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Quotable and notable
?It was like the Olympic Games, and we were an American skater with a Soviet judge in the 1980s.? ? Governor Bill Ritter, Jr., Colorado, on Race to the Top scoring
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Very interesting RTT ripples
Per this post from yesterday, Kentucky moves half-heartedly toward a charter law Great article on Delaware, unions, & RTT with valuable thoughts from Hess
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How Louisiana can win
Possibly the biggest surprise of RTT scoring was that Louisiana came in 11th place (out of 16 finalists). I had them in second.
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How Louisiana can win
Possibly the biggest surprise of RTT scoring was that Louisiana came in 11th place (out of 16 finalists). I had them in second.
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Quotable and notable
???We're not fixated on how many charter schools we have open.?? What we're fixated on is the result we get from the charter schools that are open.??? ???Deborah Fallin, spokesperson for the Colorado Education Association
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Quotable and notable
?We're not fixated on how many charter schools we have open.? What we're fixated on is the result we get from the charter schools that are open.? ?Deborah Fallin, spokesperson for the Colorado Education Association
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Charters, post-RTT I
Leaders in both West Virginia and Kentucky are admitting that they suffered in RTT scoring because they still lack charter laws.
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It's a poor craftsman who blames his tools
Conventional wisdom in many education circles (see here) tells us that multiple choice tests are the enemy of critical thinking and deep content mastery. Such tests, we're told, can't really assess student learning. What's worse, they ???encourage???
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It's a poor craftsman who blames his tools
Conventional wisdom in many education circles (see here) tells us that multiple choice tests are the enemy of critical thinking and deep content mastery. Such tests, we're told, can't really assess student learning. What's worse, they ?encourage?
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The consequence of 16 finalists
When I registered exasperation with the Department for choosing 16 RTT finalists, lots of people emailed me in protest. The large number of finalists, they said, was no big deal.
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How Florida can win
Yesterday, I wrote that states could win RTT grants in round two without sacrificing their bold reforms in order to garner stakeholder support. Florida is a good example.
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How Florida can win
Yesterday, I wrote that states could win RTT grants in round two without sacrificing their bold reforms in order to garner stakeholder support. Florida is a good example.
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The consequence of 16 finalists
When I registered exasperation with the Department for choosing 16 RTT finalists, lots of people emailed me in protest. The large number of finalists, they said, was no big deal.
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Education news nuggets
It's not a joke -- New York's RTT application requested money for office furniture.
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Education news nuggets
It's not a joke ? New York's RTT application requested money for office furniture.
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This week's Education Gladfly: Arne tells Rahm the truth about RTTT I
A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down from the Thomas B. Boredom Finnstitute.
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This week's Education Gladfly: Arne tells Rahm the truth about RTTT I
A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down from the Thomas B. Boredom Finnstitute.
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Quotable and notable
???I think there needs to be an explanation from the systems that choose not to do it.?? I think they owe their taxpaying constituents in those districts an explanation as to why they wouldn't choose to participate, quite frankly.??? ???Ted Strickland, Governor of Ohio
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Quotable and notable
?I think there needs to be an explanation from the systems that choose not to do it.? I think they owe their taxpaying constituents in those districts an explanation as to why they wouldn't choose to participate, quite frankly.? ?Ted Strickland, Governor of Ohio
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Are Common Core standards a means or an end?
The crux of many education reform arguments is to shift the age-old conversation over what inputs we should mandate to a conversation about what outcomes we should be driving towards, measuring, and holding states, districts, schools and teachers accountable to.
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Duncan standing by the high bar
Although I was pleased that Secretary Duncan chose only two states in the first round of the Race to the Top, we need to remember that there is well over $3 billion left in the kitty.?? He has estimated that 10 to 15 more grants could be made in the second round.
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States: Don't back down
I've been going through state RTT scores, and based on what I'm seeing, I'm becoming convinced that states should refuse to capitulate to stakeholder demands to weaken their applications. I'm growing confident that states that put together bold proposals can win in the second round even if a significant number of their unions and districts refuse to sign on.
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Why Florida didn't catch a break
There has been much written about Secretary Duncan's decision to choose only Delaware and Tennessee for first round winners in the Race to the Top.?? Perhaps the decision was easier than people think. [quote]
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He Stood, He Delivered
We mourn the passing of Jaime Escalante, one of America's foremost educators in the late 20th century, a cla
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Timely, informative debate on unions
About a week ago, Tim Hoffine from the Ohio office, wrote up the recent NPR debate on the influence of teachers unions on America's schools. I'd also strongly commend it to you.
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Education news nuggets
Reactions continue on RTT, and stakeholder support is the big winner (well, other than
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Quotable and notable
???No one is protecting the status quo.?? No one is saying they're doing well enough.??? ???Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education