been putting together some pretty great material and resources to help put both sides in […]

UPDATE: NY 3rd Graders Under Investigation

man-in-cuffs-web

According the local paper in Albany, New York, the teacher of the students has been put on administrative leave and the investigation continues. http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/School-s-exams-under-scrutiny-4527051.php If the Test Security Unit decide that cheating took place, the teacher could be charged with a misdemeanor.  Let me repeat that: a misdemeanor. I want to know more.  The state […]

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