Quotable & notable
?One thing I never want to see happen is schools that are just teaching the test because then you're not learning about the world, you're not learning about different cultures, you're not learning about science, you're not learning about math.
In defense of mandating Betamax
Kathleen Porter-MageeToday, Jay Greene has an Ed Next column arguing against government mandated standards and curriculum. ?Most of the important elements of American education are already standardized,? he argues.
Learning from the Golden State
Kathleen Porter-MageeOne of the many reasons I think that states should get out of the curriculum- and textbook-adoption business is that, when state governments start to dive too deep into the implementation weeds, they tend to do far more harm than good.
Mike on the radio: How to raise the status of teachers
Daniela FairchildIf you haven't yet, steer yourself over to the latest "Room for Debate" conversation at the New York Times, entitled ?How to Raise the Status of Teachers.? It features some excellent pieces, including one by Fordham's own Mike Petrilli.
Cutting off the hand to spite the foot
Daniela FairchildAs state and district education budgets shrink, it becomes doubly important to scrutinize line items, to think through cuts, and to trim fat in ways that won't negatively affect schoolchildren. Moore County, North Carolina seems to have missed that memo. ?The district is set to close one of its smaller elementary schools, Academy Heights.
How to raise the "status" of the teaching profession? Reform compensation
Michael J. PetrilliThis post appears today on the New York Times' Room for Debate blog. The question: How can the United States raise the status of teachers and teaching?
Fewer tests, sez prez
Barack Obama was at Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, D.C., today, answering education-related questions at an event organized by Univision. Responding to a question about standardized exams, the president said that pupils are currently tested too frequently and are under too much pressure to perform well on the high-stakes exams they're given.
Education news of the weird
Parents in Volusia County, Florida (it's always Florida, it seems) are picketing outside an elementary school that recently instituted several regulations to protect a six-year-old student who has a serious peanut allergy.
Education Next Book Club Podcast with Richard Kahlenberg
If Horace Mann was the key educational figure of the 19th century, and John Dewey of the first half of the 20th, then Al Shanker, the legendary leader of the American Federation of Teachers, deserves t
Quotable & notable
?Unfortunately, it is a characteristic of reform movements?for its participants to feel they are on the edge of history, solving with new ideas and new tools the problems that flummoxed everyone before..'' *
Paint by numbers isn't artistry
Kathleen Porter-MageeLast week, Justin Baeder at Ed Week's "On Performance" blog had a post arguing that adopting policies that force teachers to copy the teaching strategies of effective teachers is bound to fail.*
CA districts take the lead on curriculum and instruction
Kathleen Porter-MageeCatherine Gewertz (via John Fensterwald of the "Educated Guess" blog) has a post today about a group of seven California districts who are coming together to draft Common
Rhode Island loves data nerds
Chris TessoneIt's Christmas in Rhode Island: the state Department of Education has released a comprehensive new set of financial data for district and charter schools throughout the state.
Steve Barr Goes Back to the Future
Peter MeyerWell, it's official.? According to Sam Dillon in the NYT, Steve Barr and the charter organization he founded, Green Dot, are going their separate ways.? In fact, the separation has been long in coming.?
Habits of mindlessness (with all due deference to David Brooks*): A no-brainer
Peter MeyerThough Deborah Meier's newest post on Bridging Differences is ostensibly about hypocrisy (she says she tells her left-wing friends that ?we should
Beware simplistic comparisons
The Wall Street Journal ran today an article about Portugal's rickety educational system and how it has affected the nation's economy: Portugal is the least educated country in Europe, and it is also the poorest. ?Without budget cuts,?
The Return of Professor X
Readers will recall the appearance, in the summer of 2008, of an article in the Atlantic by a pseudonymous Professor X [insert X-Men joke here to flaunt pop-culture cred] that relayed his experience teaching basic English courses at two colleges, one a four-year, private instituti
Education news nuggets
Here's some food for thought: should toenails dictate what we should eat or should we leave it up
Quotable & notable
?The heroic efforts of both TFA and non-TFA teachers are motivated by the belief that all children can learn?but they do not negate truths like healthy children are better learners, or children with stable home environments and fewer distractions in their non-school lives are better able to take advantage of the educational opportunities afforded them.'' <
A conservative's dilemma: school choice versus fiscal responsibility
Terry RyanMississippi Governor Haley Barbour, a prospective 2012 GOP presidential candidate, challenged Republicans to take a critical look at the defense budget earlier this month when he told a reporter in Iowa, ???Anybody who says you can't save money at the Pentagon has never been to the Pentagon.
Getting back on track
Michael J. PetrilliOne of the dirtiest words in American education today is ?tracking.? Reformers and ed-school types alike deride the approach as racist, classist, and worthy of eradication. And if they are talking about the practice of confining some kids?typically poor or minority or both?into dead-end tracks with soulless, ditto-driven instruction, they are absolutely right.
Feathers ruffled
Some are less than pleased with Florida's governor, Rick Scott, who, it seems likely, let it be known to certain persons that he wanted a new state education commissioner. Eric Smith, the current commissioner, resigned this week, noting that he was leaving so Scott could have input ?on the type of leader to pursue his goals for education.?
More from the Sunshine State
At a KIPP charter school in Jacksonville today, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed SB 726, a bill that will set up a teacher evaluation system that judges educators based, in large part, on student test scores, institute merit pay, and end tenure for new teachers (current teachers will still be
PODCAST: ESEA, CBA, and LOL
Mike and Rick explain the merits of student tracking, debate whether collective bargaining matters, and spar over ESEA reauthorization. Amber heads to the Land of Enchantment for a study on CBAs and student achievement. And Chris deplores drivers: Keep the cell phones in your pockets! [powerpress]
Quotable & notable
?Our best school systems are resting on their laurels, and frankly, there are a lot of parents who recognize when education is not great... they need the ability to say 'This isn't cutting it for my child.''*
Decision science and information overload
Peter MeyerWhile having a very interesting conversation over at my post about The Digital Divide and the Knowledge Deficit (about the recent MacArthur sponsored conference at Hechinger), I noticed a fascinating story by Sharon Begley at Newsweek called ?
A plague of violence in Chicago: What can schools do?
Peter MeyerNPR's Morning Edition has been running a series on youth violence in Chicago ? this morning's story is here.? And it's worth paying attention to.