Is School Reform Getting Too Corporate?
April 2007 Archives
April 30, 2007
April 30, 2007
School-Level Control Still Under Attack -- Even As New Forms Take Shape
When elected officials talk about "local control," they usually mean states and districts. But in some places, local control means really local -- like at the school level. It's a messy business, however, and in Illinois the Board and the mayor are now pushing changes so that elected school councils have to have approval before not renewing a principal's four-year contract (Chicago school leaders seek to limit LSC power Tribune). In New York City, the once-powerful parent councils that used to run the city's community school districts can barely scare up enough folks to fill the vacant seats (A Lack of Interest in New System�s School Parent Councils NYT).
Interesting to note that, at the same time, some reformers are talking about a new form of local control -- autonomy zones and such that would give school buildings more control over how they spend their money. But without, it seems, the community and parent oversight of the old school models.
April 30, 2007
Work Smarter, Not Harder
I'm always seeing interesting new approaches in housing and education policy -- this one (here) about giving hard-core homeless folks a place to stay (even if they're not clean and sober) is from the PBS NewsHour on Friday. What's the education equivalent, I wonder? Coming up with new alternatives for chronic truants rather than trying to bring them back into schools? Setting up special kinds of schools for kids with particular needs -- immigrants, high-mobility kids -- rather than trying to make everyone do everything the same way?
April 30, 2007
The Pros & Cons Of Video Games
Does the link between video games and violence hold up? Yes.
P.E. Classes Turn to Video Game That Works Legs NYT
Schools are deploying Dance Dance Revolution as the latest weapon in the battle against childhood obesity.
April 30, 2007
Drunken Pirate Sues Over Denial Of Education Degree
April 30, 2007
The Ideal Education Blog -- Multiple Voices, Interacting
Blogs written by groups rather than individual writers have been all the rage for a little while now -- combining as they do the pleasures of distinct voices with the diversity of multiple perspectives. Perhaps the best example of this has been the two year-old Huffington Post, which includes a wide range of voices, as well as predecessors like Daily Kos. Group blogs have been coming along in education, too, with the AFT Blog, the Quick and The Ed, and the Ravitch/Meier blog.
Now, that trend seems to be accelerating. There's The Pulse, run by District Administration, and now the EduStat blog, run by SchoolNet. Ideally, these blogs will create a sort of community discussion among bloggers that's convenient to readers and lively and pleasurable for everyone. Still, there needs to be more interactivity among the writers, and diversity of perspectives.
April 30, 2007
Big Stories Of The Day (Monday April 30)
Hillary Clinton Critical of NCLB Before State Teachers Union EdWeek
Sen. Clinton voted in favor of the No Child Left Behind law in 2001. As a formal presidential candidate since January, she has yet to release any detailed proposals for overhauling the law, which is due for reauthorization this year.
No Child Left Behind foes fear $600M loss AZ Daily Star
Lawmakers agreed Wednesday that while it might be a good idea for Arizona to opt out of mandates required by the No Child Left Behind act, giving up more than half a billion dollars in federal funding is not a good idea.
Reports On School Crimes Are Rare Washington Post
In this era of heightened concern about school safety, few Washington area school systems regularly report school violence.
April 29, 2007
The Best Of The Week (April 23-29)
Site News
Now Appearing On The Huffington Post, Too
Bill Clinton Reverses Himself On Annual Testing
Jerald Joins $60M "Stronger American Schools" Initiative
Saving American Schools, One Pint Of Ice Cream At A Time
NCLB News
The Fairfax Fandango: This Test Is Too Hard
Is "Proficient" Too Much To Ask For?
Looking Into VA Test Participation Rules
Exclusive: Spellings Called To Testify
Has Chairman Miller Been Protecting Secretary Spellings?
Reading First Quotes: Criminal Or Civil Investigation?
School Reform
Growing Pains For KIPP Schools
Teachers In NYC "Rubber Rooms"
The KIPP Breakups
Business Of Education
Gates Announces New Education Honcho
How To Read An Edu-Company Press Release
Who The Hell Is Whitney Tilson?
April 27, 2007
The News Fly Express: Reader's Digest Version
April 27, 2007
Big Stories Of The Day (Friday April 27)
Well, not so very big...
How to gauge a school's progress Christian Science Monitori
As Congress prepares to reauthorize No Child Left Behind, more educators want new definitions of achievement.
PCs Can Help Kids Pass NCLB Tests US News
Although the lion's share of U.S. schools still prepare students for achievement tests using the traditional paper-and-pen approach, some educators around the country are turning to high-tech programs designed to help students succeed in the testing-heavy educational environment created by the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act.
Dean at M.I.T. Resigns, Ending a 28-Year Lie NYT
The dean of admissions at M.I.T. admitted that she had lied about having an undergraduate degree.
Schools Banning iPods to Beat Cheaters NY Post
Banning baseball caps during tests was obvious - students were writing the answers under the brim. Then, schools started banning cell phones, realizing students could text message the answers to each other. Now, schools across the country are targeting digital media players as a potential cheating device.
April 27, 2007
Has Chairman Miller Been Protecting Secretary Spellings?
Don't be put off by the boring title that the Title Monitor gives to its Reading First story (OIG Refers Reading First To U.S. Justice Department). There's interesting stuff in there about witnesses like former assistant secretary Susan Neuman who might have been expected to have been called to testify and some impassioned remarks from Mike Petrilli questioning the Committee's treatment of former RF director Chris Doherty and insulation of EdSec Spellings from the fiasco.
April 26, 2007
Who The Hell Is Whitney Tilson?
April 26, 2007
How To Read An Edu-Company Press Release
April 26, 2007
Bill Clinton Reverses Himself On Annual Testing
April 26, 2007
Big Stories Of The Day (Thursday April 26)
Report Undercuts Effects of Educational Software NPR
A new report from the Department of Education says that most education software does not boost test scores. But districts that have spent large amounts of money are not ready to give up on it.
Nutrition standards urged for foods sold in school CNN.com
The IOM recommendation covers items considered competitive with those foods, such as items sold in vending machines and other food and drinks sold in the school but not under the federal program, an area often profitable for the schools.
Cuomo: States Will Pursue Student Loan Fiasco NPR
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo told lawmakers that if the federal government doesn't step in to regulate the student loan industry, the states will. Cuomo has persuaded 4 major lenders and 16 colleges and universities to sign a code-of-conduct pact.
Project Wants More Talk About Education Wash Post
Two of the world's wealthiest charitable foundations are bankrolling a $60 million initiative aimed at making education an issue in the 2008 presidential campaign.
Teen to graduate college after just 1 year MSNBC
As a student at Lahser High School, Matisse had exhausted the curriculum by her junior year. Between the exams she passed on eight advanced placement courses and the eight classes she took at Oakland Community College, she had amassed enough credits to enter the university last fall as a junior.
Survivors of Shootings Face Long Road to Normalcy PBS
As classes resumed at Virginia Tech this week, survivors of the shootings had to try to get back into a normal routine, which has proven difficult for past communities affected by shootings, such as Columbine High School.
April 26, 2007
The KIPP Breakups
April 25, 2007
Gates Announces New Education Honcho
April 25, 2007
Exclusive: Spellings Called To Testify On Lending & Reading First
April 25, 2007
Looking Into VA Test Participation Rules
Over at Learning the Language, M.A. Zehr follows up on the whole Fairfax thing and looks into VA's test participation rules. What she finds (Virginia's Definition of Test Participation) is pretty amazing -- namely that any kid, ELL or not, can decline to complete an exam, and that the scores still count even if fewer than five items have been attempted. Check it out.
April 25, 2007
Teachers In NYC "Rubber Rooms"
April 25, 2007
Growing Pains For KIPP Schools -- Not Just The Press To Blame
In this week's column (Looking at KIPP, Coolly and Carefully), Mathews tries to get ahead of the news trend that's slowly leaking out about KIPP's dropout rates and spate of breakups (now numbering six). He rightly points out that the media are the ones doing most of the hyping -- desperate for success stories and things that seem new and different. But Mathews struggles to hide his enthusiasm even in the role of cool critic, and in reality it's more than that -- it's foundations pouring money into the KIPP approach and think tanks touting them as miracle solutions. I'm not against KIPP, but I have been warning against all the hype surrounding the rapidly-expanding network of KIPP schools for weeks and months now.
Related Posts: The Return Of The Hype Warning System, Jay Mathews On The HotSeat, KIPP Co-Founder Mike Feinberg On The HotSeat, NYT Magazine's Paul Tough On The HotSeat.
April 25, 2007
Jerald Joins $60M "Stronger American Schools" Initiative
April 25, 2007
Don't Forget Virginia Tech
Aid Providers, Some Invited and Some Not, Arrive En Masse Wash Post
As thousands of students returned to class Monday at Virginia Tech, they were greeted by legions of people who came to help.
Schools Revisit Gun Policies After Va. Tech Rampage NPR
Last week's deadly shooting rampage at Virginia Tech shattered the image of college campuses as idyllic sanctuaries of safety. Virginia Tech -- like most American universities -- forbids students from carrying guns on campus. Now many schools are re-evaluating their gun policies.
April 25, 2007
Is "Proficient" Too Much To Ask For?
April 25, 2007
Big Stories Of The Day (Wednesday)
Billionaires Start $60 Million Schools Effort NYT
Eli Broad and Bill Gates are joining forces for a $60 million foray into politics in an effort to vault education high onto the agenda of the 2008 presidential race.
House passes bill to increase math and science teachers CNN.com
The bill, which passed 389-22, would authorize more than $600 million through 2012 for scholarships and stipends for college students studying math and science in preparation for teaching careers.
Wash. music teacher is top of her class USA Today
Peterson's selection is a victory for advocates of traditional teacher certification — she is the second National Board Certified teacher in a row to become Teacher of the Year, and the fourth in seven years.
Bush Presses Schools Plan During Trip to New York NYT
President Bush traveled to Harlem to seek common cause with the rival party, on its home turf, on his signature education initiative, “No Child Left Behind.”
April 24, 2007
Saving American Schools, One Pint Of Ice Cream At A Time
April 24, 2007
Now Appearing On The Huffington Post, Too
UPDATE: Now it's up -- you can see it here.
April 24, 2007
The Fairfax Fandango: This Test Is Too Hard
For a time, Fairfax County educators were thinking about -- some would say threatening to -- give up $17 million in NCLB funds rather than give a test to ELL kids that they thought was too hard. Well, of course it is. Everyone knows that.
But threatening to give up NCLB funding -- resolutions, protests -- how 2003.
At the last minute, however, Fairfax figured out what everyone else has: take the money, comply nominally, and find a way to do what you want. In Fairfax's case, nominal compliance means making sure that teachers and ELL kids know that they can -- yes -- stop taking the test if it's too hard. All it takes is a shake of the head.
"A memo from the Virginia Department of Education on Thursday said students can "indicate to the test examiner either verbally, or non-verbally by shaking his/her head 'no'," according to the Post article (Va. Schools Yield, Yet May Shape 'No Child' Wash Post)..."that he or she is not able to complete any more items."
Sympathetic as I am to the plight of ELL kids and the anxieties of teachers about how their schools are going to be rated -- yes, that's part of this -- I can't imagine how this new policy is going to work out in practice.
In fact, all this thinking is making my head hurt even though I haven't finished this post. Teacher, I want to stop now.
April 24, 2007
Life At The High End
Power Trips for Tots WSJ (free)
Adventure vacations around the globe are becoming a status symbol for parents seeking an edge for their kids. Some families are heading to sub-Saharan Africa or Asia, while others are packing itineraries with extreme experiences, sending their children to the jungle or bicycling through rice paddies in Thailand.
He's going to Harvard (or Yale, or Princeton, or
) Houston Chronicle
These days, competition to get into a brand-name institution is so intense that desperate students apply to 10, 12 and even 20 schools. Twelve percent of students entering college last fall applied to seven or more schools, according to a survey by the University of California at Los Angeles.
April 24, 2007
Teaching Roundup
Thanks to contributor Regina Matthews for digging up these interesting articles about teachers and teaching:
Teachers: The Next Generation PEN NewsBlast
Generation Y, the 40 million people born between 1977 and 1986, is dramatically changing the composition of today's teaching staffs.
A Q&A with Joel Packer, chief NCLB lobbyist for the NEA and Antonia Cortese, EVP for the AFT, with moderator Kevin Bushweller
Teacher Contracts: Restoring the Balance PEN NewsBlast
Teacher contracts reflect an earlier era in America: the age of the rise of industrial unions, according to The Education Partnership.
Degree Drought Indianapolis Business Journal
Why can’t two-year public institutions turn out more students?
Obit: Marie Clay, Proponent of Early Reading Help, Dies at 81 Canton Repository
Clay's methods eventually became known as “Reading Recovery” and spread to other countries.
April 23, 2007
Reading First Quotes: Criminal Or Civil Investigation?
While it remains unclear whether the referrals to the Justice Department are going to be criminal or civil -- or result in any charges -- everyone's got a good quote or two in their Reading First coverage:
House Panel Grills Witnesses On Reading First EdWeek
In an interview after the hearing, Mr. Miller said: “This hearing made it pretty clear that there was a very incestuous relationship among a small group of people in the Education Department and among contractors. They were very clearly using this program … for profit.”
Reading program to get Justice review USA Today
It wasn't immediately clear on Friday who the subject of the investigation might be, or whether John Higgins, who led the Education Department's investigation, asked Justice to pursue criminal charges or a civil complaint.But Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who chairs the House Education and Labor Committee and is investigating the program on his own, told Higgins: "I think when we put the evidence together we may join you in those criminal referrals."
The civil division of the Justice Department is looking into his findings, but has not decided whether to begin an investigation, a spokesman said....“Reading First was and probably will remain the highlight of my professional career,” Mr. Doherty said.
Key Initiative Of 'No Child' Under Federal Investigation Wash Post
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, who declined to comment yesterday, has said management problems with Reading First "reflect individual mistakes." But Doherty said nearly every aspect of the program was carefully monitored by the department and the White House, where Spelling was Bush's top education adviser."This program was always firmly under the watch and control of the highest levels of the government," Doherty said.
April 23, 2007
Virginia Tech: The First Day Back
Virginia Tech history professor Woody Farrar is usually able to lecture for hours, but this time he worried about what he would say – if he could even get the words out – when his students returned to his class Monday, a week after the worst shooting in US history took place on campus.
Crime In The Quad US News
While murder on campus is exceedingly rare, its continued occurrence, along with the far more frequent incidence of sexual assault, has only increased calls for heightened security, improved alert systems, and more thorough crime reporting.
Emmanuel professor fired over Virginia Tech lecture Boston Globe
An adjunct professor at Emmanuel College was fired last week following a classroom discussion about the Virginia Tech shootings that included him pointing a marker at some students and saying "pow."
April 22, 2007
The Week In Review (April 16-22)
What Do Fairfax County And Sanjaya Have In Common?
Power Couples In Education, The Update
Campaign 2008
Reading First Heats Up: Criminal Investigation, DI Wife
Making Education A Top Issue For 2008 -- Somehow
NCLB News
It's All About The Bill Language
Thirty-One Pending NCLB Proposals
Tutoring Myths & Realities
What It Takes To Be An Effective Legislative Staffer
Policy Watch
A Reality Check For Education Rhetoric
FairTest Vs. TestingFacts
Voucher Rollback In Ohio?
Finding The Right Big-City Superintendent
Media & Blogs
How Community Colleges Story Won A Pulitzer
School Reform Vs. Global Outsourcing
Virginia Tech Update & Implications
Spellings Talks Safety On Sunday
Collective Hysteria Diagnosed For Mystery School Illness
April 21, 2007
Reading First Heats Up: Criminal Investigation, DI Wife
I guess I dozed off a little too early during Friday's Reading First hearings, since this Washington Post story suggests that things have heated up -- a lot.
It's still hard to imagine this story breaking through to the political or massive media coverage level, given everything else that's going on. But the comparisons to Gonzalez-gate continue to emerge, and the Post story did make it to the Huffington Post.
April 21, 2007
Spellings Talks Safety On Sunday
April 20, 2007
Voucher Rollback In Ohio?
This NPR segment (NPR : New Ohio Governor Targets School Vouchers) reminds us that while 12 states plus Utah now have voucher programs, new Ohio governor Ted Strickland is trying to roll back one of the original voucher initiatives to its previous form. For the past year, Ohio's new statewide voucher program has been running, serving roughly 3,000 kids. Arguing that the program costs too much ($13 million) and serves the few rather than the many, Strickland wants to roll the program back to its original Cleveland-only size. He is opposed by, among other things, crying parents and kids who don't want to go back where they came from. Meanwhile, other states -- Utah, say -- watch and see which direction this voucher thing is going.
My take, for what it's worth, is that voucher programs will continue to spread, regardless of what happens in Ohio and Utah in the short term.
April 20, 2007
Power Couples In Education, The Update
Chris Edley (Former Clinton Civil Rights, now at UC Berkeley) and Maria Echaveste (Former Clinton Labor, now at UC Berkeley). Howard Fuller (Marquette University) and Deborah McGriff (former Milwaukee deputy super, now at Edison Schools). Goodwin Liu (former Clinton National Service) and Ann O’Leary (9th circuit?). Carolyn Henrich (UC lobbyist former National PTA) and Joel Packer (NEA).
Warning -- I haven't verified these, so they may be wrong or outdated.
Previously noted (here): Former Heritage and USDE Nina Rees and journalist husband Matt (the one with the glasses). TFA founder Wendy Kopp (with bonus school pic) and KIPP CEO Richard Barth.
April 20, 2007
Urban Schools Roundup
Language Gap Mars Parent-Teacher Chats NPR
Federal law requires school districts to provide interpreters for parent-teacher conferences. But demand far outstrips the state and federal funds provided. How are schools adapting?
Mayor Revises Some Points of School Budget Proposal NYT
It will be harder for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to redistribute senior teachers more evenly across the school system.
Trouble Even in Choice Paradise Urban Institute
We explore the reasoning behind these low take up rates and utilize school transfer data provided by the district to suggest that, in the case of the school transfer option, the low participation is due to a restrictive timeline for choice and the inadequate signaling power of the AYP designations.
L.A. charter school sues radio station LA Times
A year-long feud between a talk radio personality and an L.A. charter school is ending up in an unusual court case.
April 20, 2007
Reading First Hearing Survival Guide
Speaking of the hearing, you can watch the live webcast (video, audio plays on your screen) here. Good background listening.
Getting antsy? You can read Reid Lyon's explanation of his role and what Reading First was supposed to do here. No apologies there, that's for sure. Why isn't he at the hearing?
Speaking of who is and isn't at the hearing -- where's Spellings? If Gonzalez can come up and explain himself, why can't she?
April 20, 2007
Virginia Tech Update & Implications
Some California Schools Close After Threat NYT
The police in Northern California were searching on Thursday for a man who they said was planning an attack that would “make Virginia Tech look mild.”
After Columbine, School Shootings Proliferate US News
The number, frequency, and death toll for shootings at schools has increased dramatically since the attack at Colorado's Columbine High School eight years ago this Friday.
NBC Under Fire Over "Exploitative," "Insensitive" Airing Of Gunman Video HuffPo
Families of some of the victims, some law enforcement officials and executives from competing television news organizations have accused NBC of being insensitive or exploitative in the way it presented the materials on the air.
April 19, 2007
School Reform Vs. Global Outsourcing
"While the Congress deliberates over the Business Roundtable's and the Aspen Institute's Great Domestic Diversion, NCLB, American corporations continue their off-shoring of American jobs, both service jobs and highly-skilled professional jobs," begins this blistering post Fiddling With Test Scores While America Burns. "And while the U. S. Chamber of Commerce polishes its plans to transform American high schools into science and math camps, Boeing and Cisco continue to funnel science and engineering jobs to cheap labor markets overseas."
April 19, 2007
Power Couple Pics
I'm still working on getting more paparazzi pics, but the power couple pics I've come up with so far include former USDEr Nina Rees and journalist husband Matt (there are a couple -- she's married to one of these guys):
Also, TFA founder Wendy Kopp (with bonus school pic) and KIPP CEO Richard Barth:
Other amusing nominations I've received: Miller and Kennedy, Petrilli and Finn, Spellings and Paige.
No, I don't have anything better to do.
April 19, 2007
Getting Ready For A Reading First Let-Down
Reading First Paying Off, Education Dept. Says Washington Post
"That's the irony," said John F. Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy. "The program was poorly -- even unethically -- administered at the federal level, yet it seems to be having a positive effect in schools."
Hooked On Hysterics National Review Online (Petrilli)
If you enjoy political theater of the absurd, tune in to a House Education and Labor committee hearing Friday on “Mismanagement and Conflicts of Interest in the Reading First Program.”
April 19, 2007
School Shooting Roundup
Spate of threats plagues schools MSNBC
A series of bomb threats and other security alerts rattled U.S. schools and universities Wednesday.
Experts ponder patterns in school shootings USA Today
To most of us, tomorrow is just another Friday. But to educators, it's one of the bigger nail-biters on the calendar.
Colleges seek faster ways to warn studentsCNN.com
"There is no one magic communication system that we can press a button and let everyone know what is going on," says Chris Meyer, assistant vice president for safety and security at Texas A&M University.
McCain Says He Favors "No Gun Control" After Shootings HuffPo
The Arizona senator said in Summerville, S.C., that the country needs better ways to identify dangerous people like the gunman who killed 32 people and himself in the Blacksburg, Va., rampage.
April 19, 2007
What Do Fairfax County And American Idol's Sanjaya Have In Common?
What do Fairfax County (Va) schools and American Idol's Sanjaya have in common? Yesterday, they both went down:
Fairfax Schools Concede On Testing Washington Post
Sanjaya's run on "Idol" ends MTV.com
April 18, 2007
FairTest Vs. TestingFacts
The new FairTest Examiner is out, and full of the usual news and commentary (and the announcement of a new co-director named, of all things, Earle M. Test). I kid you not.
April 18, 2007
Making Education A Top Issue For 2008 -- Somehow
Looking for something to do next week? Get yourself invited to the official Tuesday April 24 pre-launch of "Strong American Schools," the Gates and Broad funded public awareness campaign that -- as I broke in January -- is going to be headed by former Governor and LAUSD superintendent Roy Romer. The project is going to be run through Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, headed by Melissa Berman formerly of the Conference Board (see profile PDF here).
No news as of yet on just how the effort plans to bring education to the front burner or who they've got to do their policy or political work, though I know they've been talking to some good people.
April 18, 2007
A Reality Check For Education Rhetoric
What about the Think Tank Research Project? My sense is the project, while well intended, is problematically located at an ed school and seems to take aim exclusively at right-leaning reports rather than an even mix. We need something that's situated independently, staffed with knowledgeable individuals, and takes on bad research wherever it might show up -- at think tanks left and right, at universities, or from research firms.
Related Posts: Think Tank "Truthiness", ‘Truthiness in Education’ (Letters)
April 18, 2007
Virginia Tech Update: Sorrow, And Questions
Victims remembered with 'hearts full of sorrow' CNN.com
Families and friends of the 32 victims of Monday's shootings on the Virginia Tech campus joined thousands of students clad in maroon and orange in chanting "Let's go Hokies!" to end an emotional convocation on campus.
Threats Rattle Schools Across the U.S. Washington Post
Bomb threats and menacing notes sent to several colleges and universities across the country a day after the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech led officials to temporarily evacuate buildings, shutter campuses and see weapons where there were none.
Texting When There's Trouble Wall Street Journal (free)
More communities and schools are using automated electronic-alert systems that can send voice, email or text messages in case of emergency.
Two-Hour Delay Is Linked to Bad Lead NYT
Virginia Tech officials were pursuing what appears to have been a fruitless lead after the first shooting when the second began.
University Campuses Face Security Challenges PBS
Monday's deadly shootings at Virginia Tech University have sparked concern over security at many colleges and universities around the country.
April 18, 2007
Power Couples In Education -- Are There Any?
But are there any power couples in education? Not that I know of. I met Heather Podesta at an education event in DC earlier this year, married to Tony Podesta, brother of John. They're on the WMonthly list. Any others?
UPDATE: Readers share their nominations below. Got any to add?
April 17, 2007
What It Takes To Be An Effective Legislative Staffer, Then And Now
I came to the Hill having been a teacher, an ed school student, and a researcher -- not from the campaign or the political side. And I came to the job actually wanting to do education. But every year I was there, I found that I was more effective the more I thought like floor staff or a press secretary. Going fast and low like that was extremely uncomfortable, but it worked, by and large. I stopped reading the reports and started bugging my LD for gossip and news about upcoming floor schedules. And I got things done, for better or worse.
Sure, education research has gotten a lot better since then, and there were (and are) lots of education staffers much much better than I was. But being reflective and opportunistic at the same time is not easy, especially given daily demands of floor statements, press releases, constituent meetings, trip and hearing prep. And it's the rare member who actually knows much more than a few things about the issues to say in front of the cameras. For better or worse, five years of talk about research-based learning don't seem to have made much of a dent on that basic dynamic, nor are they likely to change the basic shape of NCLB 2.
April 17, 2007
VA Tech Shooter Wrote Disturbing Plays
April 17, 2007
How Community Colleges Story Won A Pulitzer
According to this interview in Editor and Publisher (Birmingham Pulitzer: Prize Honors 'Basic Daily Reporting We All Do'), Brett Blackledge's community colleges story was original submitted in the local news category, then moved to public service, and then won in the category of investigative journalism. More than that, however, the story reports that Blackledge views his work as the "bread-and-butter stuff" of everyday daily newspaper reporting. Someone invite this guy to the EWA conference in LA next month. I want some of what he's got.
UPDATE: Dallas Morning News reporter and columnist Josh Benton points out that EWA members like Dan Golden have won Pulitzers in the past, and that the Blackledge stories only tied for second in the EWA investigative reporting category this year. "Finally, empirical proof that EWA has higher standards," quips Benton.
April 17, 2007
It's All About The Bill Language
April 17, 2007
Finding The Right Big-City Superintendent
It's hiring time again in a lot of big cities around the nation, and as contributor Regina Matthews finds out, no one's quite sure about what they're looking for:
What does a big city school system need in a schools chief? They're pondering the problem in Philly (What Sort of Leader for Schools? Philadelphia Inquirer) and in Boston (Replacing School Boss Tough Task Boston Globe), as Seattle picks a schools CEO (A Little Tutorial for New Schools Chief Seattle Times) and Detroit wonders what to pay a schools chief (Detroit Schools CEO… Detroit Free Press).
April 17, 2007
Virginia Tech Update & Responses
Questions were immediately raised about whether university officials had responded adequately to the shootings, in which the gunman killed himself.
Universities Are on Alert, Rethinking Own Security Wash Post
Security was heightened yesterday at some colleges and universities in the Washington area, and officials began reviewing procedures in reaction to the fatal shootings at Virginia Tech.
Topic: Responding to the Virginia Tech Massacre
The WaPo asks a litany of questions concerning yesterday's massacre at Virginia Tech, the deadliest mass shooting in American history: "Under what circumstances, and where, did the gunman obtain his weapons? Would the university have suffered the same tragedy if Virginia law did not prohibit the carrying of guns on campus? Should metal detectors be ubiquitous in American classrooms and dormitories? And why are gunmen so apt to carry out their lethal rampages at American schools?"
April 17, 2007
Poverty, Robotics, Healthy Food, Video Sex, Abstinence
Dealing With Poverty in the Schools Washington Post
According to Ruby K. Payne, a consultant to school systems locally and nationwide, teachers need to know more about the poor.
Robotic trio wins 'Super Bowl of Smarts' CNN.com
After six weeks of strategy and sweat, a coalition of high school teams from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Nevada took the top prize at the FIRST Robotics competition, otherwise known as the "Superbowl of Smarts."
A principal and a teacher at a suburban elementary school quit amid allegations they were caught on video having sex in the principal's office, authorities say.
Healthier food, drinks slowly enter U.S. schools CNN.com
These are welcome changes since 17 percent of Americans between the ages of 2 and 19, or 12 million of them, are overweight. But nutrition experts said the food and beverage industry needs to do more.
With Homework, a Helping Hand Can Sometimes Be a Hindrance Washington Post
Joe knew just what to do when his daughter, who was studying Roman history, came home with an assignment to build a catapult. He ordered a catapult kit from the Internet and put it together himself.
Abstinence students still having sex AP
Students who participated in sexual abstinence programs were just as likely to have sex a few years later as those who did not, according to a long-awaited study mandated by Congress.
April 17, 2007
Thirty-One Pending NCLB Proposals
April 16, 2007
Education Writer Wins Pulitzer For Exposing Community College Corruption
April 16, 2007
At Least 22 Reported Dead In Virginia Tech Shooting
April 16, 2007
Tutoring Myths & Realities
Wednesday's House hearing on SES won't be the big hearing of the week, but it will likely be pretty interesting given Senator Clinton's recent comments about the ineffectiveness of the program and its controversial use of private tutoring companies.
Tutoring generally works. SES tutoring isn't that different from regular tutoring. Expecting big effects from small amounts of tutoring doesn't make sense. "Big education" isn't dominating the SES field. More on this later.
April 16, 2007
Best Of The Blogs
We read them ... so you don't have to:
Extra Help or Racial Profiling? The Chalkboard
The NY Times story about programs aimed at helping black boys in the suburbs is fascinating, and is the kind of thing we should be talking about more often and openly.
Preschool Attendance: More Likely in Mex. Than in the US Learning The Languge
A new research brief about children in immigrant families contains some interesting observations that indicate education policy can make a difference in whether children of Mexican heritage go to preschool.
Ed Sector's "But" Fetish AFT Blog
The Deep Pockets Foundation has awarded Education Sector a $240,000 grant to analyze the use of conjunctions, prepositions and articles in teacher union communications.
An AERA Newbie TQATE
I just finished my first trip to AERA and, while shocked by the sheer number of people there, I was generally impressed with the research, presentations, and thoughtful comments. Consistently, people expressed a desire to make research a critical part of both ground-level action and the policy decision-making process.
Whither Ed Schools? Whither Ed Journalism? Early Stories
...What goes on inside classrooms is a complicated interaction between and among students, and with their teacher, while wrestling with important content. And all of those interactions are influenced by what happens outside of class and outside the school.
Principal Pornstar Meets Ms. Horndog The Teacher EdWonks
School principal Leroy Coleman and 8th grade teacher Janet Loften thought that it would be cute to "get their honey 'lovin' where they get their money."
April 16, 2007
Opinion Roundup (Editorials, Op-Eds, Columnists)
"No Child" law and state reform Seattle Times
By the snail's pace on reauthorization of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Congress appears flummoxed over how best to maintain strong academic expectations and state flexibility.
If wired right, computers do belong in classrooms LA Times
A buzzed-about U.S. Department of Education study released this month found that some popular software programs schools use to teach math and reading are pretty worthless.
Colleges should be more accountable for new teachers Providence Journal
Without a practical relationship, how can a college stay current with the needs of actual schools, districts and children? They can’t. They get incredibly out of touch and teach a lot of theory and methodology that has no practical application.
April 16, 2007
How To Write The Reading First Story
April 16, 2007
Collective Hysteria Diagnosed For Mystery School Illness
April 16, 2007
Morning News (April 16)
Meeting Brings No Headway in 'No Child' Stalemate Washington Post
U.S. education officials and several Virginia school superintendents met yesterday to discuss tests for students with limited English skills under the No Child Left Behind law but made no progress toward solving a standoff over what the local educators call an unacceptable federal mandate.
Negotiators Say Sallie Mae to Be Sold for $25 Billion NYT
The nation’s largest education lender agreed to be sold to JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America and two private equity firms.
Textbook scandal reaches Congress USA Today
A slow-motion scandal surrounding a federal multibillion-dollar reading program has its first congressional hearing this week, but it remains to be seen whether the scrutiny will shed any new light on a complex, contradictory tale of textbooks, tests and allegations of federal arm-twisting.
Kennedy Wants Lenders Blocked From Data Washington Post
The chairman of the Senate education committee urged the Bush administration yesterday to block student loan companies from accessing a national database that holds confidential information on tens of millions of students.
April 15, 2007
The Best Of The Week (April 9-16)
Campaign '08
GOP Presidential Candidates Have Views On Education, Too
Beantown Babies Not Getting Their Just Desserts (UPK)
Why Student Aid Is Bigger Than Reading First
Bring Back "Eduwonk" Andy
On The Hill
Foresman Author Simmons Gets Reading First Subpoena
Who Should Be On The Reading First Witness List
Who Is Doug Carnine?
NCLB News
National Algebra 2 Test, From The States
NCLB Reauthorization: "It's Going To Be A Brawl"
Urban Ed
Vallas Leaving Philly -- For New Orleans?
News From Detroit: Let Them Eat Grapes
Eliminating "C" Grades
AERA
Treating Academics Like Interns
A Global Warming Initiative For AERA
School Life
Integrating Prom
Using A School Bus As A Getaway Car
April 13, 2007
Why Student Aid Is Bigger Than Reading First
By and large, this story seems to be getting tons more attention and a faster response than the Reading First story has gotten -- I'm guessing because its locus is financial rather than ideological, because it involves more than a couple of folks in the USDE, and because it involves banks and other lenders rather than states and districts and reading experts most folks have never heard of. Or maybe there are other factors.
April 13, 2007
Integrating Prom
April 13, 2007
Treating Academics Like Interns
What I learned at the session was that the disturbing experience of learning the policy process is not that uncommon -- everyone had a vivid story to tell -- and that some academics think it's easier to influence practice than policy. I also heard that research has improved over the past few years, even if its reputation and ability to influence policy hasn't -- yet?
April 13, 2007
Thank You
Today is my last day as a daily contributor to This Week In Education. I want to thank all the readers for such a warm welcome into the education community and particularly for your comments. I've really enjoyed being a part of the conversation and we can't have that conversation without readers! I especially want to thank Alexander for the opportunity to research education news and occasionally editorialize, for his professional advice, and willingness to help me learn everything I can about the education policy field.
You can still find me on my blog - Poor Starving College Student.
Thanks again - It has been a real pleasure!
Margaret Paynich
April 13, 2007
Morning Round-up April 13, 2007
Education Chief Orders Ethics Check WaPo
U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has launched reviews of the department's ethics and financial disclosure policies in response to questions raised through far-ranging investigations of the student loan industry.
Bush Defends No Child Left Behind Act AP, CNN
President Bush, acknowledging public frustration over his No Child Left Behind Act, said Thursday the point of the law is not to punish schools that fall short, but to help them.
Teachers' Workday Is Difficult to Pin Down EdWeek
But the debate in Hawaii throws up a question with as many answers, it appears, as there are education interests: How many hours does the average teacher clock in?
April 12, 2007
AFT vs. AFT
Apparently my fairly bland observation that traditional schools struggle with screening out criminals just like charter schools didn't sit well with the folks at the AFT blog, who dug up an old post of mine and try to argue that I'm wickedly inconsistent (Russo vs. Russo). Too bad the old post is about lax enrollment policies (not lax hiring), that my posting something doesn't mean I endorse it (far from it), and that the AFT has me beat by a long shot when it comes to inconsistency and internal contradictions (charters, NCLB, etc.).
April 12, 2007
Eliminating "C" Grades To Make Students (& Teachers) Do Better
April 12, 2007
A Global Warming Initiative For AERA
My contributions, such as they were, included the observation that think tank research is pushing out academic research -- and its strategies for reaching reporters (embargoed reports, conference calls, outreach, more concrete language) might be a good model for researchers who want to get the word out. I also pointed out that there are relatively few education researchers who blog about their work, leaving the field to the think tanks and the handful of media-savvy folks we hear from over and over.
Still, the one thought that keeps coming back to me is how powerful it would be if a group of researchers like AERA came out with some consensus findings every year -- like the international group of scientists did about global warming recently -- so that reporters and policymakers didn't have to hash through individual studies on their own. Jack Jennings mentioned something about this during another session I did this morning, which I'll write about soon.
April 12, 2007
Vallas Leaving Philly -- For New Orleans?
Paul Vallas' long-rumored departure from Philly may result in him heading to New Orleans, where the current supe is rumored to be leaving and the state is looking for a new look for its reinvention of the NOLA school system. There are lots of Chicago folks involved in New Orleans already, especially on the charter side.
Vallas to step down as Phila. schools chief Daily Southtown, VALLAS GOIN' SOUTH?Philadelphia Daily News, Smiles for his academic gains; frustration in finances, violence Phila Enquirer, Vallas coming home Chicago Tribune
April 12, 2007
Morning Round-up April 12, 2007
Usefulness of education research questioned USAT
More than five years after President Bush's No Child Left Behind law told educators to rely on "scientifically based" methods, the science produced is often inconclusive, politically charged or less than useful for classroom teachers.
Student Loan Giant Sallie Mae Settles in NY Conflict-of-Interest Probe WaPo
In a settlement with the New York state attorney general, the Reston-based lending behemoth said it would no longer pay travel and entertainment fees for university officials, send its staff to work for free in financial aid offices or operate call centers where company employees provide financial advice but identify themselves only as university advisers.
April 11, 2007
Using A School Bus As A Getaway Car
April 11, 2007
Who Should Be On The Reading First Witness List
Some recommendations for additional or alternative witnesses at next week's RF hearing include Reid Lyon, Margaret Spellings and Susan Neuman, as well as state officials who were pressured by the Department, and providers like Success for All, Cupp Publishers, and Reading Recovery who were left out, according to edbizbuzz (here).
April 11, 2007
GOP Presidential Candidates Have Views On Education, Too
Most GOP Education Activists Still Sizing Up Field EdWeek
Republican experts on education issues are largely uncommitted at this early stage. Some state policymakers have begun advising one of the candidates, but most are waiting to see the ideas the current candidates put forth or who else gets into the race.
Presidential Candidates on Education: The Republicans The Huffington Post
A look at statements from the campaign websites of Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Sam Brownback.
Wake me up when one of them comes out promising to pull us out of NCLB without abandoning any of the troops teachers on the ground.
April 11, 2007
Wednesday Morning News (April 11)
College freshman not ready, study says San Diego Union-Tribune
Professors believe high school teachers should cover fewer topics with more depth to prepare students for college.
Financial Aid Officers Benefit from Student Loans, Probe Reveals PBS
Financial aid officers at several high-profile colleges were put on leave after a probe revealed that they were receiving stock options, kickbacks and all-expense-paid trips from a preferred student loan lender.
Troubled Schools Turn Around by Shrinking NPR
Whatever the odds, Northwestern High School and others like it must embrace change. Baltimore hopes this will be the last year for its remaining comprehensive high schools.
DNA shows Larry Birkhead is baby's dad Boston Globe
"I told you so!" the late Playboy Playmate's former boyfriend said Tuesday upon emerging from a closed court hearing.
April 10, 2007
Beantown Babies Not Getting Their Just Desserts
April 10, 2007
The Research-Policy Disconnect
Over at the Cato blog site, Andrew Coulson says that education research suffers from the absence of any focus on development or application focus (Cato-at-liberty � Where’s the “D”?): "In other fields, there is a powerful market incentive for applied research. It’s R and D, not just R, and the only justification for the former is the latter." I'm not sure if I agree with his entire argument, but it's interesting to think about what ed research would look like if it were more focused on developing practical applications.
April 10, 2007
Who Is Doug Carnine?
April 10, 2007
Foresman Author Simmons Gets Reading First Subpoena
On Monday, Chairman Miller announced the lineup for the April 20th Reading First witch hunt hearing, including one witness (Deborah Simmons, pictured) who will appear under subpoena.
April 10, 2007
Bring Back Eduwonk Andy
April 10, 2007
National Algebra 2 Test, From The States
It's a sensible-sounding move that drives yet another nail in the coffin of Congressionally-created national tests -- for now at least: "Nine states have come together for the first time to develop a common high school math test, a move described by some as a step toward national educational standards," according to this AP story (here). "The states are Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island."
April 10, 2007
Morning Round-up April 10, 2007
New Orleans: Looking for a few good principals USAT
A non-profit group retained to recruit 40 new principals for New Orleans Public Schools is using an unusual lure: A year-long, intensive training residency before candidates even take over schools — plus bonuses that could add up to nearly $40,000 if President Bush approves them.
9 States to Give Common Math Test WaPo
Mike Cohen, president of Achieve Inc., led a failed effort in the Clinton administration to develop national standards in a variety of subjects. But he said this is different, since it is a grass-roots effort rather than one being forced on states from Washington.
Students sue antiplagiarism website for rights to their homework CSM
The saga began last year when McLean High School in Virginia adopted a widely used antiplagiarism service called Turnitin. Under the system, students electronically submit essays to be stored and compared against millions of others in a massive database.
April 09, 2007
News From Detroit: Let Them Eat Grapes
April 09, 2007
Where's Maggie? Prepping For Reading First
Last week, embattled US Attorney Alberto Gonzalez had to cut his vacation short to prepare for upcoming hearings on the firings of the state attorneys (Gonzales Prepares to Fight for His Job). Maybe that's what the EdSec is up to this week -- during which she has no public appearances scheduled -- in preparation for the April 20th Reading First extravaganza on the Hill. At least, that's my theory.
April 09, 2007
What The College Presidents Are Really Saying
There are at least two things that seem worth noting about the news that some college presidents are considering a rebellion of sorts against US News' college rankings (Is There Life After Rankings?). First off, the rebel presidents don't have all that much influence, given that so much information is already publicly available. Not participating in the survey is the most they can really do. More importantly, however, the presidents are signaling to each other and to others their opposition to measurements and comparisons that were proposed in the Spellings Commission report. This is just as much about reauthorizing the Higher Ed Act as it is about the US News rankings.
April 09, 2007
NCLB Reauthorization: "It's Going To Be A Brawl"
April 09, 2007
Morning Round-up April 9, 2007
Education Dept. Official Under Scrutiny in Student Loan Probe WaPo
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating a senior official in its financial-aid office who owned about $100,000 worth of stock in a student loan company.
Simplified exams OK'd for more students AP
The Bush administration is letting more children with disabilities take simplified tests under the No Child Left Behind education law. The change, outlined in final regulations yesterday, could triple the number of children who can take tests that are easier than those given to most students under the 2002 law.
States abstain from federal sex-ed funds LAT
In an emerging revolt against abstinence-only sex education, states are turning down millions of dollars in federal grants, unwilling to accept White House dictates that the money be used for classes focused almost exclusively on teaching chastity.
Battle Grows Over Renewing Landmark Education Law NYT
As the president and the same Democrats push to renew the landmark law, which has reshaped the face of American education with its mandates for annual testing, discontent with it in many states is threatening to undermine the effort in both parties.
April 09, 2007
The Best Of The Week (April 2-9)
Campaign 2008
Tutoring Industry Denies Terrorism Halliburton Charges
Clinton Calls Tutoring Industry Terrorists Republican Contractors
Gingrich Hates Bilingual Education -- In Spanish
NCLB News
Wanted: Better Reasons To Leave Transfer Rules Intact
How Many States Tried To Roll Back NCLB? All Of Them.
School Reform And Campaign Finance
Policy Watch
The Reading First Zombie: It's Not Alive, But It's Not Quite Dead Either
Think Vouchers Are Dead? Think Again -- Again.
Is Universal Pre-K Stalling Out Already?
Computerized Tutoring
Charter Reform May Be Coming To FLA
LA Unified Slaps Down Green Dot Charter Proposal
Foundation Follies
Long Beach Up For A Broad Prize -- Again
More Coverage For Community Colleges -- And Better, Too?
Fordham Gets Pranked By A Pretend Pretend Gadfly Blog
Ed Trust Staffs Up
School Life
The Walking School Bus
ADHD Is So 90's -- Bipolar Disease Is All The Rage
Harsh Grades For Teachers Hit A Nerve
Media Watch
Good Things To Watch This Week, Part 2
How To Kill A Story: Talk Only To The Teachers
"The Education Of Ms. Groves" Wins Peabody Award
March 2007: The Month In Review (Updated)
Site News
See You At AERA
April 06, 2007
See You At AERA
For those reasons, I'm extremely interested to see how the two panels I'm going to do at the AERA conference next week in Chicago come out. The first, on Tuesday morning, focuses on how research does -- or doesn't -- get out into the education press, and what could be done to improve that situation (Communicating Your Research With The Media). The second, on Thursday morning, focuses on the interactions of the education research world and the political and policy worlds (From Research to Policy to Practice). In between, I'm going to be wandering around to other panels, schmoozing invites to the fancy receptions, and visiting some real live schools.
If you have a chance, check out the two panels I'm on, and if you happen to see me feel free to come up and say hello.
April 06, 2007
How To Kill A Story: Talk Only To The Teachers
This recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune (A lesson in how to kill a school) is a great example of what I feel like I see all the time -- stories told almost entirely from the point of view of adults (and in particular teachers). Much as teachers' perspectives are important, wouldn't it be great -- and all the more compelling -- if we learned in this story (and others) how the kids who had to change school were doing, or what their parents felt about the changes?
April 06, 2007
Think Vouchers Are Dead? Think Again -- Again.
"The recent adoption of multiple voucher programs at the state level suggests that demands for increased private school choice have not waned," according to this missive from the National Center on Privatization In Education at Columbia's Teacher College, which lists recent voucher victories and defeats in the states and predicts a Congressional showdown (click below).
Previous Posts:
Vouchers and Charterization Not Off The Table... Yet.
Vouchers & Charterization Proposals Not Necessarily "DOA"
April 06, 2007
Friday AM News (April 6)
Federal Official in Student Loans Held Loan Stock NYT
A senior official at the Education Department sold more than $100,000 in shares in a student loan company even as he was helping oversee lenders.
Merit-based Rewards for Teachers Pushed on Hill Washington Times
Rewarding effective teachers with more pay has bipartisan support on Capitol Hill as about a dozen House members pushed a bill last week that would help states and localities set up merit–based pay systems for educators.
Subtracting a 'gifted' gap in math education Christian Science Monitor
Project M3 steers often-overlooked students from low income and minority backgrounds into advanced math classes.
Testing service cancels launch of new exam AP
The makers of the GRE graduate school entrance exam have scrapped an extensive makeover of the test, citing concerns they wouldn't be able to accommodate enough students at test centers.
Battle to Win Top Colleges' Nod Escalating WashPost
Beka Badila, a senior at the Oakcrest School in McLean, did everything she was supposed to do to get into a good college.
Teacher disciplined for clothespin justice MSNBC
An Ohio substitute teacher’s tool for silencing chatty kindergartners — clothespins — doesn’t wash with school officials.
April 06, 2007
Long Beach Up For A Broad Prize -- Again
April 06, 2007
The Walking School Bus
April 05, 2007
Good Things To Watch This Week, Part 2
Yesterday I told you about some of the education-related videos that had won Peabodies (including Dateline's "Teaching Ms. Groves"). Tonight, check out a Learning Matters segment on the PBS NewsHour called Lessons Of War, about schools that teach military kids at Fort Bragg.
April 05, 2007
School Reform And Campaign Finance
April 05, 2007
April 05, 2007
Thursday AM News (April 5)
Testing rules to be eased Gannett
After months of pressure from states, the Bush administration said Wednesday that schools would be able to administer easier and more-suitable tests to certain students with disabilities who have struggled on traditional exams.
NCLB changes will allow more alternate tests AP
The change, outlined in final regulations Wednesday, would triple the number of children who can take tests that are easier than those given to most students under the 2002 law.
Chicago School Innovates, Rewrites Rules NPR
In the push for innovative schools, one Chicago principal has thrown out the rule book. Kindergartners go to school with 12th-graders. And the older kids teach the younger ones.
$500 Million Pledged to Fight Childhood Obesity NYT
The $500 million public health initiative by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is one of the largest ever tried by a private philanthropy.
Software's benefits on tests in doubt MSNBC
Educational tools, a $2 billion-a-year industry, has no significant impact on student performance.
Substitute Teacher Tells History Firsthand NYT
Arnold Blume, 81, has carved out a niche at the intersection of teaching and oral history.
April 04, 2007
Gingrich Hates Bilingual Education -- In Spanish
Trying to recover from his ill-considered rant against bilingual education and Spanish speakers, Newt Gringrich today posted this video on YouTube. He still prefers immersion to bilingual education, but now he says so in what seems like really bad Spanish:
Now if Hillary would just apologize to the tutoring industry and return the hostage students in time for Easter, all would be well in the world of education again.
April 04, 2007
"The Education Of Ms. Groves" Wins Peabody Award
April 04, 2007
Is Universal Pre-K Stalling Out Already?
Some things you might not have seen before, courtesy of Baird & Co's business-oriented Class Notes (PDF): "In its annual report on preschool funding, “The State of Preschool 2006: State Preschool Yearbook,” the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) found that states are equally as likely to cut public funding for preschool education as they are to increase funding".... and... "only two states, Oklahoma (70%) and Georgia (51%) enrolled more than half of the four-year olds in their state."
April 04, 2007
Tutoring Industry Denies Terrorism Halliburton Charges
Better late than never, the Education Industry Association, which represents the tutoring companies in Washington, has finally put out a press release in response to Senator Clinton's "Halliburton all over again" charge from last weekend (see below) saying that they are surprised by the remarks and have worked with Clinton on tutoring legislation last year. The statement (below) doesn't acknowledge the mishaps and questionable practices that have popped up, or the difficulties districts and states have had weeding out bad apples, but says SES participation and satisfaction rates are up, and that 500K children are participating now.
April 04, 2007
How Many States Tried To Roll Back NCLB? All Of Them.
Things heated up towards the end of last night's PBS NewsHour segment on reauthorizing NCLB (here), with Philly superintendent Paul Vallas touting the benefits of the law and Nebraska state supe Doug Christiansen describing its deficiencies. It's an argument we've all heard before.
What jumped out at me, though, was the intro to the discussion, which said that 20 states had tried to roll back all or parts of the law. I'd never heard that number before, and frankly it seemed both low and somewhat misleading.
Hasn't pretty much every state tried to get out of the law's requirements? And isn't the real point that none of the states actually did withdraw from NCLB, much as that outcome was expected?
April 04, 2007
More Coverage For Community Colleges -- And Better, Too?
It may come as a surprise to some that news coverage of particular topics -- science, international news, education -- is commonly subsidized by foundations and other organizations seeking additional coverage for a topic that might otherwise get lost in the shuffle.
Such is the case with the new Lumina Foundation-funded fellowship program for education reporters covering community colleges that's recently been announced by the Hechinger Institute (here) for 15 interested journalists that includes a $7,500 stipend for some participants.
No doubt, coverage of community colleges is in many ways often inadequate. The trick, of course, is to beef up coverage without losing the critical eye that provides new information and insights. "Our mission is neither to tout community colleges nor to condemn them," said Richard Lee Colvin, Director of the Hechinger Institute. "Rather, it is to help journalists tell the terrific stories yet to be told about this uniquely American educational enterprise."
April 04, 2007
Who Is This Man?
His name's Pedro Garcia (not "Gonzalez,: as he was once introduced by Senator Jim Sasser), and he is, according to this Nashville Scene article ( Best Foes Forever), the second longest-serving urban superintendent in the nation.
Who knew? Not I. Who's the longest-serving urban supe these days? No idea.
April 04, 2007
Wednesday Morning News (April 4)
Effectiveness of No Child Left Behind Debated PBS
President Bush's No Child Left Behind education law, passed in 2002 to help close the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students, is set to expire this year. Two education administrators discuss the law and give their views on its effectiveness.
D.C. Schools Takeover Gets Initial Approval Washington Post
The D.C. Council granted preliminary approval yesterday for a dramatic shift in power for the city's public schools, giving the mayor control over the budget, key administrative functions and the blueprint for modernizing every dilapidated building in the 55,000-student system.
Explaining No Child Left Behind Arizona Republic
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings is visiting with Valley politicians and business leaders today after visiting Monday with first-graders at Mesa Arts Academy, a high performing K-8 charter school. Via EdNews.
A Great Year for Ivy League Schools, but Not So Good for Applicants to Them NYT
It was the most selective spring in modern memory at America’s elite schools, according to college admissions officers.
April 03, 2007
Computerized Tutoring
First there was private-sector tutoring, whose evil effects we all know well. Then there was outsourced tutoring (from India, etc.), which was clearly anti-American from top to bottom. Now, according to this EdWeek story, there's an even more pernicious tutoring variation: "machine-based" tutoring (New Breed of Digital Tutors Yielding Learning Gains). What's next? A computerized tutoring system run by Halliburton and outsourced to India. I can see it now.
April 03, 2007
The Chinese Way
This post from Get On The Bus (Seeking a liberal arts education ... in China?) includes a roundup of several interesting NYT school life stories from the past few days, including one about Chinese vs. American schools: "Critics of the American system must have choked on their Corn Flakes at the thought of China emulating the U.S. education system rather than the other way around."
April 03, 2007
LA Unified Slaps Down Green Dot Charter Proposal
"Who do you think you are -- KIPP?" muttered one of the LA unified board members who voted down the Green Dot proposal to start eight new charters. No, not really, but they did vote down the proposal after lengthy negotiations, which has gotta hurt anyway (L.A. Unified rejects charter expansion LAT). The editorial board says the board did wrong.
April 03, 2007
Political Rhetoric Ratchets Up
Not to be outdone by Hillary (see below re tutoring), Newt plays to his base on the issue of bilingual ed, as noted by the Wonks (Newt Criticizes Bilingual Ed.). According to Newt, "We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto."
April 03, 2007
Clinton Calls Tutoring Industry Terrorists Republican Contractors
Apparently trying to ease the NEA's pain at being called a terrorist organization, Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton recently told an NEA audience that the tutoring industry was like "Halliburton all over again" (Clinton promises education improvements).
Over at EdBizBuzz, Marc Dean Millot takes another view, ascribing the vitriol to the tutoring industry's lack of coalition-building with moderate Democrats.
April 03, 2007
Wanted: Better Reasons To Leave Transfer Rules Intact
This recent EdWeek article (Administration Wants Districts Free to Transfer Teachers) repeats what seem to me like some widespread fallacies surrounding the ability of teachers unions and Congressional Democrats to ward off efforts to restructure failing schools including overriding teacher assignment rules, the legality of such measures, and the appropriateness of telling teachers where to work.
Three months in, we already know that the Democratic majority is slim and in some ways weak (think "surge"). The unions are largely focused on Wal-Mart, health care reform, and getting back the White House. The legality of conditioning billions in federal education funds on changes in collective bargaining doesn't seem nearly as settled as some seem to make it. And employees of all kinds get told where to work all the time.
I'm not saying that the proposal is the best (or worst) idea in the world. I'm just saying that its opponents need to come up with better reasons and strategies to block it, and that reporters and editors need to be current and balanced in describing and headlining the situation. (In its last paragraphs, the EdWeek article describes how things might not turn out the same way they did in 2001. But who makes it to the end of an article, anyway?)
April 03, 2007
Fordham Gets Pranked By A Pretend Pretend Gadfly Blog
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the good folks at Fordham should feel mighty flattered. Riffing off of the Gadfly's annual April Fool's edition (which this year featured a pretend blog written by Checker who hates blogs), someone's decided to come up with a pretend blog making fun of the pretend blog.
Called Double Checked ("Standards-Based Blogging At Its Finest"), it's double pretend, which is almost like being real. Here's the "real" Gadfly blog. Like George Clooney says, it wasn't me.
April 03, 2007
March 2007: The Month In Review (Updated)
NOW WITH NOISE REDUCTION
Blogs are usually all about the moment, and not so much about the long view.
To help address that, and to try something new, here's a roundtable that includes me and three All-Star journalists (Schemo, Banchero, and Toppo) talking about the biggest stories of the month, winners and losers, and other things. Download and listen here. Or, if you're feeling fancy and want to try an embedded audio player, here:
Get past the amateurish hosting and so-so sound quality and you'll hear about Bong Hits For Jesus, whether states can hold out if NCLB doesn't reauthorize until 2009, if and how Reading First is a big story, the big Gates gifts to KIPP and DC students, and even a little bit about the Nelnet giveaway. Who was the month's loser -- Gene Hickock, Reading First, or the Fordham folks?Listen and find out.
April 03, 2007
Morning Round-up April 3, 2007`
Report puts pacifier on 'smart baby' debate USAT
Many efforts to build "brighter babies" are doomed to failure because they are built on misinterpretations and misapplications of brain research, a report says.
Plans for Revamped G.R.E. Are Abandoned NYT
After spending four years and $12 million on research, the Educational Testing Service has abandoned plans to introduce a revamped Graduate Record Exam this fall.
Settlement reached in New York student loan probe CNN.com
A settlement with three dozen schools and a major lender announced Monday will make the student loan process more fair to students and their families, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said.
April 02, 2007
Ed Trust Staffs Up
The Ed Trust has hired a new communications director, snagging Stephanie Germeraad from NAGB, where she was a public affairs specialist. Her predecessor, Fredreka Schouten, had come from Gannett and is now the money and politics reporter at USA Today. Congrats to all involved.
April 02, 2007
So That's Where They Got It From -- "I Was A Teenage Werewolf"
Remind you of anything? Yes, the new NCLB logo, according to one of the commenters on this design geek blog called Brand New (Logo by a Child Left Behind). Colleague Josh Benton blogs about this over at The Big D. For previous posts on this, see here.
April 02, 2007
New Blog: Does The Message Reach The Real World?
By now, you may have heard that there's a new education blog out there called Eduflack. What you may not know is that the blog is authored by Patrick Riccards, a longtime education PR pro who is currently VP for public affairs for Lipman Hearne, a PR firm for nonprofits whose clients include the National Governors Association, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, and International Baccalaureate. 
Riccards says his focus is "seeing if the message behind the reform is effectively taking hold (or if we are merely having researchers or wonks talk to researchers or wonks." Welcome, and condolences.
April 02, 2007
Where's Maggie?
Monday, April 2
1:00 p.m. MST Secretary Spellings will travel to Mesa Arts Academy, a charter school operated by the Boys and Girls Clubs of the East Valley in Mesa, Arizona.
Tuesday, April 3
9:30 a.m. MST Secretary Spellings will participate in a roundtable discussion with Arizona business leaders, hosted by the Arizona Business and Education Coalition at the University Club in Phoenix, Arizona.
Thursday, April 5
11:30 a.m.CDT Secretary Spellings will attend an event at the Burnsville Chamber of Commerce where she will meet with Representative John Kline (R-MN) and Minneapolis business leaders to discuss the President’s proposals for the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind this year.
1:00 p.m. CDT Secretary Spellings will travel to Grainwood Elementary School in Prior Lake, Minnesota, to visit classrooms and participate in an assembly with students and faculty. Secretary Spellings will discuss President Bush’s proposals for reauthorization of No Child Left Behind this year.
April 02, 2007
The Best Of The Blogs
We read them so you don't have to:
Voucher action heats up in the states BoardBuzz (NSBA): Lots of activity in state legislatures this week on private school vouchers, including South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Georgia...11 Cents on the Dollar? AFT Blog: Teachers had a tough year in 2005 and that the 2006 data we’ve seen is not much better. And that comes on top of a decade of pretty bad news...There must be a macro D-Ed Reckoning: I don't think a week goes by that I don't read some version of this story in today's Daily Mail...
ABCs for Latino Children; Roadmap for Journalists Early Stories: Maria Glod of the Washington Post did a nice job over the weekend of reporting on the efforts of pre-school programs to get Latino parents on board....The Unions Come Clean The Quick & The Ed: Over at EdWise, Leo Casey finally reveals the answer to the Master's degree mystery...Diane Ravitch: Feds should only do what it can Sherman Dorn: "In the future, the federal government should do only what the federal government can competently do."...Where We Stand Doublechecked: Before Fordham was for NCLB, we were against it. After we were for NCLB, we were against it. In between, we were for it....Online Tutoring: Outsourcing activities that are already "outsourced" EdBizBuzz: The challenge of providing value ("results at a price") in this market will drive every tutoring firm to a mix of "on-site/online" and "human/artificial intelligence" services...High-Income Blahs Jay Mathews: "We know you are going to college. We can't stop you from going to college. But we can and will keep you from taking courses and tests that will prepare you for college."
April 02, 2007
The Reading First Zombie: It's Not Alive, But It's Not Quite Dead Either
The Reading First story isn't alive, really, but it won't die, either. Just like a zombie. That's in large part because while the news about the politics and implementation of the program continue to be unsettling, states and districts (many of them at least) report that they have benefited from the program. Over the weekend, news spread that Congress would continue looking into Reading First, including an April 20 hearing.
April 02, 2007
Harsh Grades For Teachers Hit A Nerve
Based on the results of an NIH study published in Science magazine, this article from USA Today (Study gives teachers barely passing grade in classroom) contains some harsh observations about classroom teaching -- calling most classrooms "dull, bleak places" for learning. Apparently, the piece has hit a nerve -- there are 95 comments and counting.
April 02, 2007
Charter Reform May Be Coming To FLA
Based in part on an excellent and disturbing four-part series in the Orlando Sentinel last week, reform may be coming to Florida's charter efforts (Expect charter reforms, state says). Among the reforms that are being considered, according to the article, are online reports showing the academic performance and annual audits of charters, strengthening academic and financial standards that charter schools must meet, and bans on operating deficits.
April 02, 2007
Morning Round-up April 2, 2007
Taking the Trick Out of Tapping Into Federal Aid WaPo
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is filled out by 14 million students each year who apply for federal financial aid. But the questionnaire is so mind-bogglingly complicated that many others just give up and miss out on government grants.
For Girls, It's Be Yourself, and Be Perfect , Too NYT
“Amazing girls” translation: Girls by the dozen who are high achieving, ambitious and confident (if not immune to the usual adolescent insecurities and meltdowns). Girls who do everything: Varsity sports. Student government. Theater. Community service. Girls who have grown up learning they can do anything a boy can do, which is anything they want to do.
Assessment Coach Is Always Being Tested WaPo
The proliferation of testing coordinators, once an unheard-of position, is part of the response to the boom in standardized testing.
Growth Models for NCLB Accountability Are Weighed EdWeek
Not all states have the data capabilities to operate so-called growth models, and many others would need to revise their testing programs to take full advantage of them.
April 02, 2007
Vouchers and Charterization Not Off The Table... Yet
Nobody who knows anything seems to think that voucher and charterization proposals like the ones in the Administration's NCLB 2 proposals stand a chance in Congress, but I continue not to be convinced. Specialized voucher proposals (for a geographic area, or a particular kind of student) are particularly hard to argue against, especially once you've already voted for them (as many in Congress have for Katrina and DC), and are in fact spreading at the state level (Vouchers Eyed for Students With Disabilities EdWeek).
It's nothing that a few good voucher abuse and ineffectiveness stories wouldn't erase. My current favorite is the one from Ohio about private school parents enrolling their kids in public schools for the last couple of days of the year in order to qualify for Ohio's voucher program.
April 01, 2007
Week in Review March 26 - April 1
Best Of The Week
The Month in Review (Audio)
How Reading First Is Like Gonzales-Gate
NCLB News
Make That 13 States With Computerized Testing
Illinois Goes For Broke On AYP Avoidance Strategies
Another Set Of Experts, Another Set Of Predictions
Son of NCLB
Teaching & Learning
The $8.5 Billion Master's Degree
Rifts In Universal Pre-K
Accountability Isn't Just For Schools And Students
Extended Learning Reality Check / Roundup
Cloning Charters, And Letting Parents Pick Principals
Foundations & Think Tanks
More Obama-CAP Connections
Reform-Minded Union Leader Named To Broad Board
Education's "Ethanol"
Why Research Goes Unused
Media Watch
Valid And Reliable Education Coverage?
Internet Predator Tactic Works Better For Journalists
"Citizen Journalism" At Work On The Education Beat
WSJ Reporter John Hechinger: New Face, Familiar Name
The Business of Education
Business-Minded Blog Joins The Fray
Milken Education Empire Getting Bigger
School Life
The Choking Game
The Craze That Overtook The 5th and 6th Grade
Seven Years For Shoving A Hall Monitor
Teen Tanning Is The Latest Thing States Are Banning
Recent Comments