This week, Mike and Rick debate the finer points of Maine constitutional law, pontificate on why Baltimore's school leaders refuse to learn from success stories in their midst, and put under the microscope PEN's new report about public opinion of NCLB. Nelson Smith discusses National Charter Schools Week, and News of the Weird has a serious case of Stockholm syndrome.
Mike and Rick discuss Obama's inaugural address, the stimulus package, and charter school costs. Then Amber updates us on the latest tracking of alternative teacher routes and Rate That Reform takes a week off to recover from inaugural ball hopping.
Andy Smarick, filling in for beach-bound Mike, and Rick discuss Arne Duncan's speech to the NEA, Deval Patrick's latest plan to turn around Massachusetts schools, and emphasizing more math in preschool. Then Amber tells us about an AIR report that compares the achievement of Massachusetts and Hong Kong and Rate that Reform talks weddings--between teacher and student!
Mike and Janie discuss David Steiner’s decision, opine about differentiated instruction, and attend a Tea Party. Amber goes global and Chris gives soccer the silent treatment.
This week, Mike and Rick discuss whether national standards are “conservative,” if Obama has expended his political capital on education policy, and what civil rights “accountability” in private schools could possibly look like.
This week, Mike and Rick discuss whether benchmarking state test scores against international assessments removes the need for a national test, the merits--or lack thereof--of tracking, and non-religious religious charter schools. Amber is off this week but Rate that Reform comes roaring in with a discussion of race-based rallies to pump students up pre-test day.
This week, Mike and Rick discuss whether we're getting $4 billion worth of education reform out of Race to the Top, the next big steps for the final Common Core Standards, and whether it's in the public's financial interest to reintegrate special education students into classrooms.
Mike and Rick answer life’s mysteries as they pertain to the election, OCR overreach, and publically-available teacher ratings. And if that’s not enough, Amber questions character education and Chris brings in the dogs.
This week, Mike and Rick talk Catholics, Texans, and city councils. Josh Dunn stops by to chat about the recent decision striking down virtual schools in Wisconsin, and Education News of the Weird is A Nation At Risk.
This week, Mike and Rick discuss new legislation in Colorado to give parents time off for school events, the wrongful condemnation of Ohio's voucher program, and the real story behind the "Obama Effect." Amber then tells us about a new study from the Department that reveals some disturbing budgetary news for professional development and Rate That Reform gets another driving lesson.
You often hear it (rhetorically) asked: If teachers’ unions are such a negative force in education, then why don’t the right-to-work states perform better academically? Alabama has the answer: Being right-to-work doesn’t mean that teachers and their unions are politically impotent.
Students at Bonham elementary school in Abilene, Texas, faced a serious problem last week when the school's toilets stopped working. Principal Diane Rose acted quickly and smartly. Instead of preparing mops and buckets, she called in the buses.
If you're as passionate about mountains as about charter schools, the Colorado League of Charter Schools wants to talk with you. Now in its twelfth year, the league is expanding so there are a number of positions available. Slide on over to here for more details.
Many celebs have been starting schools of late and Chuck Norris wasn't going to be left behind. Welcome to the new Norris is Power Program (NIPP) charter school, where every student is taught to beat geometry, biology, English, history, and civics into submission. The school is based on five pillars: Despotism; Might and Dominion; More Despotism; Power to Oppress; and Focus on Supremacy.
In last week’s Recommended Reading, “The cold union shoulder” (July 8, 2010), Gadfly said that administration officials were not invited to either teacher-union conference this year.
Did you miss our really boring event, “Returning the Preschool Juggernaut to Its Original Path”? Well you didn’t miss much, but you may want to check out the video, now posted on our website, because attendees report seeing Michaele and Tareq Salahi in the front row.
This week, Mike and Rick chat about mohair, pandering, and why Chinese students should move to the U.S. We've got an interview with Joe Williams about New York's charter regulations, and Education News of the Weird is glossy and luscious. Click here to listen through our website and view past editions.
Join Rick Hess and Anthony S. Bryk as they discuss the future of education research. This afternoon event will commence at 4 pm on November 19 in AEI's Wohlstetter Conference Center. Details can be found here.
On Tuesday, August 29 from noon to 2 p.m., the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation will host a lunchtime debate at the National Press Club about whether the state standards movement has reached its end--and whether national testing is the logical replacement.
Join Fordham and AEI on January 11, 2010, as we co-host an exciting event titled, “A Penny Saved: How Schools and Districts Can Tighten Their Belts While Serving Students Better.” This day-long conference will be held at the Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C.
Aphorist Dorothy Parker once observed, "Los Angeles is 72 suburbs in search of a city." Similarly diffuse and divided is Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's latest plan to take over L.A. Unified.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal wants to cut the red tape keeping local schools and districts from achieving greater student success with his new four-year waiver proposal--but he’s attaching one big string. Under his plan, basically any state law or regulation that does not concern federal requirements, student safety, accountability, or graduation rules is on the table. The twist?
The National School and Business Partnerships Award supports and recognizes efforts between schools and businesses to improve the academic, social, or physical well-being of students. Six exemplary school-business partnerships will receive $10,000 each.
Welcome back to Marci Kanstoroom, Fordham's onetime research director, who has returned on a part-time basis as senior research editor. We're ecstatic.
*/ table.MsoNormalTable { } --> On Monday, May 22, the National Council on Teacher Quality will release a new study-What Teacher Preparation Programs Aren't Teaching About Reading...and What Elementary Teachers Aren't Learning. The event will be held at 10 a.m. at the National Press Club.
There's plenty of evidence that state and municipal budgets are strapped these days, due to shrinking tax revenues from a faltering economy, declining property values, etc. It's also clear that a number of school systems are feeling the pinch.
This week, Mike and Rick discuss Race to the Top’s round 2 winners, Fordham’s latest report on cities’ education “reform-friendliness,” and the sensational LA Times story on value-added data. Then Amber gives us the scoop on the ACT’s latest stats and Rate that Reform picks academics over aesthetics.
*/ table.MsoNormalTable { } --> Are you flummoxed by the nuances of the federal No Child Left Behind Act? Don't you wish there was an easy-to-understand guide to help you navigate your way through that convoluted legislation? Well, wish no more.
