Commentary
Dan Meyer
I haven't seen a great educator video in a while, so I particularly enjoyed this new one from California teacher, blogger, and part-time Googler Dan Meyer. It was given at the TEDxNYED conference in March.
Commentary
Commentary
Needle in a Haystack: Valleyview Elementary
Valleyview Elementary stands out not only for its academic success in educating a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, but also for its orderly atmosphere, collaborative staff, and strong leadership.
Commentary
Quotable and Notable
?We are full speed ahead working toward a submission. But, we are doing a calculus as to whether or not the competition is stacked against Massachusetts.? ? Mitch Chester, Massachusetts Education Commissioner
Commentary
Commentary
Quotable and notable
?We won't be able to have cheaper labor than China or India. The way we win is by outsmarting them.? ? South Carolina Attorney General Haley McMaster
Commentary
New NCES analysis: Big declines at the top during the NCLB era
A new analysis of U.S. performance on the international PISA exam in mathematics shows significant declines for students at the top and middle of the achievement distribution from 2003 to 2006.* This is the strongest evidence to date that the performance of America's highest-achieving students dropped during the early years of No Child Left Behind's implementation.
Commentary
Brill on RTT
In the upcoming New York Times Magazine, Steven Brill has a long article on Race to the Top.
Commentary
Needle in a Haystack: Horizon Science Academy-Cleveland Middle School
Horizon Science Academy-Cleveland Middle School, a charter school in Cleveland serving grades 6-8, takes a ?no frills' approach to education ? and delivers striking academic results. High expectations for students and a dedicated staff have allowed the school to outscore the district on state tests by as much as 41 percentage points.
Commentary
Commentary
Quotable and Notable
?While some Texas politicians may want to set their educational standards back 50 years, California should not be subject to their backward curriculum changes.? ? California State Senator Leland Yee
Commentary
Duncan at KIPP
At the end of April, Secretary Duncan gave a compelling speech at KIPP's annual meeting.
Commentary
Not the best remedy for diminishing Catholic school enrollment
USA Today's ?Faith and Reason? blog asks, ?should Catholic schools reject gay couples' kids??
Commentary
Central Falls win or loss?
Over the weekend, there was some excited talk about the agreement that was reached in the Central Falls saga. The union and district found common ground, it was reported, so now the troubled school can move on in a new and more promising direction.
Commentary
Taking the turnaround debate on the road
On Saturday morning in San Francisco, Justin Cohen and I continued our ongoing debate about turnarounds, this time in front of a group of education writers (superb principal Nancy Guzman was also on the panel, which was ably moderated by WSJ's Stephanie Banchero).
Commentary
Montani Semper Liberi
This is the first I've heard of WV State Senator Erik Wells, but it's certainly a strong introduction. Seems as though this Democrat supports charters, was taken on by the state's powerful unions as a result, but ended up prevailing in the end.
Commentary
Leaving a human capital legacy
I recently had the great good fortune to meet and get to know Jean-Claude Brizard, the superintendent of Rochester's public schools. It got me thinking about one under-appreciated aspect of leadership and how it relates to education reform. Let me explain.
Commentary
Three Atlantic articles
Three articles in the most recent Atlantic got me thinking about different aspects of education policy.
Commentary
Leaving a human capital legacy
I recently had the great good fortune to meet and get to know Jean-Claude Brizard, the superintendent of Rochester's public schools. It got me thinking about one under-appreciated aspect of leadership and how it relates to education reform. Let me explain.
Commentary
Montani Semper Liberi
This is the first I've heard of WV State Senator Erik Wells, but it's certainly a strong introduction. Seems as though this Democrat supports charters, was taken on by the state's powerful unions as a result, but ended up prevailing in the end.
Commentary
Taking the turnaround debate on the road
On Saturday morning in San Francisco, Justin Cohen and I continued our ongoing debate about turnarounds, this time in front of a group of education writers (superb principal Nancy Guzman was also on the panel, which was ably moderated by WSJ's Stephanie Banchero).
Commentary
Needle in a Haystack: College Hill Fundamental Academy
College Hill Fundamental Academy, a magnet school in Cincinnati serving grades pre-k through six, focuses on the ?fundamentals? of core academic subjects and key values students need for success. But don't let their focus on the basics fool you. College Hill delivers amazing academic results, outscoring the district on state tests by as much as 23 percentage points.
Commentary
GDP, education, and a challenge
I finally just read the NYT Sunday Magazine piece called ?The Rise and Fall of the GDP.? Even though I'm a week late, I can't help but comment. The story strikes at the core of economics and society, and it's also got a really interesting education angle.
Commentary
Listen: The future of school choice
Haven't had a chance to watch the video from last week's school choice event due to a slow or spotty Internet connection? Now you can listen to the event via the audio files below.
Commentary
Charter sector needs to shear its black sheep
School reformers in Ohio have been struggling for more than a decade to make Ohio welcoming for charter schools. Charters have had to fight in the legislature, at the courthouse, and in the court of public opinion to protect and defend their mere existence.
Commentary
Live from the Education Writers Association conference
I'm here at the Education Writers Association conference in lovely San Fran (though it's cloudy at the moment). This morning I listened to a panel discussion about innovation in education and the fed role.
Commentary
Tracking the education stimulus spending
Just a quick shout-out to Edmoney.org. I heard a little bit more about it on Thursday. It's an Education Writers Association website aimed at helping journalists (and others) track just how stimulus dollars are being spent when it comes to education and schools.
Commentary
Ed Week: ?What Goes Up Must Come Down?
Well, this headline isn't quite as elemental, but almost: ?Teacher Layoffs May Be Linked to Hiring Spree.? May be? Mike Antonucci has the goods here.
Commentary
Dwindling RTT list
Both South Dakota and Wyoming (press release not online yet) are officially out of the second round of Race to the Top.
Commentary
Testing mess in WY
Disputes between big education agencies and contractors happen all the time and are generally not all that newsworthy. But recent events in Wyoming are of an entirely different ilk.