Don't Say 'Reformer'
Education reform group StudentsFirst has apologized for calling a Tennessee lawmaker who sponsored anti-gay legislation one of its reformers of the year. Read Full Post >
All Blog Posts With StudentsFirst Tag or Category
May 02, 2013
April 30, 2013
Walton Family Foundation Gives $8 Million to StudentsFirst
The money will go to support the national growth of former D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee's organization. Read Full Post >
April 28, 2013
Michelle Rhee Doesn't Put All Students First
Considering GLSEN's research and the stories of children dying unnecessarily at a young age, it came as a surprise that Michelle Rhee named someone who doesn't believe that LGBT students have a place in schools, as their Educational Reformer of the Year. Read Full Post >
April 15, 2013
How Will Michelle Rhee's Policy and Politics Work Fare in States?
The long-term impacts of a possible cheating scandal in D.C. Public Schools on StudentsFirst, Michelle Rhee's advocacy group, are not yet clear. Read Full Post >
April 10, 2013
'Parent Power Index' Puts Familiar States in Top Policy Spots
The Center for Education Reform, like the American Legislative Exchange Council, has given Indiana top marks among states for education policy. Read Full Post >
January 16, 2013
Teacher Takes on StudentsFirst Machine in Rhee's Back Yard
Local school board races used to be small town affairs. But recently, as money has flowed into education reform across the country, we have seen local races take on national significance. And StudentsFirst clearly cares about the outcome of this local election, right in Michelle Rhee's back yard. The only real antidote to well-funded astroturf operations like StudentsFirst is real grassroots activism. And fortunately, in West Sacramento, voters will have a real educator to vote for. A National Board certified teacher, Sarah Kirby-Gonzales, has stepped forward to run. I worked with Ms. Kirby-Gonzales on a writing project several years ago, so I reached out to her to find out more about her candidacy. Read Full Post >
January 10, 2013
Rhee vs. QC: How StudentsFirst's Report Card and Quality Counts Differ
Although both Education Week and StudentsFirst released state K-12 rankings in the second week of January, there were several differences in how the rankings worked. Read Full Post >
January 09, 2013
Immigrant Students in Our Classrooms: "Always Scared"
many undocumented youth only first learn of their status in high school, when they have to fill out applications for internships, summer jobs, or college admission. Unable to provide a Social Security number for the applications, their parents are forced to explain the situation to them, often for the first time. By the time they learn they are undocumented, many have been socialized in the United States where, having had legal access to schools, they develop a strong sense of belonging. This finding parallels a study of undocumented youth in Los Angeles, where the realization of their undocumented status affected the youth physically, emotionally, and biologically, stunting their development. Read Full Post >
January 07, 2013
What to Make of StudentsFirst
StudentsFirst is a thinly disguised corporate model. Read Full Post >
January 07, 2013
Michelle Rhee's Group Grades States, And No One Gets an A
A "report card" of states by the Sacramento-based StudentsFirst school advocacy groups gave most states poor marks for their policies on teachers and school choice. Read Full Post >
