Creating motivated parents
Leave it to Rick Hess to find the current lightening rod issue.
Leave it to Rick Hess to find the current lightening rod issue.
A few weeks ago, we at Fordham released a short analysis, Shifting Trends in Special Education. We noticed that some states, like Massachusetts and New York, identified almost twice as many students as needing special education as those in other states, like Texas and California.
It's refreshing to hear that NPR is alert to the ?education crisis? rhetoric peddled seemingly nonstop.
? We're too concentrated on having our children learn the answers. I would teach them how to ask questions?because that's how you learn.'' * ?David McCullough, Historian
Stop me when this sounds unfamiliar: You flip through the pages of the latest Economist (or parse through the articles online), looking for interesting material, chuckling to yourself over the risible article titles and amusing photo captions. Then you settle on a number of pieces to read?the majority of which are on topics you know little about.
If you live in New York City, a quarter of the money ostensibly spent on your child's education goes to fringe benefits and pension costs, according to the New York Post: Why have costs continued to skyrocket while performance lags?
There are two stories in today's New York Times that merit some consideration.
Note: These were my opening comments during Wednesday's Fordham Institute panel, "Is it Time to Turn the Page on Federal Accountability in Education?" Video of the event is available here.
Hiking tips: if, during your hike, you find yourself becoming weak from hunger or trapped in a
?While there is still much work to be done, we have succeeded in one critical and monumental task. We have changed the expectations that people have for D.C. public schools.'' * ?Kaya Henderson, D.C. Acting Schools Chancellor
Well, we hosted a terrific event on Wednesday: Is it time to turn the page on federal accountability in education? If you missed it, you can view the video here:
The following is a guest post from Martha Derthick, a political scientist retired from the government and foreign affairs faculty at the University of Virginia. Derthick co-authors the Education Next quarterly column, Legal Beat.
?This city did not get into this financial mess by overpaying teachers.'' * ?Karen Lewis, President, Chicago Teacher's Union
The following, by Peter Wehner, originally appeared on the Commentary Magazine blog.
The answer, to my mind, is nothing that a good school wouldn't fix. Perhaps you could convince me that we are taking two steps forward and only one step backward in our focus on educating ?black boys.?? (I hate the term more than the N-word.)? But most of the time it feels as if we're doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
?I think I've been let go because I'm not a true believer.'' * ?Josh Karten, former history and business teacher
?The sad part is that morale dips so drastically once the pink slips go out, because the worry begins about family, mortgage, stuff like that.'' * ?Misty Monroe, LA public school teacher
Fordham Institute President Chester Finn, Jr., appeared in an education segment last night (June 14) on NBC Nightly News.
Pam Allyn, a literacy expert and executive director of LitWorld, penned an opinion piece in Education Week entitled ?Against the Whole-Class Novel.?
This is what I don't understand about Diane Ravitch.? After several years (more or less) of fairly relentless criticisms of school reformers, she is back to her old self today, telling the New York Times that the new NAEP history? test results are ?alarming.?? ?Well, of course, they are.
Review: The Nation's Report Card: History 2010
Pennsylvania is trying to fix a thorny problem with virtual schools. If two kids attend a virtual school, one from a high spending district that sends along $10,000 in their backpack to the virtual school, and another from low spending district that sends $6,000, the former child's district is subsidizing the latter's education. It's a tough issue.
The New York Times has a long piece about how, because the Department of Education has now required colleges to wring more racial information from their applicants, and?because those colleges' application forms now include many more race-description options, it's become difficult for admission
To the class of 2011, I say remember to wear sunscreen, and can anybody sell me a pair of gloves?
Or is it the shame of New York?? One can never be sure. According to Barbara Martinez in the Wall Street Journal, Gotham's four-year graduation rates are soaring, to a record 65% -- or so says Mayor Michael Bloomberg.? ?A great day for NYC? Yes and No. As Martinez says,
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Photo in the public domain"][/caption]