The Gadfly is out, folks, and it's great! First up, Checker, Mike, and Amber explain why Fordham's latest report, The Accountability Illusion, is so ground breaking. Not only does our current system of patchwork AYP definitions give the damaging and false illusion of a nationwide standard but it's demoralizing for teachers, students, and parents to boot. Case and point: how would you feel if your school's future was based on a set of arcane state rules about what demonstrates annual "progress" and not on what's really going on in your school? Not so hot. Then read up on Randi Weingarten's (pleasantly surprising) treatise for national standards (good timing Randi!), problems with New York City's conversion of Catholic schools to charter (darn state laws!), the case of the reading test typo (it's called proofreading, guys!), and the new lows of British vocational education (A-levels in fake tanning!). Up next, you'll find reviews of three heavy-hitting reports: Achieve's fourth annual Expectations Gap, Paul Peterson and Matthew Chingos' latest on for-profit management in Philadelphia, and a stellar new Mathematica study on alternative teacher certification.
Then, two of our readers debate over 21st century skills. Tony Wagner thinks it's clear he's all for rigorous academic content and takes umbrage with our treatment of his book two weeks ago. Jay Greene, on the other hand, disagrees. Trying to measure the immeasurable does nothing but remove content, he says.??Don't miss the podcast, either, in which you'll learn Rick's new nickname for Mike (it rhymes!), hear a bit about our new report (I know, I know, but we only keep talking about it because it's so neat!), Milwaukee's dalliance with mayoral control, Arne's bundle of dough--all $650 billion of it--and teachers in Florida channeling the rapper Nelly (yes, you read that correctly). Lastly, don't forget that we're hosting an event next Monday featuring four of our board members to discuss (you guessed it) The Accountability Illusion. It's all full up but you can be added to the waiting list by emailing [email protected].
