Susan Ohanian Reports, November 26, 2013

Ten  Top Reasons the U. S. Congress Would Be a  Good Place to Field Test the Common Core Tests
Susan Ohanian blog 2013-11-23 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=626

I usually post Susan's stuff on Saturday morning but call this a Thanksgiving special. Susan's point about Bill Clinton joining hands with Lou Gerstner should be amended with the 3rd party - Al Shanker, who led the UFT/AFT into the entire neo-liberal ed deform morass from the early 80s right through today. The Richard Kahlenberg Shanker bio has lots of stuff about the alliance between him and the Clinton's and the business community -- that sucked the AFT/UFT into this entire nonsense. Those chapters of the book about the 80s and early 90s are chilling.

Someone told me a story that when the Business Roundtable "A Nation at Risk" report came out in 1982, people in the UFT, including Sandy Feldman, reacted against it -- and were shocked when Shanker supported it -- but of course, Unity followed along like sheep. If the UFT were a vibrant democratic organization we could have put a stop to the madness well before the ball got rolling.

From here on it's all Susan -- even if you don't get to all the links -- we at least have them recorded for research purposes.

As noted for years, the Common Core exists to deliver the national test that business interests have pushed for ever Arkansas governor Bill Clinton joined hands with Lou Gerstner to spearhead the Business Roundtable version of ed deform. President Clinton tried to get a national test. Now Obama has two tests but opposition is skyrocketing. If the Common Core tests collapse,  the curriculum will crumble.
Let's listen to 'Joe Hill' again. And remember that we are all in this together--one class against Ed Deform, working for equity in the schools.
Susan
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More states delay Common Core testing as concerns grow
Valerie Strauss
Washington Post Answer Sheet
2013-11-24 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=631
A national test was the goal of the Common Core and may now bring it down.
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Note to New York Times Columnists: Shut Up!
Susan Ohanian
New York Times
2013-11-24 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=629
Once again a New York Times columnist exhibits total ignorance of the topic, and no it isn't Thomas Friedman this time.
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Where Is the Students' Lobbyist?
Senator Jack M. Martins
letter
2013-11-21 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=628
New York Senator Jack Martins has a few words to say about the Common Core, with a link to a forum he called on the topic.
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Stop This Train: The Common Core and the Uncommon Student
Paul V. Hogan, with Ohanian notes
blog
2013-11-19 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=627
Read this and you'll know that we'd better start rolling on the Revolution today.
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Ten  Top Reasons the U. S. Congress Would Be a  Good Place to Field Test the Common Core Tests
Susan Ohanian
blog
2013-11-23 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=626
Yes, there are 10 reasons.
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PARRC Task Prototype: Turning Literature Into Pedagogical Chop Suey and Cyanide
Susan Ohanian
blog
2013-11-22 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=625
Sample PARCC questions. How long will educators, their unions, and their professional organizations keep their silence about this?
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Complicated, Imported Solutions Do Not Work
Jason Kass
New York Times
2013-11-19 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=624
You'll see why my letter about this article did not get published.
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N.Y. school principals write letter of concern about Common Core tests
Valerie Strauss and NY principals
Washington Post Answer Sheet
2013-11-21 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=623
I applaud this letter even as I worry that it seems to imply that what is needed is a better test.
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Education reform backed by the wealthy
James M. Odato, with Ohanian notes
Albany Times Union
2013-11-24 http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1737
New York Regents show us that you'd better look a gift horse in the mouth.
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LAUSD iPad program gets mixed review from committee
 Pasadena Star-News
2013-11-21 http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1736
Lots of controversy, not much sense.
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