EDUCATION WEEK September 28, 2011 Corridor Wit Talking Back to Our Teachers By Alfie Kohn L’esprit de l’escalier (staircase wit) is a French expression for the devastating riposte, the perfect comeback, that occurs to you only after the party is over, on the way up to bed. But I, for one, spent a lot more time sitting in classrooms as a … Read More
What Passes for School Reform: “Value-Added” Teacher Evaluation and Other School Reform Absurdities (##)
September 9, 2010 “Value-Added” Teacher Evaluation and Other School Reform Absurdities By Alfie Kohn The less people know about teaching and learning, the more sympathetic they’re likely to be to the kind of “school reform” that’s all the rage these days. Look, they say, some teachers (and schools) are lousy, aren’t they? And we want kids to receive a better … Read More
Teachers Describe the Harms of Test-Driven School Reform
December 2009 Teachers Describe the Harms of Test-Driven School Reform By Alfie Kohn To understand the true impact of raise-the-bar, close-the-gap “school reform” – the type demanded by corporate executives, imposed by politicians of both parties, and celebrated by pundits – you need to hear from the people who spend their days in real classrooms. Never mind that no credible evidence has … Read More
Teachers Who Refuse to Hand Out the Tests
May 2008 Teachers Who Refuse to Hand Out the Tests By Alfie Kohn What if they gave a test and nobody came? Or what if all the students came, but the teachers refused to give them a test? The civil rights movement succeeded not only because good laws were eventually passed (mandating desegregation) but because ordinary people refused to obey … Read More
Is The Homework Myth Popular with Students? Well, Sure. What’s Your Point?
December 2006 Is The Homework Myth Popular with Students? Well, Sure. What’s Your Point? By Alfie Kohn “Boy, I’ll bet you’re real popular with kids!” is one of the more common responses I’ve heard from reporters after having done more than 90 TV, radio, and print interviews to discuss The Homework Myth. I begin by admitting that he has indeed received … Read More