New York Times: Testing “Joy and Grit” in the Classroom

Diane Ravitch's blog

Just when you think American education can’t get any nuttier, along comes another crazy idea.

The New York Times today reports on the project underway in California to test “joy and grit” in the classroom. It is only a pilot for what soon will be a national and international program to test soft skills. Think of the data! Parents will soon have data points about their children’s grit. Think of the data-based decision making!

Angela Duckworth, whose work in social-emotional learning has promoted the importance of “grit” (along with Paul Tough’s book “How Children Succeed”), resigned from the committee overseeing the project.

“I do not think we should be doing this; it is a bad idea,” said Angela Duckworth, the MacArthur fellow who has done more than anyone to popularize social-emotional learning, making “grit” — the title of her book to be released in May — a buzzword in…

View original post 498 more words

Holodick & Brandywine Named In Lawsuit As Father Seeks Justice For Year Long Nightmare

Patrick Wahl is taking the Brandywine School District to court.  Last year, his son was suspended for a week.  What makes this case fascinating is the fact that his son was punished for what amounts, in my opinion, to a wrongful search.  Brandywine’s board made the situation even worse.  I can now say this case and that case are the same one.  This morning on Facebook, Joseph’s father announced the lawsuit.  He gave me permission to copy his post. I could write about what happened, but it means more coming from his father.  This is how I got my start in blogging, and I am more than happy to return the favor:

JUSTICE FOR JOSEPH: SUNLIGHT IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT