The Answer Sheet

Teacher’s resignation video: ‘Everything I loved about teaching is extinct’

Valerie Strauss — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:35:12 GMT

In the video below, veteran teacher Ellie Rubenstein of Highland Park, Ill., resigns after eloquently explaining how teaching has changed over the past 15 years of school reform and why she believes public education is being misdirected. Rubenstein, who teaches … Continue reading →

The Rev. John Thomas: No act of God caused Chicago schools closings

Valerie Strauss — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:53:55 GMT

Chicago officials are going ahead with the largest mass closing of public schools in the country’s history despite polls showing that a majority of city residents oppose it and looming questions about the rationale offered for the action. The final … Continue reading →

The problems facing community colleges — in seven graphs

Valerie Strauss — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:47:35 GMT

A new report on the state of America’s community colleges says that while these institutions are “expected to shoulder the bulk of the challenge” of lifting America’s postsecondary graduation rates, many are not equipped to do the job. The report, … Continue reading →

Superstar astrophysicist: Why ‘Star Trek’ beats ‘Star Wars’

Valerie Strauss — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:12 GMT

You may view “Star Trek” as just another science fiction movie, but world renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson doesn’t. Tyson, in the video below, explains that he is a big fan of Star Trek — all of the various television … Continue reading →

The serious risks of rushing new teacher evaluation systems

Valerie Strauss — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:00:56 GMT

Increasingly we are hearing concerns from educators that new education reforms are being rushed, including the Common Core State Standards. At the same time, new teacher evaluation systems are being put into place as well. Here to evaluate the risks … Continue reading →

The billionaires lose one

Valerie Strauss — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:00:56 GMT

Big money doesn’t always win the day. At least it didn’t in a school board race in Los Angeles in which a few million dollars showered on a favored candidate failed to overcome the poorly funded campaign of a fifth-grade … Continue reading →

NY principals: Why new Common Core tests failed

Valerie Strauss — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:00:07 GMT

Teachers and principals in New York have expressed strong concerns about the new high-stakes standardized tests supposedly aligned with the Common Core State Standards that were recently given to students across the state. The following letter to New York Education … Continue reading →

‘It is harder for us to be nice to kids’ — departing veteran principal

Valerie Strauss — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:00:38 GMT

George Wood is retiring this year after serving as principal of Federal Hocking Secondary School in Stewart, Ohio, for 21 years. He will stay on as superintendent of the Federal Hocking District. Wood is a nationally known author, educator, activist … Continue reading →

Jeb Bush’s ‘Chiefs for Change’ attack Weingarten for something she didn’t say

Valerie Strauss — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:00:16 GMT

How’s this for a trick? Jeb Bush’s “Chiefs for Change,” a group of former and current state education superintendents, have attacked American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten for something she didn’t say — without even mentioning her name! She … Continue reading →

The college ‘preparation gap’ in a single graphic

Valerie Strauss — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00:49 GMT

An annual national survey of school curriculum concludes that there is a “large gap” between how high school teachers perceive their graduating students’ readiness for college and what professors expect freshmen to know. While a vast majority of high school … Continue reading →

‘It’s just our job’ — teacher who saved students from tornado

Valerie Strauss — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:59:17 GMT

A CNN video: In this CNN story, second-grade teacher Tammy Glasgow talks about the Oklahoma tornado that demolished her school, Briarwood Elementary. Nobody died in the school, thanks to the efforts of the teachers. The story says in part: … Continue reading →

Quiet protest staged at Teachers College graduation

Valerie Strauss — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:13:58 GMT

Some students staged a quiet protest at Columbia University Teachers College commencement ceremonies Tuesday in New York to express their unhappiness with the choice of Merryl Tisch as a speaker and award recipient. The protesters opposed the choice of Tisch, … Continue reading →

Tornado survivor: Our teacher saved our lives

Valerie Strauss — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:11 GMT

Here’s a video from “Today” about how a teacher saved some children when the massive tornado struck Moore, Okla., and the transcript: Reporter: You know, there have been some amazing stories of survival that are starting to emerge from the rubble … Continue reading →

Why ability grouping in schools is a mistake

Valerie Strauss — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:54 GMT

Many elementary schools to create ability-group classrooms in an attempt to better prepare kids to meet the Common Core State Standards. In the following post, Joanne Yatvin explains why this is a problem. She is a past president of the … Continue reading →

Has anybody told Obama about the problems his education policies have caused?

Valerie Strauss — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:01 GMT

White House officials say they didn’t tell President Obama about an impending IRS scandal, and nobody told him the Justice Department secretly subpoenaed reporters’ phone records, and exactly what he knew when about the Benghazi controversy is unclear. This, then, … Continue reading →

‘I once thought Maryland was below me’

Valerie Strauss — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00:52 GMT

The University of Maryland’s English Department held its commencement ceremonies on Monday and student Jamie Lee gave the following unusually honest speech in which she concedes that she once thought going to College Park was beneath her and that studying … Continue reading →

Harvard students seek probe of controversial PhD thesis on Hispanics’ IQ

Valerie Strauss — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:32:09 GMT

Harvard University students signed and delivered a petition to President Drew Faust last week demanding an investigation into how the school awarded a doctorate in 2009 based on a dissertation that claimed that Hispanics are not as smart as whites. … Continue reading →

What’s wrong with school ‘choice’? Here’s what.

Valerie Strauss — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:00:35 GMT

The idea of giving students a choice of where to go school — with public funds — may sound good, but there are problems attached. The following post explains some of them. It was written by David A. Pickler, president … Continue reading →

Principal: Why our new educator evaluation system is unethical

Valerie Strauss — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:24 GMT

Here’s a new post from award-winning Principal Carol Burris of South Side High School in New York about the state’s controversial new educator evaluation system. Burris has for more than a year chronicled on this blog (she calls it Star … Continue reading →

Obama’s commencement speech at Morehouse College — text

Valerie Strauss — Mon, 20 May 2013 02:00:06 GMT

Here is the text of President Obama’s speech, delivered Sunday at Morehouse College’s commencement ceremonies: THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Morehouse! (Applause.) Thank you, everybody. Please be seated. AUDIENCE MEMBER: I love you! THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. (Laughter.) … Continue reading →

Is it time to kiss Michelle Rhee goodbye?

Valerie Strauss — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:30:08 GMT

Is is time to kiss America’s most famous school reformer goodbye? Larry Cuban thinks so — and below he explains why. Cuban was high school social studies teacher for 14 years, a district superintendent (seven years in Arlington, VA), and … Continue reading →

Five of the best 2013 commencement speeches (so far)

Valerie Strauss — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:00:43 GMT

Leave it to Stephen Colbert to find a way to make Thomas Jefferson funny. That’s what he did when he was speaking to graduates at the University of Virginia — but he wasn’t the only commencement speaker to get the … Continue reading →

How to take a test: 1956 short film

Valerie Strauss — Sun, 19 May 2013 08:00:25 GMT

A blast from the past: a 1956 short film with tips on the right and wrong way to take a test. See what’s changed and what hasn’t.

Fiery Chicago teachers union president reelected

Valerie Strauss — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:02:30 GMT

Karen Lewis, the fiery leader of the Chicago Teachers Union who led a strike last year and became a nationally known anti-school reform figure, has been elected to another three-year term as president. Today she will lead the first of … Continue reading →

Are school vouchers losing steam?

Valerie Strauss — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:00:52 GMT

Vouchers have been at the center of the school choice movement for many reformers, but they may be in trouble. Here making that argument is Abby Rapoport of The American Prospect, where this appeared. By Abby Rapoport When news broke … Continue reading →