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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!
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? 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 Preparation Nov. 17: Deportations Throw Children into Foster Care Oct. 2: Alabama Law Creates Immigration Panic in Schools 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? 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 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 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 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? Sep. 12: What?? Girl's T-shirts Sold: "Allergic to Algebra" Sep. 22: Public Schools and Post Offices: What do they have in Common? 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"
Immigration and Education
Teacher Unions, collective bargaining and due process
Save Our Schools, grassroots organizing and genuine reform
Miscellaneous:
What do you think about the year 2011? What should we look forward to in 2012?
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