Brilliant rebuttal of WfS from Ravitch

The Myth of Charter Schools

(FYI, Ravitch has historically been associated with traditional views of education, including supporting higher standards, more testing, and school choice. Recently, she has publicly reversed her stances in a controversial book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System.)

Bad teachers?

Recommended from Truthout:

The Myth of the Bad Teacher

Algebra Overkill?

From EdWeek:

Is There an Algebra Overkill? By John W. Myres

"Waiting for Superman": Misleading docu-ganda

See this challenge to the new documentary, "Waiting for Superman," from FairTest:

The Real Facts About Waiting for Superman

Good article on the errors of evaluating teachers

From The Washington Post:

D.C. schools' evaluation rules, IMPACT, can't measure all the good teachers do

The Story of Stuff

This was mentioned in class:

The Story of Stuff

Teach for America and National Board Certification

Teach for America

Teach For America: A False Promise

National Board Certification

Assessing Accomplished Teaching: Advanced-Level Certification Programs

Mid-term/self-evaluation DUE 10/13/10

Submit as an ATTACHMENT in Word format the following by the end of class 10/13/10:

(1) A 1-2 page (double-spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman font, 1" margins) self-evaluation that details your evaluation of the quality of your work so far in this course, the key concepts you have learned so far, and a letter grade for your overall performance at mid-term.

(2) Mid-term (Choose ONE):

(a) Take a position on the place of sustainability in the K-12 curriculum. Include the following:

—Provide how you are defining "sustainability," including what elements of it you are considering.

—Establish through which educational philosophy and theory you are taking your position and why.

—Offer some specific examples of how sustainability should be implemented in K-12 education OR specific reasons it should not be included.

OR

(b) Can "sustainability" be taught? Explain carefully why or why not by placing your argument within an educational philosophy and theory.

Interesting study about income distribution and equity

Per our discussions lately, and consider the Slate articles I have linked earlier:

The article is from Huffington Post, but the actual study is included and a link to the PDF is included.

Considering the coporate view of schools from TCR

Straight up Nonsense: Or, How to Diss Students with Differences

Look at the discussion of using a corporate lens to run schools and how Race to the Top funds are reinforce inequity. . .

For Friday: Milwaukee Parental Choice Program

Milwaukee Parental Choice Program

Reviews related to MPCP

Dodenhoff, D. (2007, October). Fixing the Milwaukee public schools: The limits of parent-driven reform. Wisconsin Policy Research Institute Report, 20(8). Thiensville, WI: Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, Inc. Retrieved 6 August 2009 from the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute Website: http://www.wpri.org/Reports/Volume%2020/Vol20no8/Vol20no8p1.html

CoS Support

You can download and examine the POVERTY INDEX of schools mentioned in the documentary (and all schools in SC) HERE.

See the report cards of schools mentioned in the documentary Corridor of Shame:

Ridgeland Elementary

http://www.ed.sc.gov/topics/researchandstats/schoolreportcard/2009/Elementary/comprehensive/E2701011.pdf

Britton's Neck Elementary

http://www.ed.sc.gov/topics/researchandstats/schoolreportcard/2009/Elementary/comprehensive/E3407023.pdf

East Elementary

http://www.ed.sc.gov/topics/researchandstats/schoolreportcard/2009/Elementary/comprehensive/E1702007.pdf

Allendale Elementary

http://www.ed.sc.gov/topics/researchandstats/schoolreportcard/2009/Elementary/comprehensive/E0301004.pdf

Estill Elementary

http://www.ed.sc.gov/topics/researchandstats/schoolreportcard/2009/Elementary/comprehensive/E2502017.pdf

Estill High

http://www.ed.sc.gov/topics/researchandstats/schoolreportcard/2009/High/comprehensive/H2502011.pdf

Creek Bridge High

http://www.ed.sc.gov/topics/researchandstats/schoolreportcard/2009/High/comprehensive/H3407024.pdf

Recommended

Education Reconsidered: Beyond the Death of Critical Education

Thursday 16 September 2010

by: Stanley Aronowitz, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed

A critical consideration of VAM

"Value-Added" Assessment: Tool for Improvement or Educational "Nuclear Option"?

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Considering Jefferson

"The less wealthy people,... by the bill for a general education, would be qualified to understand their rights, to maintain them, and to exercise with intelligence their parts in self-government; and all this would be effected without the violation of a single natural right of any one individual citizen." --Thomas Jefferson: Autobiography, 1821. ME 1:73

"I have often thought that nothing would do more extensive good at small expense than the establishment of a small circulating library in every county, to consist of a few well-chosen books, to be lent to the people of the country, under such regulations as would secure their safe return in due time." --Thomas Jefferson to John Wyche, 1809. ME 12:282

"I think by far the most important bill in our whole code, is that for the diffusion of knowledge among the people. No other sure foundation can be devised for the preservation of freedom and happiness... The tax which will be paid for this purpose is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests and nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance." --Thomas Jefferson to George Wythe, 1786. ME 5:396