17 June 2010 Op-Ed in The State

The paradox of teacher quality

An alternative to bureaucratic mandates and national standards

Although I believe some caveats about childhood poverty, etc, is in order, this is an interesting look at Finland:

Steady Work

What the richest country in history is willing to tolerate. . .

Childhood poverty in the U. S.

And here.

International reports have placed an even higher percentage at the feet of the U. S.

New Report on Low Income Students

See the new report from Institute for Higher Education Policy:

A Portrait of Low-Income Young Adults in Education

Do as I say, not as I do. . .

Krashen has shared a perceptive insight from Susan Ohanian that reflects the incredible hypocrisy and senselessness of political approaches to educational commentary and reform (the patsed information below is provided directly from Krashen's emailing):

A Violation of the Common Core Standards

Sent to the NY Times.

**In a press release announcing the launching of The Common Core State
Standards ("States Receive a Reading List: New Standards for
Education," June 2), former Colorado Governor Roy Romer is quoted as
saying: "Common standards ensure that every child across the country
is getting the best possible education, no matter where a child lives
or what their background is."**

Clearly, neither Gov. Romer nor any of those who reviewed the press
release have mastered Standard L.3.1f: "Ensure subject-verb and
pronoun antecedent agreement;" (grades 3-12) and Standard L.6. 1e:
"Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and
person." (grades 6-12) (page 56 of the Common Core State Standards).

We are told that adoption of the Standards will ensure that Americans
will be able to compete in the 21st century global economy. How can we
hope to do this if we continue to make and allow inappropriate shifts
in pronoun number?

Susan Ohanian

Stephen Krashen

Additional information:

Gov. Romer also served as superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School
District.

Press release, US Department of Education, "National Governors
Association and State Education Chiefs Launch Common State Academic
Standards"

More Giroux, brilliant as ever

Read the latest from Henry Giroux in truthout. . .

A key section:

"Public schools are under attack not because they are failing or are inefficient, but because they are public, an unwanted reminder of a public sphere and set of institutions whose purpose is to serve the common good and promote democratic ends, values and social relations. The forces poised to destroy public schools are ideologically motivated to destroy all vestiges of the common good, just as they are enraptured economically by the possibility of reaping big profits through an ongoing campaign aimed at promoting vouchers, privatization and charters, all of which are intended to slowly and successfully convince the public to disinvest in public schooling and transform it into a private rather than public good."

Defining poverty?

We must stay vigilant against attitudes that continue to trivialize poverty by suggesting poverty is somehow the fault of those living in that poverty.

This Op-Ed is a sad example of flawed ideologies about poverty—but ones that resonate with an American public enamored with the rugged individual myth. . .