An immodest proposal
Daniela FairchildOver the past decade, Detroit's population has declined by 25 percent. Since its heyday in 1950, the city has contracted by about 40 percent.
Let's talk about education reform
Michael J. Petrilli, Chester E. Finn, Jr.The Republican presidential field is beginning to take shape, and candidates and maybe-candidates are figuring out where they stand and what to say. Sooner or later, they will need to say something about education. May we suggest a few talking points? Or, better yet, a potential speech for a GOP candidate? ***
Tech school, private school, and those damn reformers
Peter MeyerToday's Times (unless you read it online yesterday or the day before), covers some fertile educational ground in three important arenas.
Education news nuggets
Through the ages, intellectually engaged man has asked, ?Is there life after collective bargaining???a question that may gain newfound relevance if you suddenly find yourself close to <
Advice for Chairman Kline on "Flexibility": Call Democrats' bluff
Michael J. PetrilliHouse education chairman John Kline released a bill yesterday that would provide "unprecedented" flexibility for states and local school districts around how they spend their federal ed
Quotable & notable
?Now where do we go? Where do we go?? * ?Maria Ariston, Former Teacher at Apple Grove Elementary in Prince George's County, Maryland
Finn discusses ATL cheating scandal
Chester Finn, president of the Fordham Institute, was a guest on the Willis Report on Fox Business last night. The topic? The cheating scandal in Atlanta.
Beware of rankings
Over at The American Interest, Walter Russell Mead asserted a few weeks back that ?when it comes to education, red states rule.? He bases this finding on data collected for Newsweek's recently released high school rankings.?
Salamat at Paalam*
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Photo by The Mechanical Turk"][/caption]
Understanding upper-middle-class parents
Michael J. PetrilliThe June issue of The American Spectator carries a thoughtful--though ultimately unpersuasive--article by Lewis Andrews, "Meet the Suburban Parents." Like legions of activists and analysts before him, he ponders why upper-middle-class parents haven't rallied to the cause of school reform. [quote]
Quotable & notable
?While the days when students had to write ?I must not cheat? 300 times on the blackboard are gone, their teachers now have to do the equivalent so that the New York State Education Department can monitor how they score student answers.? *
Education news nuggets
From 2am homework panic to boring lectures, today's students appear to have been dealt a bad hand.
Podcast: Speaking Latin and Pig Latin
Mike volleys with special guest Checker Finn in this week's podcast. The topics they serve up? Education governance, cheating on standardized tests, and the NEA's ?reform? efforts. Amber slams an ace with a new NBER study. And Chris calls a fault on one school's no-pix policy. [powerpress]
Poor little rich student: Different schools for different kids?
Peter MeyerI wanted to offer a curricular observation about Mike's Understanding upper-middle-class parents since he raised the issue of whether ?different kids need different schools.??
Tiger Moms Anger: South Korea Tries to End Saturday School.
Peter MeyerIt would be ironic if America's world-wide cultural domination ? music, fashion, film, technology ? included its dumbed down school ethos. That's what it looks like is happening in South Korea, as the government there announced the country's abandonment of Saturday school.
Meet those who tweet
Michael J. PetrilliThis morning, Education Next published my latest "what next" column, "All A-Twitter about Education." In it, I report on the Twitter phenomenon and how it's impacting the education "war of ideas."
Understanding the upper-middle-class
Michael J. PetrilliThe June issue of The American Spectator carries a thoughtful--though ultimately unpersuasive--article by Lewis Andrews, "Meet the Suburban Parents." Like legions of activists and analysts before him, he ponders why upper-middle-class parents haven't rallied to the cause of school reform.
Quotable & notable
?The California Constitution requires that a free education be offered to all California students, so the definition of what exactly is a free education is where I'm a little bit (unsure).? * ?Gerry Blue, Analy High School parent
Atlanta, still burning: The cheating scandal continues
Peter MeyerThis is getting to be an old story (see here and here), but it's an important one.
More quality for the money
Chris TessoneTimes are tight for school budgets, which is one reason Fordham and others have dedicated new attention and energy to doing more with less. Being conscious of cost-effectiveness is about more than pinching pennies, however; it also enables schools to get the very best quality for the dollars they spend on services.
Quotable & notable
?They say, 'You look better,' Every day is fun, and I'm working as hard if not harder than I've ever worked in my life. People see that and go, 'I want to play on that team.? * ?Paul Castro, New KIPP administrator
Democracy Prep, takeover artist
Chris TessoneDemocracy Prep is expanding in a novel way next school year ? by taking over a failing charter school at its authorizer's behest. SUNY was set to deny Harlem Day Charter School's charter but instead asked for proposals to turn the school around. Democracy Prep stepped up.
History lesson: Where's the Declaration?
Peter MeyerIt is hard to read the Declaration of Independence without being moved by the document's plainspoken audacity, especially recalling that it wasn't then a "document," but a rather blunt call to arms.?
Quotable & notable
"There are not many of you who know much about high-quality standardized tests. I know many of you can agree with me that most of our standardized tests right now are crap." * ?Becky Pringle, NEA Secretary-Treasurer