Wrong, wrong, wrong, Mr. President
Chester E. Finn, Jr.We are obligated to respect the office of President of the United States but nobody needs to agree with what the occupant of that office says. And Barack Obama could not have been more wrong in his remarks yesterday to the nation's governors on the subject of school teachers.
Required reading for ESEA reauthorization
Tyson EberhardtWith the House Education and the Workforce Committee marking up two bills to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (a.k.a. No Child Left Behind) today, look back at Mike Petrilli's analysis of where Congress disagrees and what a compromise could look like.
American education can't win if it doesn't play the game
Marc TuckerGuest blogger Marc Tucker explains that the U.S. is not only not in the game of learning from other countries' education systems, it does not even know the game is being played.
The "teacher effectiveness gap" was just a myth: 3 implications
Michael J. PetrilliThe finding that really good, and really bad, teachers are evenly distributed around New York City upends everything we thought we knew about teacher quality.
Rethinking LRE
Daniela FairchildWhy it just doesn't make sense for every school to be required to handle every type of learning disability.
The Gadfly Daily’s week in review
The Education GadflyA look back at commentary and analysis from the Fordham Institute’s blogs for the week of February 20.
Rethinking Education Governance Session IV: The Way Forward
What's next? This panel brings together a group of "big thinkers" to hash out a plan for education governance in the twenty-first century. What should the structure look like? Who should helm the wheel? And how can we bring these thoughts into action? Paul Hill, Kenneth Meier, Jon Schnur, and Paul Pastorek will engage in a roundtable discussion to think through these questions. Moderator: Chester E. Finn, Jr., president, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Rethinking Education Governance Session III: Alternative Approaches
Many lessons on effective governance arrangements can be pulled from other sectors--and other nations. During this panel, authors Michael Mintrom, Barry Rabe, and Richard Walley will explain what insights can (and can't) be drawn from other countries—and from other federal initiatives, like healthcare and environmental policy. Moderator Paul Manna will also present a paper by Sir Michael Barber on lessons from British education-reform efforts. Moderator: Paul Manna, associate professor, College of William and Mary
Rethinking Education Governance Session II: Traditional Institutions in Flux
This panel calls into question the ideal of local control. Its panelists—including Jeffrey Henig, Frederick M. Hess, Kathryn McDermott, and Kenneth Wong—will investigate the rise of mayoral control, the growth of interstate collaboration, and the role of the state and federal governments in education. Discussant Margaret Goertz will prod panelists to explain these shifts--and what they think each means for education in the twenty-first century. Moderator: Patrick McGuinn, associate professor, Drew University
Rethinking Education Governance Session I: Challenges
From the event Rethinking Education Governance on December 1, 2011 at the Capitol Hilton - http://www.edexcellence.net/events/rethinking-education-g... Opening Remarks: Chester E. Finn, Jr. Session I: Challenges What governance challenges currently mire efforts to reform education? This panel will tackle the financial systems and governance structures that impede change, drawing on the examples of innovators both within and without the system whose reforms have been stifled or slowed by our curious current structures and policies. It will also explain how our present system has harmed our nation's most disadvantaged youth. Panelists include Cynthia Brown, Michelle Davis, Marguerite Roza, and Steven F. Wilson. Moderator: Michael J. Petrilli, executive vice president, Thomas B. Fordham Insitutute
Rethinking Education Governance Lunchtime Keynote: Chris Cerf
During this lunchtime lecture, New Jersey Commissioner of Education Chris Cerf will discuss his thoughts on how to improve our current education-governance structure, drawing from his experiences as deputy chancellor of New York City Department of Education, his current role at the New Jersey Department of Education, and his time working for the federal government. ** We had some technical difficulties during the Q&A which is why the video is out of focus. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Georgia House passes measure to test the “134-year-old status quo”
Adam EmersonThe Georgia House this week took another step toward exiling last spring’s state Supreme Court decision prohibiting the state approval of charter schools to the history books, where it belongs.
Untouchable?
Mike Petrilli and Ty Eberhardt discuss the soft spots in President Obama's education record.
Memo to the world: America’s secret sauce isn’t made in our classrooms
Michael J. PetrilliIt's what American kids are doing after school and on the weekends that sparks innovation.
It SHOULD be hard to pull the parent trigger
Adam EmersonThe recent failure to enact a parent trigger in a California community is an example of how the system should work.
Republicans for Education Reform
Michael J. Petrilli, Tyson EberhardtRace to the Top deserves some credit, but GOP victories deserve more.
Santorum lends extremes to a movement that should find a center
Adam EmersonThe spotlight shining on the GOP candidate's educational philosophy is both a blessing and a curse for home-schooling parents and their advocates.
The Gadfly Daily’s week in review
The Education GadflyA look back at Fordham's blog posts from the week of 2-13-12
A price tag on misbehavior? An embattled Chicago charter network isn’t alone
Adam EmersonA charter network's practice of charging fees for misbehavior has precedence in some Catholic school codes of conduct.
Embracing the Common Core - Michael Cohen Presentation
Mike Cohen, president of Achieve, spoke to the specifics of PARCC (the assessment consortia Ohio joined last fall) and warned that the implementation of the new standards in ELA and math will not be easy and that districts should start the implementation process now.
Embracing the Common Core - Stan Heffner Presentation
Among the speakers at the event was State Superintendent Stan Heffner who stressed that the system Ohio currently has is letting kids down and not preparing them for the future. He went on to emphasize that the Common Core gives us the opportunity and chance to do better for our kids and we must capitalize on that.
Obama’s education record
Michael J. PetrilliA new EdNext article looks at Obama's education record after four years in the White House.
Big-government business leaders?
Chester E. Finn, Jr.If the 2012 election were to be decided on the basis of federal education policy, chalk up another significant gain for President Obama, as the titans of American business come down foursquare for yesterday's reform agenda.
10 steps to removing governance obstacles to K-12 online learning
Tyson EberhardtThe latest paper in Fordham's Creating Sound Policy for Digital Learning series examines the challenges our education governance system poses to reaching online learning's potential.
ESEA waivers: Are they worth the trouble?
Michael J. PetrilliWith the deadline for the next round of ESEA "Waiverpalooza" looming, states may be better off scrapping their applications.
The Gadfly Daily’s week in review
The Education GadflyCatching up on Fordham’s blogs from the week of 2-6-12
The Gadfly Daily’s week in review
The Education GadflyCatching up on Fordham’s blogs for the week of 2-6-12