HOLD THE PHONE
The numbers are in: According to a new Quinnipiac Poll released today, 54 percent of New Yorkers support Mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision to lift the cell phone ban in the city’s schools. It’s a good reprieve for de Blasio in the court of public opinion; his approval rating, while positive overall, still lags under 50 percent (the territory usually deemed safe for incumbent politicians). Chancellor Carmen Farina’s popularity is lower still, at 39 percent. Maybe it has something to do with her apparent imperviousness to evidentiary analysis?
IN THE LOOP
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has contributed a dose of common sense on testing that some of our national politicians would be well-advised to heed. Just a week after members of the State Board of Education voted (likely with no legal standing) to allow school districts to opt out of Common Core-aligned PARCC tests, the governor took time in his State of the State address to dissuade lawmakers from cutting annual assessments. “We need to confront the truth about whether Colorado’s kids are getting the education they need to compete and succeed in the job market,” he said. “But how do we know if we are getting the job done unless we accurately measure individual student growth?”
SPEAK OF THE DEVIL
Now that we’ve broached the topic of our beloved congressional leaders, here’s your semi-regular ESEA update: Education Week has conscientiously assembled a layman’s crib sheet on the ins and outs of Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander’s draft reauthorization bill. Sure, you can go take a few days off to read all 400 pages of the actual text, because you’re an education policy enthusiast and loved reading the Common Core State Standards. But trust us when we tell you it’s much easier this way.
PROFILE OF THE WEEK
Before jetting off to St. Barths for the long weekend, have a gander at this terrific profile of Campbell Brown, the latest dragon lady of education reform. In the face of institutional hostility and personal attacks, Brown has emerged as a powerful voice for academic excellence for low-income kids.
