Recording: Live Chat with Wendy Kopp and Joel Klein

[mathyou27]

I cannot find the Al Shanker speech that Joel Klein mentions in the discussion - a 1993 Pew Center speech. Does anyone have access to a copy? Klein also cites it in his Atlantic article.

[abcwritestartread]

Ms. Kopp, get your facts straight, put away the book, if you care about schools look at what works and push it. CORE KNOWLEDGE which has over 770 schools works, SAXON math works, SIng, Spell, Read & Write, used throughout this country and the world works!....DIRECT INSTRUCTION works. Test scores prove this! .If you love the kids you'll fight like Diane Ravitch for what is right, not what you want to sell.

[abcwritestartread]

Obviously Ms. Kopp is spinning lots of stuff. This NYC school system is Top Down - NYC brought in two curriculums Teachers College Reading and Writing workshop which prohibited the use of phonics for many years before they back peddled and allowed it in. TC was forced into the schools no matter what AND they forced all the schools to use the FUZZY MATH system called Everyday Math. Both failed the students - the test scores have been inflated, the kids are tested prep up the you know what.

[LennyMM]

I don't know where Ms. Kopp got her information about 4th graders, but 4th grade results have been flat over Klein's tenure according to the NAEP. And though HS graduation rates are up, but it's because they're pushing kids out the door with shams such as "credit recovery" and intentionally inflated test scores. What is clear is that the graduates are ready neither for college or work. That's why 72% of parents say they're unsatisfied with what went on in the Klein years and the time since.