Hot Stuff for Today

I'm off to the city to do a video shoot for this Manhattan Neighborhood Network TV show - Active Aging - that I work on. An artist in the Village. What else is new? I need to take a shower first- still feel dirty after seeing a great performance by Mark Rylance in Jerusalem last night - but 3 hours of watching people who are basically despicable? My wife is trying to find the meaning behind it. I don't really care that much. Worst part of the evening? The long line at Junior's at 10pm. I had spent the entire 3 hours dreaming of that cheese cake.


Diane Ravitch nails 'em again in this op ed in the NY Times:

OPINION   | June 01, 2011 Op-Ed Contributor:  Waiting for a School Miracle  By DIANE RAVITCH Be skeptical of stories of rapid educational transformation. Also check out this video recommended by Diane: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55fhCi2dBag ------------ Michael Paul Goldenberg illustrates the Ravitch piece Please read the latest post at Rational Mathematics Education: An Open Letter to US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan "According to news reports, press releases, and other records, from 2003 through late 2006 you lent your support to Spizzirri's organization in various ways, including appearing as an animated cartoon character on SALF's website. Subsequently, a November 2006 ABC7 I-Team story reported that SALF and Spizzirri engaged in a variety of serious misrepresentations. In that broadcast, you yourself raise doubts about SALF's claims. Since then, the organization has been the subject of dozens more media exposes including an October 11, 2010 article in The Hill reporting that SALF was under investigation by the Illinois Attorney General's Charitable Trust Bureau. An investigation by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also appears to be underway. MORE at http://rationalmathed.blogspot.com/2011/06/open-letter-to-us-secretary-of.html ---------------- Here is Susan Ohanian's daily digest for today, stuff that will keep you busy: I know you'll want to see the two cartoons. One of them is related to Gus Garcia-Roberts' experience with a Florida diploma mill. This will be a classic: http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_cartoons.php?id=697 And the other one is laugh-out loud funny: http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_cartoons.php?id=696 What a relief to find something funny in these days of constant outrage and horror that pose as public education. Susan \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ To the editor Stephen Krashen New York Daily News 2011-05-30 http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1360 This letter is a wowser!! \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  I Cheated My Way Through High School Last Week  Gus Garcia-Roberts Miami New Times 2011-05-31 http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=959 How is it that a student attending a legitimate high school for four years cannot get a diploma without passing the FCAT but this for-profit outfit can hand over a diploma with the only requirement being payment of $399? Take a look at exams that qualified him for the diploma. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Standards Supports for Teachers Eyed Stephen Sawchuk Education Week blog 2011-05-27 http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=958  Another Gates-funded standards delivery system. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Avoiding the Poverty Issue Paul Thomas New York Times Online Room For Debate 2011-05-30 http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=957 New York Times online forum Room for Debate asked the question  What do we know about using student achievement tests to judge teacher performance? Paul Thomas was the only respondent who addressed the real issue.