Bad research from Brookings and election fallout this week at Curmudgucation.
Is Ed Reform Addicted to “New”?
Andy Smarick continues his examination of conservatism and ed reform, and I continue my exploration of his exploration.
Jack Schneider asked if TFA could be perhaps reinvented in a more productive manner. I explain why I think pigs will fly over a frozen hellscape before that happens.
Every blogger needs a good Get Out the Vote piece. Here’s mine.
Brookings released a new “paper” in which they tried to argue-- well, it’s not clear. Poor kids lack character? And it included this observation: “It is hard to learn kindness, but somewhat easier to learn self-control.” It’s possible that the guys at Brookings need a hug.
Every blogger has to do post-mortems, too.
Mathematica took a look at one of those chains that pays teachers $125K as a base rate. Also, how to make Test Prep Turnovers.
In Tennessee, one more teacher tries to make a case for the Common Core, and fails.
Randi Weingarten sent out a Rally The Troops, Lessons Learned letter after the elections. I offer a reply and some suggestions.
How is it that people sell us a country where all the children are well-educated and successful, but we end up buying bad multiple choice items on a crappy standardized test? I try to explain that chain of decaying expectations.
Gardens, Grit and Responsibility
Watching the First Lady plug her community gardens idea reminds me how much I dislike the misplacement of responsibility for solutions to society’s problems.
If you didn’t read this response to the hatchet job on Minneapolis teachers, you should. Greta Callahan absolutely nails it.
Product People and Bean Counters
Folks were passing around old internet footage this week of Steve Jobs “predicting” the death of Apple. I think he was also offering an insight into public education as well.
Who Puts the “Merit” in “Meritocracy”?
Are we really claiming we want schools to operate on and prepare students for a meritocracy? Because if we are, I’m thinking we might be full of it.
CCSS & Charters: The End of the Love Story
As reformsters distance themselve from the Core as they double down on charters, the battle over public education becomes a bit more complex.