The Horace Mann League of the USA
 
Greetings! 
Welcome to the November 5, 2012, edition of the Horace Mann League Blog. 

This newsletter is supported by dues and contributions by the members of the Horace Mann League.  Your comments and suggestions are always appreciated. 

Jack McKay, Executive Director, The Horace Mann League of the USA.
Some of the recent postings on the HML Blog for November 5, 2012.
Click on the title to read the complete article.

This week's Postings:

  


A Project of Public Education Network and GiveKidsGoodSchools.org
Major funding provided by the MetLife Foundation

This is the first Civic Index for Quality Public Education (hereafter referred to as the Civic Index). The Civic Index, presented by Public Education Network (PEN), represents public opinion about what civic behaviors are critical to ensure quality public education for all children. That is, without these qualities, the public does not believe it is possible that the nation can provide the essential citizenship and competitiveness skills required to meet the workplace and leadership needs of the 21st century.

  
This paper arises out of frustration with the results of school reforms carried out over the past few decades. These efforts have failed.  
 
Our high school's philosophy has been "kids, it's you and your teacher against the test." If students fail an exam, we prepare them to try again. But this student-centered, healthy approach to testing is changing now that we are forced to use student scores to evaluate teachers. 
from the Diane Ravitch Blog

Please reconsider two of your Administration's Race-to-the-Top education policies - 1) high-stakes testing, and 2) charter schools.  Under superficial analysis, these policies appear sensible; under in-depth analysis, they are destructive.

  

So what are these Chinese financiers investing millions of dollars in as a way to win their green cards? Evidently, charter schools. In fact, they have invested $30 million in charter schools in Florida alone. And according to the report, they are planning to invest three times that amount in the next year.

 

How do we attract people from our local community into their public schools during the school day?  One successful method is the "Superintendent's Patrons Tour." 

 

What reform is doing to Teachers    by Diane Ravitch

Public education is not to blame for the budget issues this country faces. It never was and never will be. However, public education is the scapegoat.

  

Recipe for How To Change The Nation's Schools

from the Diane Ravitch blog site
 
Here is a satirical "Recipe for How To Change The Nation's Schools."

 

  

 

 

 

 

About Us
The Horace Mann League of the USA is an honorary society that promotes the ideals of Horace Mann by advocating for public education as the cornerstone of our democracy.

 

Officers:
President: Mark Edwards, Supt., Mooresville Graded Schools, NC
President-elect: Joe Hairston, (ret.) Supt., Baltimore County Public Schools, MD
Vice President: Gary Marx, President, Center for Public Outreach, VA
Past President: Julie Underwood, Dean, Sch. of Ed. U. of WI, Madison
2nd Past Pres: George Garcia, (ret.) Supt., Boulder Valley Schools, CO
3rd Past Pres: Steve Rasmussen, Supt., Issaquah School District, WA

 

Directors:
Martha Bruckner, Supt., Council Bluffs Community Schools, IA
Evelyn Blose-Holman, (ret.) Superintendent, Bay Shore Schools, NY
Carol Choye, Instructor, Bank Street College, NY
Brent Clark, Exec. Dir., Illinois Assoc. of School Admin. IL
Linda Darling Hammond, Professor of Education, Stanford U. CA
Nancy DeFord, Supt. (Ret.) Park City Schools, UT
Charles Fowler, Exec. Dir., Suburban School Superintendents, NH
James Harvey, Exec. Dir., Superintendents Roundtable, WA
William Hite, Supt., Philadelphia City Schools, PA
Dwight Jones, Supt., Clark County Schools, NV
Eric King, Supt., (Ret.) Muncie Public Schools, IN
Barry Lynn, Exec. Dir., Americans United, Washington, DC
Stan Olson, Supt. (Ret.) Boise Public Schools, ID
Douglas Otto, Assoc.Prof.,Ed. Ad., University of North Texas, TX

 

Executive Director:
Jack McKay, Professor, (Ret.) University of Nebraska at Omaha, 
560 Rainier Lane, Port Ludlow, WA 98365 (360) 821 9877
 
To become a member of the HML, click here to download an application. 
 HML Blog Posts through August 5, 2012
The 304 postings are listed in alphabetical order by author.