When I read this appropriations article earlier, I assumed that the number listed at the bottom for the federal charter schools program was a typo. But maybe not. I'm hearing the????same thing from other sources: an approximately $100 million reduction for charters.
Barrett Karr has been named staff director to the new GOP leader of the Labor/Ed committee.
Enjoy the first video in our summer "Fun Fact Friday!" series. Each week we'll present an interesting education fact in a fun visual format. This one takes on the myth that class size is inversely related to student achievement.
Gadfly is here and it's great! First, Checker considers the speech topics of Secretary Duncan.
A plan unveiled today in Australia tackles a popular suggestion that's been thrown around in the US: putting "super teachers" (as the Aussies call them) in the worst schools, and compensating them with higher pay, a smaller class load, and the opportunity to mentor other teachers.
Find out in this NYT interview with the founder of TFA: "Corner Office: Charisma? To Her, It's Overrated."
Overheard in DC is a feature of DCist.com, a blog about all things happening in our nation's capital. Each week, readers email in snippets of funny conversations they "overheard in DC" and every Friday, DCist picks a few they think take the cake. Take a look at one of this week's winning entries:
What is going on in Massachusetts? There are so many kinds of charter-lite options up there my head's spinning. First, what really makes these schools different from one another? At least from what I can tell, very little, save who came up with them and take credit for doing so.
Joanna Smith, Caitlin Farrell, Priscilla Wohlstetter, and Michelle NayfakCenter on Educational Governance, University of Southern CaliforniaApril 2009
To the occasional consternation of colleagues and friends who are more interpersonally sensitive and politically correct, I've been known to define "consensus" as an agreement or state of affairs that leaves all parties equally unhappy.
School-less school districts? There are more than 285 of them across the land; but as of fall 2010, that number will decline by 26, thanks to New Jersey. Governor Jon Corzine has just signed legislation that would close down the twenty-six in an effort to "[reduce] the size of government," "[develop] greater efficiencies over time," and ease tax burdens.
Around this time last year, schools in Texas were waiting with bated breath for their state report cards. This year, the pressure's a little less intense. That's because, under Texas's six-month-old revamped accountability system, some students who fail statewide tests will still be counted as passing--so long as they're on track to pass at some point before they graduate high school.
It's Trivia Night on a lazy summer evening and the MC bears an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Jones, he of 6th grade science and big baby blues. Wonder why? Because it is Mr. Jones, and he's gotten himself a second gig. Central Massachusetts is seeing an influx of teachers moonlighting for extra cash on their summer vacations--as trivia moderator at the local tavern.
We were lukewarm on Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's "Readiness Project" last summer, but it seems that a year's time has made some of its elements slightly warmer.
Checker discusses national standards with John Merrow in this interview on the Taking Note blog. The conversation covers the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), No Child Left Behind and includes Checker's judgment on the direction of U.S.
It's got to be a good story when the sub-head reads thusly: "Editor's Note: Some of the language in the following story may be offensive."
If you're interested in what Judge Sotomayor's likely elevation to the land's highest court could mean for school choice, take a look at my article in AEI's journal.
MA moves to take control of failing schools NYT editorializes about failing schools (not sure what their point is though...)
Our report High-Achieving Students in the Era of No Child Left Behind continues to attract the press's attention.
I just got finished reading Education Sector's very interesting report on teachers' opinion about their unions. I found it enlightening and distressing in turns.
Green Dot may be coming to DC to take over a failing high school or two. The full article is worth reading, but, in my opinion, this blurb just about perfectly summarizes the optimism-sans-evidence of the turnaround crowd.
Secretary Duncan delivered the last of his four policy speeches today at the annual conference of the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union. Overall, it was a good talk.
