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“This is something complex and we don’t like seeing it taken out of human hands,” said Barbara Madeloni, who runs the university’s high school teacher training program. “We are putting a stick in the gears.” -- NY TimesPrimer on ALEC
"The ALEC agenda is today the “reform” agenda for education." -- Diane RavitchNow the charter school operators are saying it...
"Over-reliance on a single high-stakes assessment is a fundamentally illegitimate tool with which to answer the question that is on everybody's mind — or ought to be — and that is: What does it mean to be an educated person?" -- L.A. charter school co-founder Marcos Aguilar
In light of Teacher Appreciation:
ReplyDeleteProfessor Klonsky I appreciate the forwardness you had with my class last year. It made me more appreciative and excited about teaching and yet cautious about where I am stepping. You helped me understanding the "lingo" of politics and education without letting me look like a sucker for being uneducated on what was really going on in education and still is going on. And I appreciate this very blog keeping me grounded even after taking your class.
Wow! Thanks Hannah. You made my day.
ReplyDeleteRe: "Push back on Pearson," it is discouraging to see the Times report that "only UMass" has protested the latest move for Pearson and other edubusiness advocates to take over teacher preparation, to further invade the privacy of teachers, students, and their families, and to extort millions more from already strapped and beleaguered teacher candidates. Mike, any suggestions for ways to make more and bigger noises here?
ReplyDeletep.s. I am really happy to be following your wonderful blog. Glad you are doing it!
Susan Edgerton
Susan, as usual you are right on. And speaking of Teacher Appreciation Week, thanks for being such a good, inspiring and thought-provoking teacher of mine when I was a doc student at UIC.
ReplyDeleteWinerip's NYT piece focused narrowly on UMass when the push-back on Pearson has become widespread and has turned into a national issue.
I see this morning that the CEO of Pearson was forced to write a weak -- no a pathetic -- response to Gail Collins' wonderful column. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/08/opinion/privatizing-education.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
It shows that we are having an affect and are being heard. You ask for ways to make more and bigger noises. One way is to come together in D.C. August 3-5 at the SOS Peoples Platform Convention where we are planning to unite lots of groups and lots of activists around a platform, and then take that platform right to Duncan's doorstep and to the two party conventions.
Yes, let's make our voices heard. Educators have been silent for too long.
Thank you, Mike! You have been a fine teacher to me as well!
ReplyDeleteYes, the Aug 3-5 event. I have a conflict at that time that imposes a terrible dilemma for me. But, whether I am able to be in DC or not, I will keep speaking up where I can and offering support for push-back where I can. And I'll keep reading this blog!
http://www.pearson.com/investor/ar2000/pedu.htm
ReplyDeleteHere is an online annual report from Pearson in the year 2000 when they were perhaps a bit less guarded than they are now. It reveals their motivation and strategy around "the education business" beautifully.