Archives for November 2011

Reporter/researcher Lee Fang wrote a piece for The Nation that’s an in-depth look at billionaire interests who are using campaign donations, philanthropic foundations, and Silicon Valley connections to push states to pass laws mandating that K-12 students take classes from lucrative online learning companies. Has this method of teaching even found to be effective? What exactly is meant by “online learning”?

“Austerity” creates cuts which lead to staff reduction problems, which technology can then solve by shedding more college lecturers. And fewer humans teaching just leads to more austerity now that colleges have shown they can run programs on less money…

Prof. Pedro Nogeura urges the Obama administration to lift the burden of meeting “Adequate Yearly Progress” as dictated by NCLB, *and* lift the burdensome cost of meeting RTTT conditions to escape NCLB. To waive NCLB but let RTTT conditions stay in pla…

Oops, MI Mackinac think tank says its goal is to privatize public ed (thereby destroying it). Ballsy. But not good for kids. Mackinac Center Emails Reveal True Motives Of Their Benefactorscrooksandliars.comBack in June of this year, Governor Rick Snyde…

In TX, alternative (online) teacher certification is booming. Avg GPA for all teaching candidates=2.5. Not exactly confidence inspiring. Wonder if this applies to all teachers — those teaching in TX private & charter schools too? Because that means NO…

9 am PDT/ Noon EDT, Weds Nov 30’s MOMochat — how online learning companies are systematically privatizing public schools — w/@lhfang, author of the investigative piece. Listen online here http://bit.ly/u4CptUHow Online Learning Companies Bought Ameri…

“‘It’s confusing because we have accountability tied to current state assessments, yet we are moving toward new standards, but the assessments won’t be ready until 2014, & [teachers] have to teach to them now,’ Mercado said. ‘How do they impact evaluat…

16 million plus children live in poverty, the most since 1962. Shameful. And these are kids we expect to achieve on standardized tests upon which teacher jobs will be decided. Is this completely upside down wrong, or what? How is anyone helped by exist…

CA Dept of Ed’s head of the Charter Division steps down from office, leaves $5.5 million in unpaid loans (taxpayer money) unaccounted for from charters that failed or never launched. Report on missing money to come in January, 2012.Chief of state’s c…

Even unpopular or downright offensive political speech is still covered by the First Amendment. (& jokes made by high schoolers.) Five other examples of courageous high school students who stand up for their rights despite principals and others who try…