Ravitch and phony reform by Karen Francisco
The key to improving schools isn't found in vouchers, charter schools, teacher evaluations, merit pay and all of the other current approaches, according to Ravitch. Schools must end the punitive approach to education. They must identify their best performers and allow them to share what they know with other educators. It's making the arts a key piece of the curriculum and ensuring that students learn how to think critically and write well. It's ensuring health care for all children – including prenatal care – and quality early childhood education.Read it all HERE
Educator criticizes Indiana reforms: Sees trend as threat to public system by Devon Haynie
Ravitch lamented that some Indiana legislators had jumped on the national education reform bandwagon, and she expressed concern that Daniels had successfully campaigned for the most expansive voucher program in the country – a system she said would weaken public education.The entire article is on the Journal Gazette web site.
“There are no new ideas here,” she told a group of reporters before the lecture. And “no research” to support the ideas.
Ravitch questioned Indiana’s expansion of charter schools, which she said have no record of outperforming traditional public schools, and expressed dismay over how many for-profit charter management companies do business in the state.
She dismissed teacher merit pay as ineffective and said standardized tests were designed to evaluate students – not teachers. Moreover, she said, standardized tests aren’t the best way to measure whether students are getting a great education.
“I’m not opposed to tests,” she said. “I’m opposed to the usage of tests.”
Ravitch also called for an end to the “attack on teachers” – a trend she said was turning people away from the profession.
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