Parents Want Answers from PEP and Joel Klein

Parents shut down a Panel for Educational Policy meeting two weeks ago when they weren't allowed to comment directly after DOE officials tried to explain away falling test scores. The Department of Education rescheduled the meeting for last night and NY1 reports that things didn't go much better this time.

http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/education/124669/parents--doe-go-head-to-head-over-test-scores/

Keep your $700,000,000?

NY won the Federal Race to the Top money but except for a longtime Unity rep, the people aren't very happy over at Gothamschools.org. Most believe the funding will be used to further teacher bashing and I agree.

Diane Ravitch explained it all earlier this month.

Yesterday, Professor Ravitch kind of summed it up succinctly: "Gosh, as a result of Arne's largesse, NY will have many more charters, teachers will be evaluated by whether students scores go up, and many principals and teachers will be fired so their low scoring school can be turned around. Hasn't worked anywhere yet, but hey you never know!"

Diane

What do you think?

The Charter Option

It looks like the principal at Columbus wants the school to become a charter school to save it.


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/bx_hs_seeks_charter_rebirth_z8wTCum9pUU4Fj1V69NQbP

Our options would seem to be bad, worse or worst.

NY Teacher Reporter Fired for Union Organizing

The UFT has fired NY Teacher reporter Jim Calaghan. Callaghan alleges that the cause of the dismissal is that he was trying to organize the reporters into a union.

Read all about it in the Daily News here.

Believe it or Not Some Editorial Support

A newspaper editorial that actually gets it. No this isn't from the Daily News, NY Post or NY Times. This is an editorial from the Queens Tribune on school closings.

Meanwhile, at Ed Notes they are battling the co-location fight and noting how lawless the schools are in 2010.