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Commentary
8.6.2003

What price victory for NCLB?

In June, Gadfly voiced some skepticism when the Department of Education announced with great fanfare that it had approved the NCLB accountability plans of all fifty states, as well as the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. We noted that the "victory" was at best pyrrhic, since many states cut corners to comply and at least one (Iowa) was approved despite lacking state standards.

Commentary
8.6.2003

Things left unsaid on salaries

Chester E. Finn, Jr.

The American Federation of Teachers is out with the 2002 edition of its Survey and Analysis of Teacher Salary Trends, and this year's report is even cheekier than usual. Acknowledging that, according to the union's own data, "average teacher salaries improved faster than inflation for the fourth time in five years," the authors demand yet more money for teacher pay.

Commentary
8.6.2003

Who are AP classes for?

A teacher takes Post education columnist Jay Mathews to task for his rankings of America's best public schools, which he bases on the number of students within a school who take Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes.

Commentary
8.6.2003

Historical ignorance, continued

Though the phrase "don't know much about history" is now a clich?, we can't argue with the sentiments of this article in National Journal, which argues that the well-intentioned No Child Left Behind act is perversely marginalizing subjects like history.

Commentary
8.6.2003

New York, old progressivism

When hizzoner Michael Bloomberg gained control of Gotham's crippled school system, many had high hopes. Perhaps at last New York City would muster the strength to free itself from the establishment monopoly over education reform, curriculum, and pedagogy--and the innumerable underperforming schools it has created.

Commentary
8.6.2003

Confidence game in the Hoosier State

Derek Redelman

On January 8, Indiana became one of five states singled out by the U.S. Department of Education for early approval of its No Child Left Behind accountability plan. These states were depicted as leaders that had set aside excuses and committed themselves to educating all students.

Report
8.1.2003
Curriculum & Instruction

Where Did Social Studies Go Wrong?

Kathleen Porter-Magee, James Leming, Lucien Ellington

This new report from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation consists of penetrating critiques by renegade social studies educators who fault the regnant teaching methods and curricular ideas of their field and suggest how it can be reformed. While nearly everyone recognizes that American students don't know much about history and civics, these analysts probe the causes of this ignorance-and lay primary responsibility at the feet of the social studies 'establishment' to which they belong.

Report
8.1.2003
Curriculum & Instruction

Terrorists, Despots, and Democracy: What Our Children Need to Know

Richard Rodriguez, Kenneth R. Weinstein, Victor Davis Hanson, Walter Russell Mead

This new report from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation includes the voices of 29 political leaders, education practitioners, and cultural analysts who discuss what schools should teach about U.S. history, American ideals, and American civic life in the wake of 9/11, the war on terror, and the liberation of Iraq.

Report
8.1.2003
Curriculum & Instruction

Six Questions to Ask on Back to School Night

A good, well-organized social studies curriculum seeks to teach students the key events, issues, and people in America's past, how our government works, our rights and responsibilities as citizens, and how our predecessors fought to defend democracy. How can parents tell whether their children are getting such a curriculum in school?one that is rich in historical content and provides a solid base for future learning? The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation suggests asking teachers and principals these six questions on back to school night.

Commentary
7.30.2003

The merits of uncertified teachers

Gadfly readers know that teacher certification is no guarantee of teacher effectiveness. So our interest was piqued by a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed that spotlights a summer school program run largely by students with no formal education training.

Commentary
7.30.2003

What's a "qualified" teacher and how can we get more of them?

Chester E. Finn, Jr.

With states aflutter over how to meet NCLB's mandate that they must guarantee a "highly qualified teacher in every classroom," two recent reports are illuminating.Last month, Education Secretary Rod Paige issued his second annual report on teacher quality ("Meeting the Highly Qualified Teachers Challenge" or

Commentary
7.30.2003

Teaching Reading in Social Studies

Kathleen Porter-Magee

Jane K. Doty, Gregory N. Cameron, and Mary Lee Barton, Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)2003

Commentary
7.30.2003

Let our superintendents go

Chester E. Finn, Jr.

If you're planning some summer reading, allow us to suggest "An Impossible Job?

Commentary
7.30.2003

Dead stop on Head Start reform

First, there was the Bush administration's proposal to reform Head Start. [See http://www.edexcellence.net/gadfly/issue.cfm?issue=10#350.] That proved too strong for the House, which watered the measure down.

Commentary
7.30.2003

New head for Ed center

Gadfly is pleased to note that Phoebe Cottingham has been named commissioner of the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance at the Department of Education (within the new Institute for Education Sciences that replaced the old Office of Educational Research and Improvement).

Commentary
7.23.2003

Young to head CA charter org

Former Los Angeles school board president Caprice Young, who warmed the hearts of education reformers during her four years in office and accomplished more than anyone expected with that sprawling, balky school system, has agreed to head a newly formed organization that will support the 400+ charter schools in California and help others get started.

Commentary
7.23.2003

Art of the possible

We don't always agree with every single thing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has to say about education but they're growing wiser with age, particularly when it comes to charter (and private) schools.

Commentary
7.23.2003

Fighting music and arts cuts

Across the country, art and music programs in schools are being squeezed by contracting budgets and the demands of No Child Left Behind, which places the curricular focus on reading and math. Devotees of these programs are fighting back with letter-writing campaigns and a website, http://www.supportmusic.com/index-home.html.