From the U.K.

"Children as young as three should be reported for 'racism', Government-funded group claims"

While you were watching tennis...

Rod MacKinnon, former head of Bexley Grammar School (one of the U.K.'s most popular; it accepts approximately one pupil out of every nine who apply), took to the pages of the Telegraph yesterday to denounce a Labor government that views schools as tools for so

A new school for service?

Two friends have an op-ed in today's Tallahassee Democrat calling for the establishment of a national public service academy, a "civilian West Point for our best and brightest public service-minded women and men."

First children

Is Clive Crook anti-American?

Probably not, but since I missed last week's patriotismpalooza, I figure I have some catching up to do.

Diversity's diversions

A post from guest blogger and Fordham intern Amy Ballard.

Defensibility police

Kevin Carey tags my opinion about private colleges and prep schools, which he doesn't care for, with the word "indefensible." That I am hereby defending it proves Mr. Carey's label logically wrong, and I hope he will retract it.

A label by any other name is not as sweet...

The USDOE announced a couple days ago the six states approved for "differentiated accountability" plans (Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, and Ohio).

From classroom to cubicle

In today's Wall Street Journal, we hear from college graduates who recognized a crummy job market and decided to channel their energies into service programs, like Teach for America. Great idea, right?

It's reductio ad absurdum

I'll ignore the rest of Leo Casey's EdWize post this morning in favor of this one comment:

Abortive argument

You may remember that both Amber and Liam first alerted us to, and then wrote on, what's now being called the Gloucester pregnancy pact--that a group of sophomore girls in Gloucester, MA decided to get pregn

Bias is out, numbers are in

The baby boomers are on the way out of the nation's colleges and universities. The New York Times reports that liberal professors birthed into academia in the 1960s and 70s are retiring--and being replaced by younger and more politically moderate academics.

Rubber room resolution

There's been a development in New York City's "rubber room" controversy.

Philly inches toward weighted student funding

New Philadelphia schools CEO Arlene Ackerman is making an impression right away; the Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

What's in a name?

Britain's schools minister is Lord Adonis. Its schools secretary is Mr. Balls.

What's in a name?

Britain's schools minister is Lord Adonis. Its schools secretary is Mr. Balls.

In my backyard

The NEA is gathering in Washington--some "10,000 delegates and a few thousand other union members and guests," according to the Washington Post. The union is going to decide whether to offer its presidential endorsement to Barack Obama or to John McCain.

More for the Fourth

Furthermore...

Nice, Christina. And then there are these problems. First, none of the arguments he points out is reductio ad absurdum (one must never forget the ad). Second,??if one was, what the heck??would be??so wrong??with that? Third, who's Leo Casey?

Fine Rheesoning

From the Washington Post:

Changes to FL accountability

Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed this week a bill that lessens the emphasis of the state's high-stakes test, the FCAT.

Burnish or blemish?

Straight from the horse's mouth

While my esteemed colleague may not be buying the numbers coming out of the Big Apple, parents and students are.

La Raza in 'zona

Evidently fearless in the face of controversy, Liam writes today on the touchy subject of so-called "Raza Studies" in Arizona on National Review Online.

Bloomberg gets it

Even as he announced an initiative yesterday to educate more mathematicians and scientists, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg thought it necessary to point out that anti-immigration policies pose a grave threat to our economy.

Pretty sad

"3 of 4 City Students Say They Took No Art Class This Year" Update: NYC Department of Ed press secretary David Cantor writes in the comments section:

No bottom line

New York City's experiences in the last couple weeks reinforce my belief that the notion that we can "hold public schools accountable for results" is questionable.

Happy birthday

At Fordham, we normally avoid the paparazzi and gossip columns by donning dark sunglasses and entering buildings only by tunnel or back alley, but still, Checker couldn't avoid the New York Sun's "Out and About" blog, which caught him and others in New York last month celebrating Fordham tr

300 million citizens can't be wrong

We've been accused at times of union-bashing (as distinct from the teacher-bashing attributed to Liam, yesterday and today), but perhaps we can cede that mantle to Thomas Sowell.

Obama breaks with Dems on education, according to Obama

NPR's Morning Edition aired today a segment on which presidential candidate, John McCain or Barack Obama, is actually the most bi-partisan or post-partisan or something like that. Frankly, I couldn't care less, mostly because these glorified labels are hooey.