October | 2014 | Cloaking Inequity

Monthly Archives: October 2014

Teachers Matter: The Letter Defending Educators @Time Wouldn’t Print #TIMEapologize #TIMEfail

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig 11 comments

To: Nancy Gibbs, Time Editor From: Thomas L. Good, Professor Emeritus College of Education University of Arizona 1936 E Fifth Street Tucson, AZ 85719 520-884-4298 TEACHERS MATTER The November 3 issue of Time magazine includes a sensational cover, an editorial statement and a feature story that systematically question the value of American teachers who often work in less favorable conditions

The Nation Storified: This Is What Happens When You Criticize @TeachForAmerica

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig 5 comments

The Nation released a brilliant piece exposing how Teach For America spends millions to silence critiques of the organization by its alums and others. Below I have included selected Twitter quotes and photos from excellent investigative report by George Joseph on Storify. Twitter blasts usually get lost in the annals of Twitter history— so I turn to Storify to log the

Civil Rights Organizations to @BarackObama: NCLB has “Narrow Measures” and Discouraged “Rich Curriculum”

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig 2 comments

Can you read Arne Duncan’s lips?… Yesterday a letter was released by Civil Rights organizations calling for President Barack Obama and Secretary Duncan to improve public education accountability systems to address educational equity. Wait a minute… I thought high-stakes testing and accountability was about Civil Rights (at least that is what President Bush and Secretary Paige said about 12 years ago)…

EdWeek Series Beyond Rhetoric: Should Teachers Unions Reform?

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig 7 comments

I was recently accused by a “school choice” cheerleader website of being owned/influenced/bought by teacher unions (no link here on purpose). Honestly, I meant to reply to them much earlier (as noted in the post Help!, Vote for Post: Who Should be Responded to First!?). I mentioned that a “school choice” cheerleader website had accused me of being a union shill to a colleague at NEA

Labor

EdWeek Series Beyond Rhetoric: Voucher supporters roll the eyes

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig 3 comments

My mom likes to tell a story about a parent-teacher conference that she had with my 5th grade teacher Mr. Studley. During this conference the teacher mentioned that I had asked a question during class. Mr. Studley responded that he wasn’t sure of what the answer to my question was. I responded to him, “That’s okay Mr. Studley, since you don’t