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Another perspective from inside @SFERnational
I think I may have mentioned this before. Yes, yes I did. An undergraduate approached me last year to be the faculty advisor for a local chapter of Students for Education Reform (SFER). I had to look...
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Inexperience: you can’t defend the indefensible
We’ve discussed it here before: the head of teacher evaluation in the state of LA is a 27-year-old former TFA alum. Now, Diane Ravitch adds that the head of teacher recruitment in Dallas, TX is a...
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Interesting, #TFA submitted a brief to #SCOTUS for the Fisher affirmative...
Here’s a link to the brief, but TFA is apparently in favor of affirmative action in this instance. I am going to read it more carefully right now, but any insights on that? Filed under: CHALK FACE:...
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As seen @jcrew, a #TFA T-shirt. Explain that to me, please #WTF
Spotted at the front table at a J. Crew. In the ladies section, appropriately enough, am I right? Cos who likes kids: only chicks, yeah! In any case, 100% of the proceeds of the sale of these shirts...
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Good to highlight this perspective from a #TFA un-supporter…
But, I have to say, one can now be a hero for both JOINING TFA and for REJECTING it? Amazing. Us educators don’t have a chance. Bravo [slow clap] Filed under: CHALK FACE: General News & Commentary...
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The Lowest Expectation of Them All
Corporate education reformers love to rave about how schools that “beat the odds” are full of teachers with “high expectations”. There are echoes of George W’s “soft bigotry of low expectations” in...
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The Ends Do Not Justify the Mean(ness)
Amputation is an instant and effective weight-loss strategy, but I don’t recommend it. Mathematica Policy Research releases a new report on Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) charter schools Tuesday,...
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Is #TFA a cult?
Anecdotal, but interesting, nonetheless: Just received confirmation from a former student that during training, TFA tells is Corps members not to interact with veteran teachers at the schools they are...
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The teacher “bar exam” will work, if and only if…
… You completely abolish alternative certification programs, like Teach for America. That’s it. AFT President Weingarten cannot proclaim this: Under the AFT plan, prospective teachers who have...
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GUEST POST: Myths of committing to TFA, Julie Gorlewski
Buffalo, NY, a city desperate for jobs that will allow young people to remain in the area and mitigate the “brain drain,” is on the verge of hiring 60 Teach for American (TFA) temps. The Buffalo News,...
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The achievement gap is a wedge issue for #TFA
They think they care. But as an organization, not really. So, in a market that has a glut of teachers, why does TFA need millions of dollars to run operations in Minnesota? Filed under: CHALK FACE:...
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Are #TFA corps members akin to #replacementrefs in the #NFL? Yeah, I think so!!
Check this picture. I love the analogy, and I think it’s spot on. Let me make this clear: this is a UNION dispute. U-N-I-O-N. The scabs make bad decisions? Well, put scabs in front of kids in the some...
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Kopp’s shameless self-promotion in the guise of a Kozol book review
“Ms. Kopp’s husband, Richard Barth, was an Edison executive before taking over as CEO of KIPP’s national foundation, where he has sought to decertify its New York City unions.” — Jesse James Alred One...
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Another perspective from inside @SFERnational
I think I may have mentioned this before. Yes, yes I did. An undergraduate approached me last year to be the faculty advisor for a local chapter of Students for Education Reform (SFER). I had to look...
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The TFA PR Machine Even Works in the Critics
Walt Gardner has a post on the TFA PR machine, and in it he shows exactly how effective the TFA PR machine is by perpetuating the lie that TFA teachers perform as well as, or better than,...
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Former TFA Corps Members Planning TFA Protest in Chicago
Click to enlarge. Filed under: JIM HORN: Schools Matter Tagged: teach for america, TFA, TFA protest
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Friend David Green’s #TFA commentary @nytimes comes at a good time
I’m starting to feel as if the TFA brand is getting a tad tarnished. It’s not fooling a lot of people anymore, as is apparent from many of the responses Mr. Greene received. When I spoke at the 92Y...
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Teach for America Has Gone Too Far
It is not a secret that I am no fan of Teach for America. The very idea of the organization I find absolutely baffling. (Let’s cure educational inequality by exacerbating the inequality of placing...
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How many times do we have to remind reform apologists like @alexanderrusso?
According to Mr. Russo, 2013 may be the year of teacher preparation. Too bad it’s half over. To wit: Since 2009, the California-based NewSchools Venture Fund, with the support of the Carnegie...
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I’ve visited @NCTQ, we should all be underwhelmed #teacherprep
Paul Thomas and Jim Horn have already warned us about NCTQ and its thoroughly biased “advocacy.” There are some updated links in there, here’s a few more on the new report specifically: From NPR;...
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