Ohanian Does Tennyson, Schmidt Does Ravitch

In the middle of the night I got a poetic inspiration: Tennyson's Charge of the Light Brigade." I scribbled it on a scrap of paper in the dark. And this morning I wrote a parody for our times. Some lines do not change:

Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=667

Maybe I should have stopped there, but I decided to read the Appendix for the Delaware RTTT grant submission. This has just about done me in. I mean this quite literally. In the middle of writing this I went to the doctor for asthma relief. I could not breathe. Turns out I have bronchitis too.

I hope you'll read the Commentary. Delaware is being rewarded for a horrifying plan. And considering April 15 is near, we should all stop and think about the fact that they are doing it with OUR TAX DOLLARS.
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentaries.php?id=794

Miracle of modern medicine: I'm already better. No thanks to Delaware.
Susan


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Broad Alumni Making It Big in Corporate Takeover of American Education
Jim Horn
Schools Matter
2010-04-04
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=9266

It is critical that people who care about public schools, people who know the importance of public schools, see the links here. What is happening in large urban districts today has been carefully orchestrated by vulture philanthropists. Here's the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

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Race to the Top: Delaware's Application for Initial Funding
Susan Ohanian

2010-04-05
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=794

Whew. Ohanian takes you through Appendix A of the Delaware application. Appendix a goes from Appendix A-1 to A-123. And then there are Appendices B through F.

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MORE THAN A BOOK REVIEW NEEDED: A closer look at Diane Ravitch's book 'The Death
and Life of the Great American School System'
George N. Schmidt

2010-04-04
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=792

In his review of the Ravitch book, George Schmidt acknowledges that it's an important book but also insists that we not forget history.

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To the editor
Alan Ettman
New York Times
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1195

This letter breaks the myth that The Times never prints criticism of editorials. In this fine letter a teacher effectively shows the odds facing a high school teacher for influencing students.

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To the editor
Jane Watson
Time Magazine
2010-04-01
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1194

Jane Watson notes the lack of transparency, something that letter writers should continue to note, as they point out that Race to the Top is even worse than NCLB.

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To the editor
Stephen Krashen
Newsweek
2010-04-03
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1193

We must follow Stephen Krashen's lead in describing the Obama plan as radical.

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The Charge of the Obama/Duncan Plan
Susan Ohanian
with some apologies to Alfred, Lord Tennyson
2010-04-05
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=667



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Mass Closures of Public Schools, Promotion of Charters Raise Fears of Privatized
Detroit Education System
Amy Goodman and Nate Walker
Democracy Now!
2010-04-03
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=666



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States Skeptical About ‘Race to Top’ School Aid Contest
Sam Dillon
New York Times
2010-04-05
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_atrocities.php?id=3942

Governors of states not receiving Race to the Top funds in the first round whine. Some claim to be reconsidering joining the second round. None admit the error of their ways. Ohanian comments on the way quoted people are identified.

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Why Obama's education reform plan can't work
Jim Horn
Washington Post: The Answer Sheet
2010-04-04
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_atrocities.php?id=3941

In a letter to President Obama, Jim Horn points out that teachers will work no harder when their tenure or their salary depends upon their students' test scores, but the kind of work they do, if such plans are adopted, will not resemble the work of the attentive gardener tending these tender tendrils of humanity that constitute our future.
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Order the CD of the resistance:
"No Child Left Behind? Bring Back the Joy."
To order online (and hear samples from the songs)
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dhbdrake4
Other orders: Send $15 to
Susan Ohanian
P. O. Box 26
Charlotte, VT 05445