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 This blog is no longer being updated.
Education
Opinion
Spellings Playing For A Stalemate?
Read all the way to the end of this NPR piece (Hill Panel Ponders Future of NCLB) and you'll see first word I've heard of that Spellings is saying she'd rather have the current NCLB than the Miller draft. Saber-rattling? Maybe. But for those who are most worried about multiple measures and all the rest, it's going to be a serious consideration.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Short Boys Underestimated By Teachers
No wonder some parents are holding their kids back a year before they start school, if this report from EdWeek is right: Teachers Underestimate Short Boys' Intelligence.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
It Was The Best Of Laws, It Was The Worst Of Laws
A hearty thanks to Sherman Dorn for bringing a little humor to a dreary Monday morning. My favorites:
Federal
Opinion
WashPost "Issue Tracker" Monitors Candidates On Education
Still not really ready for any real work today? I'm with you. Check out this fun little tool from the Washington Post folks, which lets you see who's doing or saying what on education (and other issues), or at least who's being talked about in relation to the issue. Last I checked, Obama had 12 education-related mentions, with Hillary just behind him. "The issue tracker includes information from the Web sites of a wide variety of sources across the political spectrum. Sources include news organizations, political parties, interest groups, bloggers, unions, trade organizations, candidates, activists, and more."
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Getting Into Kindergarten
New York City isn't the only place where it's hard to get into a "good" kindergarten, but it's perhaps the most dramatic example of the phenomenon. Watch tonight on TLC (7pm Eastern) as three very different sets of parents try and figure out what's best for their kids and how the process works. Who knew that the nursery school directors were so important?
Federal
Opinion
What To Make Of This Tentative Witness List
The only folks I can think of who aren't on this tentative witness list for today's NCLB hearing are EdSec Spellings (not invited? disinclined to appear?) and General Petraeus. By having everyone speak, the committee pretty much ensures a certain amount of cacaphony. And by putting Kati Haycock -- one of the draft's most vocal critics -- off in the teacher quality corner, the committee sends a clear message that it doesn't like being called out.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
First Days Of School For Angelina Jolie's Little Boy
There'll be no public education for Angelina Jolie's son, according to Just Jared (Momgelina ‘n Maddox Pandemonium). Instead, little Maddox is going to an $18,000-per year private French school instead.
Federal
Opinion
Democrats For Education Reform -- An "Emily's List" For Education?
There was a little too much speechifying and not enough informal talking at the latest DFER happy hour, but the drinks were free and the attendees were an interesting mix of current and former educationistas. LEFT: Some notables (pictured, left to right) included the DOE's Laura Smith, school finance guru Kent Anker, and DFER's Joe Williams. RIGHT: I also met Eddie Rodriguez, who just left the DOE to run an AP incentive program, and Christina Brown, who does charter school facilities stuff for Civic Builders, and Josh Greenman (not pictured), who writes editorials for the New York Daily News. I still don't know exactly what DFER does, much less whether it will be of any influence in the current campaigns, but who knows? Money talks. These guys have money. Someday soon someone will get elected with DFER's help.
School & District Management
Opinion
Contrasting Views Of New Orleans
Following up on Amy Waldman's excellent look at New Orleans schools (School Reform Hurricane), here are two contrasting views of how things are shaping up this fall:
Federal
Opinion
What Next For Teacher Quality?
More interested in what happens next on the teacher quality front? Check out the latest discussion draft from the Miller camp, which includes Title II and all the rest:
Education
Opinion
Can Spellings Stay Focused?
A few weeks ago, word was that she was being sought to head the University of Houston (Spellings For President). Now the rumor is that she wants an even bigger Texas job (Governor Spellings?). Next week, who knows? None of it's likely to pan out, and -- fun as it is to speculate -- it doesn't help her do her job if everyone's focused on where she's going next.