In The New York Times Samuel Freedman takes a look at vocational education in NYC. He minimizes the underperformance of vocational education programs but is right that they’re needed. For more, from SREB, on how to merge academics and vocational education have a look here. By the way…Eduwonk likes this Freedman fellow…draft Freedman! Also in the NYT House Banking Committee Chairman Nussle responds (not very convincingly) to the recent NYT editorial on student loans.
D.C. Mayor Tony Williams is getting desperate. The Washington Post’s Richard Leiby reports that Williams tried to entice Education Secretary Rod Paige to take the D.C. superintendent’s job. And, Post readers respond to Ted Shaw’s op-ed about Bill Cosby’s remarks.
This Philadelphia Inquirer article discusses Teach For America teachers in Philly. Look for a new Mathematica study on TFA teachers next week and plan to hear it presented and discussed on Friday, June 11, in Washington at the Capitol Hill Hyatt on New Jersey Avenue from 9-11AM. To RSVP email education AT dlcppi.org.
The Christian Science Monitor looks at parental involvement and No Child Left Behind.
The Department of Education has released the Condition of Education 2004, a compendium of data about various educational indicators. You can have a look here. And, if you just can’t get enough of Secretary of Education Rod Paige and the whole wacky Bush gang at the Department of Education, you can sign up for a constant news feed about press releases, grant opportunities, and other announcements. It’s actually a handy resource but could cut into the business of newsletters devoted to grant announcements…(the 21st Century Schools Project Bulletin does not do grant announcements but still enjoys a healthy circulation…of course, we compensate with sarcasm…)