Tag: charter schools

An Open Letter To Matt Damon Who Only Wants School Choice For His Kids – Not Yours
School Talk

An Open Letter To Matt Damon Who Only Wants School Choice For His Kids – Not Yours

Guest Contributor1 Comment

Dear Matt Damon – You don’t know me, although we do have some mutual acquaintances. Those would be families whose children attend(ed) a New York City private school alongside your daughters. I, in fact, am the person who helped them with the application process for those schools. Because that’s what I do, Matt Damon. I help… Continue reading An Open Letter To Matt Damon Who Only Wants School Choice For His Kids – Not Yours

Guest Post: A political play or pushback against mediocrity? Why we need charter schools in the suburbs
School Talk

Guest Post: A political play or pushback against mediocrity? Why we need charter schools in the suburbs

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By Tracy Dell’Angela   Do we need a charter movement in the suburbs? Education activist Derrell Bradford recently argued that yes, we do–but mostly because it broadens the base of clout-heavy supporters and makes it more palatable for self-interested politicians to “do the right thing” on school choice. I would agree, but for a very… Continue reading Guest Post: A political play or pushback against mediocrity? Why we need charter schools in the suburbs

Just a Dominican Kid From Pawtucket Showing Kids Like Him That They Too Can Be Leaders
Rhode Island

Just a Dominican Kid From Pawtucket Showing Kids Like Him That They Too Can Be Leaders

Erika SanziLeave a comment

Last year as he was preparing to open a new middle school in Rhode Island, Osvaldo Jose Marti worked as an administrator first at Blackstone Valley Prep’s existing middle school and then at one of their elementary schools.  When the fourth graders there made the move up to middle school, it would be to Marti’s… Continue reading Just a Dominican Kid From Pawtucket Showing Kids Like Him That They Too Can Be Leaders

Some Folks Just Can’t Come Down From That Ivory Tower
School Talk

Some Folks Just Can’t Come Down From That Ivory Tower

Erika Sanzi2 Comments

Education experts in Academia can be really tough to take for those who don’t exist in an abstract world of theories and studies and a recent debate at Sacramento State on charter schools and vouchers was no exception. Chris Stewart (aka Citizen Stewart) and Professor Julian Vasquez Heilig argued opposing sides of the issue and… Continue reading Some Folks Just Can’t Come Down From That Ivory Tower

Senator Whitehouse: Do as I say, Not as I do
Rhode Island · School Talk

Senator Whitehouse: Do as I say, Not as I do

Erika SanziLeave a comment

It’s nothing new that Sheldon Whitehouse oozes hypocrisy but I am most rankled by his comments, actions, and over the top rhetoric when it comes to education because that’s where my focus lies. He is currently engaged in a war on Betsy DeVos, President Elect Trump’s nominee for Education Secretary who begins confirmation hearings today.… Continue reading Senator Whitehouse: Do as I say, Not as I do

NEA’s Bob Walsh: Blocking, Begging, and Belittling
Rhode Island · School Talk

NEA’s Bob Walsh: Blocking, Begging, and Belittling

Erika Sanzi1 Comment

Bob Walsh, Executive Director of the NEA in Rhode Island, is a smart guy. Unlike some others in his organization, he makes his case respectfully and the scope of his technical knowledge is infinite. But last week he left me truly stumped (and a bit appalled) after an appearance on A Lively Experiment on our local… Continue reading NEA’s Bob Walsh: Blocking, Begging, and Belittling

Student Outcomes and Parent Satisfaction Must be Front and Center in Debate over AF
Rhode Island · School Talk

Student Outcomes and Parent Satisfaction Must be Front and Center in Debate over AF

Erika Sanzi1 Comment

As another charter battle heats up in Little Rhody, the usual status quo protectors are talking about everything except what matters most: student outcomes and parent demand. And when it comes to Achievement First, the charter school looking to expand, it’s impossible to deny that they’ve earned the privilege of doing so. They’ve proven the… Continue reading Student Outcomes and Parent Satisfaction Must be Front and Center in Debate over AF

Madeloni: Democracy Takes Time, Kids. You Poor Black and Brown Kids Are Just Going to Have to Wait
Massachusetts

Madeloni: Democracy Takes Time, Kids. You Poor Black and Brown Kids Are Just Going to Have to Wait

Erika Sanzi1 Comment

Massachusetts Teachers Association president Barbara Madeloni has her own convenient version of what a democracy is. And she believes that, in the name of democracy,  parents zoned to chronically under-performing schools just need to wait for better schools and she said exactly that on WBUR’s Radio Boston on October 19, 2015 in an interview with… Continue reading Madeloni: Democracy Takes Time, Kids. You Poor Black and Brown Kids Are Just Going to Have to Wait