After last week's bursts of Reform-o-Meter ratings, it's been all quiet on the Southwestern (Maryland Avenue) front. Expect some key announcements soon, though, about the final contours of the stimulus package (Fritz Edelstein is hearing that school construction is in but $40 billion of state aid is out) and the nomination of the deputy secretary of education.
My composite rating so far is "luke warm."
Meanwhile, what's the current temperature of Arne Duncan and company, education-reform-wise? The last time we checked, over a week ago, Team Obama had earned a cumulative rating of ???Luke Warm??? from me and an even chillier ???Neutral??? from our readers. But now, after the appointments of Carmel Martin and Russlynn Ali, and the President and First Lady's visit to a charter school, both Reform-o-Meters are up to Luke Warm. Perhaps an insider-friend of mine is right to claim that the Obama team is trying to make the education reform crowd feel good before it makes its big Linda Darling-Hammond announcement. If that's right, expect this warming trend to come to an end soon.
