high-stakes testing
NC Superintendent Mark Johnson launches another bogus PR scheme
North Carolina’s ethically challenged and frequently perplexed, but ever-self-promoting schools superintendent Mark Johnson is out with another superficial PR scheme that has nothing to do with advancing public education in our state and everything to do with trying to make Johnson look good. Johnson, who once purported to survey teachers via an online “poll” that […]
Critics pounce on North Carolina’s new plan for high-stakes testing
Critics are swarming around North Carolina’s draft plan for complying with the nation’s new education law, The News & Observer reports. The controversy centers chiefly around standardized testing, following years of complaints from education reformers of “over-testing” in K-12 schools. Granted greater flexibility over accountability measures in the new Every Student Succeeds Plan (ESSA)—Congress’ 2015 […]
Triad TV news story: NC is failing its public school teachers
Reporter Bob Buckley of High Point based WGHP TV (aka “My Fox 8”) posted a fine story last night that explains some of the important ways in which North Carolina political leaders continue to fail the state’s public school teachers and, thereby of course, its students. In particular, the story has harsh words for Senator […]
Lawyer for NY teacher: Don’t rely on computerized evaluation of teachers
This weekend, education experts and advocates from around the state and the country will be gathering in Raleigh for the 2016 Network for Public Education National Conference. The following essay by a New York attorney named Bruce Lederman highlights a subject of one of the panels at the event — the controversy surrounding computerized evaluations […]
Why one A-F grade for a school makes about as much sense as one A-F grade for your child
Yesterday, North Carolina took the latest in an series of steps cooked up by conservative advocates and ideologues to demoralize and depopulate our public education system (what they call “government schools”) — the release of the much ballyhooed A-F grades for individual schools. As we’ve quickly learned — surprise!! — schools with lots of poor […]
Hopeful news: SAT scores de-emphasized at three UNC system HBCU’s
Three UNC system schools will now be able to admit students with lower SAT scores if their grade point average (GPA) is higher than required. The three year pilot program, approved by the UNC Board of Governors on Friday, will allow North Carolina Central, Elizabeth City State and Fayetteville State Universities to admit students on […]
The ugly truth about the “Read to Achieve” law
Reporter Lindsay Wagner has a fascinating story this afternoon over on the main Policy Watch website entitled: “Students, teachers grapple with Read to Achieve law.” It’s a behind-the-classroom-door look at the unnecessary pain being inflicted on North Carolina third graders and their teachers by Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger’s signature education initiative. This is from […]
Alaska Standard Time lunch links: Good news/bad news
Good news and bad news from the U.S. Senate today: The good: Overwhelming approval of The Employment Non-Discrimination Act ENDA – 64-34. The “ayes” included several Republicans including, believe it or not, that radical leftist Orrin Hatch of Utah (but not, disappointingly, North Carolina’s Richard Burr).Wonder when someone will stick a microphone in the face […]
K-3 think tank recommends formative assessments in early grades
Recommendations resulting from the work of 22 educators, parents and education experts tasked with proposing a plan to improve early elementary school learning and instruction through more efficient and effective use of student-centered assessments was revealed today at Duke University’s Center for Child and Family Policy. One of the top goals recommended by the group […]
Hundreds of Chicago students boycott standardized tests
North Carolina lawmakers may be moving to put more stock than ever in high-stakes, standardized testing, but around the country, the momentum is growing to de-emphasize the tests. As reported yesterday at the website Common Dreams, hundreds of Chicago students are even taking things to the next level by organizing a boycott of the doggone […]