This Week In Education
Written by former Senate education staffer and journalist Alexander Russo, This Week in Education was an opinion blog that covered education news, policymakers, and trends with a distinctly political edge. (For archives prior to January 2007, please click here. For posts after November 2007, please click here.) This blog is no longer being updated.
Federal
Opinion
Having Done So Well On The War, Dems Turn To Domestic Issues
Maybe she'll have changed her mind by today, but as of Wednesday afternoon's edition of CQ today the House majority leader was saying that she still wanted to do a full NCLB reauth as part of the Dems' return to domestic issues (where they think that they may be able to do better than they have on the war). Wow. That makes me feel really confident about its chances. (Domestic Issues to Claim Spotlight)
Education Funding
Opinion
Secretary Right & The Hoff
Seething with indignation (if, as usual, not entirely making sense), here's what Andywonk has to say about his love of Hoff, my loose grasp of time and space, etc: Hoff, Russo, & Interns.
Education Funding
Opinion
Mahatma Kozol
Those crafty folks at the Fordham Foundation aren't first out of the gate with this partial fast thing, letting the rest of us do their work for them, but they get credit for perhaps the funniest (or most tasteless) graphic I've seen on it so far: Mahatma Kozol.
Education Funding
Opinion
George Miller Needs New Friends...Like The Ed Sector
Tom Toch peeks out from behind the curtain at the Ed Sector to pipe in that maybe George Miller needs a new friends and family plan these days, and to lament the split with the Ed Trust and bash the CTA for bashing Miller. True that (and more on the CTA-Miller relationship later). However, it's easier for Toch to say nice things about Miller since his outfit doesn't really have to deal with the Hill and try to get the language changed like the Trust does. (The Trust is an advocacy outfit, along with its research, while the Sector is a purely an old-school think tank.) Too bad, since I'm sure the Trust -- and Miller -- would appreciate the extra set of hands. Come on, Ed Sector, get up there on the Hill and make something happen. It takes more than reports and events and smarts to make a real difference in the lives of kids.
Federal
Opinion
Educating Elected Officials Through Their Pocketbooks
Whether or not Democrats For Education Reform (DFER) is ready to do battle at this level is not really known, but give them credit for trying. Attached is Joe Williams' email calling on reform-minded Democrats and their supporters to "stand up to the CTA and NEA goons who are out to strip everything that is good and pure from NCLB" (made up quote --joking!). The only thing that gives DFER any real chance here is that they have a PAC -- perhaps their main innovation on the school reform advocacy front -- to which they hope you will contribute. They didn't help get the House freshmen elected (the NEA did), and they don't represent teachers (again, NEA and AFT), but maybe they'll help get some of lawmakers re-elected (or replaced). Or at least that's the idea.
Education
Opinion
EdWeek.org Nominated For Online Journalism Award
Congrats to the good folks at EdWeek.org for being named finalists in the annual online journalism awards put out earlier this week. Besides hosting this blog (a decision they almost instantly regretted), EdWeek.org does lots of other great stuff, including web updates, the new AP wire service clips, and all the rest. Here's the story that won them recognition in their category. The Orlando Sentinel is also up for its series on charter schools sucking.
Federal
Opinion
All Children Shall Be Proficient By, Well, Whenever
I guess pretty much everything is on the table, since according to the fat cats at the AFT blog who can afford Ed Daily there's apparently been some talk about loosening the 2014 proficiency targets that have made -- or muddled -- NCLB for so long. It seems like the AFTies think it's a good idea. Hmm. I may be thinking about this too simplistically, but what does doing that get you, substantively or politically? Miller did everything short of that, and his unholy alliance of business, conservative, and civil rights supporters broke up over it. Still the teachers weren't satisfied. So who does getting rid of 2014 get you, and what does getting rid of it actually accomplish? I'm not sure, and until then disinclined to think it's a good idea. But that doesn't mean it's going to happen. Far as I know, neither this blog (nor any other) has substantially influenced the reauthorization process. God willing, it will always be so.
Federal
Opinion
Richardson Slammed For Misrepresenting US Achievement
The good folks at FactCheck.org point out that presidential candidate Bill Richardson "keeps claiming U.S. students rank 29th in math and science, but they score better than that." He also says that we used to be Number One. Oops! Double oops!. See also here for a post about other education-related claims made by Richardson that have been challenged.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
How The NEA Ended Up So Opposed To Miller/McKeon
I wrote on Monday that the CTA was coming out stronger against the Miller/McKeon draft than the NEA, which had -- until then -seemed tolerably pleased. And well they should have been. However, Andy (Eduwonk) Rotherham (pictured) wondered how I could ever have thought that the NEA was supportive of the Miller/McKeon draft. And you know he's always right. Well, a look back at the week behind shows that it wasn't at all clear to me (or anyone else) how things would turn out on Monday -- though perhaps it should have been. Read below to see how it all unfolded.Here's how things unfolded, best as I can figure out:
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Colbert Can't Shake Klein On Paying Kids For Grades
As expected, faux conservative newscaster Stephen Colbert made much fun of NYC Chancellor Klein's plan to pay kids for good grades -- except when Colbert realizes the money-making potential: "Is this only limited to students, because I think I could ace some of those fourth grade exams?" asked Colbert. Colbert also suggested taking the logical next step -- bringing back child labor -- and he tried to one-up Klein's program by offering $700 for kids to come over to his house, smoke cigarettes, and play violent video games. Klein generally parried all this well and got his talking points out, including that the effort is privately funded, has worked in Dallas (??), and that people in education are overly scared of trying new things. Check it out here. A good mix of fun and earnestness.
Federal
Opinion
Are Unions Over-Reacting, Or Does Miller Proposal Over-Reach?
While it's easy to look at this week's NCLB meltdown as the result of teachers union recalcitrance, Bess Keller's piece on the comparability provision (Proposed NCLB Rule on 'Salary Comparability' Draws Scrutiny) raises the possibility that the Miller draft, on the whole, tries to do too much -- not just fixing NCLB's flaws but carving out new ground that is especially difficult to reach under the current circumstances.