It was a busy week. Here’s what popped up on my other blog.
If we can tell that five year olds are “on track” for college, why not just have them fill out college applications in first grade?
What We Haven’t Learned from the Widget Effect
TNTP has been celebrating the anniversary of their “paper” about the widget effect. They share four lessons from the years since. I share why their four lessons are bunk.
The Economic Policy Institute says we’re short over 300K teacher jobs. Is that a problem?
How We Pay Public Servants-- And Why
Performance-based incentive pay is incompatible with public service-- including teaching.
Super Quote Re: Public vs. Private
Bruce Dixon offers a great quote about the public/private school debate.
Fordham and CCSS and Reading and Writing
Robert Pondiscio thinks there are three big ideas in the Core worth saving. I’ll argue about their worth, but I don’t believe they’re in the Core at all.
If we were going to design a teacher evaluation system to really help teachers, what would it look like?
The Gulen charters show how easily charter schools can be used for purposes other than educating students.
Kindergarten Slackers Threaten Civilization As We Know It
Mississippi needs to crack down on its slacker five year olds. Don’t they understand how important kindergarten is?
The Public Charter School Test
Modern charters like to repeatedly remind us that they are public schools. They aren’t. But if they’d like to be legitimate public schools, here are the four requirements to meet.
It Is Not Sunny in Philadelphia
Things in Philly just get worse and worse. Here’s how many favorite reformsters tricks lead to the destruction of a city’s public school system.
CCSSO & CGCS Offer No Useful Change on Testing
There was much fuss this week about a conference call purporting to present a new plan and direction for standardized testing. It was a big plate of baloney.
Arne Duncan tried to jump on CCSSO’s and CGCS’s bandwagon. Mostly he just ended up trying to dodge responsibility for creating the big testing mess.
Can Any Teacher Make a Case for CCSS?
After reading my five zillionth puff piece in praise of the tansformative power of the standards, I ask if it’s even possible for a teacher to make a good case for the Core. (Spoiler alert-- so far the answer is “no”)
Minneapolis public schools are in trouble, and their chief thinks it’s a marketing problem. One more example of how the free market does nt go with education.