ICYMI – we’re hiring at Bellwether, for a few roles and a Development Director in particular. Our annual report, released earlier this week, gives you a sense of what we do and why.
On WonkyFolk, Jed and I talked with Lakisha Young and Heather Harding this week.
I’m a pretty big proponent of college as a good choice for a lot of people. But…maybe not? Post-secondary education makes you less tolerant of those you disagree with, a lazier domestic partner, and more miserable or anxious about things you can’t control in the world. Those are the less highlighted findings in this new Lumina – Gallup report about the benefits and worth of higher education. IHE with a happier headline and the happier findings here.
This Vanity Fair article about Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and the upcoming Virginia midterms has a delightful self-own for education policy nerds.
“Youngkin has completely reshaped the state’s education board,” the article ominously intones warning about what might happen if he gets more political leverage in Virginia. The link is to a Washington Post article about the appointments of school leader Mashea Ashton and noted researcher and analyst Amber Northern joining the board (along with career educator Debbie Kilgore).
From The Post:
Ashton, one of Youngkin’s newest appointees, founded Digital Pioneers Academy, a charter school that opened five years ago as a place for children to learn coding and game design in D.C. Most of the students enrolled in the charter school are “at risk” and live in D.C.’s poorest neighborhood. Last year, the school was recognized for outperforming other schools with similar demographics on standardized math and reading exams but has faced a rise in violence. It has experienced four deadly student shootings this year, the most recent in late June, when a 15-year-old boy was killed outside the apartment where he lived with his family.
It’s kind of this. That is a talking point for Youngkin. Any state would be lucky to have an Ashton or the others on their board (and as insiders know there actually is another one out there just like her if you are in the market!) He’s also appointed well regarded former superintendents, education leaders, etc…plenty to argue about in this election and more generally, including things the writer of the article also points out, but we don’t have to argue about everything. A stupid feature of our intense polarization is now the total war approach to political rhetoric and often journalism. It’s actually OK not to disagree with people on everything because you disagree with them on some things…
As of this week, Virginia also has new math standards, they’re good. Weird it wan’t the same circus as history…almost like that debate wasn’t about history.
Balanced literacy? Never heard of it…this is big news
Dr. Calkins shares her expertise as a consultant through her own LLC. Teachers College is not involved in the operations or provision of services provided by Dr. Calkins in her LLC...
…Second, TC will ensure that its professional development programs are informed by the latest research and evidence and that the College continually finds new ways to translate faculty scholarship into timely assessments, interventions, and research-based practices.
In a very real sense, the serious SEL proponents and serious SEL critics are wrestling with the same problem—the challenge of fending off one’s “friendly” fringe. Fighting people on the other side of an issue is one thing; fending off the charlatans, poseurs, and kooks who are nominally “on your side” is a trickier kind of challenge. But it’s a critical one for both camps.
Agree. And I’ve written about this same issue in the past. It’s another example of why we can’t have nice things because of the fringes.
Friday Fish Porn:
Jeff Sirbu, who has some connections to the education world (and honestly even if he didn’t I’d probably post this pic anyway because it’s so lovely), with an absolute beauty from Labrador, taken on a 6wt.
Friday fish what? Yes, here is a one of a kind archive of hundreds of pictures of education types with fish.
Enjoy your weekend.