Category Archives: Measuring Effective Teaching

Corporate America Might Need Common Core, But Our “Outputs” Don’t

Posted on December 8, 2013 by

“Kill poverty not human beings.  Stop putting the value of money over the value of lives.” – Mahatma Gandhi December 8, 2013 Dear Allan Golston, This is in response to your editorial America’s Businesses Need the Common Core, which was posted … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Gates, Capitalism, Common Core High Stakes Testing, Common Core Implementation, Common Core State Standards, Edreform, Gates Foundation, Impatient Optimists, Measuring Effective Teaching, New York, Obstacle to Learning, Privatization, Profit, School has become testing facility, Standardized Testing, Uncategorized, Unique Talents, Value Added Measures, VAM, War on Public Education, War on Teachers

Freedom to Teach, Freedom to Learn: A Year at Mission Hill chapter 6

Posted on August 27, 2013 by

Chapter 6: Like a Family Dear Mr. Gates, Microsoft’s “stack ranking” management practice has been in the news lately, most recently on Valerie Strauss’ blog The Answer Sheet (Microsoft’s lesson on what not to do with teachers, Washington Post, 8/26/13). … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Gates, Collaboration, Common Core High Stakes Testing, Diane Ravitch, Anthony Cody, Valerie Strauss, Washington Post, Freedom to Learn: A Year At Mission Hill, Freedom to Teach, High Stakes Testing, Junk Science of High Stakes Standardized Testing, Measuring Effective Teaching, Microsoft, Mission Hill school, Stack Ranking, Teacher Evaluations, Testing | 2 Comments

Freedom to Teach, Freedom to Learn: A Year At Mission Hill

Posted on August 6, 2013 by

Chapter 3: Making it Real Dear readers, I watched chapter three of A Year At Mission Hill with a heavy heart, almost tearful.  The way in which educators teach and students learn at Mission Hill is exactly what I’ve viscerally yearned … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Gates, Common Core High Stakes Testing, Democracy, Freedom to Learn: A Year At Mission Hill, Freedom to Teach, Measuring Effective Teaching, Measuring Student Engagement, Our Schools Are NOT Broken, Real World Education, Respect for Teachers, Standardized Testing, Trust | 1 Comment

Beginning the School Year: Building a Strong Social and Emotional Foundation

Posted on July 30, 2013 by

Freedom to Teach, Freedom to Learn: A Year at Mission Hill Chapter 2: Beginning the Year Dear readers, As you will see in chapter two of A Year at Mission Hill, at the beginning of the school year the teachers … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Gates, Common Core, Corporate Education Reform, Democracy, Dialogue with Teachers, Freedom to Learn: A Year At Mission Hill, Freedom to Teach, Measuring Effective Teaching, Measuring Student Engagement, Our Schools Are NOT Broken, Real World Education, Respect for Teachers, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Every single one of my students “failed” the state test this past school year, and only 1 student passed in the entire 3rd grade at my school. Does this mean my colleagues and I are poor teachers?

Posted on July 13, 2013 by

Mr. and Mrs. Gates, “You can lead a horse to water, but cannot make him drink.” This old saying pretty much sums up the education profession. Teachers and other education professionals devote their lives to imparting knowledge to children day … Continue reading →

Posted in End High Stakes Testing, Measuring Effective Teaching, Special Education, Standardized Testing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Socrates’ Ghost: “As a teacher, see each child’s mind as a bottle that has traveled across the sea.”

Posted on July 11, 2013 by

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Gates, I am proud to be a teacher. I have taught middle school and high student students for 19 years. I have tutored all ages from early elementary through college. I have degrees in English, education, … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, End High Stakes Testing, Measuring Effective Teaching, Teacher Evaluations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

As for your opinion on the almighty test, I’m wondering, sir, why you feel that standardized testing will improve education?

Posted on July 10, 2013 by

“It may surprise you–it was certainly surprising to us–but the field of education doesn’t know very much at all about effective teaching.” ~ Bill Gates Dear Mr. Gates: Since you have never taught in a public school, I would love … Continue reading →

Posted in End High Stakes Testing, Measuring Effective Teaching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment