Two years ago, a commission convened by the Education Commission of the States recommended a new model for school and district governance: instead of running all their schools directly from headquarters, districts would merely monitor the effectiveness of the (public) schools in their jurisdiction.
Two new books offer firsthand evidence that our high schools - even "high-achieving" schools in fancy suburbs - often aren't places where the focus is on learning. For Doing School, Stanford ed school professor Denise Pope shadowed five honors students from a wealthy California suburb for a year.
Joe Nathan and Karen Febey, Center for School Change, Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota 2001
Montgomery County, Maryland is known for having public schools among the best in the nation, ranking high in test scores and college admissions. But that doesn't mean every school is effective. Especially as the county has become more economically and culturally diverse, its school system has struggled to deal with the challenge of low-performing schools.
The journal formerly known as Education Matters is now Education Next, and the fall issue is now available. Among the highlights: Diane Ravitch, Nathan Glazer, and David Steiner debate whether school choice will destroy our common culture; Jane Hannaway, Paul Hill and Marci Kanstoroom look at what makes Houston the toast of urban school reformers; and Lauren Resnick
Program on Education Policy and Governance, Harvard University
A random confluence of events can sometimes be clarifying. That happened to me one day last week. What got clarified was why U.S. kids aren't learning enough. The morning brought fresh evidence that they're not: the 2000 NAEP math results. As you have read elsewhere (and can read below), while NAEP showed some gains (in grades 4 and 8, not 12), overall scores remain lamentable.
A long piece by Linda Perlstein in the Washington Post Magazine's Education Review issue explores how schools and teachers have lost our trust and how they might restore it. "Suspicious Minds," by Linda Perlstein, Washington Post Magazine, July 22, 2001.
With annual testing at the heart of President Bush's education plan now nearing the end of its Congressional journey, testing has never been a hotter issue in national politics. It is also generating plenty of heat at the state and local levels as more test-and-standards-based accountability systems kick in. Business leaders have been among the strongest advocates for higher standar
The American Federation of Teacher's magazine, American Educator, offers several gems in its most recent issue. Kay Hymowitz asks what it means for kids when parents have foresworn their traditional role and turned themselves into advocates, friends, and providers of entertainment for their children. Walter McDougall explains why an understanding of geography is fundamental to true education.
