Commentary
Paternalism and public policy
Paternalism has been a hallmark of Progressive reform movements for over one hundred years, and today’s school-reform movement is no different
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First Bell 7-24-13
A first look at today's education news: Behavior-modification programs are under scrutiny, states can now compare the prices of PARCC- and Smarter Balanced-developed Common Core tests, and more
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That's how the consortia crumble
Yesterday, PARCC released the cost of its tests—and right on cue, another state, Georgia, dropped out of the testing consortia
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First Bell 7-22-13
A first look at today's education news: The House of Representatives passes the Student Success Act, Paul Vallas is under fire, and more
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First Bell 7-19-13
A first look at today's education news: The U.S. House of Representatives debated an ESEA rewrite, CPS will lay off more than 2,000 employees, and more
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Milwaukee: Saved by Act 10…for now
Though there's no shortage of political gridlock and bad news when it comes to public-sector pension reform, the reforms that Wisconsin undertook in 2011 give cause for hope on this front—at least for the time being
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Report
School Finance, Governance
Milwaukee: Saved by Act 10...For Now
One of three technical reports on retirement costs and school-district budgets.
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First Bell 7-17-13
A first look at today's education news: A Texas school district's controversial microchip program has been dropped, what to expect from the House's upcoming ESEA-renewal debate, and more
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By the Company It Keeps: Ethan Gray
Andy Smarick interviews Ethan Gray, executive director of CEE-Trust
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First Bell 7-16-13
A first look at today's education news: A study finds that kids' spatial-reasoning skills may be a better indicator of future innovation in STEM than math or verbal skills, certificate programs are becoming increasingly popular, and more
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Curriculum & Instruction
Praise the exception, but remember the rule
Let's not overlook the reality that worthy effort requires sound policy, not just praise for those who do a great job despite its absence
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First Bell 7-15-13
A first look at today's education news: A report finds that children's well-being is rising, Jack Martin replaces Roy Roberts as emergency manager of the Detroit Public Schools, and more
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First Bell 7-12-13
A first look at today's education news: Malala Yousafzai will address the United Nations in New York today, a near-compromise on student loans falls apart due to the project costs, and more
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First Bell 7-11-13
A first look at today's education news: A fissure in the Democratic party stalls efforts to fix the student-loan mess, California will decide on whether to adopt NGSS next fall, and more
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Curriculum & Instruction
By the Company It Keeps: Kathleen Porter-Magee
Andy Smarick interviews Kathleen Porter-Magee, senior director of the High Quality Standards program and Bernard Lee Schwartz policy fellow at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute
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Conservatives on the Common Core: A media round-up
A selection of recent press hits explaining how the Common Core are conservative
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First Bell 7-9-13
A first look at today's education news: Pennsylvania's charter school students are not doing as well as their traditional public school peers, a USED review panel finds that PARCC and Smarter Balanced need to pay more attention to ELL and disabled students, and more
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First Bell 7-8-13
A first look at today's education news: The Oregon Legislature wants to allow students to attend college now and pay the state later, the Obama administration's new guidelines on emergency planning at schools causes some consternation, and more
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Charter Schools
12 key takeaways from the national charter schools conference
...And only a few shameless Fordham plugs
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First Bell 7-3-13
A first look at today's education news: Oklahoma will back out of the PARCC testing consortium, California will change the way it funds it schools, and more
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By the Company It Keeps: Independence Day
Andy Smarick interviews...Frederick Douglass and Ronald Reagan?
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First Bell 7-2-13
A first look at today's education news: Philly's cash-strapped public school district might be saved, the federal student-loan rate doubles, and more
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First Bell 7-1-13
A first look at today's education news: The OECD says that those without "baseline qualifications" fared worst during financial crises, Glenda Ritz backs away from Indiana's teacher-evaluation system, and mroe
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First Bell 6-28-13
A first look at today's education news: Student loans are set to jump from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1, the Agriculture Department has enacted a snacks ban in schools, and more
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The enduring saga of SIG shenanigans
Many have been pestering the Department for SIG student achievement data