Monthly Archives: December 2013

If a child does not want to learn, then no one can help them. If a child wants to learn, then no one can stop them. -Zig Ziglar

It is December 20th, just five days from Christmas. Student’s minds are not focused on very much learning this week. They are ready for a break.  It makes me think back a few years ago when districts actually had the … Continue reading →

Originally posted on Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:
Here’s my holiday gift to readers who might need a break from family gatherings, opening of presents, and over-eating. This monthly feature of cartoons looks at the ways that…

Originally posted on Diane Ravitch's blog:
Some months ago, I added Steve Nelson to the honor roll of this blog because everything I read by this remarkable man made so much sense. He is the headmaster of the Calhoun…

Originally posted on Diane Ravitch's blog:
A new study by researchers at MIT, Harvard, and Brown cast doubt on the value of pursuing higher scores on standardized tests as an end in themselves. Since this has been the highest…

Originally posted on Diane Ravitch's blog:
A new study from researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison concludes that poverty has an important negative effect on brain development among young children. “Poverty may have direct implications for important,…

Originally posted on Diane Ravitch's blog:
Believe it or not, USA Today published a powerful article by Oliver Thomas, a member of its Board of Contributors, acknowledging that the latest PISA rankings reflect the crisis of poverty in the…

Originally posted on Diane Ravitch's blog:
This is a very funny spoof of federal education policy. Imagine Arne Duncan and Roger Goodell, the president of the NFL, calling a joint press conference to announce a new program called Race…

We fund it through election reform. Huh?  Do a little quick math, how many billions; maybe a trillion dollars are spent on election campaigns?  The presidential election is about a two or two and a half year process. It is … Continue reading →

Originally posted on Diane Ravitch's blog:
Tom Loveless of the Brookings Institution calls on the OECD and PISA to stop permitting China to present data that does not represent the full population of students. For one thing, only Shanghai…