High rollers in the Big Easy
Some charter school principals in New Orleans are making big bucks. Critics howl that no principal should get this kind of money--$200,000 a year in one case--from taxpayers.
Some charter school principals in New Orleans are making big bucks. Critics howl that no principal should get this kind of money--$200,000 a year in one case--from taxpayers.
It's no great secret that math is not the archetypal elementary teacher's forte. In fact, among the many subjects taught by all-in-one primary instructors, math is usually their weakest. Massachusetts, following in its laudable tradition of rigorous standards, is taking matters into its own hands and separately grading the beefed-up math portion of the elementary teacher licensure exam.
Perhaps the only confection to make it from campfire to laboratory, the marshmallow is an intellectual giant of the candy aisle. Stanford psychology professor Walter Mischel has been using this squishy sugary treat to study the correlation between delayed gratification and future success.
The debate continues. I started it with this post arguing that Diane Ravitch is wrong to say that the Massachusetts Miracle proves teachers unions to not be such the bad guys after all when it comes to education improvement.
It all started with a post of mine that argued that??Diane Ravitch is wrong to say that Massachusetts's situation proves teachers unions to be a non-factor in education reform.
The bi-annual survey of federal workplaces, which evaluates the quality of support, leadership, and the like, shows that the Department of Education comes in the bottom of the pack--the bottom five, to be exact. The Washington Post explains:
Please see our previous posts about the Massachusetts Miracle and related issues -- Part 1, Part 2,
Yesterday I argued that Diane Ravitch is wrong to say that Massachusetts proves teachers unions to be a non-factor in education reform.
Sadly, new data from NCES shows the loss of faith-based urban schools continues.
Guest blogger Diane Ravitch responds to Mike Petrilli's recent post, "The Massachusetts Miracle and the Teachers Union"
Two fifth-grade students work on math in the common area (filled with desks for testing) at KIPP Journey Academy , a charter school sponsored by Fordham in Columbus.
That's what President Obama called for yesterday, in relation to the emotionally heated abortion debate. But it's a good principle for the education "war of ideas" too. Both opponents and proponents of "school reform" tend to vilify the other side with caricatures.
A few weeks ago I was at a conference when Diane Ravitch made the point that if teachers unions are such obstacles to reform, how can we explain Massachusetts, a "strong uni
Sara Mead's thoughtful blog post responding to my Washington Post op ed is several hundred words longer than my original piece.??Mead is smart and perceptive, however, in addition to wor
There was a time during my government days when we were working on the budget and trying to navigate a sticky situation regarding DC's education funding and the Opportunity Scholarship Program. Representing DC in the talks was Dan Tangherlini, DC's city administrator. He turned out to be extremely smart and cagey, the????savviest????negotiator I had ever come across.
A week ago (i.e., in a timely fashion), Andy commented on President Obama's budget request for education. I'm still catching up on the old Reform-o-Meter front, so let's get to work.
Secretary Duncan visits Detroit, calls it Ground Zero for education reform, and pushes for mayoral control and major change. ????Kudos to Mr. Duncan.
I've already expressed concern about how much reform we're likely to get out of the ARRA--possibly not much at all because of problems with the law. ????Stay tuned for more on this.
Checker argues in this morning's Washington Post that universal preschool as currently conceived should be reexamined.
About government, that is. Check out his Forbes.com piece, "Our Government, For Better Or Worse." Here's his thesis:
Big news out of Detroit. ????Emergency financial manager Robert Bobb is making some tough but desperately needed changes--closing????nearly 30 failing schools.
National Governors AssociationApril 2009
Coalition for Student SuccessApril 2009
With money tight, the New York City Department of Education has issued an interdiction on hiring new teachers from outside. Instead, principals looking to fill faculty gaps will have to look within the system, in particular to teachers who were previously "excessed" as a result of unsatisfactory performance or downsizing.
Steve Barr, labeled "The Instigator" by last week's New Yorker, is living up to his new sobriquet. He's launched (or instigated, if you will) a Parent Revolution to give voice to frustrated parents, put pressure on the LA Unified School District, and counterbalance the power of that city's teacher union.
Could New York learn a thing or two from Milwaukee? Definitely, if the newly-relocated Archbishop has anything to say about it.
It might be the worst Canadian import since Celine Dion: Ken O'Connor's dubious notions about "standards-based" grading. This Toronto-based consultant, who dubs himself "The Grade Doctor," argues that students shouldn't be dinged for missing deadlines, assignments or tests or, for that matter, cheating.
(Don't read this if you're easily depressed. It's about the limits of government.)Ever since I came into contact with government, both state and federal, and especially in the four decades since first going to work in it, I've been struck by the reality gap between what many Americans expect of it and what it's actually good at doing.
Ah, the unexpected consequences of budget woes. Low on funds, the Warwick High (PA) class of 2010 couldn't afford silver picture frames and gold money clips--pricey prom mementos from years past when class coffers were, ahem, loaded.
Who doesn't count down the days to the end of school? For high school students in Mesquite, Texas, that day may be sooner than they think--provided they pass all their classes and the state tests. District leaders are proposing a deal for students: pass your classes and TAKS and you can get out of school a week early.