Author Archives: educationalchemy

Who wanted the Common Core? Arne Duncan keeps prepping the press for talking points and trying to convince us all that, “the states wanted” Common Core. Well, how do we define “the states”?  If you mean the legislators who are lobbied by and bought and sold organizations like Pearson, then perhaps Arne is correct. PearsonContinue reading “The Pearson Follies: An Ongoing Saga”

Tomorrow, in partnership with U.S. News & World Report, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) will publish the Teacher Prep Review, the first-ever comprehensive evaluation of teacher preparation in the United States. On the even of this momentous occasion, which assuredly will lead to major “reforms” in teacher preparation colleges across the country, let us takeContinue reading “Colleges of Education: Who is evaluating YOU?”

It’s that wonderful time of year again. That time in June when I can read what I want, rather than reading freshman ten-page papers and syllabi that demand I now coordinate all my courses to the new Common Core Standards. (Author pauses here to wipe the spatters of vomit from her computer screen…). So I’mContinue reading “Manifest Destiny 2.0: Meet the New Colonizers”

We have to concede that as a society we are relatively short sighted, over reliant/dependent on sound bites to formulate opinions, and focused way too much on receiving immediate gratification. These character defects extend way beyond just what’s happening in schools. As with our responses to climate change, the increasing abuses of big data andContinue reading “The Confabulation of the Common Core (and other observations of human behavior)”

I STAND CORRECTED. BALTIMORE SUN DID PUBLISH MY RESPONSE IN TODAY’S PAPER: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-schools-letter-20130517,0,5919007.story Lost in Translation: A response to “Six Steps for Post-Alonso School Reform” In their commentary (May 14th, 2013, p.17) called Six Steps for Post-Alonso School Reform regarding the future of education reform in Baltimore City, T. Wilcox, D. Bell-McKoy and L. GambleContinue reading “What the Baltimore Sun (did) Publish”

In my house, my kids and I like to play a game called “Not me.” I am sure that many other parents play this same game with their children. When I find a wet towel lying on the floor, or a half eaten yogurt sitting on the kitchen counter,  or a pile of toys leftContinue reading “All Hail to the “Not Me” Party: Sponsors of the Common Core and other ed reform debacles”

There’s a telling scenario in the greatly under-appreciated cult vampire film classic called The Addiction. In it, the main character (soon to be vampire) named Kathleen in cornered in a dark alley by another vampire named Casanova. The dialogue goes like this: Kathleen: “Please” (begging) Casanova: “You think that’s gonna stop me?” Kathleen (again): “Please?”Continue reading “Vampires, McKinsey & Co., and the Future of Public Education: It’s All Connected.”

Please also see this post available at Academe Blog (special thanks to Aaron Barlow) I guess I had Tim Slekar’s clarion call to challenge EdWeek in mind when I was looking through my recent issue of Educational Researcher (ER) today. In his blog, Slekar illustrated quite accurately, honestly and pointedly how, “EdWeek’s ‘news’ stories are typically reprinted press releases from the ‘faith-based reformers’Continue reading “Has Another Venue of Education Scholarship Sold Out?”

REBELS WITH A (DAMN GOOD) CAUSE For my blog today I’d like to share part of a poem by the late poet Charles Bukowski. He writes in his poem called Style “Style is the answer to everything. A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous thing To do a dangerous thing with style isContinue reading “The art of dangerous style:Rebels with a damn good cause!”

Where will you be standing April 4-7th?