Mo' money, mo' problems

In light of this morning's release of Fordham's open letter, this article from Tuesday's NY Times seemed all the mo

The 'Fly is here

Sad news: the 'Fly is flying home for the holidays--and will remain out of your inboxes for two whole weeks! It's tough, we know, but that's why we made this week's edition such a humdinger.

Video: Mike explains education "Reform Realism"

Acting on Data: How Urban High Schools Use Data to Improve Instruction

Amanda Datnow, Vicki Park, Brianna KennedyCenter on Educational GovernanceUSC Rossier School of Education (commissioned by New Schools Venture Fund)2008

Value Added Assessment of Teacher Preparation in Louisiana: 2004-2005 to 2006-2007

George Noell, Bethany Porter, R. Maria Patt, and Amanda DahirLouisiana State UniversityNovember 2008

Fourth and long

Here's a hypothetical that's sure to alarm a San Diego Chargers fan: What if Ryan Leaf had been granted tenure?

Malicious muckraking

Shame on the Washington Post. A recent barrage of charter school coverage by said paper, including a front page story brazenly entitled "Public Role, Private Gain," has wrongly raked a civic minded business man over the metaphoric coals. He's Thomas A.

A holy plea

As the year of Catholic schools draws to a close, Rev. Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, weighs in on the challenges facing inner-city Catholic schools. His take is noteworthy because only last year he shocked the Catholic community by announcing that seven D.C.

'Tis the season

A substitute teacher in Britain has landed on Santa's naughty list this year. Annoyed by her youngsters' rowdy excitement over the fat man's impending arrival, the teacher blurted out to the class: "It's your parents who leave presents on Christmas Day!" Imagine the instant transformation: pure glee to pitiful heartbreak.

Ivory tower types unite!

As a thinker tanker, I have to assume that this line in President-Elect Obama's speech yesterday was aimed at people like me:

Work for Fordham

We are seeking a staff assistant for our D.C. office--if you want to join our terrific team, please read the job description and apply now!

Pilloried for Volunteering in D.C. Schools

That's the headline of a thoughtful letter in today's Washington Post, coming to the defense of

The lurking danger of Linda Darling-Hammond

A colleague writes in to say: The Duncan appointment is good news, however, I'm still hearing that LDH may get Institute for Education Sciences Commissioner.?? That is almost at the level of a classical tragedy--the??Roman sack of Carthage, the burning of the library at Alexandria.

Fordham's busy week in the media

Arne Duncan isn't the only one who has had a busy week! Fordham's Checker and Mike have been quoted in numerous articles over the past few days, giving their views on Obama's pick for education secretary.

Fordham on the air

What's the future for education reform now that Arne Duncan's been named education secretary?

Public pension funds threaten us all

State Rep. Larry Wolpert, R-Hilliard, is completing his fourth term in the Ohio House and will leave the General Assembly because of term limits.

So we're doing better (what a relief), but, yikes, still falling behind?

The fifth in the series of biennial national and state-by-state report cards for higher education is out this month. Ohio, like much of the nation, is doing better, as usual, but not good enough.

Doing more with less really does require a whole new approach

The dismal economic news for Ohio keeps piling up. State revenues continue to plummet and economic forecasters are predicting a shortfall, at best, of more than $7 billion for the next two-year budget. Buckeye State government is going to have to figure out how to do more with less. This is particularly true for education, where per pupil cuts of at least 10 percent are likely. Last week, Gov.

Arne Duncan a good choice to bridge education differences

Thomas B. Fordham Institute President Chester E. Finn, Jr., Tuesday, hailed President-elect Barack Obama's pick for education secretary.

Five thoughts about Arne Duncan

1. He's widely (and fairly) seen as the "consensus candidate," bridging the divides between two camps within the Democratic Party (the reformers and the establishment). But he's not so much a compromise as a canvas upon which people of various persuasions can paint their hopes and dreams (much like his boss). To the reformers, he's a crusader for charter schools and merit pay.

Bethany Little, the uber-insider

We've already weighed in on what president-Elect Obama's selection of Arne Duncan as the next U.S. Secretary of Education may mean for education policy.

How to bridge the Democratic divide

The main media "narrative" of today's ed-sec pick is that Arne Duncan was the "compromise" candidate that both reformers and the teachers union camp within the Democratic Party could abide. Fair enough. Everyone sees something in Arne Duncan that they can claim as their own.

Re: The wheels on the bus...carry an ad?

I LOVE this idea. Putting ads on the outside of school buses is a no-brainer. Municipal bus systems have been doing this for years, and since the advertising is targeting to people outside the vehicles--not kiddies on the inside--how can anyone complain?

The final stretch

Today marks the start of the sixth week of Fordham's pick-the-next-secretary-of-education daily tracking poll. It appears that President-Elect Obama is going to name every position down to national dog-catcher before he announces his selection to lead the Department of Education. Patience is a virtue and Obama is giving us a chance to practice it.

D.C. charters under the microscope

On Sunday the Washington Post launched a major series of articles about D.C. charter schools; a second installment appeared today and a third is coming. Unfortunately, it started with a regrettable front-page story examining the banking industry's involvement with D.C.

Team Maverick vs. Team Marion

TNR: Obama could select a reform double-header

The New Republic's Seyward Darby, she who penned this dynamite (as in explosive and as in very good) article about Linda Darling-Hammond, is reporting that a source is telling he

Questions for Linda Darling-Hammond, part three

In our first installment of "Questions for Linda Darling-Hammond," we asked about a chapter she wrote in an anti-NCLB book.

It's Arne!

Sometimes the conventional wisdom is right; President-Elect Barack Obama has selected Chicago schools CEO Arne Duncan as his secretary of education.?? Here's what our president, Chester E.

The wheels on the bus....carry an ad?