Democrats for Education Reform

[Disir]

Affiliated with Education Reform Now.

From their site:

Our Mission:
We are Democrats leading a political reform organization that cultivates and supports leaders in our party who champion America's public schoolchildren.

Our Vision:
To make the Democratic Party the champion of high quality public education.
- See more at: Democrats for Education Reform

Board of Directors that is missing from their site and I believe are still there:

Board of Directors

Kevin Chavous (chair) – Former Washington, DC City Council member and chair of the Education Committee. Chavous was on the Obama Policy Committee during his Presidential campaign. He co-founded DFER and the Education Equity Project. Chavous is also a Board member and Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Education Reform and serves on the board of the Alliance for School Choice.

Anthony Davis – Anchorage Advisors (hedge fund). Formerly at Goldman Sachs. Member of Robin Hood Leadership Council. Board chair of Achievement First East New York Elementary School.

Charles Ledley - Highfields Capital Management. Ledley is profiled in Michael Lewis’ The Big Short. Board member/treasurer of Harlem Village Academy and Leadership Village Academy Charter Schools.

Sara Mead - Formerly of the Progressive Policy Institute and EdSector; now at the New America Foundation. She is a senior associate at Bellwether Education Partners.

John Petry – Co-founded Harlem Success Academy Charter School. Petry works for Gotham Capital, a hedge fund started by Joel Greenblatt (Greenblatt is on DFER’s Board of Advisors).

Whitney Tilson – Managing partner and founder of T2 Partners LLC and the Tilson Mutual Funds. Tilson was also a founding member of Teach For America. He co-founded DFER in 2007. You can read Tilson’s blog here.

Boykin Curry (IV) – Eagle Capital. Co-founder of Public Prep, a charter management organization.

Former Directors:

Andrew Rotherham – Co-founder of EdSector. Worked on Domestic Policy issues for the Clinton administration and at the Progressive Policy Institute. He recently co-founded Bellwether Education partners with NSVS co-founder Kim Smith, Sara Mead (above), Monisha Lozier, and Mary K. Wells. Additionally, Rotherham recently joined Whiteboard Advisors, a non-lobbying arm of Dutko Worldwide. He co-authors Education Insider ($499 a month) with John Bailey. Rotherham is also on the Broad Prize Review Board and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Reinventing Public Education. He blogs over at Eduwonk. Rotherham left DFER’s Board of Directors sometime around July/August/September of 2010.

Rafael Mayer – Works for Khrnos LLC, a NYC hedge fund. He also serves on the board of KIPP AMP.

You will find that information from DFER Watch:
Board of Directors | DFER Watch

Seeing Wall Street yet?

 

[Stephanie]

oh brother

we've seen their health care reform, they can't even get a website running...We've seen their failure from Michelle Obama trying to reform school lunches... now you want these idiots reforming your children's education?

You've been seeing their Common Core? horrible and left/commie brainwashing

I'm glad my children are out the public Schools...I wouldn't let any of them near my kids...they need to raise their own kids instead of pawning them off for others to raise, and not any of them send their children to PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 

[bripat9643]

Affiliated with Education Reform Now.

From their site:

Our Mission:
We are Democrats leading a political reform organization that cultivates and supports leaders in our party who champion America's public schoolchildren.

Our Vision:
To make the Democratic Party the champion of high quality public education.
- See more at: Democrats for Education Reform

Board of Directors that is missing from their site and I believe are still there:

Board of Directors

Kevin Chavous (chair) – Former Washington, DC City Council member and chair of the Education Committee. Chavous was on the Obama Policy Committee during his Presidential campaign. He co-founded DFER and the Education Equity Project. Chavous is also a Board member and Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Education Reform and serves on the board of the Alliance for School Choice.

Anthony Davis – Anchorage Advisors (hedge fund). Formerly at Goldman Sachs. Member of Robin Hood Leadership Council. Board chair of Achievement First East New York Elementary School.

Charles Ledley - Highfields Capital Management. Ledley is profiled in Michael Lewis’ The Big Short. Board member/treasurer of Harlem Village Academy and Leadership Village Academy Charter Schools.

Sara Mead - Formerly of the Progressive Policy Institute and EdSector; now at the New America Foundation. She is a senior associate at Bellwether Education Partners.

John Petry – Co-founded Harlem Success Academy Charter School. Petry works for Gotham Capital, a hedge fund started by Joel Greenblatt (Greenblatt is on DFER’s Board of Advisors).

Whitney Tilson – Managing partner and founder of T2 Partners LLC and the Tilson Mutual Funds. Tilson was also a founding member of Teach For America. He co-founded DFER in 2007. You can read Tilson’s blog here.

Boykin Curry (IV) – Eagle Capital. Co-founder of Public Prep, a charter management organization.

Former Directors:

Andrew Rotherham – Co-founder of EdSector. Worked on Domestic Policy issues for the Clinton administration and at the Progressive Policy Institute. He recently co-founded Bellwether Education partners with NSVS co-founder Kim Smith, Sara Mead (above), Monisha Lozier, and Mary K. Wells. Additionally, Rotherham recently joined Whiteboard Advisors, a non-lobbying arm of Dutko Worldwide. He co-authors Education Insider ($499 a month) with John Bailey. Rotherham is also on the Broad Prize Review Board and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Reinventing Public Education. He blogs over at Eduwonk. Rotherham left DFER’s Board of Directors sometime around July/August/September of 2010.

Rafael Mayer – Works for Khrnos LLC, a NYC hedge fund. He also serves on the board of KIPP AMP.

You will find that information from DFER Watch:
Board of Directors | DFER Watch

Seeing Wall Street yet?

Let me guess: "reform" means spending more money on education. Right?

 

[Stephanie]

Affiliated with Education Reform Now.

From their site:

Our Mission:
We are Democrats leading a political reform organization that cultivates and supports leaders in our party who champion America's public schoolchildren.

Our Vision:
To make the Democratic Party the champion of high quality public education.
- See more at: Democrats for Education Reform

Board of Directors that is missing from their site and I believe are still there:

Board of Directors

Kevin Chavous (chair) – Former Washington, DC City Council member and chair of the Education Committee. Chavous was on the Obama Policy Committee during his Presidential campaign. He co-founded DFER and the Education Equity Project. Chavous is also a Board member and Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Education Reform and serves on the board of the Alliance for School Choice.

Anthony Davis – Anchorage Advisors (hedge fund). Formerly at Goldman Sachs. Member of Robin Hood Leadership Council. Board chair of Achievement First East New York Elementary School.

Charles Ledley - Highfields Capital Management. Ledley is profiled in Michael Lewis’ The Big Short. Board member/treasurer of Harlem Village Academy and Leadership Village Academy Charter Schools.

Sara Mead - Formerly of the Progressive Policy Institute and EdSector; now at the New America Foundation. She is a senior associate at Bellwether Education Partners.

John Petry – Co-founded Harlem Success Academy Charter School. Petry works for Gotham Capital, a hedge fund started by Joel Greenblatt (Greenblatt is on DFER’s Board of Advisors).

Whitney Tilson – Managing partner and founder of T2 Partners LLC and the Tilson Mutual Funds. Tilson was also a founding member of Teach For America. He co-founded DFER in 2007. You can read Tilson’s blog here.

Boykin Curry (IV) – Eagle Capital. Co-founder of Public Prep, a charter management organization.

Former Directors:

Andrew Rotherham – Co-founder of EdSector. Worked on Domestic Policy issues for the Clinton administration and at the Progressive Policy Institute. He recently co-founded Bellwether Education partners with NSVS co-founder Kim Smith, Sara Mead (above), Monisha Lozier, and Mary K. Wells. Additionally, Rotherham recently joined Whiteboard Advisors, a non-lobbying arm of Dutko Worldwide. He co-authors Education Insider ($499 a month) with John Bailey. Rotherham is also on the Broad Prize Review Board and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Reinventing Public Education. He blogs over at Eduwonk. Rotherham left DFER’s Board of Directors sometime around July/August/September of 2010.

Rafael Mayer – Works for Khrnos LLC, a NYC hedge fund. He also serves on the board of KIPP AMP.

You will find that information from DFER Watch:
Board of Directors | DFER Watch

Seeing Wall Street yet?

Let me guess: "reform" means spending more money on education. Right?

well did you see where a lot of them are employed?
Hedge funds
worked for the Clintons
etc etc

 

[Disir]

oh brother

we've seen their health care reform, they can't even get a website running...We've seen their failure from Michelle Obama trying to reform school lunches... now you want these idiots reforming your children's education?

You've been seeing their Common Core? horrible and left/commie brainwashing

I'm glad my children are out the public Schools...I wouldn't let any of them near my kids...they need to raise their own kids instead of pawning them off for others to raise, and not any of them send their children to PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Stephanie, I am not a Democrat. I am an Independent. I do not in any way support this group or the prior one posted. There is no difference between this group and their astroturfing and the Right Wing and their astroturfing. They have the same exact goals and are (by and large) backed by the same groups of people. They want the same thing that you want. Common Core is not Commie and it is not left brainwashing. I don't like it either. Every state that accepted the cash knew exactly what they were doing. Every president since Reagan has had the same goals. Profit. In fact, it's pretty amusing because Obama supports exactly what you guys support and is a huge fan of privatization of the public education system. Neoliberalism. Ain't it grand?

 

[Disir]

Affiliated with Education Reform Now.

From their site:

Our Mission:
We are Democrats leading a political reform organization that cultivates and supports leaders in our party who champion America's public schoolchildren.

Our Vision:
To make the Democratic Party the champion of high quality public education.
- See more at: Democrats for Education Reform

Board of Directors that is missing from their site and I believe are still there:

Board of Directors

Kevin Chavous (chair) – Former Washington, DC City Council member and chair of the Education Committee. Chavous was on the Obama Policy Committee during his Presidential campaign. He co-founded DFER and the Education Equity Project. Chavous is also a Board member and Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Education Reform and serves on the board of the Alliance for School Choice.

Anthony Davis – Anchorage Advisors (hedge fund). Formerly at Goldman Sachs. Member of Robin Hood Leadership Council. Board chair of Achievement First East New York Elementary School.

Charles Ledley - Highfields Capital Management. Ledley is profiled in Michael Lewis’ The Big Short. Board member/treasurer of Harlem Village Academy and Leadership Village Academy Charter Schools.

Sara Mead - Formerly of the Progressive Policy Institute and EdSector; now at the New America Foundation. She is a senior associate at Bellwether Education Partners.

John Petry – Co-founded Harlem Success Academy Charter School. Petry works for Gotham Capital, a hedge fund started by Joel Greenblatt (Greenblatt is on DFER’s Board of Advisors).

Whitney Tilson – Managing partner and founder of T2 Partners LLC and the Tilson Mutual Funds. Tilson was also a founding member of Teach For America. He co-founded DFER in 2007. You can read Tilson’s blog here.

Boykin Curry (IV) – Eagle Capital. Co-founder of Public Prep, a charter management organization.

Former Directors:

Andrew Rotherham – Co-founder of EdSector. Worked on Domestic Policy issues for the Clinton administration and at the Progressive Policy Institute. He recently co-founded Bellwether Education partners with NSVS co-founder Kim Smith, Sara Mead (above), Monisha Lozier, and Mary K. Wells. Additionally, Rotherham recently joined Whiteboard Advisors, a non-lobbying arm of Dutko Worldwide. He co-authors Education Insider ($499 a month) with John Bailey. Rotherham is also on the Broad Prize Review Board and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Reinventing Public Education. He blogs over at Eduwonk. Rotherham left DFER’s Board of Directors sometime around July/August/September of 2010.

Rafael Mayer – Works for Khrnos LLC, a NYC hedge fund. He also serves on the board of KIPP AMP.

You will find that information from DFER Watch:
Board of Directors | DFER Watch

Seeing Wall Street yet?

Let me guess: "reform" means spending more money on education. Right?

No more and no less than what they have going on right now or what has been occurring for the past 20 years.

 

[DGS49]

The sad thing is, we KNOW what reforms are necessary to dramatically improve educational outcomes in the U.S., but the entrenched, vested, stakeholders are so politically powerful that they thwart any efforts to do what is necessary. The result is that education "reform" involves nothing more than paying more to get less, in a variety of different ways.

(1) institute meaningful teacher evaluations, with the REAL possibility of terminating teachers who are not effective. Any system that does not terminate at least 10 percent after two years is manifestly a failure. Getting rid of the bad and burned out teachers is Job One.

(2) devise nation-wide guidelines for maintaining discipline in classes - whatever it takes. The goal would be that all disruptive and counter-productive behavior needs to be eliminated from the classroom, even if it means removing half or more than half of the existing students. All "stay in school" campaigns to be made illegal. If a kid over 16 y/o doesn't want to be in school, s/he should not be forced to go.

(3) develop realistic processes whereby qualified scientists (engineers, scientists, chemists, physicists, etc.) from the private sector can be qualified and start teaching at an appropriate salary, without having to give up a year or more of their lives to take "methods" courses and student teach. The lack of real credentials for our current high school science and math teachers is a national disgrace.

(4) Abandon the current school calendar (which is based on the needs of an agrarian community), in favor of one that provides year-round instruction, with 3 or 4 breaks per year, of a couple weeks each. 220 days of instruction per year should be the minimum. We are paying for "full time" teachers and administrators, and should be getting full-time effort.

That will do for a start.

 

[Stephanie]

^^^there it is in a nutshell

more money money money AND that means MORE taxes taxes taxes and THE RULES they make up for you

the Democrat answer for everything, call everything a "crisis" wails it must be reformed and like magic, they have MORE Control over our lives now working on your children's lives

fall for it again like we haven't paid enough for Democrat vision of health care reform

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Democrat for educational reform is like hiring Jeffrey Dahmer as White House chef

 

[Disir]

^^^there it is in a nutshell

more money money money AND that means MORE taxes taxes taxes and THE RULES they make up for you

the Democrat answer for everything, call everything a "crisis" wails it must be reformed and like magic, they have MORE Control over our lives now working on your children's lives

fall for it again like we haven't paid enough for Democrat vision of health care reform

It is the same exact thing as what the right wing does. Same goals. It's all about how you want it fed to you. It's a copy of the Burger King motto. Does the fear of pinko commie indoctrination scare you? Faux privatization. Problem with the schools and the Democrats really care? Faux privatization. It's about money and they will say whatever it takes to get it. Obama supports it. He supports the charter schools etc. Same as the right wing. Same game as ALEC.

 

[Disir]

The sad thing is, we KNOW what reforms are necessary to dramatically improve educational outcomes in the U.S., but the entrenched, vested, stakeholders are so politically powerful that they thwart any efforts to do what is necessary. The result is that education "reform" involves nothing more than paying more to get less, in a variety of different ways.

(1) institute meaningful teacher evaluations, with the REAL possibility of terminating teachers who are not effective. Any system that does not terminate at least 10 percent after two years is manifestly a failure. Getting rid of the bad and burned out teachers is Job One.

(2) devise nation-wide guidelines for maintaining discipline in classes - whatever it takes. The goal would be that all disruptive and counter-productive behavior needs to be eliminated from the classroom, even if it means removing half or more than half of the existing students. All "stay in school" campaigns to be made illegal. If a kid over 16 y/o doesn't want to be in school, s/he should not be forced to go.

(3) develop realistic processes whereby qualified scientists (engineers, scientists, chemists, physicists, etc.) from the private sector can be qualified and start teaching at an appropriate salary, without having to give up a year or more of their lives to take "methods" courses and student teach. The lack of real credentials for our current high school science and math teachers is a national disgrace.

(4) Abandon the current school calendar (which is based on the needs of an agrarian community), in favor of one that provides year-round instruction, with 3 or 4 breaks per year, of a couple weeks each. 220 days of instruction per year should be the minimum. We are paying for "full time" teachers and administrators, and should be getting full-time effort.

That will do for a start.

At this point, due to over testing the kids are engaged in test prep for several different tests. Somethings need to be memorized: multiplication tables. Other subjects require critical thinking skills and rote memorization does not work here. So, the kids aren't learning anything they are simply regurgitating information and then move on to regurgitate some more. They don't remember it. So, until that ends I will never agree to year round instruction. Remove the majority of the high stakes testing which will allow teachers to teach and I would support it. Teachers are paid for 180 days a years. They have the option of taking a full check or having some of that money withheld during the year to receive the checks during the summer.

The realistic process is to stop outsourcing R & D. Those that you name as "qualified" would realistically have no reason to teach at the high school level, for that amount of pay, unless they have failed at their career elsewhere. First year teachers make about $24,000 a year. Once upon a time they couldn't find or did not want to hire additional teachers it was not uncommon for a school district to say, "Hey, we know that you teach Spanish and French but we need you to teach Chemistry right now. So, that is what you will be teaching." Teachers hated it, recognized it as destructive and fought against it.

Now, not so much. The requirements are for teachers to have continuing education on their dime. Yes? Yes. Further, abstract thinking doesn't start developing until the ages of 12-15. If you don't know that going in then you are going to have all kinds of problems. Some universities have secondary education teachers working three different programs: State licensing, education department and the department of what you will be teaching. Take the classes.

I agree with meaningful evaluations of teachers. You can't get those in two years. Not at this point. Statistically it takes five years for teachers to become effective. You teach alone. You walk into the school and work solo. Some districts have tried to mitigate this by implementing different strategies. We want them to teach but not teach to the test. Regurgitating facts memorized for a limited amount of time is not it. Trying to hold them hostage for circumstances beyond their control isn't it either. The number one predictor is poverty. It hasn't changed since before Reagan and study after study says the same thing.

Classroom management. If you don't have that at the beginning of the year then you will have massive problems trying to get it back (if at all) for the remaining year. Zero tolerance does not work. Many of the problems stem from a process called inclusion. It's a school districts way of being cheap. It's one thing to have a kid with dyslexia that needs help. It's another thing all together to have a kid that is mildly mentally handicapped that will never retain the information or to have kids that are incapable of handling mainstream classes because of an emotional disability. These kids are all eventually kicked out of charter schools (conveniently). Public schools have to accept them. Although there are schools that go out of their way to kick these kids out around test time. It makes no sense because many state's legislation requires the same standardized tests to be given to those with intellectual disabilities as the rest.

We have known for years that when teenagers go to school about an hour later that they do better academically, tardiness decreases and there are fewer disruptions. So, what is the hold up? Oh, the adults.

Many of the issues actually come from the school board. Who the heck are people electing? Somebody get some standards already. We have school board members that decide what textbooks will be used. So, say that you have a text book for third grade math that uses multiples. The school board agrees to buy the text book but not the multiples and that renders the textbook pretty useless. There was a school board member that insisted that a text book be found that included creationism as theory.

It's the school board that sets zero tolerance policy. It's the school board that makes the decision if special needs kids are included in the classroom. It is way past time to start holding these folks accountable.

 

[DGS49]

Disir, thank you for your thoughtful response. A few further thoughts:

(1) There is nothing wrong with the idea of testing, or even testing extensively. But the current debate is, if you will pardon the expression, bullshit. If the tests are not valid, or do not measure what they hope or purport to measure, then CHANGE THE TEST! Knowledge testing is done in many areas of the private sector, and it is damned well valid (CPA, Bar Exams, Medical Boards, P.E. exams, etc.). Teachers whining about the uselessness of the tests is a smokescreen. The NEA should be WRITING THE TESTS, and the fact that they are not doing that (or proposing that) is a clear indication that the problem is not with the tests, but rather that the Teachers' unions are afraid testing will ultimately be used against incompetent teachers to get rid of them. And since American Unions are the advocates of the WORST employees, this is an untenable possibility.

(2) I can't speak for the entire U.S. public school system, but in my area (Western PA), teachers with ten years experience are making, in most school districts, at least $75k, plus a wonderful package of benefits. Most Math & Science teachers did not major in those subjects (majored in the non-subject of "Education"), but took 3-5 courses in those subjects to become qualified. Any Mechanical Engineer could run rings around most HS math or science teachers as far as academic knowledge. Some states have done this already, but the goal would be to develop a way for a mid-career scientist or engineer to qualify for a teaching position, at an appropriate salary, with only a few months wages lost for training in the rudiments of teaching.

(3) Teachers can be evaluated from Day One. Most schools have multiple sections of demographically identical classes taught by different teachers. Test the kids in the first week, test the kids in the last week, and assess which teachers are doing the best job. Use other criteria certainly, but this is the essence of it. Are the kids learning with this teacher, or not. If not, then do something about it. If a teacher persistently fails to get results, get rid of him or her. Simple as that.

(4) I don't know the solution for classroom management, but I do know that some schools are able to do it and others are not. What is the DoE for, if not to study this sort of issue and promulgate guidance on how to manage classrooms? Also, there are kids in "mainstream" classes that do not belong there, either due to emotional or intellectual problems. Get them the fuck out of the mainstream classes. Don't make the 98% suffer so that the 2% won't be made to feel badly about themselves.

(5) School boards generally have no say in what textbooks are used. This is done at the state level. School boards should be doing nothing more than deciding what color the cheerleaders' uniforms should be. They are mainly unpaid, unqualified, and usually motivated by self-interest, ego, or a desire to promote the interests of their own kids. How can you hold school board members accountable when they are unpaid volunteers? What a concept.

 

[rdean]

Why do Republicans care? We know what they think about education.

 

[Disir]

Disir, thank you for your thoughtful response. A few further thoughts:

(1) There is nothing wrong with the idea of testing, or even testing extensively. But the current debate is, if you will pardon the expression, bullshit. If the tests are not valid, or do not measure what they hope or purport to measure, then CHANGE THE TEST! Knowledge testing is done in many areas of the private sector, and it is damned well valid (CPA, Bar Exams, Medical Boards, P.E. exams, etc.). Teachers whining about the uselessness of the tests is a smokescreen. The NEA should be WRITING THE TESTS, and the fact that they are not doing that (or proposing that) is a clear indication that the problem is not with the tests, but rather that the Teachers' unions are afraid testing will ultimately be used against incompetent teachers to get rid of them. And since American Unions are the advocates of the WORST employees, this is an untenable possibility.

(2) I can't speak for the entire U.S. public school system, but in my area (Western PA), teachers with ten years experience are making, in most school districts, at least $75k, plus a wonderful package of benefits. Most Math & Science teachers did not major in those subjects (majored in the non-subject of "Education"), but took 3-5 courses in those subjects to become qualified. Any Mechanical Engineer could run rings around most HS math or science teachers as far as academic knowledge. Some states have done this already, but the goal would be to develop a way for a mid-career scientist or engineer to qualify for a teaching position, at an appropriate salary, with only a few months wages lost for training in the rudiments of teaching.

(3) Teachers can be evaluated from Day One. Most schools have multiple sections of demographically identical classes taught by different teachers. Test the kids in the first week, test the kids in the last week, and assess which teachers are doing the best job. Use other criteria certainly, but this is the essence of it. Are the kids learning with this teacher, or not. If not, then do something about it. If a teacher persistently fails to get results, get rid of him or her. Simple as that.

(4) I don't know the solution for classroom management, but I do know that some schools are able to do it and others are not. What is the DoE for, if not to study this sort of issue and promulgate guidance on how to manage classrooms? Also, there are kids in "mainstream" classes that do not belong there, either due to emotional or intellectual problems. Get them the fuck out of the mainstream classes. Don't make the 98% suffer so that the 2% won't be made to feel badly about themselves.

(5) School boards generally have no say in what textbooks are used. This is done at the state level. School boards should be doing nothing more than deciding what color the cheerleaders' uniforms should be. They are mainly unpaid, unqualified, and usually motivated by self-interest, ego, or a desire to promote the interests of their own kids. How can you hold school board members accountable when they are unpaid volunteers? What a concept.

Oh, you live in a centralized state. I currently reside in a decentralized state. Every district has a school board. Then there is the state school board. The state sets the standards and the fun begins. Let's not pretend that state legislatures aren't filled with self serving interests. The suits are a bit more tailored and the cologne is of better quality. Revolving door swings freely in America's statehouses - State Integrity Investigation

Much depends on any one states response to NCLB. My state's response was conceived mostly by a woman that spent one year teaching, left and attended law school. Every school must increase their scores every year or be placed on probation. So, what happens if you have a genuinely good school and it is impossible to increase? You still get nailed. That was intentional -specifically designed to privatize the education system. Like these guys: Education - ALEC - American Legislative Exchange Council

This funding formula in PA was intentionally devised. http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Department/Press/CyberCharterSpecialReport201206.pdf


I have heard a lot of testing arguments put forth. I have not come across any that are completely against testing. We know that the high stakes testing cannot make direct comparisons between the states. Too, internationally, the comparisons are a farce. And we have known this for......40 years.

The result is that we are now pushing so much on the much younger kids and because they are incapable of sitting still without fidgeting and have the attention spans of gnats they have over diagnosed ADHD usually through a pediatrician. The teacher makes a referral or the parent can't figure out why the 7 year old is a 7 year old and they go to the pediatrician and are prescribed medication.
CDC - ADHD, Data and Statistics - NCBDDD

So, why don't they create the tests? You (general) don't trust them. Didn't trust them when they tried to explain it 40 years ago, 30 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago. The nature of the beast requires silence on their end. Taken advantage of by organizations like this one with their ties to the media. Because.....um socialism. Because.....um union. Because........um liberal. Very same people that are supposed to be paying attention, don''t even question Robert Murdoch or Bill Gates. or Ann Coulter. They don't question the numbers. Nothing. The don't even question those vying for office.

Incidentally, this is why the unions are beneficial. If you (general you) are unwilling to do the research or even recognize the cases that came down to protect teachers from being political pawns or taking advantage of their silence then someone needs to.

Unless what is wanted is a bunch of puppets that shriek things like Common Core is a Commie plot because the tv told 'em too. You have to make a choice. You either want kids that comprehend material or you want a bunch of puppets.

 

[sealybobo]

Affiliated with Education Reform Now.

From their site:

Our Mission:
We are Democrats leading a political reform organization that cultivates and supports leaders in our party who champion America's public schoolchildren.

Our Vision:
To make the Democratic Party the champion of high quality public education.
- See more at: Democrats for Education Reform

Board of Directors that is missing from their site and I believe are still there:

Board of Directors

Kevin Chavous (chair) – Former Washington, DC City Council member and chair of the Education Committee. Chavous was on the Obama Policy Committee during his Presidential campaign. He co-founded DFER and the Education Equity Project. Chavous is also a Board member and Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Education Reform and serves on the board of the Alliance for School Choice.

Anthony Davis – Anchorage Advisors (hedge fund). Formerly at Goldman Sachs. Member of Robin Hood Leadership Council. Board chair of Achievement First East New York Elementary School.

Charles Ledley - Highfields Capital Management. Ledley is profiled in Michael Lewis’ The Big Short. Board member/treasurer of Harlem Village Academy and Leadership Village Academy Charter Schools.

Sara Mead - Formerly of the Progressive Policy Institute and EdSector; now at the New America Foundation. She is a senior associate at Bellwether Education Partners.

John Petry – Co-founded Harlem Success Academy Charter School. Petry works for Gotham Capital, a hedge fund started by Joel Greenblatt (Greenblatt is on DFER’s Board of Advisors).

Whitney Tilson – Managing partner and founder of T2 Partners LLC and the Tilson Mutual Funds. Tilson was also a founding member of Teach For America. He co-founded DFER in 2007. You can read Tilson’s blog here.

Boykin Curry (IV) – Eagle Capital. Co-founder of Public Prep, a charter management organization.

Former Directors:

Andrew Rotherham – Co-founder of EdSector. Worked on Domestic Policy issues for the Clinton administration and at the Progressive Policy Institute. He recently co-founded Bellwether Education partners with NSVS co-founder Kim Smith, Sara Mead (above), Monisha Lozier, and Mary K. Wells. Additionally, Rotherham recently joined Whiteboard Advisors, a non-lobbying arm of Dutko Worldwide. He co-authors Education Insider ($499 a month) with John Bailey. Rotherham is also on the Broad Prize Review Board and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Reinventing Public Education. He blogs over at Eduwonk. Rotherham left DFER’s Board of Directors sometime around July/August/September of 2010.

Rafael Mayer – Works for Khrnos LLC, a NYC hedge fund. He also serves on the board of KIPP AMP.

You will find that information from DFER Watch:
Board of Directors | DFER Watch

Seeing Wall Street yet?

Yesterday Kate Beckinsale was explaining how here in America we do education all wrong. We only let people who are really smart at everything into our top schools. What about the person who is really good at science but not good at all the other things? We may be missing out by not helping that person be all they can be. We may be missing the next Einstein because they aren't good at history or english.

Kate could return to Oxford to get her degree. She was studying French and Russian literature at the time but left before her final year.

 

[Unkotare]

Yesterday Kate Beckinsale was explaining how here in America we do education all wrong. We only let people who are really smart at everything into our top schools. ...
...

You are not smart at ANYTHING, and you claim to have gone to school.

 

[sealybobo]

You are not smart at ANYTHING, and you claim to have gone to school.

I'm a smart salesman. If the USA did education right, there would have been a much better program for me than Marketing/Communication Degrees. Business degree offers very little in the art of sales. You certainly don't graduate college knowing what it's like to be an inside or outside salesman. College should have a Sales Bachelor. Not business. Not marketing. SALES.

And I learned nothing in high school. Nothing important. Then to get a college degree, you have to basically take bullshit high school classes all over again in order to get an associates degree. Then 2 years worth of majors. These classes were better than the first 2 years but still bullshit.

 

[Unkotare]

I'm a smart salesman. If the USA did education right, there would have been a much better program for me than Marketing/Communication Degrees. Business degree offers very little in the art of sales. .....

Because you don't need an education to be a sales monkey, just a complete lack of shame or self-respect.

 

[Unkotare]

...

And I learned nothing in high school. ....

Of course not. You were incapable.

 

[Unkotare]

..... to get a college degree, you have to basically take bullshit high school classes all over again ......

YOU had to take remedial classes because you were too stupid to learn anything in high school (by your own admission).