eduwonkette
Through the lens of social science, eduwonkette took a serious, if sometimes irreverent, look at some of the most contentious education policy debates in this opinion blog. Find eduwonkette’s complete archives prior to Jan. 6, 2008 here. This blog is no longer being updated.
Education
Opinion
What is Social Justice Teaching, Anyway?
The blogosphere never passes up an opportunity to swing at an education professor (see Still a Public Menace and Bill Ayers is Worse Than a Terrorist. He’s an Ed School Professor for representative headlines.) After reading Sol Stern’s article about Bill Ayers, I was still unclear about what “social justice teaching” actually means, and he kindly pointed me to his previous work that provides concrete examples (see here, here, and here).
Standards & Accountability
Opinion
skoolboy says: Some of My Best Friends are Psychometricians, But...
Deborah Meier added a comment to the end of the value-added thread from last week. (Thanks for stopping by eduwonkette's blog, Deb!) Her point is too important to overlook. She writes that standardized tests of reading proficiency are only loosely correlated with good reading habits—i.e., that a student can score well on a test of reading proficiency without demonstrating the habits of mind that could enable him or her to engage in a critical discussion of a text. Meier also writes that we do not have tests that measure "the more significant intellectually sound habits of heart and mind fundamental to being a well-educated member of society. The capacity to confront a phenomenon of interest in ways that help one best understand it, and then to make use of the knowledge acquired, is surely more important than being able to guess the one out of four 'best answer.'"
Education
Opinion
Name Fordham's Boy Band!
Watch these videos, and tell me these guys won't give Justin Timberlake a run for his money. But they need a catchy moniker. My picks: Checker and the Finns, The Alarmists, or Milli Petrilli.
Education
Opinion
New Facebook Friends Waiting for the Madame
Rumor has it that Madame Secretary is cooking up a Facebook page. Facebook addict skoolboy tipped me off to the "Get Rid of Margaret Spellings" Facebook group. Their mission:
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
A Closer Look at Violence in Chicago
Last weekend, 36 people were shot in Chicago, and 13 of the victims were Chicago Public Schools students. This school year alone, more than 20 CPS students have been fatally shot. Looking towards the future, Mayor Daley dispensed this soothing advice to parents: "What we're asking parents to do is know where your children are. It's going to be a long summer, and parents better capture this responsibility."
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
On Graduate Student Unions
I broke a few hearts with my take on graduate student unions. Mike Antonucci, who desperately wanted to out me as Randi Weingarten or Reg Weaver, probably won't be able to crawl out of bed tomorrow. (But Leo, this is what the Walmart-sponsored anti-union flag really looks like.) So let me say a few words on this issue, and since my heels aren't deeply dug in about it, invite you to convince me that I'm wrong.
Education
Opinion
Yin and Yang! A New Blog to Cheer About
There is balance and order in the world. Following Fordham and Jay Greene, Sara Goldrick-Rab (University of Wisconsin - Madison higher ed extraordinaire) and Liam Goldrick-Rab (New Teacher Center) have started a new blog.
Education
Opinion
Matrix Algebra Miscellany
1) Really Good Discussion About Policymaking & Value-Added: Down there in the comments. Come and put in your two cents, and also check out the AFT's take and Nancy Flanagan's post on assessing teachers. If you're tired of this thread, head over to one commenter's unrelated op-ed in USA Today about A Nation At Risk.
School & District Management
Opinion
skoolboy on: The Status of the Status Quo in Education Policy
Over at The Quick and the Ed, one of the many house organs of Education Sector, Kevin Carey is conducting a serial monologue belittling eduwonkette as an “alleged social scientist.” “Alleged”? Yeah, I’ll allege it – eduwonkette is a social scientist. It’s not an epithet, as much as Carey might believe; to some of us, it’s a way of life.
Education
Opinion
The Upper West Side Relief Act of 2008 (Or: More on Gifted Admissions in NYC)
Upper West Side kids face obstacles, folks - sometimes there are two Bugaboo strollers blocking their path to the Elephant Playground at 76rd and Riverside. Joel Klein recognized their struggle against adversity, and gently tweaked the gifted and talented admissions rules to open the door of opportunity for all (Manhattan) kids.
School & District Management
Opinion
Guest Blogger Mike Klonsky Part II: Deb Meier’s Innovation Became Bloomberg’s Bulldozer
Mike Klonsky is back with the second half of his guest post. His first post can be found here.
Standards & Accountability
Opinion
What Can Other Professions Teach Us about Evaluation and Accountability in Education?
In a very productive exchange, Dean Millot and Corey Bower have been contemplating the professional status of education. Dean's most recent post, "Why Legally Recognized Professionalism is Necessary to Reasonable Teacher Accountability," is one of the best think pieces I've read in some time. Read the whole thing, but here's the central theme of the post:
School & District Management
Opinion
Guest Blogger Mike Klonsky: The Small Schools Movement Meets the Ownership Society
We're well into Small Schools 2.0, which makes it an opportune time to reflect on the similarities and differences between the two small school reform waves. Joining us to discuss this issue is Mike Klonsky, author of a new book on small school reform and the blog Small Talk.