Well, this shouldn’t surprise me, but yet it still does…Canadians have been a little more progressive in a lot of ways, but apparently education isn’t one of them.
Given the recent statement by Canadian politicians on mulitculturalism, and the stealth racism of charter proponents here in the U.S., one has to wonder if racism isn’t at the heart of the attack on education, in Canada, as well.
Wow. I am continually amazed at what has been going on behind the scenes with the charter school engineers. Truly amazing how they have been able to get away with it.
This report from a teacher who spells out exactly what my fear is of the nonsense testing that really cannot test potential and does not allow for the obstacles to learning for kids in poorer districts….and then blames the public school teacher for things that are out of their control: student engagement and parent involvement. The resident troll, teaching economist, has finally revealed he has no clue about what teachers in k-12 are up against. He teaches lecture courses of 500 students, some of them online. There is no engagement with classes that size–that was my complaint about my classes in college–no class discussion to enrich the learning experience. The guy’s a robot who cannot engage in dialogue.
Parents United Philadelphia has this up.
Advice from a money manager….who actually likes public education.
From a comment:
As a teacher with wealthy connections, I can tell you that most of the rich don’t care much about public education either way. They send their kids to private school on principle. The public schools are for the “unwashed masses”. They use private schools to separate their children from the commoners. The old money saw public schools as giving back to their butler’s kids or their cook’s children, and they weren’t bothered by paying taxes (chump change anyway). The new money see taxes for public schools as irritating, and they want to keep as much money as they can, and don’t care about their cook’s children, city children, etc. The “new money” have no interest in community or helping others.
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Spot on. The wealthy do not care about public education. Period. It has always been for the “rest of us” who cannot or will not put our kids into private schools. The most annoying thing to the wealthy is that public education creates citizens who are….educated. Educated citizens cause all sorts of trouble–like being able to carry on arguments against the destruction of public schools; like asking intelligent questions of politicians; of fighting for civil rights….of fighting against things the wealthy hold dear: greed, selfishness, lack of social conscience…..
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The student who stood up to be heard at the *cough* conversation with teachers has a blog up explaining what went on. What a powerful young woman…this old lady was worried about the future generation, but Hannah gives me hope….
(hat tip to Diane Ravitch)
Lastly, a blog at Reclaim Reform on Arne Duncan. How can someone who failed so miserably be….promoted...?
What a brave phenomenal young woman. Truth to power.
Steve Perry sounds like a real nice guy….not. Cockroaches? Really?? Sounds like sour grapes to me…
Two topics that might not seem interrelated popped up this morning–the mindless demands that children perform like cogs….and the privatization of Walter Reed. Note that the only ones who truly benefit from this are the profiteers. The children don’t reach their true potential and the most vulnerable–the sick and elderly–don’t get the care we are capable of giving them….
(hat tip Diane Ravitch for Robert Rendo’s comment)
Diane Ravitch has this up. Buying elections. Buying candidates.
In non-war news, Diane Ravtich has a sobering post up this morning.
…and this is how the neocons have been able to get away with so much…unethical crooks moving in the shadows…
Another reader of Diane Ravitch posted this on how times have changed.
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We Do Not Support A War on Syria.
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“You Take Care of Us. We Keep Everything. Screw You.”
A reader of Diane Ravitch wants to know if Geoffrey Canada of Harlem Children’s Zone can spare some change from the $200 million in the bank?
“Held up my sign:
“Philadelphia, Mississippi: 1963 Black children not allowed in libraries
“Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 2013 No school libraries”
Barbara McDowell Dowdall English Department Head (Ret.) A, Philip Randolph Technical High School
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The Indignant Teacher has a post up highlighting Diane Ravitch and her letter to Bostonians.
Bostonians being recently threatened with the bombing perhaps can understand a bomb has gone off in the public school system–put there by billionaires who wish to destroy it for their own greed. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to see as a bombing in a public space…it’s much more stealth than that…and the damage done is not felt in real time, but in years past it. It will be hard for some to realize the connection to the destruction to society and democracy…making it easier for those doing it to not be held accountable.
Ani McHugh, a high school English teacher in New Jersey has a letter to Bill Gates and questions all the evidence pointing to racism.
Also from teacherbiz blog, she has this up–requesting that Arne Duncan and all of the pro-testing, testing, testing reformers take the tests they require of the kids and publish their results.
…because we need to know if they are qualified to run schools.
Eagle 
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