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Going-away gift
Will President Bush get a last education laugh? That's what Richard Whitmire, president of the National Education Writers Association and founder of the Why Boys Fail blog, predicts.
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What does Obama's "Era of Responsibility" mean for education?
For a day of celebration and catharsis, President Barack Obama's inaugural address struck tones both somber and sober.
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Oklahoma!
Yesterday, Barack Obama said that "those of us who manage the public's dollars will...do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between and people and their government." So maybe he'd like a
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"We got ours, good luck in getting yours"
The public schools in Dayton have been struggling academically for years, battling Cleveland most years for the dubious distinction of worst school system in the state. But the city has been blessed to have three truly outstanding high schools. The Dayton Public Schools' Stivers School for the Arts and the Dayton Early College Academy charter school were both honored by U.S.
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Fordham's Flypaper blog
Catch Ohio angles on the Thomas B. Fordham Institute's Flypaper blog (see here). Last week Mike Lafferty commented on U.S. Sen. George Voinovich's decision to retire on Jan. 12; Emmy Partin blogged about the Ohio Board of Regents plan to streamline computer software and technology services to save money on Jan.
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Hey, Dayton schools are cool, and a lot more than just about education!
The Dayton Public Schools has decided on one way to handle the problem of low test scores and declining enrollment.They've hired a flack.
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Bush's post-presidency
The Washington Post reported Sunday on Bush's plans to start a new think tank, the Freedom Institute, which will include an education component:
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Using the recession to clobber charter schools
Around the country, school districts are urging officials to crack down on charter school growth--and on existing charter schools--because, they assert, there isn't enough money in strapped state budgets to pay for this sector--and of course the districts must come first.
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If not now, when?
I've heard from several friends, particularly those on the left, who are perplexed by the arguments made by me and
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The Obama education strategy: Hire the reformers, bail out the states, buy off the unions
That's what it's starting to look like, at least if the rumors swirling around Washington have any merit.
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Left at the Altar? The Bush Legacy on K-12 Education
Our favorite podcast hosts, Mike and Rick, will be discussing President Bush's education legacy at an American Enterprise Institute-hosted event in February. Take a look at the agenda: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
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Successful schools and education reform
I ran across an informative interview with Washington Post's Jay Mathews about his new book,
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Voc not a joke
Is there any education miracle that Massachusetts didn't perform over the past ten years? Here's another one: reinventing vocational education, public schools' oft forgotten and woefully downtrodden wayward cousin. But this ain't your grandpa's voc ed.
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No news is good news
Arne Duncan's Senate confirmation hearing this week was by all accounts a smashing success--if you define "success" as making no waves, upsetting no constituents, and sending no signals about the Obama Administration's intentions in the education sphere.
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A bailout for private schools?
Don't bank on it, but public schools aren't the only ones feeling the pinch from our current economic crisis. Budget woes have also seen private school enrollments drop and financial aid costs rise. "We just couldn't keep writing the check," explains San Francisco parent Cynthia Hogan.
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Purrrrrfectly crazy
Fishing enthusiasts beware. No longer will you find salmon, trout, catfish, or your other favorite scaly friend at the end of your line. If People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have their way, you'll be reeling in a sea kitten. What's a sea kitten, you ask? It's PETA's new name for fish.
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National Assessment of Adult Literacy: Indirect County and State Estimates of the Percentage of Adults at the Lowest Literacy Level for 1992 and 2003
L. Mohadjer, G. Kalton, T. Krenzke, B. Liu, W. Van de Kerck, L. Li, D. Sherman, J. Dillman, J. RaoNational Center for Education StatisticsJanuary 2009
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Informing the Debate: Comparing Boston's Charter, Pilot, and Traditional Schools
A. Abdulkadiroglu, J. Angrist, S. Cohodes, S. Dynarski, J. Fullerton, T. Kane, P. PathakThe Boston FoundationJanuary 2009
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Did Bush hurt the charter movement by trying to help it?
It's ironic. The Bush administration, a strong proponent of school choice, may have done more harm than good in its quest to help the charter school movement. At least, the Bush administration failed to meaningfully move the charter sector forward beyond the improvements made under President Clinton. How could that be?
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Competitive crunch
It should come as no surprise that the economy has become the excuse de jour for all sorts of bad policy.
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Never misunderestimate the AFT
My initial reaction to the news (here and here ) that teachers at a KIPP school in New York City h
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Love NCLB? You're in luck!
I spent yesterday afternoon on Capitol Hill and it confirmed what I already suspected: Washington is in complete paralysis around the No Child Left Behind act.
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One question for Arne Duncan (answer provided too!)
The New America Foundation beat me to the punch with its "20 Questions for the Secretary-Designate." They are pretty good, if somewhat leading.
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And you thought pay-for-performance was unpopular?
Just think if this idea made its way to the k-12 system: ???A&M to base bonuses on student input???!