Dear Deborah, You seem to believe that I was chastising "the poor" for their lack of manners. Not at all! We live in an age when manners, self-discipline, respect for others, civility, and courtesy are in short supply in all parts of society. Like you, I have encountered many children from comforta... Read Full Post >
A top Florida schools official has been named as executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for the influential NAEP test. Read Full Post >
You and I, Diane, want an intellectually feisty citizenry, and that’s what we don’t offer the poor. Read Full Post >
Dear Deborah, The columnists at The New York Times are deeply engaged in school reform these days. First Nicholas Kristof discovered that the key to high achievement is measuring student test score gains, then paying more to the teachers whose students gained the most. Then Thomas Friedman discove... Read Full Post >
Dear Diane, I think it’s unlikely that the fans of mayoral control are open to persuasion. But thanks, Diane, for relentlessly pursuing them. We’re in for lots of nonsense in the name of reform. Arne Duncan is planning a contest for a new name to replace the unpopular No Child Left Behind. I... Read Full Post >
Dear Deborah, I watched with some amusement as the media tried to figure out how to report the latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Margaret Spellings said that the results vindicated the success of No Child Left Behind. The story by Sam Dillon of The New York... Read Full Post >
The California Department of Education's press release about English-language learners' scores on the state's English-proficiency test reads about the same as the press releases on students' scores on this test for the last several years, as I recall. The percentage of ELLs who score "proficient" in... Read Full Post >
Officials at the College Board say they are ready to adjust testing schedules for the Advanced Placement tests in case local school officials decide to close their facilities because of the outbreak of H1N1, otherwise known as the Swine Flu. As of this afternoon, about 300 schools around the count... Read Full Post >
Dear Diane, The good news is that most of the American people haven’t lost their common sense. And, above all, those closest to “the action”—parents, teachers, kids, and their families, plus a majority of those who work closely with schools or are “students” of schooling—haven... Read Full Post >
Dear Diane, Your Tuesday column set out good reasons for rejecting standardized testing to reward teachers. I sent a letter home to parents every year on the 10 factors that influenced their child's reading scores. I'll send it to you one day soon—it still applies. Incidentally, some readers... Read Full Post >
