A little common sense in the Buckeye State
Emmy L. PartinAs a homeowner whose property taxes recently went up to support the Columbus City School District's November 2008 levy and bond issue, I was pleased to see
Arne's not-so-stimulating stimulus guidance
Michael J. PetrilliI was meeting with the good folks at the National Council on Teacher Quality yesterday, and Sandi Jacobs, its V.P. and a former NYC teacher, reminded me of the norms of niceness within our education system.
Rhee evaluating teachers
The Post writes up Chancellor Rhee's attempt to overhaul the District's teacher evaluation system. ????This is tougher work than it may seem.
The power-hungry P-21
Michael J. PetrilliLynne Munson of Common Core has the latest low-down, here.
Public pensions in the spotlight
Emmy L. PartinThe Cincinnati Enquirer has been running a powerful series of articles about the troubles facing that city's generous public pension systems. The newspaper's editorial board says enough is enough:
So much for burying this story
As Mike noted, the third-year report on the DC voucher program, showing statistically significant benefits for scholarship recipients, presented a challenge for the folks at ED, who responded by using the time-honored tactic of releasing unwelcome news on a Friday afternoon.
Putting things into perspective
Think of all of the energy that some folks are putting into killing the $13 million DC voucher program. Then consider the following:
The Washington Consensus, alive and well
Michael J. PetrilliWhile the name "No Child Left Behind" might be history, the law's animating principles are here to stay. So it appears from Secretary Arne Duncan's recent policy letter. Note this passage:
Arne Duncan's Title I regulations redux
Michael J. PetrilliAfter sitting idle for a week, our Obama Administration Reform-o-Meter is about to get a workout. That's because things are finally happening over at 400 Maryland Avenue.
Good voucher news is bad news for Obama
Michael J. PetrilliReleasing bad news on a Friday afternoon is a time-honored tradition among governments of all political leanings. (The public is distracted by weekend plans; few people read the Saturday paper.) The Obama Administration is showing itself to be no different; it's no coincidence that the latest (very positive) findings about the D.C.
DC voucher study is in
The third-year evaluation on the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program reports that students who received vouchers outperformed their non-voucher peers in reading. There was no difference in math.
Leaving "No Child Left Behind" behind
Michael J. PetrilliThis time I'm not making an April Fool's Day joke. If you give Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's new??letter about the Title I regs* a good look, you'll notice a subtle linguistic shift:
Kerri Briggs in
Confirming Mike's post from last night, Kerri Briggs is the new state chief for Washington, DC.
John Easton to be director of the Institute for Education Sciences
Michael J. PetrilliIt's been rumored before, but I'm hearing that it's a done deal: John Easton,
Rhode Island: The little state that could
Michael J. PetrilliWatch out Massachusetts; your little neighbor to the south is poised to become the next big school reform powerhouse.
Marguerite Roza to speak at Fordham - register today!
Christina HentgesThis morning, the Department of Education posted all the information you could ever want about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (phew). But we're still interested in exploring budget cuts and whether they can catalyze education reform. Are you?
Get some Gladfly
Stafford PalmieriWe got a bit ahead of schedule this week so we thought we'd publish a day early. You know what they say about that early worm... or early bird? Whatever.