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Unprofessional or utopian?
This week’s National Journal online discussion features Fordham’s latest report: Cracks in the Ivory Tower? The Views of Education Professors Circa 2010.
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Unraveling constant school spending growth
Ohio’s impending budget crisis has been danced around by the state’s politicians during this election season, but there is no doubt that no matter the outcome on Tuesday education faces some tough cuts. Ohioans are finally coming to realize that unmitigated increases in school spending like we’ve seen in years past are no longer an option going forward.
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Unsaintly behavior
When 17-year-old Brandon Frost wore his Indianapolis Colts jersey last Friday to support his hometown football team, his school’s principal was less than receptive. See, Frost had moved three years ago from Indiana to rural Louisiana, where Maurepas High School principal Steve Vampran had relaxed the student dress code for Black-and-Gold Day in honor of the New Orleans Saints.
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Up close and personal with Mike
This week, Mike and Stafford discuss the fate of Catholic schools (again), Russ Whitehurst’s call to the Obama Administration to stop ignoring curriculum, and the future of school boards. Then Amber tells us about a new RAND study on social promotion and Rate that Reform gets S.A.D.
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Update: Can Race to the Top decisions really be politics-free?
Almost since the contest was announced, those of us working in Ohio have wondered whether Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s Race to the Top decisions could really be politics-free.
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USCharterSchools.org invites you to a web dialog
On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education and in conjunction with the National Charter School Conference in Miami the following week, USCharterSchools.org invites you to join a web dialogue, June 7-10.
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USCharterSchools.org invites you to a web dialog
On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education and in conjunction with the National Charter School Conference in Miami the following week, USCharterSchools.org invites you to join a web dialogue, June 7-10.
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U.S. Department of Education needs grant reviewers
The U.S. Department of Education is looking for individuals to review grants for the Transition to Teaching program (which will support alternative routes to licensure) and the Voluntary Public School Choice program (which will support local choice initiatives). Reviewers will spend 5 days in Washington and be paid a small stipend and travel costs.
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USDOE public charter school program seeks program specialist
The Office of Innovation and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education is looking to hire an education program specialist (GS-13, salary range $69,054- 89,774) for the Public Charter Schools program.
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Use protection at the co-op
This week, Mike and Rick talk about marketplaces, attorneys general, and Denver. Checker Finn pays us a visit and chats about the Broad Prize, and Education News of the Weird is: Got Milk? Click here to listen through our website and peruse past editions.
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Value added
In response to Martin Davis's article ("Ed reform, born again?" May 11), I want to know if he's read the think-piece, "Testing the Boundaries of Parental Authority Over Education," by Robert Reich. He quotes Justice White in Wisconsin v.
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Vic and Sally went up to the Hill...
The private sector is reclaiming Friend-of-Gadfly Vic Klatt, who has served Howard "Buck" McKeon, the House Education and Labor Committee's Senior Republican, as his top staffer for the past two years (Vic's second tour on the Hill). Replacing him is the eminently capable Sally Stroup, a former assistant secretary for postsecondary education.
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Video: Think Tank + Sponsoring Charter Schools = Harder than it Looks
Watch last week’s frank discussion about the lessons Fordham has learned as a charter school sponsor in Ohio, culled from our new book, Ohio’s Education Reform Challenges: Lessons From the Frontline.
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Village Academies seeks controller
The Village Academies - a network of college preparatory public charter schools based in Harlem that strives to develop students of fine character who graduate from college and make a positive contribution to society - seeks a new controller.
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Vincent Gray: Broader? Bolder?
From the Washington Post’s Answer Sheet blog we learn that Washington’s mayor-to-be, Vincent Gray, “believes a student’s family life is at least as important” as the quality of that student’s teacher and has “questioned whether kids can pr
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Virtual University
In September, the U.S. Department of Education announced a grant of $10 million to help Western Governors University (www.wgu.edu), a virtual university, create an online, competency-based teachers college. The University is now hiring a director of assessment as well as faculty members in math education, reading, and English language learning.
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Vouchers and charters: Two peas in a pod or like oil and water?
Join Kevin Carey, John Kirtley, Gerard Robinson, and Susan Zelman as they discuss, "With charter schools ascendant, is there still a future for vouchers?" The discussion, which will take place on August 19 from 4 to 5:30 pm, will be moderated by Mike Petrilli. RSVP to Amy Fagan at [email protected].
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Waltz on over to Walton
The Walton Foundation seeks an education program officer. This position is one of a ten-person team that oversees grantees under the Foundation’s Systemic K-12 Education Reform Focus Area.
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Wave that thing
This week, Mike and Rick discuss why some kids shouldn't go to college, the Reading First study is flawed, and Randi Weingarten lies so much. Jeff Kuhner is outraged about L.A., and Education News of the Weird has bite. Click here to listen through our website and peruse past editions.
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Way to go, Terry!
Congratulations to Terry Ryan, Fordham's VP for Ohio programs and policy, who is part of the NewSchools-Aspen Institute Fellows Class of 2008 (he passed his entrance exam with flying colors). Learn more here about all the 2008 Fellows.
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Webcast: Are Education Schools Amenable to Reform?
Virtually join Fordham—and an inspired group of panelists—today from 3:30 to 5:00 PM for our event “Are Education Schools Amenable to Reform?”
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(Web)casting the achievement gap in another light
Our book launch event for former Education Secretary Rod Paige’s new treatise The Black-White Achievement Gap: Why Closing It Is the Greatest Civil Rights Issue of Our Time is at capacity.
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We catch Rick wearing Paris's purse
This week on the Education Gadfly Show, Mike Petrilli and Rick Hess explain why everyone’s wrong about Race to the Top, go tit-for-tat over the L.A. Times, and ponder life in D.C. after Michelle Rhee. Then Amber Winkler disses Education Next and Kyle Kennedy explores a different kind of tracking.
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Weight--there's more!
In case you missed the fascinating debate on weighted student funding between John Podesta, Rod Paige, Arlene Ackerman, and Michael Rebell, video is available online via the Center for American Progress. John Merrow's questions and the panelists' feisty remarks made it a real barn-burner (we're serious) worth checking out.
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We'll vouch for our voucher speakers
Who could tell you whether, "With charter schools ascendant, is there still a future for vouchers?" Simple: our panelists for this event! Join us for the wisdom of Kevin Carey (Education Sector), John F.
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We love standards
So, too, does the American Federation of Teachers, the newest edition of the magazine of which, American Educator, devotes pages to covering the topic. Find the articles here.
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We name names
This week, Mike and Rick chat about illegal immigrants, rich suburbanites, and Bobby (formerly Piyush) Jindal. Amber brings us a Research Minute, and Education News of the Weird is a swing state. Click here to listen through our website and peruse past editions.
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We need a research assistant
Fordham seeks a research assistant for our Washington, D.C., office to help us launch a new organization advocating for improved curricula in schools. It's an exciting opportunity for a bright, talented self-starter. For more information, see here.
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We're moving
Fordham is moving. Our new address, beginning December 19, 2005, will be: 1701 K Street, NWSuite 1000 Washington, DC 20006Our phone and fax numbers will remain the same.
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We won't say we told you so, but. . . .
Last week, Gadfly editorialized that "Putting most of the available energy, political capital, brain power and money into 'helping' districts engage in chartering rather than devoting those (limited) assets to advancing the frontier of independent charter schools: removing caps on their numbers and enrollments, creatin