‘STUDENTS-FIRST’ HAS AN AGENDA; AND IS A HARSH GRADER OF U.S. STATES ON THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH THAT AGENDA. Michelle Rhee, former Chancellor of Washington D.C. schools, heads the advocacy group that pushes an “education reform” movement based on downgrading of teacher tenure and promotion of teacher evaluation based on student performance on standardized tests. [...]
WHAT’S MORE “INEFFECTIVE”? PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS OR NEW STUDENT/TEACHER EVALUATIONS? Principals and teachers in New York state are witnessing the first round of student and teacher evaluations under the new test-based achievement guidelines championed by education “reformers.” The results have been as flawed as many expected leading thousands of teachers and principals to protest [...]
“WAITING FOR SUPERMAN” (ARNE DUNCAN) AND HE “WON’T BACK DOWN.” Last year’s and this year’s entries in the bash-the-teachers derby movies have made the same point: that big city schools are a mess, the teachers and the unions are to blame, and that union-busting and turn-around closing of “failing” schools to be replaced by [...]
FIVE WORST STORIES OF 2011: REMEMBERING WHAT YOU HOPED TO FORGET ` MAY 1: DING, DONG, THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD. Happy celebrations, from a triumphant “mission accomplished” White House appearance of President Obama to spontaneous dancing in the street, greet the news that Osama bin Laden, generally labeled as the force behind the 9/11/01 [...]
THE NEA AND THE STOCKHOLM SYNDROME. (Black Agenda Report) Bruce Dixon evokes the image of a “syndrome” in which abused people (like prisoners) tend to identify with their abusers (like prison guards) rather than their fellow victims. The National Education Association has just endorsed the re-election of President Barack Obama, even though the President and [...]
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