Commentary
Voinovich, the last of his breed
When U.S. Senator George Voinovich retires at the end of his current term in 2010 it will signal the end of progressive Republican education reform in Ohio.
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Commentary
Pick the next Deputy-Assistant-to-the-Assistant-Associate-Deputy-Secretary-for-School Safety!
Today marks the 23rd week of our Pick the next Deputy-Assistant-to-the-Assistant-Associate-Deputy-Secretary-for-School Safety contest! It looks like President Obama is holding out as long as possible before appointing one lucky American to this post, which means he basks in our continuing patience as we continue to lose it.
Commentary
The education lives of team captains: ESP & GER
[Wednesday] is a European showdown: Spain and Germany [go] head to head to determine who will face Netherlands on Sunday for the final…We turn our comparison to Iker Casillas of Spain and Philipp Lahm of Germany to compare what their educational lives (on average) looked like, given their countries of origin…Read it
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An innovative use of Catholic education
Martin West and Ludger Woessmann have published a fascinating study in the winter edition of Education Next.
Commentary
Another take on merit pay
When I first read this article, I was skeptical. Giving bonuses to teachers and principals at failing schools? Doesn't that undermine the whole concept of merit pay-as in, rewards for meritorious performance?
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A silver lining to Obey's edujobs?
Don’t let the title of this blog post confuse you: I still think the Obey amendment is an abomination…[But] what if there is a silver lining for cutting RTT’s funds?…Read it here.
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DC voucher program saga turns into DC rights issue
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.
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Is education really the exception?
The unemployment rate dipped last month…[e]xcept the employer doing almost all of the hiring was…the government…That’s part of the point that David Brooks was m
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Michelle defends herself?
The lady with a mission has a soft side. This morning's Washington Post featured an editorial from DC Chancellor of Schools herself. I couldn't help but hear a sharply defensive tone throughout and be somewhat mystified by the whole thing.
Commentary
Of tertiary education graduation rates
The recent NCLB regulations focus on high school graduation rates. Mark Schneider (as in former Bushie and now at AIR Mark Schneider), however, wants to know the stats on college graduation rates.
Commentary
Open source education
You can find whatever your heart desires on the internet, and that’s in part thanks to something called open source. It’s a bit of an amorphous term, but that hasn’t stopped this Utah virtual charter school from diving in to this potentially revolutionizing movement. Open source is just as its name implies--open.
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Re: supplant or supplement?
As Eric just reported, Loudoun County is playing games with its stimulus dollars. Specifically, it's asking schools to return county dollars and replacing them with federal dollars, presumably to help plug holes in other areas of the county's budget.
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In the land of sprawl
"A few weeks ago, we commented on L.A.'s less-than-tactful capital expansion plan. It's only getting worse...." Read it here.
Commentary
Jay is from Mars, Stafford is from Venus
"...Wow, Jay, stereotype much? After we get a good chuckle from imagining General Patton reading to some wee babes on his knees, let's talk about how Mathews has illuminated an actual problem: most teachers really are women...." Read it here.
Commentary
Rhee inspires reforms in South Korea
"'We Need Someone Like Michelle Rhee' proclaims an editorial headline in the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo...." Read it here.
Commentary
Education Change Agent: Alex Johnston, CEO, ConnCAN
Alex Johnston is Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN). As ConnCAN's first employee, Alex launched what is now regarded as one of the nation's leading state-level education reform organizations.
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Education Change Agent: Bill Jackson, Founder and CEO GreatSchools
Bill Jackson is the founder and CEO of GreatSchools, an independent, nonprofit organization that improves education by inspiring parents to get involved. GreatSchools provides parents with information and tools so they can choose the best school for their children, support their children's education, and improve schools in their communities.
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Gadflyette unmasked
For those of you who pegged me as the Nasonex bee, Charlotte the spider, or Gregor Samsa, what can I say? You were a tad off. Flyspecking is written by Checker's aunt's cousin's pet tarantula, who happens to be a ninth year PhD student in the social commentary department at the University of Entomology.
Commentary
Arne who?
I spent yesterday guest-lecturing at a reputable education school about the role of the federal government in education. These last-semester teaching candidates appeared bright and interested, yet I walked away feeling as if they knew far too little about the policy issues surrounding the profession they were about to enter.
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Big dogs and little dogs alike give their 2 cents on RTTT criteria
Education Week posted a blog recently with a link to the slew of comments offered up by folks in response the U.S.
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Bunk bed blues and international teacher recruitment
I am in no way keen on the “research” produced by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) but I have to admit that they have raised an important issue in their latest report that merits attention--that is, if you can stomach the rhetoric it’s clothed in.
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Hard road to hoe
There's a lot of political lip-service of late given to ridding schools of bad teachers. But be aware if you're looking to do so in Dallas.
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Lay of the educational research land this week
"Once in awhile, I take the time to sniff around and find an education study worth talking about in this blog.
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Not another education committee...
I had the pleasure of attending Fordham-Ohio’s conference on standards on Monday.
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Processing those payouts
I just heaved a big sigh reading Jay Mathews headline today: "Merit Pay Could Ruin Teacher Teamwork." As a former evaluator of a Teacher Incentive Fund state program, I spent quite a bit of time researching PBPs, including how th
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Tragically not so different after all
Educators, researchers, and policy types around the world admire (and envy) Finland's students, who repeatedly demonstrate remarkable academic prowess on international assessments.
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A generation of ahistorical (but devout) morons?
Visiting the LBJ Ranch in the Texas hill country this weekend, our ad hoc tour group included a gaggle of high-school students from "south of Houston." They generally seemed pleasant, self-conscious, goofy and teenager-ish.
Commentary
Appalled twice over
Yes, indeed, there are rifts nowadays, rifts almost as wide as the Great Rift Valley within both political parties when it comes to education policy, particularly at the national level. That's probably necessary, as both parties go through some soul-searching and repurposing.
Commentary
Arne Duncan's planned speech shows Obama administration slowly wading into NCLB
Eight months into the Obama administration, the White House has been mute on its intentions regarding the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act, George W.
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Carey embraces government waste, featherbedding, swelling debt
At “The Quick and the Ed,” Kevin Carey has offered an intriguing if somewhat peculiar response to my and Rick Hess’s piece in the Education G