ICYMI: It's November Already Edition (11/3)

One storm front pushes through and all of a sudden it's much less like summer and much more like winter. But when it's cold outside, that's a good time to hunker down inside and read. Remember to share, folks.

Schools and Surveillance  

Buzzfeed offers a package of pieces about some of the creepy surveillance going on out there (for our own good, of course). It's all plenty alarming.

Education Technology Running Rampant  

As always, the view form China is scary. I can tell you that the headband thing was apparently scrapped later in the week, but still... Alan Singer has some thoughts.

Bus Struck In Sinkhole  

Not remotely education related, but in western PA we love ourselves a good sinkhole story.

My Tour of Achievement First    

Senator Sam Bell took a tour of an Achievement First charter school and came away...well, not favorably impressed, that's for sure.

What's Blockchain Actually Good For?  

Wired takes a look at the promises of blockchain. It was going to fix everything. including carrying your digital credential profile. So far, it looks as if one more technowonder has seriously overpromised beyond what it can actually do.

The Haunted Third Grade Classrooms Children Fear  

Nancy Bailey with a look at the bad policy that is third grade reading retention. Spoiler alert: it still doesn't work.

The Big Lie About the Science of Reading: 2019 Edition    

Paul Thomas breaks down some of the baloney surrounding the "science" of reading, with a special look at the new NAEP scores.

Stop Devaluing the Wisdom of Teachers  

Joseph Murphy at EdWeek points out that researchers don't have a monopoly on "evidence," and maybe classroom teachers actually know a thing or two about teaching.

NOLA Book Cooking  

Mercedes Schneider (she's indispensable) has been following the story of the administrator who told teachers to fix their grades. It's not pretty.

Why Democrats Are Rethinking School Choice  

From Have You Heard comes a great interview with Jon Valant. Thoughtful, nuanced stuff about the tides affecting the charter movement.