New Education Next survey: The nation's sour mood bleeds into education
Michael J. PetrilliSupport for renewing No Child Left Behind with minimal changes is down from a year ago, from 57 percent to 50 percent, according to a brand new poll by Education Next (where I serve as executive editor).
More on that Ed Next poll
From that Ed Next poll, this caught my eye: Race- and Income-based School Integration
Ed ideas down under
Stafford PalmieriAustralian Education Minister Julia Gillard is taking a lesson from the Big Apple. Having visited with the New York Chancellor of Schools Joel Klein, Gillard wants to start ranking Australia's schools on an A-F scale.
Day Two of the 2008 Education Olympics
The first medals were awarded today, with Nordic countries--Norway, Finland, and Iceland--stealing the show. The United States--winner so far of 9 golds, 3 silvers, and 2 bronzes in the athletic competitions--has yet to take home a medal in the Education Olympics. Find more coverage at edolympics.net.
Discuss: Is the "end of black politics" good for education reform?
Michael J. PetrilliI'm curious what my colleagues think; check out Matt Bai's New York Times Magazine piece on the inter-gener
This explains 99 percent of the NCLB backlash *
Michael J. Petrilli"Uptick in 'No Child' failures largely due to suburban schools"
The Democratic Party: No longer a fully owned subsidiary of the NEA and AFT?
Michael J. PetrilliTake a look at the text of an invitation that landed in my inbox a few hours ago, and tell me this isn't new and different: JOIN THE ED CHALLENGE FOR CHANGE
Amber's right: The "end of black politics" is good for school reform
Michael J. PetrilliMy gambit this morning didn't work to spark a full-fledged office debate, but I did
In consideration of Mike's request to consider
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Mike links to this fascinating article by Matt Bai in yesterday's NYT and
The 2008 Education Olympics are underway!
The world's greatest athletes kicked off the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in grand style today at the National Stadium in Beijing. Meanwhile, across town, another breed of competitor was celebrating the start of this year's Education Olympics:
Now that's the Olympic spirit
Michael J. PetrilliA clink of the five rings goes out to "Doug" and "Nancy," who both had some fun with our Education Olympics Games on Eduwonkette yesterday: First Doug:
Stressed!
Michael J. PetrilliThat's how American teens are feeling, according to the latest State of our Nation's Youth survey by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans.
Blood and guts will keep your son away from PlayStation, but...
Stafford PalmieriAre we really this far gone? The Wall Street Journal announced this morning, "Problem: Boys Don't Like to Read.
Gadfly: Getcha some!
This week's Gadfly is out, and it features a fine article about how Ohio's education woes are being reinforced and why it matters for the rest of the country.
Would robots unionize?
Stafford PalmieriA question to ponder if new research on Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) pans out. Robotic teachers, you ask? CNN has more.
Cafeteria cops
Ocean's 11 has come to Fairfax County, Virginia. Its school district estimates that during the 2007-2008 school year, $1.2 million of cafeteria food was pilfered from under the watchful eyes of the lunch ladies.
Can you get it in HD?
Survivor and The Real World attract millions of viewers, but the reality TV cognoscenti know where to find the most delicious fare: the televised actions of elected political bodies (see here and here).
Conversing with Ted Strickland
Terry RyanOhio Governor Ted Strickland is in the midst of a 12-city "Conversation on Education" that he says will inform his long-awaited education plan, currently expected in early 2009. I attended his invitation-only event in Dayton, and the governor came across as charming, caring, even grandfatherly. He was patient with everyone and showed a real sense of humor.
Forgetful in Boston
A Boston Globe op-ed tells us that, long before he was governor of Massachusetts, the young Deval Patrick "earned a scholarship from A Better Chance, an organization that provides educational opportunities to young people of color." That scholarship transported him from Chicago's South Side to Boston's Milton Academy and eventually through the fabled iron gates of Harvard Yard.
Vote's a-comin'
In 2006, we wailed when the Florida Supreme Court, on which sit perhaps some of the most left-leaning people in Tallahassee, summoned up dubious reasoning to strike down the state's Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provided vouchers to students to escape their failing schools for better educational opportuniti
Mr. Grier goes to San Diego
Michael J. PetrilliThe Voice of San Diego, ??a local independent paper, examines the ongoing deliberations over a new teachers union contra
Whitmire argues that McCain, not Obama, will gut NCLB
Michael J. PetrilliNow you know the thesis of this
A digital conversation
Stafford PalmieriThe NCLB conversation has gone digital--at NewTalk.Org, a fancy shmancy blog that allows big thinkers to "talk" via posting for a set time period.
Subversive activity (of the good kind)
Stafford PalmieriI have to admit that I had been hoping for a while someone would do this. A new advocacy group founded this past spring, Strong Schools DC , has fomented a grassroots revolution and the D.C.