jonathan lovell's blog

a site to explore the difference between meaningful and ill-conceived educational reform (note: you have to open a post for its links to be activated)

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Escape from poverty for a few not a worthy educational goal

Today’s Huffington Post article by Arthur H. Camins, Director of the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education at the Stevens Institute of Technology, places our nation’s track record following Brown vs Board of Education in a useful and sobering perspective.  His primary message?  We can do better–a whole LOT better! The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision provided a catalyst to advance but not fully achieve racial and […]

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Leonie Haimson’s “Six Charter School Myths”

This is one of the best and most concise arguments I’ve read on how charter schools misrepresent themselves as the “answer” to our growing achievement gap, not to mention proponents’ advocacy of charter schools as the “civil rights issue  of our day.” What an example of shameful political posturing! Tuesday, May 6, 2014 Six Charter School Myths My testimony before the City Council hearings today; a  pdf of this testimony is […]

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A “genius” idea for reversing our slide into oligarchy

The inspiration of a “SuperPac to end all Superpacs” is an idea that only Lawrence Lessig of Harvard’s Law School could dream up.  It’s the most hopeful push-back I’ve learned about in the 35 years since the federal tax policies of Jimmy Carter (sad to say, but true) started us on our seemingly inexorable slide into a political and social oligarchy.  I urge you to make a contribution.  It looks […]

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Is the CCS a national curriculum?

This is a funny and sobering posting by my friend Peter Greene on this important topic. You can read it in its original format here (note that you have to open posts to activate links). I’d also recommend Peter’s relatively new blog for those who find “the current world of school reform and education debate” leaves them “feeling like they just walked in on the last ten minutes of a three hour […]

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Bombshell Report: $100 Million in Taxpayer $$ Wasted or Stolen by Deregulated Charter Industry

Originally posted on Diane Ravitch's blog:
A new report reveals massive waste, fraud, and corruption in the charter industry, where private corporations control public funds with minimal oversight or accountability. “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 5, 2014 CONTACT: Kyle Serrette: KSerrette@populardemocracy.org, 202-304-8027 Sabrina Stevens: media@integrityineducation.org, 720-295-0238 A new report released today reveals that fraudulent charter operators in 15 states are responsible for losing, misusing or wasting over $100 million in…

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“It’s the poverty stupid!”

There is every reason to keep reminding everyone you can reach, over and over again, of this fundamental truth: there is NOTHING that the introduction and implementation of the Common Core State Standards will do to reduce the achievement gap. If anything, the wholesale testing that will overwhelm us all in the spring of 2015 will serve to dramatize and illustrate our increasing “achievement gap.” See my one blog entry […]

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The US has now BECOME the 18th century European oligarchy we fought our war of independence to define ourselves against

Originally posted on Diane Ravitch's blog:
Our economy is changing in ways that are alarming. Income inequality and wealth inequality are at their highest point in many decades; some say we are back to the age of the robber barons. Most of the gains in the economy since the great recession of 2008 have benefitted the 1%, or even the 1% of the 1%. The middle class is shrinking,…

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Arne Duncan: a terrific basketball payer but a disastrous Secretary of Education

Originally posted on Diane Ravitch's blog:
John Thompson raises a provocative and important question: who is inflicting more damage on teachers and students? Tea Party extremists like North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory or Secretary of Education Arne Duncan? Thompson, a teacher and historian, describes the assault on teachers in North Carolina, whose governor and Legislature seem determined to destroy public education by expanding vouchers and charters and to dismantle…

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the push-back against Arne Duncan’s power grab begins

Originally posted on Diane Ravitch's blog:
Washington State thoughtfully rejected Arne Duncan’s threat to cancel its waiver from the absurd demands of No Child Left Behind. The decision to say no to federal demands and intimidation was bipartisan. The Legislature refused to bend to Duncan’s insistence that the state adopt test-based evaluation, which has consistently failed across the nation and has been declared inaccurate by the nation’s leading scholarly…

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“creative disruption” and educational reform

the power of naming

Readers of this blog will not be surprised to learn that there is an intent behind the large numbers of students who will be deemed “below proficient” or “well below proficient” when the results of the spring 2015 CCSS tests are announced next fall. As Jeb Bush said last August: “There will be a painful adjustment period as schools and students adapt to higher expectations. Just look at the results […]

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