Send Thanks to John Oliver and HBO

oliverIf you saw John Oliver’s TV show about charter school absurdities, you may want to say thank you.  It was a classic piece.  Diane Ravitch posted a call to let John know there is support for our public schools.  We know that charters need better oversight if the fraud and abuse is to stop.

Here is the contact information.  Let’s not be the silent majority.

 

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The Silly Season Has Overtaken Us?

american-flag-1109393_640In today’s Tallahassee Democrat, Leon County Schools have been chided.  It seems the state legislature passed a measure allowing students to opt out of the Pledge of Allegiance.  The Department of Education said the district went too far by creating a form to do so and putting it in the Student Handbook.  The State is involved in a lawsuit over parent’s rights to opt their children out of tests, but it is OK to opt out of the Pledge of Allegiance as long as you do not tell parents?

What is that Shakespearian line:  Something is rotten in Denmark?  Should we be thinking about other things to improve our educational system?

Losing Control of Schools

classroomThere are many reasons to love charters and to loathe them.  One of the biggest conundrums is over local control.  Some parents think schools are too rigid in their regulations.  While trying to be efficient and fair to all, school systems can seem to be inflexible.  Enter charter schools.  Each can set up their own procedures more or less.  Their advisory boards and/or their management companies set the rules.  If parents are unhappy, they can leave. Of course finding a school to suit them might be a challenge.  Consider the situation in Detroit, Michigan.

 

 

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