Commentary
Quotable & notable
?Instead of cutting what students need most, cut things that students don't need. Music is something that is very influential for students, but having 10 secretaries isn't. Save our music.'' *
Topics
Commentary
Shuffle off to (a School Boycott in) Buffalo
Last week the lefties staged a protest against millionaires in New York City.?
Commentary
Curriculum & Instruction
A war of words: "Nationalize" versus "Privatize"
One of the more interesting characteristics of the recent curriculum counter-manifesto was its lead sentence, which had this lovely turn of phrase: we ?oppose the call for a nationalized curriculum.??
Commentary
Education news nuggets
Is your curriculum a coal curriculum? If not, maybe a Russian billionaire could be of service.
Commentary
Curriculum & Instruction
Fordham responds to the Common Core "counter-manifesto"
The ???counter-manifesto??? released this week in opposition to national testing and a national curriculum is full of half-truths, mischaracterizations, and straw men. But it was signed by a lot of serious people and deserves a serious response. [quote]
Commentary
Spring Cleaning: new evidence that off-cycle school board elections are bad for democracy
In a fascinating study of interest group influence on school board elections, Stanford political scientist Sarah Anzia offers new reasons for dropping special spring school district elections.
Commentary
Podcast: The honeymoon is over?
Smile. The magnanimous Dave DeSchryver guest hosts this week; he and Mike hash out the big takeaways from the common curriculum counter-manifesto and the Chamber of Commerce's ESEA proposal before explaining what exactly is going down in Illinois. Amber dissects the branding of Catholic schools, and Marena is no slave to poor teacher judgment. [powerpress]
Commentary
Quotable & notable
?I'm all for high standards. I'm all for excellent curriculum. Kids should be pushed. But you have to recognize the population'' * ?Skip McCoy, Member of the D.C. Public Charter School Board
Commentary
Limerick Day!
So apparently today was Limerick Day and we were having some fun in the office, sending our own limericks around. Mike wanted to share a few of our laughs with you all. First, Mike sent around this one: There once was a man from Ohio. Whose prose was full of much style. He said with a grin.
Commentary
Education news nuggets
Three cheers for Booker T. Washington! But, that is just about the only thing to be cheering for?what is the education world coming to?
Commentary
Critics of Fordham's superintendents survey missed their mark
In March, Fordham's Ohio team released a report based on a survey of Ohio school district superintendents and other local education leaders.
Commentary
Work hard, be nice: Reinvigorating school
David Brooks had a sobering column in yesterday's Times, warning that America is going soft.? Or, as he puts it, ?the country is becoming less vital and industrious?. One-fifth of all men in their prime working ages are not getting up and going to work.?
Commentary
Quotable & notable
?What's worse: supporting public funding for private schools, or allowing poor children to stay in chronically failing schools? The research is clear -- a couple of years in a row in an ineffective classroom can change a child's entire life trajectory.
Commentary
Finn on prospect of teacher layoffs in NYC
Fordham Institute President Chester Finn, has an interesting op-ed in the NY Daily News today.
Commentary
Education news nuggets
While concealed guns and chocolate milk continue to be big issues in education,
Commentary
Quotable & notable
?Time is running out. Without political leadership willing to take risks and build support for ?radical reform,? and without a citizenry willing to insist on those reforms, our schools will continue to decline.'' *
Commentary
Charter Schools
Improving Maryland's charter-school law
Living near D.C.?a city with a 40 percent charter market share?charter schools are a constant topic of discussion, with reform-minded Marylanders envious of D.C.'s friendliness toward charters.
Commentary
Commentary
Margaret Spellings vs. Mitch Daniels: Ms. Hubris vs. Mr. Humble
At first blush, it would appear that former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels have a lot in common. Both served as cabinet members in the George W. Bush Administration. Both are viewed as pragmatic centrists. And both hold strong school reform instincts. [quote]
Commentary
Deep questions about "Deeper Thought"
Here we go again.? The newest buzz phrase in education:? deeper thought. Or deep thinking. Or deep learning. Deep is suddenly everywhere.
Commentary
Ed Next Book Club: Gene Maeroff's School Boards in America
Former New York Times education correspondent Gene Maeroff decided to get his hands dirty when he ran for his local school board in central New Jers
Commentary
Quotable & notable
?We'll have to do more with less, and we'll see class sizes going up? the issue for me is making sure we have an effective teacher in front of the classroom'' * ?Dennis Walcott, New York City Schools Chancellor
Commentary
March on Wall Street: Do we need a class war in education?
According to The Nation, ?thousands of working people, students, seniors, people on public assistance, and community activists? will be descending on Wall Street this Thursday ?to protest ?the city's billionaire mayor's?
Commentary
Charter Schools
Re: Private school idolatry and the case of the missing solution
This is a guest post from Diana Senechal, written in response to my post, Private School Idolatry and the Case of the Missing Solution.
Commentary
Charter Schools
The continued urban school debate: differentiated solutions
Diana Senechal wrote a thoughtful response to my post Private School Idolatry and the Case of the Missing Solution. In it, she argues tha
Commentary
Education news nuggets
The jury is out?should we leave it up to the growing proportion of young people or the elderly experts?
Commentary
Charter Schools
The first step is to admit you have a problem
My name is Mike and I'm a Twitter-holic. It started innocently enough. My friends were doing it, so I decided to join them. I'd send a tweet here, a tweet there, maybe retweet something funny I read.
Commentary
Say yes to the watercress
The New York Times reports on the creative and healthful lunches being cooked up at private schools in and near New York City.
Commentary
Charter Schools
Private School Idolatry and the Case of the Missing Solution
I received a lot of responses to the ?Pedagogy of Practice? post I wrote the other day. Many were positive.
Commentary
Akron's school turnaround plan sounds unconvincing
An article in today's Akron Beacon Journal ?about school turnaround caught my eye.