Quotable "We're doing this because we're stuck - we have kids coming out of windows." --Emily Heckman, parent of a child whose school may cut parent-paid teacher aides because of complaints from teachers' unions.
For the last several years, Maryland's legislature has debated a scholarship tax credit bill. These programs are increasingly popular across the nation (they were even a topic of discussion at this meeting).
Quotable "I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers, doctors and teachers, not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court justice. I want them aspiring to be president of the United States." --President Obama, in his speech to the NAACP
If you thought the No Child Left Behind act went too far, you're going to love the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights under Russlynn Ali, the former leader of Ed-Trust West who is known for her admirable and effective sense of urgency.
I have a piece by that title in today's Education Gadfly.
During my time at the WH, one of the best things I worked on was a series of projects designed to raise the profile of the faith-based urban schools crisis and find solutions.
DC government fails to provide charters over $100 million Interesting NYT profile of Judge Sotomayor's Catholic elementary school
If you're curious what my book is about, why I favor start-ups over turnarounds, why I've watched Live at the El Mocambo a million times, and more, check out my interview with Education News.
This recent GAO report on the ARRA has some bad news for education reformers. SFSF funds are being used almost entirely to protect jobs and existing programs; no evidence of reform to be found. I go into more detail here.
Quotable "Sometimes I think, 'What if I'm sitting at the same desk she sat in?'" --Branaijah Melvin, 11-year-old student at Blessed Sacrament, Judge Sonia Sotomayor's K-8 school
With the Big Three in and out of the red, it seems bankruptcy is the new black in Detroit. Who's got the bug?
And then there was meritocracy. When then-State Education Commissioner Peter McWalters ordered Providence, Rhode Island to abandon seniority hiring and firing practices in that city's schools, we applauded. Now, his replacement, Deborah Gist, has completed the policy's pass to Providence supe, Tom Brady.
The Republican Party's adventures with Big Government Conservatism might be coming to an end, at least with respect to education policymaking. Representative John Kline of Minnesota is now the ranking minority member of the House Education and Labor committee, and seems eager to rethink NCLB from top to bottom.
"She was hungry, loved politics, had charm and energy, loved walking onto the stage, waving and doing the stump speech. All good. But she was not thoughtful.
Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of ChicagoJune 2009
Jay Greene says we are "obsessed with the latest policy fashions" and switching our "policy focus so that it is in line with the current administration and congressional majority."
The Wall Street Journal sounds the alarms about the Christianity-in-American-history battle brewing in Texas.
Ohio's legislature agreed this week to a $50.5 billion biennial state budget and Governor Strickland is expected to sign the bill by week's e
The federal stimulus legislation is pumping lots of money into the nation's public education system, but what about private schools, particularly the invaluable subset of inner-city faith-based, including
Guest blogger Ron Reynolds is executive director of the California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO), the California state affiliate of the Council for American Private Education (CAPE).
Editor's Note: This week we launch the first in a biweekly series highlighting education reformers. Every two weeks we'll pose the same questions to people working to bring about meaningful education reform--most of them from outside the Beltway.
Brand-new test score results for the District of Columbia Public Schools show big gains. The Post reports:
When we decided to give the Obama Administration Reform-o-Meter an extended vacation, we never thought it would leave a hole that would be filled by the AFT!
Secretary Duncan speaks to AFT conference; continues "with you, not to you" pitch, calls the labeling of failing schools "demoralizing" for faculty.
As Andy reported last Friday, the DC Council has sent a letter to Secretary Duncan urging him to reconsider the fate of the DC Opportunity Scholarship program.
Checker's book, Reroute the Preschool Juggernaut, is reviewed in this Washington Times piece.
It looks like some states are moving in the right direction on reform in order to access Race to the Top funds. But we have to remember that these reforms, though important, aren't free; they cost $100 billion. So the question is: Are we getting enough in return for this investment?
