Miracles that weren't

Diane Ravitch's latest piece in the New York Times contains some fine, necessary instruction to which many in the education-policy world might listen: stop creating education miracles.

A commencement address worth reading

Jonathan Franzen gave a commencement address at Kenyon College a few days ago and the New York Times published part of it in the newspaper. Many of us operate in a constant whirl of cheap information and to read Franzen's words is to be smacked in the face, reminded of it.

Education news nuggets

School really can be fun! The spelling bee season has kicked off in full force.

Podcast: A Texas high school arms race

Mike and Rick talk substantively (for a change) about: Clark County's education blueprint, private special-education service providers, and utopian hopes for turnarounds. Amber geeks out with stats from the latest Condition of Education and Chris audibles for a Texas high school football stadium. [powerpress]

Quotable & notable

?If school districts are not willing to work collaboratively to eradicate the vestiges of de jure segregated schools, we will ask the courts to take the steps necessary to ensure that students of all racial backgrounds have the opportunity to attend diverse, inclusive schools.?

Education news nuggets

If you got through school without filters, hazing, or

Quotable & notable

?My students have just as much potential as every other student in the country, regardless of what ZIP code they were born into, regardless of what social-economic level they were born into'' *

Field notes: An army of occupation

A friend emailed this morning:? ?Breathtaking."? It was the first of many such emails and phone calls.

When it comes to evaluating teachers, trust (and empower) the principal

The Times' Room for Debate blog tackles teacher evaluations today, in particular the news that New York City plans to introduce a dozen new tests in order to gather data for said evaluations.

Quotable & notable

?For me, it's personal. I see my parents in those Compton parents. Now I can do something about the injustice, the denial of opportunity, the idea that it's OK for some kids not to read.'' *

Bending the special ed cost curve requires multiple approaches

Our recent study on trends in the special education population was only able to get at the costs of special ed obliquely.

Memento mori: Let us now praise the power of memory

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here

Education news nuggets

It's the start of the holiday weekend, so I'll give you the bad news first?1. There is now a fellowship that pays students to drop out, 2.

Crisis! Learn about Thomas Jefferson or we're doomed!

William Damon, professor of education at Stanford and a Hoover Institution fellow, has written a book, Failing Liberty 101, about young Americans' ignorance or eschewal of civic virtue and the extreme danger for the United States such disregard engenders. The threat of an uneducated citizenry, writes Damon, is ?a threat far more serious than any foreign enemy could ever pose?

Education news nuggets

If you're not already in friending trouble, tweet about ?

Quotable & notable

?There's no question that the quality of our teachers is at the highest level it has ever been. Now, Alabama is one step closer to having a tenure law that is as professional as our teachers.'' *

We've got technology; now what?

In this week's Atlantic, Gagan Biyani, cofounder of Udemy (a web start-up that provides a platform for anyone in the world to build their own online course with video, virtual-classroom sessions, etc.), said:

ED grabs DC-based advocate for charter schools post

The US Department of Education has hired a new director of its Federal Charter Schools Program, which oversees a variety of grant programs for starting and replicating public charter schools, as well as credit enhancements to help them afford high-quality facilities.

Toward less fed in your ed

Education news nuggets

Three cheers for New Jersey?they are banning weekend homework!

Podcast: Testing, testing, 1-2-3

Mike's back in the saddle; he and Janie fire off points on international comparisons and testing-for-evaluation in L.A. and NYC. Amber shoots holes in a new ACT study and Chris exercises his first amendment rights.[powerpress]

Quotable & notable

?But the truth is, arguing against testing for kids with disabilities is discriminatory.'' * ?Michelle Rhee, CEO and Founder of StudentsFirst

Reject college, make $100,000

Peter Thiel founded PayPal and was an initial investor in Facebook (cha-ching), and last September he announced creation of the Thiel Fellowship, a two-year program through which twenty people under the age of twenty are awarded $100,000 and?introduced into a network of tech entrepreneurs and innovators. Each?awardee?is to spend his two-year fellowship?developing?his own startup or project.

Bill Bennett, James Madison, and national curricular materials

The big fuss about "national curriculum" has lately slid into an argument about whether the federal government may?and should?have anything to do with "curriculum." Actually, it's an argument?limited to the Education Department, which has in its founding legislation a specific prohibition on "controlling or directing" curriculum.

Education news nuggets

Did you actually think prom was meant to be a fun tradition? Well, prom pat-downs may change your mind.

Quotable & notable

?Students have to realize, as our country is realizing, that you can't have everything. We all have to make tough choices.'' * ?Randy Stepp, Superintendent, Medina City School District

Common Core + Bungee Jumping Barbie = Epic Fail

Last year, many marveled at how quickly states moved to adopt the Common Core State Standards. Just over a month after the final draft of the standards were released, more than half of the states had adopted them. Barely five months later, 43 states and the District of Columbia had adopted the standards. (Most state standards adoption processes take far longer and incite much more debate.)

Pulling back the special-ed data mask

Last summer, New Jersey's Star-Ledger ran a hard-hitting piece about the condition of education finance in the Garden State. It bemoaned a dismal school-system budget in which teachers had been laid off, extracurricular activities scrapped, and free transportation curtailed. But one budgetary category had been spared: special education.

The Iliad, Beowulf, and the epic tale of Wake County schools

The saga of Wake County, NC continues. This week, district superintendent Anthony Tata (formerly of the U.S. Army and then of DCPS) released two plans for Wake's new school-assignment policy.