Section » K12
Labor Beat Chicago Video Exposes Duncan’s Record
From substancenews.net: George N. Schmidt – September 26, 2009 The Chicago labor news organization Labor Beat is still circulating the hit video about Arne Duncan and his work in Chicago at http://blip.tv/file/2428857 As it becomes more and more clear to more and...
“Best Urban School District in America” Blocks Access to Websites Critical of “Education Reform”
Reports on Gerald Bracey’s Education Disinformation and Detection Reporting Agency email discussion listserv indicate that teachers, students and administrators in the Aldine Independent School District, Houston, Texas are blocked from viewing at least two websites offering alternative views of “education reform” in the United States. Based on...
Federal vs. National Standards
In recent reports about the movement for “common standards for core curriculums in mathematics and reading” spearheaded by various monopolies, state governors, and the U.S Department of Education, an important distinction has been raised. In today’s edition of Inside Higher Ed, Doug Lederman writes: Today...
Defining ‘College Ready,’ Nationally
From Insidehighered.com: “That too many young people come out of high school ill-prepared for college or the work force is little disputed. The questions of why that’s so and how to fix the situation, however, have too often resulted in finger pointing, with many college faculty...
“Uncommon Schools” Charter School Executive Will Be NYS Education Deputy
From gothamschools.org: John King, currently the managing director of an Uncommon Schools network here in the city, will next month become the State Education Department’s deputy commissioner focusing on elementary and secondary schools, the state announced today. In that job, he’ll “lead the state’s...
NLRB Declares Civitas Teachers Private Employees
From: Catalyst Chicago—Teachers and staff at three Civitas charter schools are confident as they focus on their next steps to get their union officially certified. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled yesterday that...
Accountability Double-Standards
Double standard: a rule, principle, judgement, etc., viewed as applying more strictly to one group of people, set of circumstances, etc., than to another. In reviewing a front page item from Education Week (“Unions Set Sights...
Duncan’s Bribe Reveals Where Demand for Charters Originates
Covering recent charter school news, Jim Horn challenges the claim that charters are what the public is demanding. “Support for charter schools among Americans is waning, rather than waxing. In 2007 support for charters peeked at 60 percent favorable. In...
Are Charter Schools Public Schools?
On Monday May 18, 2009 Chicago Public Radio blogger and education reporter, Linda Lutton, wrote an interesting post on possibly the first union charter school in Chicago. She writes: The state has certified the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff as the bargaining unit for teachers at three...
Secretary Arne Duncan Testifies Before the House Education and Labor Committee
Thank you Chairman Miller, Representative McKeon, and all the members of the committee for the invitation to be here today. It is my pleasure to share with you President Obama’s plan for American education. It is a comprehensive plan that meets the educational needs of our youngest citizens from cradle to career. If we are going to be successful...

