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Diane Ravitch enters the "sphere..."
...the blogosphere, that is. Check out her (and Deborah Meier's) new forum here.
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Diane Ravitch presents...
You won’t want to miss a joint Fordham-AEI discussion with renowned education historian Diane Ravitch, occasioned by publication of her new book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System. It will take place on Wednesday, March 10, in AEI’s top-deck Wohlstetter Conference Center from 4 to 5:30pm. Panelists include William A.
Commentary
Didactic doldrums
This week, Mike and guest host Liam Julian contemplate whether states can be trusted to guarantee rigorous curricula and standards, if Omaha is doing the right thing by segregating its districts, and why Joel Klein won’t give principals more bonus money. We’ve got an interview with Arizona education reformer Matt Ladner, and Education News of the Weird is, well, boring.
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Did you get a raise for not dying this summer?
That question, and others, is posed on 25 billboards throughout greater Cincinnati.
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Did you say Afrikaner?
This week, Mike and Rick chat about education's talent dearth, why pessimism pays, and inadequate pencilnecks. We have an exclusive interview about student hackers, and Education News of the Weird is a scream. Attention: This 20-minute podcast has left the building!
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Ding, ding, ding!
This week, Mike and Rick chat about special-ed, rogue charters, and school names. Matthew Ladner of the Goldwater Institute talks NCLB, and News of the Weird is rich and creamy.
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Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
This week, Mike and Rick mess with Texas, take a trip south of the border, and form education policy for the D.C. government.
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Discovering "academic freedom"
By all means spare yourself the burden of reading, as I did this week in the esteemed National Review Online, that criticizing sneaky attempts to undermine evolution in k-12 science class is somehow akin to promoting eugenics.
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Discussing turnarounds
On January 28, 2010, we consider the timely question “School Turnarounds: Exciting and Felicitous or Expensive and Futile?” Featuring the authors of opposing Education Next articles, Bryan Hassel and Andy Smarick, we’ll also hear from Andrés Alonso, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, and Emily Lawson of the DC Prep charter network.
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Dismantling NCLB . . .
On Saturday, the Washington Post featured an op ed by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings declaring her "willingness to work with states to make [NCLB] fit their unique local needs." Today, Spellings will announce-at a special meeting with state chiefs at Mount Vernon, near Washington-the particulars of the plan, which will include allowing states that can prove they've made progress towa
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District-charter relationships are love/hate
A love/hate relationship sums up what’s happening across the country when it comes to district-charter collaboration. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is trying to spread the love by providing support and encouraging cooperation among district and charter leaders in places like New York City, New Orleans, Denver, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles.
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Districting teacher assessment
Eight days earlier, on January 20, Jason Kamras, D.C. Public Schools’ Director of Human Capital Strategy for Teachers, will present and explain DCPS new effectiveness assessment for school-based employees.
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Dodecahedron
This week, Mike and Rick talk about black kids, gifted kids, and the NYPD. We've got an interview with René Islas, and Education News of the Weird is a cultural revolution. Click here to listen through our website and peruse past editions.
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Does God hate Catholic schools?
This week, Mike and Rick consider the fate of urban Catholic schools, which can't seem to catch a break, as well as Rhee's "Plan B," and Palin's remarks at the VP debate. Amber enlightens us with a report on DC--achievement, poverty, housing, the whole shebang--while Rate that Reform avoids contracting rabies.
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Does Mike have swine flu?
This week, Mike and Rick discuss Texas accountability developments, replicating the Harlem Children's Zone in Boston, and the teacher debacle out in L.A. Then Amber tells us about a new study on whether school choice affects house prices and Rate that Reform channels the Supreme Court.
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Does NCTQ have some data for you!
Today, the National Council on Teacher Quality launched a new database on teacher collective bargaining agreements. It's chock full of good stuff! Check it out here.
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Disturbing trend: Reformers as compliance police
Once upon a time, centrist school reform had a single, overriding theme: accountability for results. This was apparent in the standards movement, with its focus on delineating clear expectations for all students, the achievement of which was to be measured by rigorous tests and linked to real consequences for adults.
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Everyone needs a veep
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is searching for a vice president for quality and growth. It sounds like a fine opportunity, about which more information can be gleaned by clicking here.
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Field Notes: Kafka, the sequel
I knew as soon as we had finished saying the Pledge that it could be an interesting school board meeting: there were only four members present, which (because we were a 7-member board) meant that we had to have unanimous consent to pass any resolution, including, as we would soon learn, convening a meeting. A motion to accept the agenda was made and seconded.
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Field notes: Through the special ed looking glass
While Mike was reporting that special education spending was “heading toward one-third” of all school outlays, I was listening to a report from our school district’s special education director who said she didn’t really know how much it cost
Commentary
Fordham Event! The Grape Debate
Red or green? Seeds or seedless? Concord or cabernet? Join us on Saturday afternoon for this stemwinder of a discussion. The debate will feature our own Deanne Ravaged taking on everybody else. Reception to follow, featuring a carefully chosen selection of the fruit of the vine.
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Fordham Fellows 2.0
We are happy to announce that the next class of Fordham Fellows has begun work at various education-policy organizations about Washington. Irrepressible to the core, they're also blogging. Read what they have to say, here.
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Fordham Fellows 2.0
We are happy to announce that the next class of Fordham Fellows has begun work at various education-policy organizations about Washington. Irrepressible to the core, they're also blogging. Read what they have to say, here.
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Fordham Fellows! Part deux
Are you smart and interested in education policy? Want to come to Washington for nine months, work in a really interesting organization, meet everyone in town, make $25,000? Of course you do! Click here to find out how.
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Does the Charter Industry Have a Product Life Cycle?
How do Ohio's charter schools resemble modern Poland's economy? Travel with me across the Atlantic.
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Don't exploit tragedy to make your policy point
When I first heard the news about a Los Angeles elementary teacher killing himself, I cringed.
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Don't know much about history?
On June 12th, head over to the McGowan Theater at the National Archives at 10 a.m. There, the National History Center will host a discussion about the current state of history education. The event consists of two panels and a lunch speaker, and wraps up at 3 p.m. Diane Ravitch will chair one of the sessions.
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Don't miss it!
On NCLB's fifth anniversary, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Representative Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) will unveil their bipartisan, bicameral legislation to create rigorous, voluntary core standards in math and science for children in grades K-12.
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Don't point!
This week, Mike and Rick discuss the RTTT finalists (we’re a bit late, but this is a weekly show!), ED’s new push for “civil rights,” and whether school board presidents should be able to write a coherent sentence. Then Amber tells us about a new Education Trust study that overplays its hand and Stafford says, Don’t point!
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Don't wait! Apply today!
Fordham is on the hunt for a Finance Director. If you have strong investing and accounting skills, and welcome the challenge of strategic budgeting for a complex, multi-million dollar nonprofit, we have just the job for you. Check out the Finance Director position here.