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Can rocks look around?
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="375" caption="Rocks in a window can't enjoy the view - or can they?"][/caption]
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Should private ESL schools have transparent achievement results?
My wife Luana, who's Brazilian, enrolled Monday in Kaplan's intensive English as Second Language (ESL) program, at their campus here on M St. in DC. Yesterday, when she arrived for her first real class, the teacher was maintaining the classroom in complete silence. No hello, no introductions, no icebreaker games, just silence.
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Quotable and notable
"This is one of the criteria to be in the Race to the Top game. So, if we're going to be in the game, let's be in the game." ??? Fran Millar, Georgia House Education Committee Vice Chair
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Quotable and notable
?This is one of the criteria to be in the Race to the Top game. So, if we're going to be in the game, let's be in the game.? ? Fran Millar, Georgia House Education Committee Vice Chair
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Education news nuggets
Even if it's not statewide, there's an example of a functional Florida local education agency (LEA) already using merit pay.
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Education news nuggets
Even if it's not statewide, there's an example of a functional Florida local education agency (LEA) already using merit pay.
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MD's vision on failing schools
Seldom do stakeholder committees convened by state departments of education put forward truly bold recommendations. Instead, their reports are too often full of requests for more money and status quo-friendly ???reforms.???
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MD's vision on failing schools
Seldom do stakeholder committees convened by state departments of education put forward truly bold recommendations. Instead, their reports are too often full of requests for more money and status quo-friendly ?reforms.?
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Odds and ends
Very important legal??developments in Detroit Charters, special education, and New Orleans
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Odds and ends
Very important legal?developments in Detroit Charters, special education, and New Orleans
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Quotable and notable
"In a lot of respects, what the Regents have done is the ghost of Christmas future. Education schools are on the verge of losing their franchise." ??? Arthur Levine, President, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Fund
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Quotable and notable
?In a lot of respects, what the Regents have done is the ghost of Christmas future. Education schools are on the verge of losing their franchise.? ? Arthur Levine, President, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Fund
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Training advice from DFER
The admirable Democrats for Education Reform has launched a smart and important collection of papers they're calling Race Smarter briefs.
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Will Jindal provide GOP educational leadership?
My enormous disappointment with Florida Governor Charlie Crist's decision last week on SB6 raises a very important question, especially for those of us on the right:??Who's the leading Republican office-holder today on K-12 education issues?
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Education news nuggets
Forget Billy Mays- Public-Mad Mike Petrilli is the new pitch man for Teacher-B-Gone Safety System???.
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This week's Gadfly, just for you
Last Chance! Take the Education Gadfly Redesign Survey and make the Gadfly even better! We're still on the hunt for your feedback. Got ten minutes? Take our survey.
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This week's Gadfly, just for you
Last Chance! Take the Education Gadfly Redesign Survey and make the Gadfly even better! We're still on the hunt for your feedback. Got ten minutes? Take our survey.
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Quotable and notable
???Together, we and the UFT are saying enough is enough.?? No more rubber rooms.?? They aren't good for anyone.?? Not for teachers, not for students, not for schools.??? ???Joel Klein, New York City Schools Chancellor
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Quotable and notable
?Together, we and the UFT are saying enough is enough.? No more rubber rooms.? They aren't good for anyone.? Not for teachers, not for students, not for schools.? ?Joel Klein, New York City Schools Chancellor
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Crist's squandered opportunity
Today's decision by Florida Governor Charlie Crist to veto valuable teacher reform legislation is the most disappointing education policy decision by a major Republican officeholder in recent memory.
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Crist's squandered opportunity
Today's decision by Florida Governor Charlie Crist to veto valuable teacher reform legislation is the most disappointing education policy decision by a major Republican officeholder in recent memory.
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Florida
Today is a useful reminder of just how powerful teachers unions can be--even in "right to work" states. I predict that Crist's decision will energize reformers in Florida and throughout the country, and a politician's position on tenure reform will become a litmus test, just as support for charter schools has been.
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Florida
Today is a useful reminder of just how powerful teachers unions can be?even in ?right to work? states. I predict that Crist's decision will energize reformers in Florida and throughout the country, and a politician's position on tenure reform will become a litmus test, just as support for charter schools has been.
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Crist vetoes FL teacher eval legislation
As many of my colleagues explained, there were lots of reasons for Crist to back Florida's teacher evaluation bill. Unfortunately Crist doesn't read Flypaper--or head the very pleas of his own legislature, which passed the bill in both houses.
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Quotable and notable
???It is brutal out there, really scary. This is a real emergency. What we're trying to avert is an education catastrophe.??? ???Arne Duncan, Education Secretary
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Quotable and notable
?It is brutal out there, really scary. This is a real emergency. What we're trying to avert is an education catastrophe.? ?Arne Duncan, Education Secretary
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Contentious objectors, in the science classroom
Are you against violence toward animals? Well you have an advocate in Hartford, Connecticut, where that state’s legislature is contemplating a bill that would allow students to complete science-class animal dissections virtually. Should students be forced to cut open that lifeless piglet or innocent frog to learn about their anatomy? The battle lines are drawn.
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Why teacher accountability is the next front in the school reform wars
Be forewarned: It’s going to take me a while to get to my main argument. I hope you agree it’s worth the wait.
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Taking the "pal" out of principal
In one Utah school district, students must say adios to earning extra credit through Facebook gifts (yes, there are such things) for their Spanish teacher. Granite School District wants to be the first in Utah to formally ban student-teacher friendships on the popular social networking site. Students and teachers won’t even be allowed to follow each other on Twitter.