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Steven Singer refutes Republican nightmares about public schools, North Carolina wants to used test scores to grade teachers, teaching the controversy of the holocaust, and new plans for NACS.
REPUBLICAN NIGHTMARES
Top Five Republican Nightmare Fantasies About Public Schools
Do public schools teach children to be gay? Steven Singer refutes Republican nightmare fantasies about public schools.
From Gadfly on the Wall Blog
Republicans are fighting against a version of public education that does not exist.
Critical race theory, pornographic school books, and other bogeymen haunt their platforms without any evidence that this stuff is a reality.
Doug Mastriano, the GOP nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania, actually promises to ban pole dancing in public schools.
Pole dancing!
“On day one, the sexualization of our kids, pole dancing, and all this other crap that’s going on will be forbidden in our schools,” he says.
Mr. Mastriano, I hate to tell you this, but the only school in the commonwealth where there was anything like what you describe was one of those charter schools you love so much. The Harambee Institute of Science and Technology Charter School in Philadelphia used to run an illegal nightclub in the cafeteria after dark.
But at authentic public schools with things like regulations and school boards – no. That just doesn’t happen here.
Maybe if your plan to waste taxpayer dollars on universal school vouchers goes through you’ll get your wish.
But reality has never stopped the state Senator from complaining about a list of fictional public education woes.
CONTINUED PRIVATIZATION IN NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina: A Teacher Explains Why the State is Pushing a Disastrous Plan
Here is another response to North Carolina's new education plan that continues to move public education in the state from a highly acclaimed system a decade ago to privatization. The plan calls for paying teacher for test scores, which hasn't worked and ends up driving teachers out of education...causing a teacher shortage.
...which is likely one of the goals of the privatizers. Peter Greene explains more about the plan in his Forbes column -- Who Is Behind North Carolina’s Plan To Upend Teacher Pay.
From Diane Ravitch
A few days ago, I posted a column by Peter Greene about a dreadful plan in North Carolina to align teacher pay and evaluation with test scores, an approach that has always failed and that always demoralizes teachers.
Peter was relying on the thorough research of Justin Parmenter, a North Carolina teacher who is a National Board Certified Teacher.
Another North Carolina teacher wrote the following comment...
TEACHING CONTROVERSIES
Teachers: Would Your District or State Allow You to Teach Ken Burns’ Series on the Holocaust?
New state laws about teaching "controversies" might get in the way of teaching history.
John Thompson's comments can be found here, John Thompson: Will Oklahoma Schools Dare to Show Ken Burns’ Series on the U.S. and the Holocaust?
From Diane Ravitch
I recently posted a commentary by John Thompson, a retired teacher in Oklahoma who speculated about whether the state would permit high school teachers to teach Ken Burns’ series on the U.S. and the Holocaust. Oklahoma has a law—HB 1775–which might intimidate teachers.
In response, a teacher in Utah said that he or she felt sure that the Burns’ series would not be allowed because it’s controversial.
NACS PLAN FOR SHAPING THE FUTURE
Creating a 'North Star' among goals for Northwest Allen County Schools superintendent
The new superintendent of Northwest Allen County Schools announces his plan to collect input from district stakeholders.
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette**
Superintendent Wayne Barker plans to give Northwest Allen County Schools stakeholders an opportunity to shape the district’s future.
Leading the 8,000-student district through a strategic planning process is among four goals Barker and the school board set for his superintendency. That’s the best way to collect input the public is eager to share, Barker said Monday.
“It’s letting the community, first of all, say, ‘Here’s what we want from Northwest Allen County Schools,’” Barker said. “‘These are the things that are important to us. These are the things that maybe we do well now. Here are things that we should be focused on in the future.’”
Although Barker has spearheaded strategic plans in other districts, he said the district will likely hire someone to do that work, and not just because of the district’s size.
“We need to make sure it, quite honestly, looks neutral, that we totally solicit the public’s input on that in a neutral way,” Barker said, acknowledging the tensions and division NACS has experienced in recent years.
†Note: NEIFPE's In Case You Missed It is posted by the end of the day every Monday except after holiday weekends or as otherwise noted.
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