Commentary
Why cut your core service?
I shake my head every time I see stories like this: To Cut Costs, 120+ Districts Shift to 4-Day Weeks.
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Quotable & notable
?This decision, as difficult as it was for Dr. Ackerman, is consistent with her history, as well as recognition that for the district to best move forward, it must do so with new leadership''* ? Robert L. Archie Jr., Chairman, School Reform Commission of Philadelphia School District
Commentary
Taunting Michelle Rhee
Having been stiffed by many a good (and bad) source (including a few educators) in my career as a journalist, I was tempted to advise Michael Winerip to lay off Michelle Rhee for his Eager for Sptlight, But Not If It Is On a Testing Scandal column in today's New Y
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Quotable & notable
?The Oregon Education Association scorecard for the 2011 legislative session looks something like the report card received by John Belushi's wayward fraternity in ?Animal House.''' * ?Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian
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Curriculum & Instruction
Is Wyoming bowing out of the Common Core?
Last June, the Wyoming Board of Education adopted the Common Core, making the Equality State one of the first states to do so. And implementation of the core standards has begun in earnest, with teachers around the state beginning to align their curriculum and instruction to the new standards.
Commentary
More stretching the school house dollar
The Times Fernanda Santos profiles five New York City schools to give us some lessons in austerity. Though there are not a lot of new ideas ? lay off teachers, lay off teachers, lay off teachers ?
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Duncan vs. Perry
The gloves are off. What remained last week of bipartisanship on education in Washington has been buried. And education may yet turn into a major issue in the 2012 presidential race.
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Quotable & notable
?I feel very, very badly for the children there.'' * ?Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, commenting on the state of Texas education
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PODCAST: Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?
With Mike and Rick sipping Cuba Libres on the beach, Janie and Daniela speculate on what Montana's ?NCLB do-over? might mean for ESEA reauthorization, the potential of ?reform unionism,? and the merits of ?exam schools.? Amber makes a dry report on IDEA seem fascinating and Chri$ pitches districts a crazy idea: Turn off the lights when you aren't in the room. [powerpress]
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Quotable & notable
?Am I upset about the budget cuts? Yes. But I'm a positive person. This as an opportunity to teach my staff and my students how to make lemonade.'' * ? Diahann E. Malcolm, New York City High School Principal
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Ed Next Book Club: Rick Hess' The Same Thing Over and Over
One of America's most prolific, provocative, and persuasive writers on education, Frederick M. Hess has published over a dozen tomes on schooling. Today we talk with Rick about his magnum opus, published by Harvard University Press: The Same Thing Over and Over: How School Reformers Get Stuck in Yesterday's Ideas.
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Quotable & notable
?This poll today shows a much more sophisticated public that is willing and ready to invest in teachers'' * ? Barnett Berry, president and CEO of the Center for Teaching Quality
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Follow the money: Winerip takes out after education philanthropists
The other day Michael Winerip raised what has come to be an increasingly contentious question in the public education reform debate ? the use of private money for public purposes.
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Good for Texas. Good for America?
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="199" caption="Photo by Jim Bowen"][/caption]
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Quotable & notable
?We're so outside the box and education is so inside the box.''* ?Wes Hamner, Academic Coordinator at the Richmond Technical Center PLC
Commentary
The End of the Era of Accountability?
So suggests Sam Dillon in his New York Times report this morning, ?State Challenges Seen As Whittling Away Federal Education Law.??
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Quotable and Notable
?If we tested schools in efficient use of energy, many of them wouldn't get a passing grade''* ?C. David Myers, president of building efficiency for Johnson Controls
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Education news nuggets
Some new education norms are emerging, even while Arne holds our states ransom: Ramadan night football,
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Curriculum & Instruction
Andrew Porter has a point (its just not clear what it is)
Adding fuel to a small but growing anti-Common Core fire, Andrew Porter penned an op-ed in Education Week this week that questioned the value and rigor of the Common Core ELA and math standards. He explains:
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Charter Schools
To Whitney Tilson on Damon: Civility urgently needed
I wrote a blog post here on Flypaper this week in response to what I'd seen as some unnecessary and unproductive personal jabs at actor Matt Damon, after he gave a brief speech at the Save Our Schools rally in D.
Commentary
Putting Dayton's back-to-school season in context
Education is and always has been profoundly shaped by demographics and economics. Ever since James Coleman's celebrated 1966 study showed that student achievement is strongly affected by nonschool factors, Americans have understood the manifold tribulations facing anyone bent on improving student achievement among our poorest children.
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PODCAST: Real-life Breaking Bad
Mike and Rick get down to brass tacks on Duncan's waivers and Wisconsin's recall elections before making wagers on Education Reform Idol 2011. Amber maps state proficiency cut scores (again) and Chris calls out a principal who wishes he was on ?Breaking Bad.?[powerpress]
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Ed Reform Idol 2011 Replay
On Thursday, August 11, Five states, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin, battled for the title of "Reformiest" in the 2011 legislative year at the Education Reform Idol!
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Quotable & notable
? We've got to go where we can get the most quality in one swoop, and that happens to be Teach For America, both for teachers and future school leaders.?* ? Aylon Samouha, chief schools officer for Rocketship Education