Quotable & notable
?For too many years, our state has spent more and more money on education, without producing the results our students deserve.'' * ? Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York
Podcast: Planking, Tebowing, and more
Everyone's favorite guest host, Dave DeSchryver, joins Mike to discuss the 2011 NAEP results, ESEA reauth, and charter schools in middle-class locales. Amber dissects the Chinese education system and Chris extols the virtues of eating red meat. [powerpress]
Feared teacher layoffs mostly didn't happen
Chris TessoneDespite doomsday projections of huge layoffs as a result of the "new normal" of lower or flat education funding, NCTQ found in a recent survey that layoffs in large urban districts were modest ? 2.5 percent on average ? and only affected roughly half of surveyed cities.
Quotable & notable
?We want to be lean and scrappy.'' * ?Gregory Taylor, president and chief executive of the Foundation for Newark's Future
Postcard from China: Constructivist Theory in Chinese Classrooms? Good Luck
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Amber Winkler, Fordham's VP for Research, recently traveled China as a Senior Fellow with the Global Education Policy Fellowship Program (GEPFP).
NAEP 2011: The Reading First effect?
Michael J. PetrilliLast night was fun for the kids, but today is every education wonk's favorite holiday: NAEP release day! Kevin Carey is already out with some savvy analysis; let me add some thoughts on the trends in reading.
A simmering scandal? Gotham cheating won't go away
Peter MeyerAccording to Sharon Otterman, writing in today's New York Times, the New York State education department has been documenting cheating allegations in the state's schools for almost a decade ?
Are teachers overpaid?
Chris TessoneIn a new AEI/Heritage paper that is sure to create some buzz, Andrew Biggs and Jason Richwine say yes, teachers are overpaid relative to similar workers based on several different metrics.
Quotable & notable
?If the district is interested in putting together a reasonable, intellectually honest ? and legal ? evaluation system, you have to have teachers involved'' * ?Warren Fletcher, UTLA President
Postcard from China: China's Tiered Cake of Educational Governance
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Amber Winkler, Fordham's VP for Research, recently traveled China as a Senior Fellow with the Global Education Policy Fellowship Program (GEPFP).
A is for Accountability*; What's at stake in the ESEA debate**
Michael J. Petrilli[caption id="" align="alignright" width="148" caption="Picture by Bryan Bennett"][/caption]
More fluff and circumstance from Michael Winerip*
Peter MeyerWhen he's good, New York Times education columnist Michael Winerip is very good (see his report on Atlanta cheating).?
Quotable & notable
?Listen to the claims of both sides, discount them each by 50 percent and then go with your gut.'' * ? Bill Seitz, Ohio state senator
Quotable & notable
?If a state continues to deteriorate in terms of its educational performance ... the forces of competition over time will cause them to make changes,'' * ? Herman Cain, former CEO of Godfather's Pizza
Postcard from China: Stopping to admire the view
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Amber Winkler, Fordham's VP for Research, is currently traveling China as a Senior Fellow with the Global Education Policy Fellowship Program ( GEPFP).
The Times has it right on ESEA renewal: Just say No!
Peter MeyerThe New York Times editorial page has been a remarkably consistent and clear voice on behalf of smart education reform ? and today it stays the course with a sensible critique of the Harkin-Enzi proposal.?
Jerry Brown, pension reformer?
Chris TessoneCalifornia's Jerry Brown is getting ready to propose what the AP calls "sweeping rollbacks" in public-sector pensions, raising the retirement age for non-public safety employees to 67, ending abuses like spiking and "air
Quotable & notable
?We are one. These are our students, and we need to wrap our arms around parents all across the city to make sure all parents are involved in the schools.'' * ? Dennis Walcott, Chancellor of New York City Public Schools
Postcard from China: How the Chinese recognize excellence
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Amber Winkler, Fordham's VP for Research, is currently traveling China as a Senior Fellow with the Global Education Policy Fellowship Program (GEPFP).
Education news nuggets
Exercise your logic: what happens when the sex-ed curriculum is a how-to manual if the students are already
Quotable & notable
?Perfection is just not reasonable'' * ? Mitchell Chester, Education Commissioner of Massachusetts
Governance doesn't get much more thrilling than this
ESEA reauthorization is exciting, sure, but whatever comes out of the Senate won't be all that revolutionary. If you want to hear some really groundbreaking ideas on how our education system should work, highlight December 1, 2011 on your calendars. Right now.
Postcard from China: Waking up to the needs of all students
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Amber Winkler, Fordham's VP for Research, is currently traveling China as a Senior Fellow with the Global Education Policy Fellowship Program (GEPFP). She'll be passing along her observations on education in the People's Republic with periodic ?Postcards from China.?
The lessons of "Halting a Runaway Train"
Tyson EberhardtThis is the fourth in a series of blog posts introducing Fordham's latest report, Halting a Runaway Train: Reforming Teacher Pensions for the 21st Century.