ICYMI: Many Edu-Reads For the Week

I was not in a position to write often this week, so I read instead. Here's just some of what I cam across that you should be checking out.

Yes, I Did Say That Knewton Was Selling Snake Oil

An oldy but a goody, with a quick comment about why Knewton (the data-collecting arm of Pearson) should not be taken seriously.

What It's Like To Be a Principal of Color Dealing with White Parents

The title is a narrow representation of the piece, which looks at some of the broader issues of being a principal of color.

9 Ways We Can Make Social Justice Movements Less Elitist and More Accessible

Not directly connected to education at all, but one of those interesting discussion-starters of a post that raises some issues that certainly matter in the education debates.

How a Stubborn Student's Secret Recording Led To Calls for School Board Resignations

I've been following this story and haven't had the time to do it justice, but this is a pretty good look at a pair of Colorado (infamous Douglass County) school board members decided to respond to student protests by strong-arming the student leader.

Five Reasons Your Team May Be Dysfunctional

Recognize anybody in this breakdown from Peter DeWitt?

Hedge Funds Underwrite Political Networks to Privatize K-12 Public Education

An exceptionally clear and thorough story of how hedge funders got into the education biz, with a particularly good look at Whitney Tilson and DFER. If you've been trying to figure out exactly how those guys fit in this big mess, or you just want to raise your blood pressure a bit this morning, this will do the trick.

The Vulture's Vulture

And now the sequel to the previous piece. How a new brand of vulture fund is running DC. Particularly chilling in how completely principle-free this movement is-- we'll back anything as long as it makes us a buck.

Arbitrary and Capricious

Sheri and Bruce Lederman won their case against VAM, and while there are many great summaries of the case and the results, this quick look from Aubrey Amrein-Beardsley at Vamboozled is a great one (she's one of the experts whose testimony was used in the trial). Some good news for us all.

Good Schools, Bad Schools, and More Codes That Blind 

I have huge respect for how Paul Thomas can pull apart the language that helps us hide agendas and justify actions. Don't miss his piece this very morning about labeling schools "good" and "bad."

And for further reading--

If you want to peek over my shoulder as I try to keep up with everything that's going on, you can find me collecting pieces both at the Curmudgucation Tumblr and in the Curmudgucation "magazine" at Flipboard. Follow either or both and get some help following developments in the education debates.