Valiant, Etc. » Opinion

Opinion: 7 reasons why teacher evaluations won’t work

Dr. Bob Valiant — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:36:47 +0000

We received this from Monty Neill at FairTest

It was initially published in The Record

Sunday, March 13, 2011 Last updated: Sunday March 13, 2011, 7:46 AM BY BRUCE BAKER The Record

Bruce Baker is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Theory, Policy and Administration at Rutgers University Graduate School of Education . . . → Read More: Opinion: 7 reasons why teacher evaluations won’t work

Are You a Mugwump?

Dr. Bob Valiant — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:32:04 +0000

Mugwump is an interesting word with a history of changing meaning. It derives from an Algonquin word meaning “war leader.” It was used to mean officer or duke in the written English of the colonists and transformed to boss or bigwig by the early 19th century. In the 1884 presidential election, a group of . . . → Read More: Are You a Mugwump?

National Standards Debate

Dr. Bob Valiant — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:44:50 +0000

We found an interesting piece in the New York Times that features a debate of the merits of National Core Standards. Twenty-seven states have already agreed to adopt the standards in order to qualify for Race to the Top (RttT) funds. The Obama administration argues that the uniform norms will boost achievement of the neediest . . . → Read More: National Standards Debate

Planning A Trip to the Future? Get a Good Map

Dr. Bob Valiant — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:06:09 +0000

Suppose you are in St. Louis, Missouri and you are planning a trip to Vancouver, Washington. Only two maps are available, the one given Lewis and Clark at the start of their journey, or a U.S. highway map from Walmart. Which map would you choose?

The first map was all that . . . → Read More: Planning A Trip to the Future? Get a Good Map

The Cabinetmaker

Dr. Bob Valiant — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 06:34:20 +0000

Let’s say I am a cabinetmaker specializing in high quality, world-class furniture. I want to be sure my work stacks up against the competition so I get out my trusty hammer, which is about a foot long, to measure the dimensions of my new cabinet. I drop the hammer on the surface of my . . . → Read More: The Cabinetmaker

A Common Misconception?

Dr. Bob Valiant — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:36:31 +0000

“The WASL concept of subject matter testing as a basis for earning a comprehensive high school diploma seems intuitively obvious.”

It may seem obvious, but the people who design such tests and the experts who interpret their results suggest that they absolutely should not be used for such purposes.

For example, the . . . → Read More: A Common Misconception?

Things That Bother Me About the WASL

Dr. Bob Valiant — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 15:33:31 +0000

Here are some things that bother me about the WASL and Washington Standards:

1. I have attempted without success to discover an accepted framework of learning that supports Washington’s model of curriculum and assessment. OSPI references something called the “Carkhuff Conceptual Framework,” but I have been unable to find anything about it in the . . . → Read More: Things That Bother Me About the WASL

Where’s the Outrage Over Charter School Performance? by Gerald W. Bracey

Dr. Bob Valiant — Sat, 28 May 2005 15:08:14 +0000

Printed with permission of the author, Gerald W. Bracey

Near the end of the 1969 film, “Easy Rider,” Dennis Hopper extols all the fun and wonderful things he and biker buddy Peter Fonda have been able to accomplish with the cash from their big cocaine deal that begins the movie. Fonda looks at Hopper and . . . → Read More: Where’s the Outrage Over Charter School Performance? by Gerald W. Bracey

There’s No Such Thing as a Free Breakfast by Juanita Doyon

Dr. Bob Valiant — Fri, 22 Aug 2003 14:59:13 +0000

Submitted by Juanita Doyon

“You can test some of the children all of the time. You can test all of the children some of the time. But there just ain’t no Lake Woebegone, man!”

Things Abraham Lincoln would say if he were a teacher in the twenty-first century.

I had the privilege of attending a . . . → Read More: There’s No Such Thing as a Free Breakfast by Juanita Doyon

A Teacher’s Manifesto by Dave Butts

Dr. Bob Valiant — Tue, 10 Jun 2003 14:53:36 +0000

I am lamenting the loss of diverse thought and the market place of free thought that once was the School District where I teach. About 15 years ago I was a 5th grade teacher. Most of us in the building belonged to one professional organization or another; PDK, ASCD etc. A common practice was for . . . → Read More: A Teacher’s Manifesto by Dave Butts