So warns Chicago parent organizer Julie Woestehoff (PURE) in response to Duncan's pushing the "Chicago model" on other school districts. Duncan had claimed that, “Chicago’s success proves that we as a nation can expect dramatic and quick turnarounds in our lowest-performing schools.” In a letter to EdWeek, Julie proves that Duncan's claim […]
Guest post by Teachin’ (from the new teacher blog: I’m a Dreamer) I invited responses to “Lots of winners when new teachers stay; What can we do to help?” – here is the first. The author’s an elementary teacher, new, different part of the country. Please, read, comment, think about contributing a guest post on improving [ […]
Cornel West, Professor I had the pleasure of sitting in the front left aisle in the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Union Square for a conversation between Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP, and Dr. Cornel West, activist, thinker, professor, and leader. As I looked at this rather diverse crowd, young professionals, burgeoning and veteran journalists, libera […]
Yesterday I described my ideas for investigating fundamental change in how American schools function, but a big part of this change must come in how we find, recruit, train, and support our teachers. Teachers are the least respected professionals in America. Oh, lawyers get all the jokes. And doctors - whose professional organization keeps trying to block un […]
It's illuminating to read those that damn teachers with faint praise. This isn't the first writer I've seen who feels generous by admitting teachers shouldn't embrace every "reform" that comes down the pike (failing to note the largely unproven, and often counter-productive nature of such things), but then inserts a line like t […]