Build and Support Best Practices

The crucial importance of high-quality curriculum and instructional materials in school improvement efforts. https://edexcellence.net/articles/curriculum-and-education-policy?utm_source=National+Education+Gadfly+Weekly&utm_campaign=96b61bdb73-20160918_LateLateBell9_16_2016_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ef00e8f50e-96b61bdb73-71635837&mc_cid=96b61bdb73&mc_eid=ebbe04a807

Fordham Institute: Reading and Writing Instruction in America’s schools. https://edexcellence.net/publications/reading-and-writing-instruction-in-americas-schools

What makes a good school culture? http://view.email.kqed.org/?qs=49530552f0d0dee2f72c990e1160e4458d82ad8fc66ea1abed991e61b475b8e41aa96b09f3f1fb24e6b757a5e968b7f750590e5706303b26e77a251ce8043adb0d65a347114b2f0b

Five best practices of successful school-site professional development. https://www.eschoolnews.com/2018/08/01/how-to-deliver-pl-that-really-works/?all

From the Learning Policy Institute Blog: Fifty Years of Pursuing the Promise of Equal Educational Opportunity by Arthur Wise. https://mailchi.mp/learningpolicyinstitute/new-on-the-lpi-blog-fifty-years-of-pursuing-the-promise-of-equal-educational-opportunity?e=3c7c266c2f

Seven major issues with existing personalized learning programs by Peter Greene http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2018/07/7-requirementsd-to-launch-personalized.html and a review by Larry Cuban https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2018/07/31/too-personalized-peter-greene/

Charters, Vouchers, and Privatization

National Education Policy Center: Virtual Charter Schools are a Sham and Waste Taxpayers’ Dollars https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/newsletter-virtual-schools-073118

Jeff Bryant: If you are against privatizing social security you should be alarmed at this new scheme aimed at public schools. http://educationopportunitynetwork.org/democrats-who-opposed-privatizing-social-security-should-be-alarmed-by-a-new-scheme-aimed-at-public-schools/?link_id=1&can_id=cea050dcef20333abf235c3ba9bc6d51&source=email-democrats-who-opposed-privatizing-social-security-should-be-alarmed-by-a-new-scheme-aimed-at-public-schools&email_referrer=email_394708&email_subject=democrats-who-opposed-privatizing-social-security-should-be-alarmed-by-a-new-scheme-aimed-at-public-schools

Our schools should not be for sale. https://www.salon.com/2015/05/09/education_reforms_big_lie_the_real_reason_the_right_has_declared_war_on_our_public_schools/

New Group Created by Rightwing Foundations to Promote More Charters in Cities by Chalkbeat, NY. The group is raising $200 million to promote the failed “portfolio” model. https://chalkbeat.org/posts/us/2018/07/31/new-group-forms-with-big-names-and-200-million-to-push-for-the-portfolio-model/

An honest look in the New Yorker at one New Orleans charter school’s dilemma in facing the realities of a market driven system by a board member of the school. https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/what-new-orleans-tells-us-about-the-perils-of-putting-schools-on-the-free-market?t-public-schools&email_referrer=email_394708&email_subject=democrats-who-opposed-privatizing-social-security-should-be-alarmed-by-a-new-scheme-aimed-at-public-schools

Mitchell Robinson: Charter schools have caused more harm than good in Michigan. Instead of opening more of them here’s what we should do. https://www.bridgemi.com/guest-commentary/opinion-charter-schools-have-done-more-harm-good-michigan

Another in the growing number of studies showing student’s receiving vouchers actually lose ground. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/pam.22086

Diane Ravitch reports on a new Ohio organization formed to support public schools and fight “privatization, theft, and greed. https://dianeravitch.net/2018/08/07/ohio-a-great-new-organization-has-been-launched-to-fight-privatization-theft-and-greed/

Ohio Taxpayers Charged $7.7 Million to Renovate Charter-School Building Valued at $2.4 Million http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180729/ohio-taxpayers-paid-77-million-to-renovate-charter-school-building-valued-at-24-million

Diane Ravitch post an article by teacher Angie Sullivan: Everybody Is Laughing at Nevada and Its Failing Charter Schools. https://dianeravitch.net/2018/07/29/angie-sullivan-everybody-is-laughing-at-nevada-and-its-failing-charter-schools/

Diane Ravitch reports on the buying and selling of failed charter schools to other large charter organizations. https://dianeravitch.net/2018/08/10/this-is-what-privatization-looks-like-schools-bought-and-sold/ and a proposed charter school in a small rural area would devastate the existing the existing public school. Negative impact should be part of the criteria for whether a charter school is approved. https://dianeravitch.net/2018/08/10/california-how-a-charter-school-will-harm-one-small-public-school/

“Reform” Foibles

Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider podcast: Fear-Based “Reform” Doesn’t Work https://dianeravitch.net/2018/08/05/jennifer-berkshire-and-jack-schneider-fear-based-reform-doesnt-work/

The top ten reasons why teacher evaluation by student test scores has failed. https://gadflyonthewallblog.com/2018/08/06/top-10-reasons-you-cant-fairly-evaluate-teachers-on-student-test-scores/

Jan Resseger reviews the AFT report on a decade of neglect of public schools by many states. https://dianeravitch.net/2018/08/03/jan-resseger-on-a-decade-of-neglect/

Jan Resseger comments on a PBS report on the massive closing of Chicago public schools causing death and destruction of student’s lives. Without a neighborhood school many students fearful of traveling to other areas just didn’t attend school. https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2018/08/10/16996/

Tom Ultican has had it with right-wing screeds against teachers and their unions. https://tultican.com/2018/08/08/ugly-teachers-union-smear-from-spn-network/

Peter Greene: The fall of a self-promoting “reformer”. http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2018/08/ct-steve-perry-fizzles.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FORjvzd+%28CURMUDGUCATION%29