From the Associated Press “A growing body of research demonstrates the dramatic difference effective teachers can play in student lives, from reducing teenage pregnancies to increasing a student’s lifetime earnings.” http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/01/25/490916usteachertenure_ap.html?tkn=TPYFQq7jmvS6yMTkCE%2FQSdJ%2Bvbnjzi4xGsxP&cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2 One seriously flawed study done by reformer economists does not make ” growing body of research!”
This year marks the tenth anniversary of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). NCLB was and is the most aggressive intrusion of federal authority into a core issue that is constitutionally the responsibility of the states. However, NCLB passed with almost unanimous support from all political parties. Why? Because, according to the supporters, NCLB was going… Read more »
In the run up to Senate Bill 1 (Voucher Bill) various citizens decided to make their opinions heard. Supporters and detractors called their Senators or emailed them. According to some insiders the volume was unprecedented. Awesome. Citizens doing their job. Regardless of your position, the idea that the citizens were active is something worth applauding…. Read more »
FYI. Senate Bill 1 passed yesterday. Pennsylvania is a step closer to implementing a school voucher program. What? Everybody else is doing it. Shouldn’t we? No we should not. The facts are simple. Vouchers don’t help kids in poor schools. Vouchers don’t make neighboring schools better. Vouchers cost taxpayers more money. However, all of this… Read more »
As I mentioned in a previous blog, I am actively trying to get elected to my local school board. Somehow I managed to get my name on the ballot in the May primary (by 1 vote). This was quite an accomplishment considering my community’s suspicions about my motivation to be on the school board. Quickly…. Read more »
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/12/tom-corbett-pennsylvania-_n_1007821.html The reforms aim to foster competition among schools and motivate improved student performance. “We can’t guarantee their success, but we owe all students a fighting chance,” Corbett said in a statement Tuesday. “We’re talking about our children and we owe it to them to reform the system.” Can someone please tell Governor Corbett… Read more »
Morna McDermott McNulty Associate Professor College of Education Towson University 1) Manufacture a crisis and instill public fear. Waiting for Superman. (LINK: www.waitingforsuperman.com) 2) Create a rallying cry for the need for ACTION to save citizens from some danger- which involves eliminating those posing a threat. In this case, public educators. Bring in your own… Read more »
Letter to the Editor to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that was ignored. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11266/1176904-298-0.stm “The competition that charter schools create for traditional public school systems is good and should help to improve educational quality, according to state Education Secretary Ron Tomalis.” There is not a shred of educational, economic, or social science research to support Tomalis’… Read more »
I decided to compile this list of questions because I rarely hear a candidate for school board even brush up against these topics. However, from my perspective, what other questions really matter? Please feel free to copy, paste, and shove down the throats of any candidate for school board in your district. Questions for Pennsylvania… Read more »
I decided to compile this list of questions because I rarely hear a candidate for school board even brush up against these topics. However, from my perspective, what other questions really matter? Please feel free to copy, paste, and shove down the throats of any candidate for school board in your district. Questions for School… Read more »
