Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody
In my summary of the year 2010 I wrote:
This was the year of the billionaire in education. And teachers, parents and students are wondering what we need to do to make 2011 turn out a bit differently.
We figured it out alright. 2011 was the year of the great awakening. The year began with Wisconsin educators rallying to protect their rights, under attack from Governor Scott Walker. Jesse Turner had called it out even before 2010 was over - and along with a bunch of us from around the country, helped create the one of the big public education events of the year, the Save Our Schools March on July 30th in Washington, DC.
This was a year of pushing back and occasionally breaking through. In March, President Obama revealed he actually shared the views of many when he spoke of the need for fewer tests. This led to a lively exchange with Department of Education officials who did their best to pretend they agreed. We kept pushing through the year, pointing out the weakness in reforms that focus on test scores, and the strength that lies in the intelligence of our teachers, when they are given the chance to work together.
Teachers were not the only ones who decided to take to the streets. The Occupy Wall Street movement has spread across the country, and is bringing into sharp focus the oversized influence of corporations in our political process, and our public education system as well.
As the year draws to a close, the powerful are doing their best to stamp out or spray away the pesky rebels in our cities and college campuses. But we are seeing some big ideas hang on, and in California and elsewhere, the rejection of NCLB waivers offers hope that a new direction may emerge.
Here are my 170 posts from this year, organized into categories. Special thanks to all the guests and interview subjects who shared their thoughts with us this year!
Education reform, standardized tests and accountability
>
Jan. 3: Will National Standards Become the Operating System for our Schools?
Jan. 5: We Cannot Solve the Problems with Tests by Creating MORE of Them
Jan. 10: Should we Trust Low-Paid Teachers to Score Student Work?
Jan. 12: No, More High Stakes Testing is NOT Inevitable
Jan. 16: Rhee’s Plan Students (Test Scores) First!
Jan. 19: Heresy: Education Is Not the Cure for Poverty
Jan. 25: Teachers: How Do We Propose to Measure Student Outcomes?
Jan. 27: Is Data Driving us into a Dead End?
Jan. 28: Sir Ken Robinson Shakes Up the Standards Paradigm
Feb. 8: LA Times Manipulates the Teacher Evaluation Story
Feb. 14: Let’s Show Struggling Schools Some REAL Love: A Valentine for the Bottom 5%
April 25: Tests over Teachers in California
April 28: When Will the Testing Bubble Burst?
May 9: The “Counter-Manifesto” Against a National Curriculum
May 17: Standardized Testing Mythbusters!
May 18: California Governor Puts the Testing Juggernaut On Ice
May 30: Education Policy Should Honor the Obvious
May 25: Oakland Teachers Show the Power of Action Research
June 5: Jonathan Alter Kicks the Hornet’s Nest
June 7: Interview: How Does Classroom Stress Affect Learning?
June 9: Is Diane Ravitch Insulting Teachers? Who Speaks for Us?
July 6: The Brooks/Ravitch Dialogue Expands
July 23: Complex Thinking is not Tested and Won’t be Taught
Sep 4: The Single Best Idea to Come Out of Business in Years
Sep. 5: Interview: Steve Denning offers Radical Ideas for Reframing Education Reform
Sep. 10: A Teacher Responds to Steve Denning’s Ideas: These are Education, Not Management Issues
Sep. 22: Public Schools and Post Offices: What do they have in Common?
Oct. 6: Color Coded High School ID Cards Sort Students by Test Performance
Oct. 9: Jerry Brown Puts the Brakes on Test-Driven Reform
Oct. 14: In John Merrow’s Education Reform Land, Copycats Rule
Oct. 26: The Legacy of NCLB: Can We Force Schools to Improve?
Nov. 7: NCLB Waivers are not Worthy Reforms in California
Nov. 8: NCLB Waivers get a Reality Check
Nov. 13: America Leads the World in Nonsensical Comparisons: What Really Matters?
Nov. 20: LA Times backs California’s NCLB Defiance
Nov. 29: Interview with Diane Ravitch: California’s Rejection of NCLB Waivers
Dec. 1: Turmoil Seems to be the Chief Product of Education “Reform.”
Dec. 8: When a School Board Member Takes a Test, the World Listens
Dec. 16: Duncan’s Dilemma: What will be Done to States without NCLB Waivers?
Teach For America, teacher preparation and retention
Jan. 1: Battling the Bad Teacher Bogeyman
Jan. 30: TeamScience Tames Teacher Turnover in Oakland
Feb. 10: Bilby & Greene: Tough Lessons from Teach For America
Feb. 10: Does Teach For America Deliver Systemic Reform?
Feb. 15: Marie Levey-Pabst: Will the Teach For America Elite Save the Poor?
Mar. 17: David Greene: Some Advice for Would-be History-Makers at Teach For America
Mar. 27: Bilby & Greene: TFA Interns Need Better Preparation
Oct. 18: Civil Rights Groups Press for Truly Qualified Teachers
Oct. 22: The Dialogue Heats Up over Teach For America
Nov. 19: Philip Kovacs Takes on TFA in Huntsville
Dec. 11: Philip Kovacs: Huntsville Takes a Closer Look at Teach For America’s “Research”
Dec. 20:Philip Kovacs: Teach For America Research Fails the Test.
Dec. 21: Tara Kini: One Year Ago Congress Defined Novices “Highly Qualified Teachers”
Dec. 23: NEA President Sends Mixed Messages about Teacher PreparationImmigration and Education
Nov. 17: Deportations Throw Children into Foster Care
Oct. 2: Alabama Law Creates Immigration Panic in Schools
Teacher Unions, collective bargaining and due process
Jan. 1: Battling the Bad Teacher Bogeyman
Jan. 22: Teachers Beware, They are Coming for Our Pensions
Feb. 6: The Cinderellas of Education Reform: Why Aren’t They Invited to the Ball?
Feb. 20: Wisconsin teachers show us how to Resist the Shock Doctrine
Feb. 23: Solidarity Forever: Let This Principle Defend our Schools
Mar. 9: Should Schools Trade Seniority for “Effectiveness” Rankings?
Mar. 22: Standing up for the Underdogs: Why I Support My Union
Sep. 13: Are Michigan Lawmakers Taking their Cue from Ann Coulter: Teachers Useless?
Save Our Schools, grassroots organizing and genuine reform
Feb. 20: Wisconsin teachers show us how to Resist the Shock Doctrine
Feb. 24: What Does a “Good Wife” Do When a “Stern Father” Becomes Abusive?
Feb. 27: An Unlikely Hero Breaks Through the Blackout: Diane Ravitch
Mar. 11: Making Our OWN News: Be the Source for some Good News for Schools!
Mar. 23: I am Educator, Hear me Roar!
April 10: The Media Discovers There is a Debate over Educational Reform!
April 22: Grassroots Teacher Convention Makes Waves in Oakland
May 2: Here’s to the Teachers!
May 11: Here’s to the Students! Our New Video
May 20: Here’s to the Parents! We Need Them to Help Save Our Schools
May 24: The Antidote to Astroturf: A Real Grassroots Movement
June 2: Here’s to Our Schools! SOS Videos go Viral
July 2: Why Pedro Noguera will be Marching to Save Our Schools July 30th
July 18: Confronting the Inequality Juggernaut: A Q&A With Jonathan Kozol
July 27: Alfie Kohn: We Have to Take Back Our Schools
July 30: We are in Washington to Save Our Schools and We Want Answers!
July 31: Save Our Schools Rocks the Capital!
Aug. 1: More Save Our Schools Videos!
Sep. 14: The Slekar Family Stands Up and Opts Out
Oct. 5: Why I Support the Occupation Movement
Oct. 12: Improving Teaching 101: Teacher Action Research
Oct. 25: Lesson Study Works! An Interview with Dr. Catherine Lewis
Nov. 3: Occupy Oakland: Striking Questions
Nov. 19: Peaceful UC Davis Students Pepper-Sprayed
Nov. 22: UC Davis Students become Powerful Teachers
Nov. 26: You Have Free Speech, So Long as its Appropriate
Dec. 13: Teacher Power: The One Percent Solution
Obama, Duncan and the Department of Education
Mar. 10: The White House Is of Two Minds When It Comes to Bullying
Mar. 6: Obama is Right: Education is a Bi-Partisan Issue
Mar. 29: Obama Blasts his Own Education Policies
April 1: Just Who is Misrepresenting Obama’s Education Policies
April 1: Obama’s Policies Under Fire: Department of Ed Responds
April 2: Obama Knows Best, Part One: How Should we Assess Learning?
April 3: Obama Knows Best, Part 2: “Too Often we are Using These Tests to Punish Students or Schools.”
April 5: Dept. of Ed Responds Again: “Secretary Duncan Totally Concurs with President Obama”
April 5: The Department of Education Cannot Unring the Bell Obama Struck
April 7: President Obama: We Want for Our Children What You Want for Yours
May 2: An Open Letter from an American Teacher to Secretary Duncan
May 6: Teachers Feeling Unappreciated by Secretary Duncan
May 12: Will the NEA Endorse Obama and the Use of Test Scores for Teacher Evaluations?
June 13: President Obama, We Were There When You Needed Us
June 22: A One-Sided Dialogue: Teacher Frustration Leads to Protest
June 30: Secretary Duncan’s Data Integrity Warning Misses the Point
July 5: Those who can, Tweet! What Would You #AskObama?
Aug. 9: Say No to Duncan Dollars: Rookie Reform has Run its Course
Aug. 14: GOP Candidates Take on the Department of Education
Aug. 17: President Obama on Shaky Ground with Teachers: Can He Firm Up Support?
Aug. 18: #AskArne Twitter Town Hall Next Wednesday: Share your Questions Here
Aug. 20: Sharp Themes Emerge from #AskArne Questions
Aug. 25: Arne Duncan’s Twitter Town Hall: Orwell Would Be Proud
Aug. 29: Duncan Worries About Losing “Great Young Talent": What About Us Old Timers?
Sep 3: Environmentalists Join Educators in Protesting Obama Policies
Dec. 16: Duncan’s Dilemma: What will be Done to States without NCLB Waivers?
Dec. 16: Open Letter to Jon Stewart: Please Interview Your Mother
Gates Foundation, Astroturf Groups
Jan. 3: Will National Standards Become the Operating System for our Schools?
Mar. 1: An Open Letter to Bill Gates: Higher Class Sizes will Drive Teachers Out
Mar. 20: Where are the Champions of Education Reform as School Funding Collapses?
May 24: The Antidote to Astroturf: A Real Grassroots Movement
July 13: Jonah Edelman Reveals Corporate Education “Reform” at Work in Illinois
July 14: Diane Ravitch on Edelman’s Astroturf Enterprise
July 16: Teach Plus: Astroturf In Indiana?
Aug. 22: Bill Gates Inspires a Class Size Experiment in Kansas City
Sep. 26: Circular Reasoning at the Gates: Education Nation off to a Confusing Start
Oct. 29: If Only the Billionaire Reformers Cared about THIS Data
Nov. 5: Bill Gates’ Big Play: How Much Can Money Buy in Education?
Dec. 28: Are Critics of Corporate Education “Reform” Winning the Online Debate?
Dec. 29: Lop-sided Debate over Education Reform Reveals a Broken Political System
Science Education
Feb. 26: Teaching Controversy where None Exists: The Fight over Evolution and Global Warming
Dec. 28: Are Critics of Corporate Education “Reform” Winning the Online Debate?
Miscellaneous:
Sep. 12: What?? Girl’s T-shirts Sold: “Allergic to Algebra”
Sep. 22: Public Schools and Post Offices: What do they have in Common?
Guest posts
Jan. 7: Mike Dwyer: Value Adders - The Newest Members of the ‘Monday Morning Quarterback Club’
Jan. 13: Chuck Olynyk: A Year After, a Veteran of Reconstitution Offers Words to the Wise
Jan. 18: Tim Slekar: Tucson Tragedy no Reason to Follow Failed Strategies
Feb. 3: Chuck Olynyk: Still Truth-telling about “Failing Schools”
Feb. 5: Victoria Young: This Idaho Parent Prefers Teachers to Laptops
Feb. 8: Robin Reynolds Barre: An Open Letter to New Teachers and Those Wishing to Become Teachers
Feb. 10: Bilby & Greene: Tough Lessons from Teach For America
Feb. 12: Betsy Angert: Those Who Can Teach; Life Lessons Learned
Feb. 13: Betsy Angert: Those Who Can Teach; Transformative Teachers
Feb. 15: Marie Levey-Pabst: Will the Teach For America Elite Save the Poor?
Feb. 18: Dave Greene: Time for The Practical Wisdom of Teaching
Feb: 18: Are You There, Mr. President? Madison is Calling
Mar. 4: David Greene: I am the Seed Miss Stafford Planted
Mar. 5: Peggy Robertson: Which is More Important? Wisconsin or Charlie Sheen?
Mar. 8: Anthony Colucci: Learning from Educator and Civil Rights Martyr, Harry T. Moore
Mar. 17: David Greene: Some Advice for Would-be History-Makers at Teach For America
Mar. 27: Bilby & Greene: TFA Interns Need Better Preparation
April 8: Krashen and Ohanian: High Tech Testing on the Way: a 21st Century Boondoggle?
April 12: Pennsylvania Parents Call for Full Court Press with Politicians
April 14: John Kuhn: Why Shouldn’t Teachers be Graded Too?
April 20: Sarah Rubenstein: When will Impoverished Students Get What they Need?
April 26: Ron Fink: Breaking the Rules to Let Kids Play
June 12: Jim Owens: School Is Out: Let Your Education Begin!
June 18: John Thompson: Fact Checking the National Council on Teacher Quality
June 25: John Thompson: School Transformation in the 21st Century: Turtles, Frogs or Butterflies
June 27: John Thompson: Three Visions of Teaching in the 21st Century
July 13: Stephen Krashen: Race to the Top for Tots: Don’t Measure the Temperature of the Fire - Put it Out!
July 21: The Scaled Down Contract: Boon or Bane to the Teaching Profession?
July 26: John Thompson: On the Eve of the March, Phony Reforms are on the Ropes
Aug. 13: John Thompson: What Happens when Magical Thinking is a Condition of Employment?
Aug. 22: John Thompson on Brill’s Re-write of Teacher Union History
Sep 1: John Thompson: Time for our Unions to Lead Reform
Sep. 8: John Thompson takes on Nyamekye’s Defense of Testing
Sep. 11: Jeffrey N. Golub: Common Core Standards Leave Teachers Out of the Equation
Sep. 19: John Thompson: Does a “No Excuses” Approach Really Work?
Sep. 20: John Thompson: Should Schools Grade Students’ Moral Character?
Sep. 27: John Thompson: Gates Foundation Teacher Effectiveness Researcher Seems to Support the ‘Status Quo’
Oct. 3: Education Reform Takes a Corporate Path With Help From ALEC
Oct. 11: John Thompson: Coaching is Good for Doctors and Teachers Both
Oct. 23: John Thompson: Will Duncan Learn Lessons from Chicago?
Nov. 15: With Whom do We Stand? A Counterpoint for Education Reform
Dec. 5: John Thompson: The Center for American Progress Pushes the Good, Bad and Ugly in Teacher Evaluation: Part 1
Dec. 11: Philip Kovacs: Huntsville Takes a Closer Look at Teach For America’s “Research”
Dec. 20:Philip Kovacs: Teach For America Research Fails the Test.
Dec. 21: Tara Kini: One Year Ago Congress Defined Novices “Highly Qualified Teachers”
What do you think about the year 2011? What should we look forward to in 2012?