Commentary
Education news nuggets
Some uproar over schools having better AP ratings from Hispanic students taking AP Spanish, but why is this a problem?
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Pessimistic scientists:1, State Teachers Retirement System:0
In 2007 we commissioned the well-respected economists Robert Costrell and Michael Podgursky to analyze Ohio's State Teachers Retirement S
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Quotable and notable
?Why not evaluate each teacher individually on a variety of criteria such as test scores, instructional quality, parent satisfaction and peer comments? Teaching is unique, but so are other professions where such evaluations are commonplace.?
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Ivory Coast Soccer Academy - playing the beautiful game and getting an education
For all you die-hard futbol fans out there, you probably saw the World Cup special prior to this year’s kickoff. And if your timing was right, you saw this inspirational clip on the Ivory Coast Soccer Academy. If you missed it, take a minute to watch it. Not a fan?
Commentary
Much more on the Common Core
As we recently noted, the Ohio State Board of Education voted to adopt the Common Core academic standards.
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US vs. the World (hint: we're not talking about soccer)
Digital-game-inspired instruction isn’t the only thing that makes one New York City charter school unique. At Quest to Learn, professional development is focused on helping teachers infuse technology with instruction, and it isn’t just a one-off session.
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What do you think -- second half of the charter school bargain?
The National Association of Charter School Authorizers recently issued its latest annual report on the policies and practices of the nation’s charter authorizers.
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Policy changes necessary for Cleveland to see Baltimore-like success
The Cleveland Plain Dealer recently lifted up Baltimore City Schools as a possible model for Cleveland.
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Search for cost-savings is nothing new for local school districts
Ohio remains firmly in the throes of the economic recession and analysts predict that recovery is a long way off. The state was able to postpone much of the financial pain in the current biennial budget but faces an estimated $8 billion deficit in the next two-year budget. Work to address this shortfall has been slow to start in the Statehouse.
Commentary
Libertad de la Educacion: School Choice Solutions for Closing the Latino Achievement Gap
Lori Drummer and Don SoiferLexington InstituteJune, 2010
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Devil in the Details: An Analysis of State Teacher Dismissal Laws
Saba BiredaCenter for American ProgressJune 2010 Momentum is building to reform teacher dismissal policies. Federal and state policymakers alike are calling for changes to K-12 education’s highly complex and costly dismissal procedures, especially as school districts face looming budget cuts.
Commentary
In case you missed it: Teachers union leaders can be reformers, too
In the national Gadfly, Checker Finn and Stafford Palmieri highlight and commend teach union leaders across the country who are reform-minded visionaries and pragmatists that don’t always let the short-term self-interest of adults blind them to the long-term interests of children.
Commentary
Education news nuggets
While it's no surprise that gifted students have the know-how to game the system, some are still questioning the certainly gifted and talented Bill Gates and his School of the
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NAPCS and The Lottery
The good folks at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools are hosting a free screening of The Lottery, the much-buzzed new ed reform movie, this Friday in the nation's capital. ?Sign up here.
Commentary
New Schools for New Orleans
No city has done more to redefine the delivery of urban public education than New Orleans. And no city-based organization in the nation is doing more to advance the most important education reforms than New Schools for New Orleans.
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MN and charters
Good article from Ed Week's Aarons on MN's attempt to improve charter authorizing. Takeaway: Because of a new law, many districts may get out of the business of authorizing.
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National education standards that even conservatives can love
Mike and Checker write in today's National Review Online that part of the reason the Common Core education standards have fared well politically (adopted by 29 states at last count) is because they avoid the vagueness and politica
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Quotable and notable
?That would be robbing Peter to pay Peter.? ?Joel Packer, Executive Director of the Committee for Education Funding
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Education news nuggets
Today is the first day of summer, but for some Boston Public School students, this summer vacation will not be a vacation from learning.
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National Conference on Student Assessment
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) conference on student assessment is streaming live.
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Quotable and notable
?This is a civil rights issue. If you look at the date someone signed up for a job as the only measure of effectiveness, that doesn't pass the test of providing for an equal opportunity for students to learn.? ?State Senator Gloria Romero,? D-Los Angeles
Commentary
Education news nuggets
It's Friday, so why not slow down on your reading and watch some videos, one addressed to school principals and the other about
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Sector agnosticism in Philly
On a number of occasions, I've written about what I call ?sector agnosticism? in urban education. It's a simple concept: we shouldn't care what sector a school belongs to (traditional public, charter public, or private); instead, we should judge schools based on their quality.
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Quotable and notable
?There needs to be integration, including of the ultra-Orthodox.? ? Arye Carmon, President of the Israel Democracy Institute
Commentary
Denial vs paranoia with Common Core education standards
I deny that I'm in denial. But I don't deny that Neal McCluskey is paranoid, along with Jay Greene and a few other ardent blogsters and op-edsters.
Commentary
Education news nuggets
In Massachusetts, music programs are getting cut, even though studies show they will improve your algebra.
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Rhode Island's new funding formula
Deborah Gist continues to make important progress in Rhode Island. The state has a new student-driven funding formula. Projo praises it here.
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Pittsburgh, performance pay, and patience
Good Sawchuk article on Pittsburgh's new teacher contract, which includes several differentiated compensation elements. It's a pretty confusing agreement, but that's probably the result of lots of district-union negotiation.
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Quotable and notable
?Our Regents diploma doesn't mean college-ready.? ?Meryl Tisch, Chancellor of the Regents Exam ?Revaluing Regents,? The Wall Street Journal
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Teacher union leaders can be reformers, too
It’s no secret among education reformers, and among keen-eyed observers of the reform scene (in which select population we brazenly include the Education Gadfly and his Fordham pals), that the two national teacher unions are the largest, richest, shrewdest and most dogged foes of nearly all the most urgently-needed changes in American K-12 education.