Public schools and the push to privatize everything

By SAM OSHERSON Sunday, September 23, 2018 (New Hampshire) Despite their euphemisms about “choice” and claims about “personalizing” education, the “school choice” advocates display a surprising ignorance about public education in New Hampshire. Commissioner of Education Frank Edelblut, for example, routinely misrepresents what happens in public school classrooms, incorrectly dismisses N.H. public education as a…

New York Test Scores Highlight Gaps Among Students from Different Backgrounds

Public-school students’ state test results showed wide disparities by racial and socioeconomic background, prompting calls for more urgent action 49 COMMENTS By Leslie Brody Updated Sept. 26, 2018 6:41 p.m. ET With only one out of three black and Hispanic students passing New York’s tests in reading and math last spring, educators and advocates called Wednesday…

Willow Public School receives $250,000 grant

Brenden Koch Sep 26, 2018 Willow Public School has been granted $250,000 by the NewSchools Venture Fund. The Walla Walla charter school was one of 19 schools across the nation to receive money from the California-based philanthropic firm, which uses donations received to support teams of educators and entrepreneurs “who are re-imagining public education to…

“This is a Struggle to Save Public Education”

AN INTERVIEW WITH ARLENE INOUYE The teachers strike wave has reached Los Angeles: teachers there recently voted overwhelmingly to strike. They are fighting against school privatization, wage and benefit cuts, and the nationwide project to dismantle public education. he education strike wave initiated by West Virginia’s wildcat has reached the coasts. Teachers in Washington and Pennsylvania have walked off the job…

Public Schools Question Special Education Funding Fairness As Voucher Program Expands

September 26, 2019 EMILY FILES Is state special education funding in Wisconsin unfair? School districts from Eau Claire to Oak Creek say it is. They see inequity between public schools and a relatively new voucher program. The Special Needs Scholarship Program is another chapter in Wisconsin’s storied school choice movement. It provides an approximate $12,000 scholarship — or…

Families of public school students with disabilities win legal battle

By BEN CHAPMAN AUG 29, 2018  Families of public school students with disabilities won a legal battle Tuesday when a federal court judge dismissed the city’s attempt to throw their suit out on procedural grounds. The lawsuit filed in October 2017 by three city families with the advocacy group Advocates for Children charged the city Department…

Detroit schools shutting off drinking water because of lead, copper

Lori Higgins, Aug. 29, 2018 The Detroit school district is shutting off drinking water to all of its schools after test results found elevated levels of lead or copper in 16 out of 24 schools that were recently tested. “Although we have no evidence that there are elevated levels of copper or lead in our other…

Poll: 2 in 3 say public school teachers underpaid

By Laura Meckler / Washington Post Posted at 11:21 AM Most Americans say public-school teachers are underpaid and say they would support them if they went on strike for better wages, a new poll shows, offering backup for newly assertive educators. At the same time, the poll found American confidence in teachers at a low point. Also,…