Education News, Analysis, and Commentary
Here’s Bellwether’s take on what makes a strategic plan actually strategic and not just a bunch of flashy slides with pretty graphics. Details and debate on the NY free-tuition plan. And here’s a really interesting analysis of who pays what for college (pdf). Marilyn Rhames talks with Betsy DeVos. Arizona is going big on ESAs. Hope and concern …
In Houston they’re going at it over teacher evaluation again. And here I thought this was supposed to be collaboration week?
Ed Equality Project and Dems for Ed Reform* with statements (via those links) on the pending policy change in Houston. *I’m on the board. Update: The policy passed. Barone calls for better nav tools. Background on this is here. Update II: Stephen “Astaire” Sawchuk has more but he dances all around the big question! Update III: …
More on all the action in Houston. Backstory can be found here.
More on the policy changes in Houston. Background on Houston and why it matters starts here.
Regarding this debate over whether what Houston ISD is doing on teacher evaluation aligns or not with the Weingarten proposals from last Tuesday, three fresh links for you: First, at HuffPo Diane Ravitch says HISD’s policy is not what Weingarten said. Second, here’s the proposal itself in pdf (starts on page 103 of the board agenda). In …
A lot of back and forth in Rhode Island over Race To The Top. The teachers’ union there is not down with the Obama Administration’s requirements around teacher effectiveness. But they apparently also can’t live with the idea that after three years of an unacceptable evaluation a teacher would lose their license. The standard they …
Continue reading “Five Strikes And You’re Out! Plus, Houston We Have A Problem…”
That title is just too easy…the school board in Houston wants to experiment with merit-based teacher pay there. Not a lot of details yet but keep an eye out. It seems as though the political debate about this issue is pretty much over in terms of the general principle that excellence must be rewarded in …
Wash. Post’s Jay Mathews takes an interesting and fair look at the experience of Edison Schools in Philadelphia. Robert Kimball is still beating the dropout drum in Houston, but this will likely have less traction now that the election is over. Karl Rove wants to think we are relieving the Mark Hanna days, and he …
Continue reading “Edison In Philly, Dropouts in Houston, And History Repeating Itself”
Two good reads from the Houston Chronicle. On the op-ed page Glenn W. Smith challenges the Texas Legislature to do right by kids there instead of setting ridiculously low standards that hamstring poor and minority youngsters. Meanwhile, the editorial board pleads for better quality teaching and less rote memorization but does not indict standards and …