First, thanks to Randi Weingarten for her guestblogging last week and Monday. Be sure to read through it all. The NY Sun notes the Cerf – Weingarten guestblogfest here. Second, if you’re just coming back to work from vacation, here’s some inspiration to get you going, education can really make a difference! More seriously, education can change lives and communities, and in Indianapolis The Mind Trust* has fellowships to help you incubate an educational idea or bring a proven model to the city. It’s a unique project you should check out. *I’m on the board as is ES board member Bruno Manno.
You’ll want to check out the new PDK-Gallup poll about education if only because it always makes news. And, Harvard’s Paul Peterson turns in an important essay on NCLB accountability in the new Ed Next. Part of a forum on the law including a must-read by CCCR’s Diane Piche.* Also, more on the Santee high school situation in LA from the indispensable Celeste Fremon. Background here from her blog. Also from CA, they’re really going after the charter schools there, look for more of this in more places. Says the Piscalnator (via the first link):
“I’m a Democrat,” he says, “but, overall, I’m appalled by the power of the CTA and how it wants to stop charters. That’s what this stuff is all about.”
Did broadband change your life? If so, say how and you can win $1K in this contest. I’d like to see an essay by some lobbyist on all the money they made off broadband and how it changed their life…that would be refreshingly honest.
Two new reports from the National Charter School Research Project (disc – I’m on the advisory board). One on CMOs the other is an interesting comparative piece looking at the private sector. While you’re there, also check out this important piece on charter school caps by Lisa Stulberg, she was working on it with the late Eric Rofes when he passed much too soon. Can’t get enough NCSRP? Then also see this Usually Reliable Robelen Ed Week profile of NCSRP in the new issue. Look for work from ES on charter caps and CMOs later this year.
If you follow federal policy the Title I Monitor (I’m on their ed board, too, a lot of that today), turns in two must-reads. The first is on IASA compliance. Yes, you read that right, that’s the federal law (1994’s Improving America’s Schools Act) that preceded No Child Left Behind. The second is on some new special ed flexibility. They’re both free, even to non-subscribers. And, while you are there, have a look at this story on state AYP and what is happening not happening there.
Finally, many of you have written about the Dem debate and all the eduimplications. I was on vacation and haven’t viewed the tape yet, back to that later. In the meantime ED in ’08’s Mark Lampkin weighs-in here.
*Update: Mr. Sun is on fire for Piche.