Category Archives: Debunking

Unveiling truth behind school and district miracles

The Underachievement School District 2015 Edition Part II

Posted on May 1, 2016 by garyrubinstein

Tennessee’s Achievement School District (ASD) is one of the most high profile ‘turnaround’ experiments in the country.  Launched with the amazing goal to ‘catapult’ schools with test scores in the bottom 5% of the state into schools with test scores … Continue reading →

Posted in asd, Debunking, Research, Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Overwhelming majority of families of 143,000 students ‘trapped’ in ‘failing’ schools would recommend their school to others

Posted on February 24, 2015 by garyrubinstein

One of the most dramatic catch phrases that New York ‘reformers’ have been saying, recently, is that there are 143,000 kids trapped in failing schools. The New York Post described this with the headline 143,000 abandoned kids . And a … Continue reading →

Posted in Debunking | 6 Comments

Is P-Tech a miracle school or a failing school?

Posted on November 11, 2014 by garyrubinstein

In the preface to Joel Klein’s new book, Lessons Of Hope, he writes about the amazing turnaround of Paul Robeson High School.  In 2008 a student was stabbed and nearly died there.  Reacting to this incident, Klein writes: After six … Continue reading →

Posted in Debunking | 19 Comments

The Latest New Orleans Miracle

Posted on October 25, 2013 by garyrubinstein

Anytime there is a press release from the Louisiana Department of Education, I know I have some work to do. Two years ago it was how the RSD had the highest percent growth even though that statistic is exaggerated for … Continue reading →

Posted in Debunking | 4 Comments

Petrilli’s Desperate Attempt To Save Democracy Prep’s Reputation

Posted on August 19, 2013 by garyrubinstein

The hardest thing about trying to have an intellectual debate with ‘reformers’ is every time they start to lose, they try to change the rules. First they say “poverty doesn’t matter” and when it becomes clear that it does, they … Continue reading →

Posted in Debunking | 58 Comments

Fat (Lie) Tuesday

Posted on August 1, 2013 by garyrubinstein

Yesterday, there was some exciting news out of New Orleans.  I learned about it from a tweet by TFA co-CEO Elisa Villanueva-Beard. Now I’ve written before about The New Orleans ‘Miracle.’  They generally have a way of twisting whatever numbers … Continue reading →

Posted in Debunking, Research | 20 Comments

Debunking the latest NY Daily News ‘Miracle School’

Posted on June 28, 2013 by garyrubinstein

A ‘miracle school’ is one that purports to get extraordinary results with the ‘same kids’ as the nearby ‘failing’ school.  Sometimes the miracle is high test scores, sometimes it is a high graduation rate, sometimes it is a high college … Continue reading →

Posted in Debunking | 17 Comments

Inspirational quote on a KIPP teacher’s classroom door

Posted on February 21, 2013 by garyrubinstein

I visited KIPP High School in New York City a few months ago and wrote about it.  My post was pretty generous — perhaps too generous — so I’m going to write more about what I saw there in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Debunking, KIPP visit | 29 Comments

The $400 senior dues bargain at KIPP High School

Posted on February 19, 2013 by garyrubinstein

A few months ago I visited the New York City KIPP High School and wrote a post about it.  That post was called ‘fair’ and ‘balanced’ by a lot of people on Twitter, which I’m happy about because it took … Continue reading →

Posted in Debunking, KIPP visit | 21 Comments

The Eagle Has Landed

Posted on February 3, 2013 by garyrubinstein

On October 15th, 2012 Bill and Melinda Gates visited Eagle Valley High School in the Eagle County school district in Colorado. Eagle County, in which ski mecca Vail is located, is a demographically unusual place with almost exactly 50% white … Continue reading →

Posted in Debunking | 30 Comments