Bamboozled--the story of the '00s
Stafford PalmieriI'm a bit behind on my reading, but Frank Rich's??column from last week is worth noting. I usually don't agree with Rich on much--and I don't agree completely with where he takes this argument--but I was struck by his observation at how easily we are bamboozled by the big-wigs...
Today's Quotable and Notable
Quotable: "Chicago is nowhere near the head of the pack in urban school improvement, even though Duncan often cites the successes of his tenure as he crusades to fix public education." -Nick Anderson, Washington Post Staff Writer
Dawn?
Stafford PalmieriChecker's now few-week-old editorial "Dusk" sparked a debate amongst our ranks. Is America in decline? Or are we really on the upswing, despite our economic woes?
Today's Quotable and Notable
Quotable: "This is a very inward-looking social studies curriculum--a lot of gazing at the Texas navel and a very spare looking outward at the world." -Gary Nash, Professor at UCLA and Director of the National Center for History in Schools
A Christmas bonus for Arne
Michael J. PetrilliA little more than a year ago, President Obama ended our "name the next education secretary tracking poll" contest by nominating Arne Duncan to head the U.S. Department of Education.
Eduwonk on Detroit
Andy Rotherham turns in a strong op-ed on Detroit's new union contract. If you're following "reform" collective bargaining agreements or the Motor City's reform efforts, you ought to give it a read.
Today's Quotable and Notable
Quotable: "The profession for 150 years was grounded in management, organization, government, politics, and finance. Those things are important, but they are secondary to learning and teaching." - Joseph F. Murphy, developer of the VAL-ED system for evaluating principals
Strike against the RTT application
Many of us complained that the final RTT application was not as strong as the draft version. One area of concern was charter caps. Originally, caps were a nonstarter but in the final regulations, this was eased and only certain types of caps became verboten. So did this small change have any real impact? Yes, absolutely.
Of note
Michigan passes major reform law to compete for RTT (big win for kids and Duncan's strategy too) Los Angeles union sues to stop charter conversions Louisiana unions torn on RTT
Detroit's new teacher contract
Eric OsbergI wondered in October whether Robert Bobb, Detroit Public School's Emergency Financial Manager, would be able to deliver on this goals for a transformative new union contract, in which the problems with tenure and teacher seniority are addressed.
Today's Quotable and Notable
Quotable: "[Special Ed parents] are not a group that needs the district to wake up one day and decide that the time is right for inclusion, with experts guiding the process down a path of destruction of the one place we have found where our kids are receiving what they need."
Snow day
Michael J. PetrilliIt's hard to imagine that there's much educating--or education policymaking--going on along the Eastern seaboard today, as those of us in the Northeast dig out from the Great Blizzard.
Education data in 2025
Eric OsbergThe latest Education Next includes a shortened version of a chapter Checker wrote last year for Fordham's A Byte at the Apple: Rethinking Education Data for the Post-NCL
The Advanced Placement Debate
Editors over at the New York Times have spurred an interesting discussion about Advanced Placement classes on one of their??blogs, Room for Debate.
The softer side of TFA
Michael J. PetrilliKevin Huffman (a VP at Teach For America) wants hugs for Christmas. -Mike Petrilli
Education entrepreneurs, just another interest group at the federal trough?
Michael J. PetrilliWhat else to make of the announcement that the 2010??NewSchools Venture Fund annual summit will once again be held in Washington, DC, just as in 2008? I felt better about the education innovation crowd when it met every year in Silicon Valley. -Mike Petrilli
Today's Quotable and Notable
Quotable: "This district can be rightly criticized for the promotion of ineffective teachers over the years. That is about to change. We do not owe poor performers a job." -Ramon C. Cortines, Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District
New charter legislation
Charter advocates are pretty excited about just-introduced??legislation that would create a new federal charter school grant program aimed at replications. --Andy Smarick
Klein interview
Jay Mathews does a quick video??interview with superb NYC schools chief Joel Klein for the Post. ??"Systems don't change because you charm them." --Andy Smarick
U.S. News rankings out today
Stafford PalmieriThe annual U.S. News and World Report high school rankings have been released. Thomas Jefferson HS in Alexandria, VA takes number 1 (again).
Where's the game plan?
Stafford PalmieriWe've expended many words??on this blog and??other forums on the role of philanthropies in education.
The Promise of Proficiency
J.B. Schramm and E. Kinney ZalesneCenter For American ProgressDecember 2009
Invisible: 1.4 Percent Coverage for Education is Not Enough
Janie ScullDarrell M. West, Grover J. Russ Whitehurst, and E.J. Dionne, Jr. Brookings Institution December 2009
Exploring the Higher Rates of Teacher Turnover in Charter Schools
David Stuit and Thomas Smith National Center on School Choice, Vanderbilt University December 2009