I Disagree - Public Education is NOT For Sale Worldwide

Just recently, Diane Ravitch penned an article for US News and World Report in which she claims that "Worldwide, Public Education is For Sale".  Unfortunately, I could agree with none of it.  Here's what I thought after finishing the piece...

Again, What Is and Isn't The Responsibility of the Public School?

It has seemed to me lately that much of America has gone to Hell in a hand basket, thus the news from EdWeek today didn't actually help my state of mind.

Two articles appeared today in my daily inbox notifications; Ethics Education; A National Imperative and Election 2016 Is a Real Civics Lesson for Students (Video). 

OSDE Applies For Waiver For Untestable Standards In The New OAS

 

Though not included in their department email press releases for the week, the Oklahoma State Department of Education, under the direction of Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, have filed a waiver with the United States Department of Education (USDE) to absolve her department from having to follow at least one section of the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), for now.

A Chronology Of The Oklahoma Academic Standards Review Process

This last week has been an exciting one in the life of the Oklahoma Academic Standards (OAS).  Here's what you need to know.

• The public began making comment on the new OAS after the release of the first draft in June of 2015.  ROPE also began following the process, writing numerous blogs containing reviews and comments of the OAS throughout the process.   

• OSDE released four drafts of the OAS along with standards experts and community reviews through January 8th, 2016.

Lies and Truths About ROPE and the Oklahoma Academic Standards

ROPE can be demonized for commenting on the new Oklahoma Academic Standards but that doesn't change the fact that national experts and Oklahoma reviewers have commented that the standards need fixing.  This fact is contained in reviews on the OSDE website for all to read.  If legislators, the Governor, and the education community choose to ignore the identified "fixes" to the standards that make them better BEFORE they're implemented, it seems reasonable then, not to complain if falling student performance follows.

Many comments have been made to our Reclaim Oklahoma Parent Empowerment Facebook page (and elsewhere across the internet) since we came out with a report containing the problems identified by at least 13 reviewers of the new Oklahoma Academic Standards from the first draft to the fourth and followed that with a report detailing at least 7 ways in which the new standards violated HB3399 (the Common Core repeal bill).  Unfortunately, many of these are blatant untruths perpetuated on social media.  In order to set the record straight and educate interested individuals, the following information is provided.