DCPS enrollment only 300 students short
Stafford PalmieriThere was some concern (and maybe a few I-told-you-so's) when DCPS counted only 37,000 students on the first day of school. But now, only three weeks later, enrollment has??boomed up to 44,397.
Is it time to throw in the towel on education reform?
That's the title of a rather bold speech Checker gave at Rice University's Educational Entrepreneurship Program on Sept. 9.
Sept. 11
My sister teaches first grade and, like so many students, her class obviously has no firsthand ??knowledge of Sept. 11 or what it meant for our country. For them and so many others, knowledge of that day will come entirely from what people tell them and what they read.
Tracking the stimulus
I'm writing quarterly reports for AEI on the implementation and influence of the education provisions of the ARRA (the federal stimulus legislation). The second report was just released; you can find it here and a brief description here. Major takeaways:
Turnarounds meeting
NewSchools Venture Fund, consistently a valuable contributor to education reform, is hosting a smallish meeting today in DC on turnarounds (apparently with an appearance by Secretary Duncan). By all accounts, this is an effort to get charter school operators interested and involved in turnarounds.
Harkin
Some interesting news this week. Sen. Tom Harkin, Iowa Democrat, is the new chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. The post had been vacant due to the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy. Read more about it here.
Judges and schools
Chester E. Finn, Jr.This week, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute (along with co-publisher, Brookings Institution Press) released From Schoolhouse to Courthouse: The Judiciary's Role in American Education, a timely and important book that examines the role of the courts in modern American K-12 education.
Performance Management in Portfolio School Districts
Jamie Davies O'LearyCenter on Reinventing Public EducationRobin J. Lake & Paul T. HillAugust 2009
Katrina's Children: Evidence on the Structure of Peer Effects From Hurricane Evacuees
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.National Bureau of Economic Research (Working Paper Series) Scott Imberman, Adriana Kugler, and Bruce Sacerdote August 2009
Party like it's...2009
Woe to British teachers imbibing alcohol in their downtime. The General Teacher Council, a government regulatory body for state-school (in American-speak, public-school) teachers, has approved a new code of conduct for educators. Translation? No boozing and partying on the weekends.
Chartering Albany
When it comes to charter schools, Albany, New York is one heck of a role model. It's not just that that small city (not quite 100,000 people) has eight top notch charters; it's also that those schools serve about a quarter of the city's students and serve them well-earning top marks on state assessments, far superior to those of district schools enrolling similar youngsters.
Dangerously confusing
Can dangerous schools be great schools? According to New York City's annual progress reports, the answer is yes. Not only did an astounding 97 percent of the Big Apple's schools receive A or B ratings on their 2008-2009 report cards, six of them also appear on the state's "most violent" list. Go figure.
A compassionate history
Where does "compassionate conservatism" fit into the political conversation? Steven Teles explains its intellectual and political past, present, and future in this piece for National Affairs, a promising new policy journal. The idea is much misunderstood, possibly because of its association with Bush 43, but it lurks behind many areas of domestic policy.
Violent statistics
The Chicago Public Schools see approximately 30 students killed and many more involved in some kind of school violence each year; that's why they've embarked on a $30 million initiative to lower those numbers, particularly the toll of fatalities.
Is a financial day of reckoning for schools here yet?
Eric OsbergThere's a lot to chew over in yesterday's New York Times article by Sam Dillon, "Schools Aided by Stimulus Money Still Facing Cuts," (including the implications for our home st
My final thoughts on President Obama's speech
By this point everyone has weighed in on President Obama's speech to America's students (the Fordham team included; see????here, here,
Let the Debate Begin: Education Policy Priorities for 2010 and Beyond
Ohioans of every background and political inclination agree that our state needs a system of public education that attains three critical goals: 1) maximizes the talent of every child; 2) is as strong as any in the world in overall achievement; and 3) closes the persistent performance gaps between rich and poor, black and white and brown.
From Schoolhouse to Courthouse
From Schoolhouse to Courthouse: The Judiciary's Role in American Education examines the role of the courts in modern American K-12 education. From race to speech, from religion to school funding, few aspects of education policy have escaped the courtroom. In this book, experts describe just what the impact of judicial involvement has been. Published jointly by Fordham and Brookings Institution Press.
Pep talk. Period.
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Ok, so I just finished listening to President Obama's address to the nation's schoolchildren and found it--despite all of the??hoopla--to be pretty harmless. Mind you, I did not take the time to glance at the accompanying lesson plans (Rick did, though).
MPR discussion of Obama speech
Fordham's Andy Smarick will be a guest this morning, from 10am to 11am (EST), on Minnesota Public Radio. He'll be discussing President Obama's speech to America's students. Ed Week's Dakarai Aarons is scheduled to be a guest on the show as well.
Courts and education
It's here! From Schoolhouse to Courthouse is a new book from Brookings Institution Press and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. It examines the role of the courts in modern American K-12 education - from race to speech, from religion to school funding, from discipline to special education. It's all in there.
Quote and Notable
Quotable: "It's unfair to require a public school, regardless what kind, to have to rely only on philanthropy or alternative financing to create a building that is adequate for kids."-Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform
Unschooling: the worst education idea... ever?
Chester E. Finn, Jr.The worst education idea of the year turns out not to be a new idea at all. "Unschooling" has roots in Rousseau, in Summerhill, in John Holt and Ivan Illich and any number of other progressive/romantic/libertarian nihilists.
The speech saga
As Amy noted, the upcoming White House speech to America's students has caused quite a furor. ????Two of the harder hitting (but still reasonable) criticisms can be found here and here.
RE: Obama goes back to school
Stafford PalmieriAmy wrote yesterday of the hubbub surrounding President Obama's back-to-school speech on September 8. Out of all the ways Obama could use his bully pulpit, telling kids to stay in school and work hard is one of the best.
All your questions will be answered...
Stafford PalmieriOn Monday, when the full Obama back-to-school speech is posted in advance on whitehouse.gov. I think this whole discussion has gotten out of control, but hey it's Friday so here's one more conspiracy theory to stir this already-boiling pot: Releasing the speech on a holiday? Not a coincidence...
Today's 'Quotable & Notable'
Quotable: "The thing that concerned me most about it was it seemed like a direct channel from the president of the United States into the classroom, to my child...I don't want our schools turned over to some socialist movement."-??Brett Curtiss, parent
Say yup to YEP
Michael J. PetrilliAre you young? Involved in education? A professional? That makes you a Young Education Professional (YEP)! And you're invited to an event next week, featuring a few of us middle-aged education professionals; information below. WHAT: The Original YEP Generation Panel: Ten Years Later