Two weeks ago at the Network for Public Education‘s conference, Yong Zhao challenged the entire concept of “readiness.”  His speech was hilarious and moving and I encourage you to check it out.  But I want to focus on one specific phrase that Yong presented us with: “Children do not need to be ready for kindergarten…. Read more »

From the Daily News in New York. Teachers unions and the parents who fueled New York’s testing opt-out movement are claiming the hollowest of victories after the refusenik ranks rose a still-to-be-determined amount. In 2014, 60,000 students statewide sat out standardized math and English tests. Guesstimates this year range from 100,000 to a quarter-million of… Read more »

Before Christmas I posted an open letter to state senator Robin Voss and in that letter I proposed legislator accountability.  I received some positive feedback but not a single legislator (Republican or Democrat) drafted legislative language or even publicly acknowledged the idea. At both AB #1 and SB #1 hearings multiple people provided testimony that pointed… Read more »

As most of you know the Wisconsin House republicans had a hearing on their destroying public schools accountability bill (Assembly Bill #1) a few weeks ago.  Read here for a review of that disastrous day.   It’s now been two days since I went to the capital in Madison to testify against Senate Bill #1.  In case… Read more »

Before Christmas I posed the following question and context to Wisconsin state legislator Robin Voss. WHY, WHY, WHY would you even be thinking about implementing “accountability?” Accountability has a 30-year record of failing children, parents, teachers, and communities. And the disaster of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top over the last 14… Read more »

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin public schools deemed to be failing would have to become charter schools under a bill introduced Wednesday that was the first of the 2015 legislative session and placed on the fast track for passage. What else needs to be said? What’s that song by Linkin Park? Crawling? Crawling in my… Read more »

Dear Senator Vos, I just finished reading your interview in the Journal Times. There is a lot to comment on but let me just focus where my expertise allows me some ability. I know this concept might be hard for you to understand but I typically try to only offer commentary on the things I… Read more »