Quotable & notable
?Kids are barometers of truth. ?They know whether you care for them.'' * ? Angelique Jacques Marcoulis, Principal of Opportunities Unlimited Charter High School
?Kids are barometers of truth. ?They know whether you care for them.'' * ? Angelique Jacques Marcoulis, Principal of Opportunities Unlimited Charter High School
Guest blogger Alex Medler is the VP for Research and Evaluation at the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). Medler chaired the board of directors of Colorado's Charter School Institute, a statewide charter authorizer.
[caption id="attachment_19702" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Photo from colorlines.com"]
Guest blogger Roxanna Elden is a National Board Certified Teacher in Miami, and the author of See Me After Class: Advice for Teachers by Teachers.
?At the end of the day, you can't give a death sentence for stealing a turkey.'' * ?Derrick Bass, Dean at Marshall High School in Chicago
While Checker dispenses with the United Educators of San Francisco on one coast, a more worthy opponent has emerged much closer to home.?
It's official: Federal policymakers across the political spectrum are finally willing to admit that Congress overreached when it passed No Child Left Behind and put Uncle Sam in the driver's seat on education accountability.
?And Johnny still can't read. Even his diploma. I don't see what there is about the last 50 years of failure that's worth enshrining in marble, and a shock to the system might be just what the system needs. We can hardly make matters worse.'' *
Jeb Bush's Foundation for Excellence in Education (FEE) kicks off its annual summit today out in San Francisco.
Mike takes back the driver's seat, with Rick, once-again, in his sidecar. Together, they offer up substantive takes on Harkin's new ESEA bill, Jerry Brown's API veto, and the role of for-profits in education; chat with Amber about controlled-choice programs; and go on a sting operation with Chris. Then they ride off into the sunset. [powerpress]
Younger teachers in Illinois, whose pensions were slashed last year by the legislature, should start asking whose benefits they're really paying for. The new Tier 2 pension only costs about 5 percent of salary...yet teachers are paying 9.4% of their salaries into the Teacher Retirement System.
?We are moving into a partnership mode with states, rather than telling states you've got to do this and this and this'' * ?Tom Harkin, Senator from Iowa and head of the Senate education committee
Listen live this evening at 5:35 p.m.
I was prepared for a rant against all things reform when I started reading the New York Times Q & A interview with Maria Velez-Clarke, the principal of the Children's Workshop School in Manhattan's East Village, about the school's C-grade from the City.?
?At the end of the day it might be all talk, but I think there are a lot of families that value diversity.'' * ?Madely Rodriguez, P.S. 29 parent
I have always been suspicious of differentiated instruction if only because, like its kissin' cousin customized learning, it sounds too good to be true.?
The wonderful hubris of the new National Education Policy Center study on Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and Racial Justice, is not the assertion that discipline data should be an essential metric in gauging a school's success ? which it should ?
Teacher pension systems around the country are falling into crisis due to poor investment returns, unfunded increases in benefits, and poor governance and management.
?What can the state department do for higher performing districts? Get out of the way.'' * ? Stefan Pryor, Connecticut's new education commissioner
On behalf of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, I am happy to announce that today our board elected?Dr.
?A child who is suspended from school is more than likely waving a red flag for needing intervention and support. Metaphorically speaking, this is a time you want to put your arms around a student, rather than push them away.'' *
Janie and Daniela go two-for-two. This week they unpack Duncan's teacher-prep plan, quality control in digital learning, and the parallels between football and education. Amber boots out ineffective teachers and Chris calls out of turn. [powerpress]
Guest blogger Ze'ev Wurman, an executive with Monolithic 3D, a Silicon Valley startup, has participated in developing California's education standards and assessments in mathematics since the mid-1990s.
I happened on a small story in the Times on Sunday, called ?Deadlines Get Results,?