Not teacher quality, but quality teaching
Robert PondiscioI’m looking forward to Elizabeth Green’s forthcoming book Building a Better Teacher. A sneak preview will run in the New York Times
Kathleen Porter-Magee to be superintendent and CAO of the Partnership for Inner-City Education
The Partnership for Inner-City Education announced today that Kathleen Porter-Magee has been named its superintendent and chief academic officer.
For Pete's sake, close low-performing schools
Aaron ChurchillPeet’s Coffee and Tea: We hardly knew you. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Peet’s coffee shop in downtown Columbus will close after less than a year of operation.
Homecoming
Kathleen Porter-MageeIncreasingly, the conversation about Common Core is dominated by politics and controversy. It has become so loud and shrill that it’s easy to forget that across the country are countless superintendents, principals, and teachers who are seizing the opportunity to challenge themselves to change the way they work to provide a better education for their students.
First Bell: July 24, 2014
Pamela TatzLOW-INCOME KIDS AND COLLEGEYes Prep’s Jason Bernal writes that getting low-income students through college requires more than just creating a culture of high academic expectations. (Hechinger Report)
We’ll miss you, Michael Gove
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Recent revelations suggest that David Cameron’s unexpected move to replace reform-minded education minister Michael Gove (who’s been popular with British conservatives) with Ms. Nicky Morgan might have been triggered by more than crass preelection maneuvering to placate teachers and women.
Close reading: A revolution delayed
Kathleen Porter-MageeFor all of the talk about how different reading instruction is meant to be in the Common Core era, and for all of the hand wringing over the critical “instructional shifts” embedded in the new literacy standards, a glimpse at the world of classroom implementation reveals that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Choice and competition: It’s the American way
Jessica PoinerCompetition is healthy in many areas of American life, including education.
Making School Choice Work
Jessica PoinerHow can cities with copious educational choices make those options work better for families?
Columbus charter schools win awards; innovation underway
Jeff MurrayThree recent news stories you might have missed.
First Bell: July 22, 2014
Pamela TatzCOLLEGES AND THE COMMON COREA New America Foundation policy paper finds that colleges and universities are behind in meaningfully aligning their instruction and teacher-prep programs with the Common Core. (Hechinger Report)
Scott Walker’s shift on Common Core could usher in education chaos
Here’s a suggestion for something to include in Wisconsin-specific education standards for Wisconsin children:By the end of first grade, children will know that two Badgers plus two Badgers equals four Badgers.You want Indiana-specific standards for Indiana kids? By the end of first grade, children will know that two Hoosiers plus two Hoosiers equals four Hoosiers.
Standardized Tests: Correlation to Future Successes? (Part II of II)
Laura RobisonThe second part of our look at the possible data correlation between eighth-grade proficiency and college remediation.
At ed schools, a low degree of difficulty
Twelve years ago, my wife and I went back to school. Not the same one, though: she went to medical school and I went to education school. I don’t think I’ll shock even the gentlest reader by asserting that the former was harder than the latter, but I would like to offer a glimpse of how differently rigorous they were.
Next Gen Accountability: Ohio & Beyond
Repost of a blog by Tom Vander Ark that appeared on the Getting Smart website on July 16, 2014.
First Bell: July 16, 2014
Pamela TatzCOLLEGE READINESSA new study finds that toughening high school exit criteria did not increase the likelihood that graduates would go on to college. (Inside School Research) MO’ MONEY, MO’ PROBLEMS
Two charter school debates: When philosophical opposition masquerades as policy commentary
It feels like there are two very different charter-school conversations going on. The first is about policy and practice; the other is about philosophy and politics. Both have their place. But a recent collection of events and articles demonstrate why it’s important to understand the difference between the two.
First Bell: July 15, 2014
Pamela TatzOKLAHOMA AND THE COMMON COREThe Oklahoma Supreme Court is hearing arguments on the state’s Common Core repeal. (Associated Press) PHILLY SCHOOL FUNDING
The splintering school-reform movement
Michael J. PetrilliOne of the great misconceptions in education is that the reform movement is monolithic. There have always been competing camps, often defined on ideological grounds. Conservatives and libertarians tend to stress school choice, for example; liberals are much more comfortable with an intrusive federal role.
Late Bell: July 11, 2014
The Education GadflyArticles of the week from the Education GadflyWhither the NEA?Chester E. Finn, Jr. | July 9, 2014 | Flypaper
Whither the NEA?
Chester E. Finn, Jr.I’ve never been to the annual conference of the National Education Association and I’ve never regretted it, but it would have been fun to be a fly on the chandelier at last week’s shindig in Denver.
On school discipline, let’s not repeat all our old mistakes
Michael J. PetrilliJust as the education-reform movement is starting to figure out how to use test-score data in a more sophisticated way, the Obama administration and its allies in the civil-rights community want to take us back to the Stone Age on the use of school-discipline data. This is an enormous mistake.