?And Johnny still can't read. Even his diploma. I don't see what there is about the last 50 years of failure that's worth enshrining in marble, and a shock to the system might be just what the system needs. We can hardly make matters worse.'' *
Younger teachers in Illinois, whose pensions were slashed last year by the legislature, should start asking whose benefits they're really paying for. The new Tier 2 pension only costs about 5 percent of salary...yet teachers are paying 9.4% of their salaries into the Teacher Retirement System.
Listen live this evening at 5:35 p.m.
?We are moving into a partnership mode with states, rather than telling states you've got to do this and this and this'' * ?Tom Harkin, Senator from Iowa and head of the Senate education committee
I was prepared for a rant against all things reform when I started reading the New York Times Q & A interview with Maria Velez-Clarke, the principal of the Children's Workshop School in Manhattan's East Village, about the school's C-grade from the City.?
?At the end of the day it might be all talk, but I think there are a lot of families that value diversity.'' * ?Madely Rodriguez, P.S. 29 parent
I have always been suspicious of differentiated instruction if only because, like its kissin' cousin customized learning, it sounds too good to be true.?
The wonderful hubris of the new National Education Policy Center study on Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and Racial Justice, is not the assertion that discipline data should be an essential metric in gauging a school's success ? which it should ?
Teacher pension systems around the country are falling into crisis due to poor investment returns, unfunded increases in benefits, and poor governance and management.
?What can the state department do for higher performing districts? Get out of the way.'' * ? Stefan Pryor, Connecticut's new education commissioner
On behalf of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, I am happy to announce that today our board elected?Dr.
Guest blogger Ze'ev Wurman, an executive with Monolithic 3D, a Silicon Valley startup, has participated in developing California's education standards and assessments in mathematics since the mid-1990s.
Janie and Daniela go two-for-two. This week they unpack Duncan's teacher-prep plan, quality control in digital learning, and the parallels between football and education. Amber boots out ineffective teachers and Chris calls out of turn. [powerpress]
?A child who is suspended from school is more than likely waving a red flag for needing intervention and support. Metaphorically speaking, this is a time you want to put your arms around a student, rather than push them away.'' *
I happened on a small story in the Times on Sunday, called ?Deadlines Get Results,?
I wonder if surfing and break-dancing are forms of vigorous physical activity under
Differentiation, tracking, and the needs of high-achievers are hot topics these days, thanks in part to Fordham's recent study Do High Flyers Maintain Their Altitude? Performance Trends of Top Students.
?The culture of bullying won't end until people across the country take action and show children and teens that they care'' * ? Julie Hertzog, Director of Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights Center's National Bullying Prevention Center
Representatives from twenty states are hard at work developing Next Generation Science Standards—and using as their starting point the National Research Council's recently released Framework for K-12 Science Education. This review of that framework, by Paul R. Gross, applauds its content but warns that it could wind up sending standards writers off track. This appraisal find much to praise in the Framework but also raises important concerns about a document that may significantly shape K-12 science education in the U.S. for years to come. Download to learn more.
?It's the old business of if you want your test scores to go up, don't test the lower-scoring students'' * ? Doug McRae, Retired testing consultant
Part of the answer to Mike's Single-minded Focus question this morning about the depressing college completion data is in Sam Dillon's front page New York Times story, also this morning, on the
I've been traveling a bunch the past few weeks, making it harder to blog. (Though there's always time to tweet!) So I'm a little late to the party on the recent report from Complete College America, Time is the Enemy.
Guest blogger Christine Wolfe served in the George W. Bush Administration as the Associate Deputy Secretary for Policy and is currently President of Wolfe Policy Consulting.
Fordham's latest study, Do High Flyers Maintain Their Altitude?
