First Bell 1-30-13
Pamela TatzA first look at today's education news: A teacher warns that "overparenting" can limit the life lessons that a teacher can impart, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) will step into key education-policy roles, and more
HUD, in the role of Mr. Higgins
John HortonThe Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing Program (MTO), the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s twenty-year attempt at a real-life Pygmalion, has failed
Is the red tape a red herring?
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D., Chester E. Finn, Jr.Many proponents of private school choice take for granted that schools won’t participate if government asks too much of them; but is this assumption justified?
First Bell 1-29-13
Pamela TatzA first look at today's education news: The Education Department is investigating whether some school-closure plans are discriminatory, Ohio releases teacher-prep data, and more
School Choice Regulations: Red Tape or Red Herring?
David A. StuitIt turns out that private schools are not vehemently opposed to academic accountability (including state testing and reporting requirements), according to a new Fordham report out today
First Bell 1-28-13
Pamela TatzA first look at today's education news: Senator Tom Harkin will not seek re-election in 2014, teachers in Seattle are boycotting the state's MAP exam, and more
First Bell 1-25-13
Pamela TatzA first look at today's education news: D.C.'s school closures are just the start of a broader plan to make the school district more efficient, the Obama administration announces that disabled students have a right to play school sports, and more
The Obama Administration invents a right to wheelchair basketball
Michael J. PetrilliAnd they do so without public debate or Congressional authorization
First Bell 1-24-13
Pamela TatzA first look at today's education news: Insiders are skeptical that the Department of Education will make gains in teacher-preparation regulations this year, a literacy teacher urges her colleagues to see the potential in Common Core, and more
Nixon, his staff, and the art of government reports
Because of the catastrophic ripples of the Watergate break-in, galling recordings from the Oval Office, and much more, our 37th president is largely persona non grata to the right and even worse to the left
School Choice Regulations: Red Tape or Red Herring?
David A. Stuit, Sy DoanMany proponents of private school choice take for granted that schools won’t participate if government asks too much of them, especially if it demands that they be publicly accountable for student achievement. Were such school refusals to be widespread, the programs themselves could not serve many kids. But is this assumption justified? A new Fordham Institute study—to be released on January 29—provides empirical answers. Do regulations and accountability requirements deter private schools from participating in choice programs? How important are such requirements compared to other factors, such as voucher amounts? Are certain types of regulations stronger deterrents than others? Do certain types schools shy away from regulation more than others?
First Bell: 1-23-13
Pamela TatzA first look at today's education news: Cash-strapped American religious schools welcome a surge in foreign-student enrollment, teacher colleges are overproducing elementary school teachers, and more
The Diverse Schools Dilemma: On the web, on the air, and in your hometown
Michael J. PetrilliMike's new book, the Diverse Schools Dilemma: A Parent's Guide to Socioeconomically Mixed Public Schools, continues to garner attention
First Bell 1-22-13
Pamela TatzA first look at education news from this weekend and today: Obama's inauguration speech touched on training more STEM teachers and improving school security, the U.S. high school graduation rate hit a 35-year high, and more
What We’re Listening To: Mike Petrilli and Josh Starr on Whether the Brightest Students Are Being Challenged
This week, Mike Petrilli was a guest on "What’s the Big Idea?," a podcast hosted by Josh Starr
MET: Now What?
The Gates Foundation’s MET study was a grand success in K–12 research—but what happens next is what matters
First Bell 1-18-13
Pamela TatzA first look at this morning's education news: NY's deadline to make a teacher-evaluation deal has come and gone, cash-strapped school districts struggle with school-security concerns, and more
First Bell 1-17-13
Pamela TatzA first look at this morning's education news: Pres Obama announces a slew of school-safety and mental-health programs, the school-bus strike in NYC disproportionately affected special-ed students, and more
Playing the gifted-student race card
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Shame on the New York Times
The progressive view of school choice
J. Martin RochesterOptions for students, not parents
First Bell 1-16-13
Pamela TatzA first look at this morning's education news: Gov. Andrew Cuomo reveals his education agenda for New York, a study finds that the PISA test undervalued U.S. educational achievement, and more
State of Education, State Policy Report Card 2013
StudentsFirst's much-awaited (and plenty contentious) 2013 State Policy Report Card awarded its highest rankings (B-minuses) to Louisiana and Florida; a dozen states earned an F. After California was flunked, chief deputy superintendent Richard Zeiger took his ire to the New York Times: “‘This group has focused on an extremely narrow, unproven method that they think will improve teaching—and we just flat-out disagree with them.’” This video's panel discussion digs into the new report card, the future of education reform, and how to bridge the divide between policy and practice.
First Bell 1-15-13
Pamela TatzA first look at this morning's education news: Arne Duncan to say on as Education Secretary, the New York Archdiocese to close many Catholic schools, and more
The MET study: implications, winners, and losers
It’s hard to believe that it’s taken this long for our field to undertake a research project of this level of sophistication on arguably the most important and confounding aspect of K–12 practice and policy: educator effectiveness
First Bell 1-14-13
Pamela TatzA first look at this morning's education news: Critics of "gifted-and-talented" programs argue that they create racial "castes" in public schools, NYC school-bus drivers may go on strike as early as Tuesday, and more
First Bell 1-11-13
Pamela TatzA first look at this morning's education news: A panel worries that shutting down CPS high schools will put students in the path of gang violence, a study finds that poor and minority students are more likely to be taught by low-quality teachers, and more