Not mincing words

After his second attempt to dismantle the state's charter school program was thwarted, Ohio Governor Ted S

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable "We used to buy art supplies...now we buy the art teacher." --Bill Williams, executive director of the Washington state PTA, on how budget cuts have made parent contributions fill in budget shortfalls.

RTT application guidelines

If you're following Race to the Top events, you might want to read my take on the big recent developments here .

Fun Fact Friday - U.S. per pupil spending and NAEP scores

Race to the Top docs

Tomorrow morning, we'll learn a good bit more about what Secretary Duncan has in mind for the Race to the Top. Documents related to state applications will be released by 10am. You should be able to find them here.

Increasing Charter Accountability in the Wild, Wild Midwest

Ohio's charter school program dodged a bullet this recent budget cycle (here).

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable "Just as soon as we're celebrating what for a lot of systems was a successful year, you're starting off the new year with a kick in the pants." --Georgia Association of Teachers President Jeff Hubbard, discussing the recently announced teacher furloughs

The Race to the Top: The carrot that feels like a stick

I'm pleased to announce this summer's latest blockbuster , from the creators of No Child Left Behind, it's: "NCLB 2: The Carrot That Feels Lik

Caught in the act

When a prospective robber "does his homework," the implication is figurative. That is, unless you're this pair of robbers from Sacramento, CA. The two teens, aged 15 and 17, respectively, broke into a home in the Golden State's capital. When the house's owner returned, the aspiring pilferers dropped their backpacks to speed up their fence-jumping retreat.

Chartering vouchers?

Milwaukee's New Schools Approval Board, created after intense legislative negotiations earlier this summer, has released its first set of decisions: three approvals, sixteen denials.

Contract fixes for the Big Apple

Sol Stern is a man with a plan. The 2009 New York City teacher contract is set to expire three days before Election Day, and Mayor Bloomberg's overturning of term limits mean the United Federation of Teachers and that hizzoner will be going to bat once more.

Stumbling into "Race to the Top"

With the first quarter of 2009 witnessing the sharpest decline in state tax receipts on record (see here), it comes as no surprise that many states are scrambling to win federal "Race to the Top" dollars.

Stumbling into the "Race to the Top"

With the first quarter of 2009 witnessing the sharpest decline in state tax receipts on record, it comes as no surprise that many states are scrambling to win federal "Race to the Top" dollars.

The principles of principals

Atlanta principals are feeling more than just summer heat. And recent probes into test score discrepancies have revealed just how hot it can get. When low springtime scores at Deerwood Academy turned into huge gains during a summer-school retest, Principal Lisa Smith was accused of tampering with the results.

Adults first, again

The Gotham teacher aides who'll be jobless come September are not victims of the financial crisis. Instead, the cause of their unemployment is the source of their salaries. Parents at a number of affluent public schools have contributed $200,000 to 300,000 a year to pay directly for the additional adult help.

National Education Standards: Getting Beneath the Surface

Paul E. BartonEducational Testing ServiceJuly 2009

Drivers of Choice: Parents, Transportation, and School Choice

Paul Teske, Jody Fitzpatrick, and Tracey O'BrienCenter on Reinventing Public EducationJuly 2009

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable "The world of education is the sector of the economy so far the least changed by technology. Ten years from now, that won't be the case, and these online lectures are the cutting edge of that." --Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder

Recent feedback, good and bad

My article in last week's Education Gadfly ("Sarah Palin, anti-intellectualism, and the plight of??the liberal arts") generated more reactions than anything I've written in a long time.

Gains in Charm City

Secretary Duncan visited a school in Baltimore yesterday to celebrate the city's impressive gains on the state assessment. ????Baltimore is no longer the lowest performing district in the state. ????Much work remains, but this is good news.

The Hippocratic Oath applied to education

Yesterday, I was pretty excited about some events in Baltimore. Then this article appears. Are we really about to mess around with the formula of a superb school?

Speakers announced for Fordham's forum on the future of school choice

Join us Wednesday, August 19, for a panel discussion on how the changing education policy landscape is affecting both charter schools and voucher programs. The Obama administration is aggressively pushing to expand the number of charter schools available to American families.

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable "Am I optimistic that they can avoid it? I am not." --Ray Graves, a retired bankruptcy judge who has been advising Robert Bobb, Detroit Public Schools' emergency financial manager

Ed Week on turnarounds

Education Week takes a look at the response to Secretary Duncan's call for turning around 5,000 failing schools.

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable "We're doing this because we're stuck - we have kids coming out of windows." --Emily Heckman, parent of a child whose school may cut parent-paid teacher aides because of complaints from teachers' unions.

Three cheers for President Obama's red hot speech to the NAACP

It's been awhile since I outright fawned over President Obama, so I'm going to let this one fly without any restraint or reserve: His speech to the NAACP last week kicked butt. It was transcendent. It was inspirational.

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable "I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers, doctors and teachers, not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court justice. I want them aspiring to be president of the United States." --President Obama, in his speech to the NAACP

Stopping good schools from closing

For the last several years, Maryland's legislature has debated a scholarship tax credit bill. These programs are increasingly popular across the nation (they were even a topic of discussion at this meeting).

Video: Fun Fact Friday! - Star Wars and Calculators

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable "Sometimes I think, 'What if I'm sitting at the same desk she sat in?'" --Branaijah Melvin, 11-year-old student at Blessed Sacrament, Judge Sonia Sotomayor's K-8 school