Apps For Ed
Friday, October 8th, 2010Posting has been a little light lately, but that’s because I’ve been consumed with the new Education Next iPhone app. OK, not really, but you should download it if you want to keep tabs on the Ed Next site.
Archive for October, 2010
Clipper Joint?
Friday, October 8th, 2010Everyone is gaga over the new Baltimore teachers contract in this Washington Post Robert McCartney column but I can’t imagine they had time to read it since it’s pretty hard to find. Jay Mathews’ link, for instance, is to a flyer on ratification (maybe that’s a sly subversive joke?). And because I’m sure everyone would be more measured in their takes given what’s in (and not in) the actual document. Jay does to his credit, however, note the ambiguous nature of this.
But if you dig around enough it is there (pdf). You can judge for yourself if it’s as bold as the D.C. contract. I think it’s fine, a step forward for Baltimore, and has some potential but not as far reaching as the D.C. contract based on, you know, what’s actually in the two agreements rather than how it’s being described and subsequently characterized based on talking points etc…It’s basically a promissory note but without the all the promise parts. It could get really bold as it’s actually developed, the record on that is mixed and New Haven was a pleasant surprise. But, it’s being overplayed right now and the political reasons for that are obvious.
Timing I: By the way, wasn’t the time for the Baltimore superintendent (and for that matter lots of urban superintendents), who I like and admire for among other things his thoughtfulness, to jam the union when they would have agreed to just about anything under the sun in order to make Michelle Rhee look bad? Now that the D.C. election is over and she’s seemingly on her way out what’s the point besides allowing a few people to make uninformed cheap shots?
Timing II: It’s a little inconvinient for all the Baltimore schools superintendent ‘Andres Alonso is so different than Michelle Rhee and Joel Klein’ types that there he is in the Washington Post today with a new op-ed saying, well, the exact same things as Rhee, Klein and host of other urban superintendents.
Overheard, In The Money?
Thursday, October 7th, 2010Heard today from a reliable source at Education Week that they finished the last fiscal year year in the black for the first time in a few years and are poised with some growth plans. That’s good news if you care about having a newspaper of record for the field.
Superman Is Here? I’m Not So Sure…
Thursday, October 7th, 2010I’m not as convinced as many of my colleagues that revolutionary education change is at hand. That’s this week’s TIME.com column.
Update: Justin Cohen amplifies the point on R & D.
Also, I didn’t mention this in the column for space but it’s also worth nothing that – as I understand it from someone close the film – An Inconvenient Truth did more box office overseas than it did here…And, last I looked we didn’t have a climate bill or sensible/sustainable energy policy. And that movie and the ensuing social action they wanted people to take was more straightforward. Would love to be wrong about all this though!
Then They Lost The ACLU?
Thursday, October 7th, 2010Keep an eye on the fallout from the LIFO lawsuit in Los Angeles big political and policy implications.
New The New Teacher Project
Wednesday, October 6th, 2010Smart report from The New Teacher Project on the “what now?” question with regard to teacher evaluation. Sensible design principles.
Whiskey River Don’t Run Dry…
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010W.C. Fields is said to have remarked that you should, “always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake.” Those might be good words for Kevin Kosar, who’s a pretty accomplished education analyst but also an expert on all things whiskey. His new book on the subject of booze gets a write-up in the WaPo.
Aspen*, Edujobs, and EEP. Plus Rhee Speaks!
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010Cool new Aspen prize for community colleges from several foundations. The White House summit is leveraging some other activity as well, for instance this project from The Gap.
A lot of talk about teacher evaluations lately but important new report from NLNS on evaluating principals.
Joel Klein, Michael Lomax, and Janet Murguia respond to the recent Nicholas Lemann New Yorker essay. Michelle Rhee discusses DC and what’s next. And, while you’re at the WaPo video site, check out Kevin Huffman’s advice for the next ‘Great American Pundit.’
If you’re looking for an edujob, Gotham Schools is launching a new jobs board.
*Sorry, fixed spelling. No spellchecker on titles!
Odds, Ends, Edujobs
Friday, October 1st, 2010In case you missed it, the Charter School Growth Fund is on the move. Big impact.
New citizenship study from AEI. And if you haven’t checked out Big Citizenship from Alan Khazei yet, you should.
There is a “Waiting for Superman” social action campaign. And, another “Waiting for Superman” social campaign is going strong, “Done Waiting” is a parallel effort.
You’ve heard about the School of One, you can see a demonstration in DC @ Aspen Institute on October 12th at 3pm by clicking here and reserving a spot.
On Tuesday (10/5) “Tutor our Children” a new advocacy campaign around supplemental services and federal policy is launching (pdf). Event is 9:30AM, HC-6 in the Capitol. Speakers include PA State Sen. Tony Williams, Parent advocate Kim Shipp, Aspen’s Gary Huggins, as well as Hill staffers Cleary and Schaumberg. My Education Insider colleague John Bailey will present some survey data as well.
Several openings at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard, including Senior Research Manager.
