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

Vouchers

Dewey, Testing Companies, and the Origin of the Common Core

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig 16 comments

The purported benefit of the Common Core State Standards over previous sets of standards is the development of critical thinking skills across all subjects, seen as a key lever for increasing American students’ international competitiveness and ameliorating the country’s lethargic economy and persistently high unemployment rates. This perception is clear in statements made by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

Standards

Linda Darling-Hammond Storified: Enough is Known for Action!

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig One comment

Today in DC, Linda Darling-Hammond discussed what is known about school reform for a group of teachers convened by the NEA Foundation. She argued research, best practice, and leadership is converging perhaps as never before on a set of policy and practice levers to ensure that equity and excellence can be achieved systemically. Teachers and management are coming together in

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