AGAINST THE GRAIN
Chalkbeat New York covers New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s controversial plan to evaluate and promote teachers, one that focuses on increasing assessment-based ratings to count for 50 percent of an evaluation and lowers the weight of principal observation and feedback. Fordham’s sensational tag team of Mike Petrilli and Andy Smarick weigh in on the plan, saying that Cuomo is moving in the opposite direction of other state leaders.
WE'VE GOT TO BOOK THIS GUY FOR AN EVENT
It looks like everyone over at Success Academy Harlem East has been eating their Wheaties. On his morning visit to the New York City charter school, Doug Lemov, author of Teach Like a Champion, noted remarkable behavior by both teachers and students. The dedicated instructors and quality curriculum in place at the school challenged students and gave them the opportunity to critically engage with class material and learn from their own mistakes. Perhaps this is the secret behind the charter network’s unparalleled recent test scores.
EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT: OHIO
A new bill in Ohio has many charter school backers optimistic that they will see meaningful reform, specifically in the domains of accountability and transparency. The proposed legislation calls for a number of policy changes, several of which were called for in Fordham’s December 2014 report on Ohio charter policy recommendations.
CERTIFIABLY SUCCESSFUL
High schools, community colleges, and vocational training centers are now offering an innovative route to career readiness. Whether retraining for a mid-career switch or hoping to acquire skills fresh out of high school, more students are turning to “competency-based certifications.” The programs can prepare participants for jobs in IT, health care, and advanced manufacturing at a fraction of the cost of college tuition. The certification revolution was one of the many paths to upward mobility that Fordham examined in its December 2014 conference.
