Re: Green Dot in DC

There's another blurb in the WaPo arti

EdNext debate focuses on school spending

Education Next has just released an interesting and tantalizing debate on school funds. In the wake of Flores, issues of funding equity have again risen to the fore.

The Splendid Splinter of urban ed reform

Before excusing myself from this debate (which was great) and deferring to my forthcoming article, I'll respond point-by-point to the Hassel's last post.

The Hassels: Turnarounds follow a formula

We've arrived at the sixth (perhaps final?) part of the??school turnaround??debate between our Andy Smarick and??Public Impact's Bryan and Emily Hassel. Just checking in now?

Lines to watch for in Duncan's speech to the NEA tomorrow

Arne Duncan and his fans have been hinting that he's going to be tough on the teachers union tomorrow at??its big annual confab. But will he speak these truths?

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable

Mike and Kojo

Tune in to WAMU 88.5 today at noon if you're able, because our own Mike Petrilli will be a guest on the Kojo Nnamdi Show.

From "disadvantage" to "disqualify"

As this brief explained, it's unlikely we'll get much reform out of most of the stimulus legislation's education funds. But Secretary Duncan could squeeze some more reform out of the law if he's willing to be bold.

Article on the way

I got deeply involved in the closure/new start vs. turnaround debate because it has a major bearing on the basic argument of my book project. So I started thinking through and researching the various angles several months ago when this was still a relatively sleepy, back-burner issue.

What does the "firefighter case" mean for teacher testing?

A month ago, I wondered what Sonia Sotomayor might think about teacher tests, as the more rigorous ones typically have a "disparate impact" on minorities; African-American and Hispanic candidates fail them at much higher rates than whites do.

School reform and the growing disconnect between DC and the states

The Fordham Institute is unique in the school reform sector in that we have offices in both Washington, DC and Ohio

Check out Checker on National Journal's new blog

Our own Checker Finn is opining for National Journal's just-launched Education Expert Blog, which poses a question every week to a panel of education heavyweights.

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable

Of interest...

??????? In Baltimore, the teachers union's contract demands are forcing unwanted changes in the city's highest performing school.

Andy's response to the response

Try, try again say Hassel & Hassel

The school turnaround debate goes on.

The Hassels: Don't turn our backs on turnarounds yet

This post, written by Bryan C. Hassel and Emily Ayscue Hassel of Public Impact, is a response to Andy Smarick's June 25 post about turnarounds.

A prayer is answered for the Liam Julian Fan Club

Do you miss reading the work of Liam Julian, who until he left Fordham last year was one of Flypaper's most prolific and talented writers? Then get your fix with this New Atlantis piece on virtual schooling.

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable "I've gotta sit here sucking my thumb because I can't get reforms?" ??--Boston Mayor Tom Menino

Howard Fuller's straight talk

Feeling blue about school reform? This riveting no-nonsense address by Howard Fuller at last week's National Charter School Conference will relieve your doldrums.

Growing ed reform human capital

The White House Fellowship program, arguably America's best career-development opportunity for those interested in public service, today announced members of the 2009-2010 class.

Mike recants his Wisconsin editorial

After an onslaught of anger from Wisconsonites about his Green Bay Post-Gazette piece blasting the state's testing and accountability system, our own Mike Petrilli

Taking our eyes off the ball

Two weeks ago, our friends at Ki

Today's 'Quotable and Notable'

Quotable

Tackling education standards

Well, well, well. Looks like our Mike Petrilli is unstoppable. This week he burst onto the scene in the land of cheese and football. The land of the Green Bay Packers! That's right. Mike wrote an op-ed that appeared in the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

New education blog

Just to let you know: the National Journal is launching the Education Expert Blog on Monday, June 29. Nat Journal folks will pose a different question at the beginning of each week to a group of education experts--including our own Checker Finn--and these connoisseurs will respond throughout the week.

David Whitman interview

David Whitman, fresh off of being honored by the American Independent Writers, has now done an interview with EducationNews.org about his book, Sweating the Small Stuff: Inner-City S

IES and turnarounds

One of the planks I use in my arguments against using turnarounds as the primary strategy for improving urban districts is this IES study. Researchers went looking for successful turnaround tactics that have a robust research base and came up empty.

Broader, Bolder and better

As I wrote in today's Education Gadfly, this new policy paper by the Broader Bolder coalition on school accountability is "eminently sensible."

The CREDO conundrum

A perennial question: How does the performance of students in charter schools and students in traditional schools compare? CREDO set out to answer this question in a longitudinal analysis of roughly 2,400 charter schools, operating in 16 states and comprising roughly 70 percent of the US charter school population. Let's break it down. Fundamental study design: Sound. Findings: Mixed.