Quotable & notable
?Education is not a partisan issue. Not everybody in one party is completely sold on one approach.'' * ?Rob Eissler, Texas House Representative
?Education is not a partisan issue. Not everybody in one party is completely sold on one approach.'' * ?Rob Eissler, Texas House Representative
In this time of great financial crisis, have we really gotten to a point where we need to rely on 4-day weeks and
With Mike and Rick away this week, Janie and Daniela hold down the fort, discussing college rigor, the future of Georgia's charter schools, and a new take on ESEA reauthorization. Amber digs into the weeds of Common Core and state-standards alignment, and Chris gets mad that no one asked him to the prom. [powerpress]
?By lifting up those who need us and by tearing down the walls that divide us, we can truly honor the legacy of Brown versus the Board of Education.'' * ?Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General
As students redshirt kindergarten and parental involvement is questioned, others ask, ?
?Having gone to New York City public schools, that quite literally saved my life. I feel an incredible devotion to make that possible for more kids.'' * ?John B. King Jr., New York's next Education Commissioner
It's school budget voting day in New York. And in my little district, with fewer than 2,000 K?12 students, voters are being asked to approve a $41,249,180 budget, which is a remarkably lean one, considering that it is just .77 more than last year's budget (that's less than one percent).
?Instead of cutting what students need most, cut things that students don't need. Music is something that is very influential for students, but having 10 secretaries isn't. Save our music.'' *
In another major sign of how far the school reform movement has traveled, New York's Board of Regents today appointed John King, an African American and former managing director of Uncommon Schools, Commissioner of Education.
Andrew Cuomo is not considered an education reform governor, but the Democratic leader of the Empire State has taken some bold stands in reining in education spending (by a billion bucks) ? even if it was courage born of necessity.?
Last week the lefties staged a protest against millionaires in New York City.?
Is your curriculum a coal curriculum? If not, maybe a Russian billionaire could be of service.
One of the more interesting characteristics of the recent curriculum counter-manifesto was its lead sentence, which had this lovely turn of phrase: we ?oppose the call for a nationalized curriculum.??
Three cheers for Booker T. Washington! But, that is just about the only thing to be cheering for?what is the education world coming to?
Smile. The magnanimous Dave DeSchryver guest hosts this week; he and Mike hash out the big takeaways from the common curriculum counter-manifesto and the Chamber of Commerce's ESEA proposal before explaining what exactly is going down in Illinois. Amber dissects the branding of Catholic schools, and Marena is no slave to poor teacher judgment. [powerpress]
?I'm all for high standards. I'm all for excellent curriculum. Kids should be pushed. But you have to recognize the population'' * ?Skip McCoy, Member of the D.C. Public Charter School Board
So apparently today was Limerick Day and we were having some fun in the office, sending our own limericks around. Mike wanted to share a few of our laughs with you all. First, Mike sent around this one: There once was a man from Ohio. Whose prose was full of much style. He said with a grin.
In a fascinating study of interest group influence on school board elections, Stanford political scientist Sarah Anzia offers new reasons for dropping special spring school district elections.
The ???counter-manifesto??? released this week in opposition to national testing and a national curriculum is full of half-truths, mischaracterizations, and straw men. But it was signed by a lot of serious people and deserves a serious response. [quote]
In March, Fordham's Ohio team released a report based on a survey of Ohio school district superintendents and other local education leaders.
While concealed guns and chocolate milk continue to be big issues in education,
?What's worse: supporting public funding for private schools, or allowing poor children to stay in chronically failing schools? The research is clear -- a couple of years in a row in an ineffective classroom can change a child's entire life trajectory.
Fordham Institute President Chester Finn, has an interesting op-ed in the NY Daily News today.
David Brooks had a sobering column in yesterday's Times, warning that America is going soft.? Or, as he puts it, ?the country is becoming less vital and industrious?. One-fifth of all men in their prime working ages are not getting up and going to work.?
Living near D.C.?a city with a 40 percent charter market share?charter schools are a constant topic of discussion, with reform-minded Marylanders envious of D.C.'s friendliness toward charters.
?Time is running out. Without political leadership willing to take risks and build support for ?radical reform,? and without a citizenry willing to insist on those reforms, our schools will continue to decline.'' *
At first blush, it would appear that former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels have a lot in common. Both served as cabinet members in the George W. Bush Administration. Both are viewed as pragmatic centrists. And both hold strong school reform instincts. [quote]
Former New York Times education correspondent Gene Maeroff decided to get his hands dirty when he ran for his local school board in central New Jers