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Reviews of Eduwonk.com

2007 Winner, Editor's Choice Best Education Blog
-- Performancing.com

2006 Winner, Best K-12 Administration Blog -- "Best of the Education Blog Awards"
-- eSchool News and Discovery Education

2006 Finalist, Best Education Blog
-- Weblog Awards

Least influential of education's most influential information sources.
-- Education Week Research Center

"unexpectedly entertaining"..."tackle[s] a potentially mindfogging subject with cutting clarity... they're reading those mushy, brain-numbing education stories so you don't have to!"
-- Slate's Mickey Kaus

"a very smart blog... [if] you're trying to separate the demagogic attacks on NCLB from the serious criticism, this is the site to read"
-- The New Republic's Ryan Lizza

"everyone who's anyone reads Eduwonk"
-- Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media's Richard Colvin

"full of very lively short items and is always on top of the news...He gets extra points for skewering my high school rating system"
-- Jay Mathews, The Washington Post

"a daily dose of information from the education policy world, blended with a shot of attitude and a dash of humor"
-- Education Week

"designed to cut through the fog and direct specialists and non-specialists alike to the center of the liveliest and most politically relevant debates on the future of our schools"
-- The New Dem Daily

"peppered with smart and witty comments on the education news of the day"
-- Education Gadfly

"don't hate Eduwonk cuz it's so good"
-- Alexander Russo, This Week In Education

"the morning's first stop for education bomb-throwers everywhere"
-- Mike Antonucci, Intercepts

"…the big dog on the ed policy blog-ck…"
-- Michele McLaughlin, AFT Blog

"I check Eduwonk several times a day, especially since I cut back on caffeine"
-- Joe Williams, fallen journalist, Executive Director, Democrats for Education Reform

"...one of the few bloggers who isn't completely nuts"
-- Mike Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation

"I have just three 'go to' websites: The Texas Legislature, Texas Longhorn sports, and Eduwonk"
-- Sandy Kress, former education advisor to President Bush and former chairman, Dallas Board of Education

"penetrating analysis in a lively style on a wide range of issues"
-- Walt Gardner, champion letter-to-the-editor writer and retired teacher

"thugs"
-- Susan Ohanian

Education News and Analysis

American Educator
Chronicle of Higher Education
EducationNews.org
Education Next
Education Week
eSchool News
Inside Higher Ed
Jay Mathews' Class Struggle
Phi Delta Kappan
New York Times Education
School Wise Press
Stateline.org
Teacher Magazine

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The American Scene
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Taking Note
Talkingpointsmemo.com
Tank'd
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Think Tank Town
Volokh Conspiracy
WSJ's Blog Federation
Washington Whispers

EduReading


Collective Bargaining in Education: Negotiating Change in Today's Schools

Edited by Jane Hannaway and Andrew J. Rotherham


Why Newsweek's List of America's 100 Best High Schools Doesn't Make the Grade

By Andrew J. Rotherham
and Sara Mead

A Qualified Teacher
in Every Classroom

Edited by Frederick M. Hess, Andrew J. Rotherham,
and Kate Walsh

America's Teaching Crisis

By Jason Kamras and Andrew J. Rotherham

Rethinking Special Education For A New Century

Edited by Chester E. Finn, Jr., Andrew J. Rotherham
& Charles R. Hokanson, Jr.

Making The Cut: How States Set Passing Scores on Standardized Tests

By Andrew J. Rotherham

Education Blogs

A Constrained Vision
Andrew Pass
a schoolyard blog
ASCD
Assorted Stuff
Mr. B-G's English Blog
Barnett Berry
Bill Jackson's Education Blog
Bridging Differences (Meier and Ravitch)
Bulletin Board (NASBE)
Campaign K-12 (Ed Week)
Chaos Theory
Charter Blog (NAPCS)
Charter School Policy Inst. Blog
Chez Dormont
Chris Correa
Class Context
The College Puzzle
College Ready Blog (Athens Learning Group)
The Common School
Conversation Starters
Core Knowledge Blog
Critical Mass
Dangerously Irrelevant
Daryl Cobranchi
Dave Shearon
Dave Saba (ABCTE)
DC Education Blog
D-EDreckoning
Dems for Education Reform
The Deputy Head
Early Ed Watch
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edbizbuzz
EdPol
Edspresso
Educated Nation
Educating One Mind
The Education Network
The Education Wonks
EduFlack
Eduoptimists
EdWahoo
Eduwonkette
Edwize (UFT)
Eponymous Educator
Essential Blog
Extra Credit
Flypaper (Fordham)
Fordham Fellows
From The Trenches
The Gadfly
Get On The Bus (Dayton Daily News)
Get Schooled (AJC)
The Gradebook (St. Pete Times)
Grumpy Professor
The Hall Monitor
Higher Ed Watch
Hip Teacher
I Thought A Think
IALA
In Other News (Ed Week)
Inside Pre-K
Instructivist
Intercepts
IvyGate
Jay Greene
Jenny D.
Joannejacobs.com
John Merrow
K-12 Hotlinks
Kindling Flames
Kitchen Table Math
Learning Now (PBS)
The Life That Chose Me
Mathew K. Tabor
Media Infusion
Ms. Frizzle
Moving At The Speed Of Creativity
NCLB Act II (Ed Week)
NCLBlog (AFT)
Newoldschoolteacher
NSBA's BoardBuzz
NYC Educator
Paper Trail (USN)
ParaNews (NCP)
Parentalcation
Paul Baker
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Quasi Dictum
Roy Romer
Running on Empty
School of Blog
School Zone (MJS)
Schools for Tomorrow
Science After School
SF Schools
Sherman Dorn
SITE Mentor
Small Talk
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Starting Over (Ed Week)
Swift & Change Able
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Teaching Rookie
Think Lab
This is how I Swim
This Week In Education
Tim Fredrick
Up The Down Staircase
Urban Angle
VARC
What up, Mz. Smlph?
Whitney Tilson
Why Boys Fail
Why Homeschool

Educational Resources and Organizations

AALE Charter School Accreditation
Achieve
Alliance for Excellent Education
American Association of School Administrators
American Educational Research Association
American Federation of Teachers
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Aspen Institute
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Building Excellent Schools
Center for American Progress
Center for Education Reform
Center for School Change
Center on Education Policy
Center on Reinventing Public Education
Citizens Commission On Civil Rights
Coalition of Essential Schools
Community College Research Center
Community Training and Assistance Center
Council of Chief State School Officers
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Core Knowledge Foundation
Data Quality Campaign
Democratic Leadership Council
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Education Commission of the States
Education Evolving
Education Sector
EdSource
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George Lucas Educational Foundation
Greatschools.net
Haberman Foundation
Hechinger Institute On Education and the Media
IssueLab
Joyce Foundation
Just for the Kids
Knowledge Alliance
Learning Point Associates
Local School Directory
Michael and Susan Dell Foundation
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning
The Mind Trust
Montessori
National Academies Center for Education
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
National Association of Charter School Authorizers
National Association of Secondary School Principals
NCLBWorks
National Center for Postsecondary Research
National Center on Education and the Economy
National Charter School Research Project
NCTAF
National Council on Teacher Quality
National Education Association
National Education Writers Association
National Governors Association
National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
National School Boards Association
New Leaders for New Schools
New Schools Venture Fund
The New Teacher Project
New Vision
Pre-K Now
Harvard's Program On Education Policy and Governance
Progressive Policy Institute
PPI's 21st Century Schools Project
Public Agenda
Public Impact
Reading Reform Foundation
Rick Hess' World HQ
The Savvy Source for Parents
Scholastic Administrator
School Data Direct
Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services
Standards Work
Teach for America
The Teaching Commission
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
Trust for Early Education
Uncommon Schools
United States Department of Education
The Urban Institute
WestEd

Opinions on Eduwonk reflect the views of the author, Education Sector does not take institutional positions. Outgoing links do not constitute an endorsement.

Saturday, May 07, 2005

The More Things Change...

Who says charter schools are not like other public schools? Here's a pretty egregious case of a charter EMO trying to crack down on dissenting parents. Here's the offending website itself.

One of the big challenges facing the charter community is not to end up replicating many of the problematic norms that exist in many parts of the traditional public schools. Such behaviors don't occur by accident, it's a natural evolution of things that must be vigorously guarded against. Overall so far the track record is mostly good (the intolerance among top flight charter leaders for low-performing charters, for instance what's happening now in Texas, is a noteworthy and overlooked story). But episodes like this should cause concern.

After all, a little dissension is good for progress and quality programs can withstand both dissension and choice.
Posted at 12:57 PM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Friday, May 06, 2005

Governator In Brief

In CA for the past few days. Lots of talk about Schwarzenegger’s education efforts. Most spot-on and concise review via one seasoned political observer, “all he’s accomplished so far is a big dues increase for the California Teachers Association.” A lot riding on Alan Bersin.

Worth noting, big urban sup’ts pleased with the Bersin pick. Also worth noting, the dismay from many liberals about the Democratic party's education stance out here is intense as is the sympathy for the Governator on this issue. Did the Governator blow a big opportunity, or will he be back?
Posted at 7:39 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

More NYC Contract
Amsterdam News takes a look at the teachers' contract in NYC...pretty pro-Klein story...perhaps because he's pretty much right on this issue? It's either that, or he checked all his progressive credentials upon becoming chancellor...amazingly, some fervently believe the latter.

Via School News Monitor.
Posted at 7:29 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Thursday, May 05, 2005

School Board Attys

More than you ever wanted to know about what a school board attorney does. 22 pages of interview with one (pdf) and some interesting nuggets if you wade through.
Posted at 10:46 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Wilkins On FL Pre-K
In a new Fordham Foundation essay, Ed Truster and current pre-K advocate Amy Wilkins looks at FL's pre-K initiative (pdf). Worth reading, an interesting caution on universality.

Related: PPI's Sara Mead on why the feds should partner with the states to move this issue forward.
Posted at 10:31 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Hess-Kelly On Leadership...And More!
In the new Education Next Rick Hess and Andrew Kelly take a look at leadership preparation. There is a D.C. event on the same topic with several views on May 25.

Other articles worth reading, in particular a Ted Sizer - Mike Petrilli forum on charter schools and NCLB.
Posted at 7:29 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

You Can Help Heap Praise On A Great Teacher

Know a great teacher? Nominate them for some recognition.
Posted at 9:31 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Writing On SAT Writing
NYT's Winerip looks at some potential problems with the new writing portion of the SAT. Worth checking out.
Posted at 9:26 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Carnival Of Ed Blogs
Is up at Jenny D's site. Good stuff. Two highlights are this post about dissension in the ranks of the CTA and this interesting history lesson from Chris Correa. The latter gives the lie to the hysterical notion that all this NCLB resistance is unprecedented.
Posted at 9:25 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Klein V. UFT
Here's an interesting and important story from NY Daily News' Williams. There is a dispute in New York about summer school hiring. The Klein Administration wants to hire based on perceived merit, the UFT wants summer school hiring done on seniority. Raises two big questions. First, program quality appears to be better under a non-seniority arrangement. Second, if Klein loses the case, which is currently under arbitration, big costs for the school system in back pay. Worth watching, particularly against the backdrop of bigger contract issues in Gotham.
Posted at 9:22 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Student Loan Back And Forth
More recriminations in the Sallie Mae v. Direct Loan fight.
Posted at 7:48 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Two Articles

Two unrelated and random articles worth reading:

High poverty-high performing schools in the Buffalo area.

And, good look at the ROTC debate from Nick Confessore in the NYT.
Posted at 8:59 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

New Flexibility?
Good article in the Title I Monitor outlines some of the challenges facing states seeking to access the recently announced new No Child flexibility and some of the controversy. Some important inside baseball...worth reading.
Posted at 7:59 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Mailbag
Per this post, a reader writes:

…I think you underestimate Friedman's point. Public education will never get the attention (and funding) it needs until the business community gets sufficiently freaked out over the volume of useless and unemployable graduates and/or underemployed and cashless consumers. I worked in a neglected school that slowly became surroundedby high priced gated subdivisions. Over time the local Realtors realized they could not competitively sell these properties because the school zoned for these subdivisions was shabby and academically mediocre compared to other nearby alternatives. When realtors and developers had a prayer meeting with School Board things happened....Sorry, but show me the money, I lost my faith in moral outrage in 1972.
Posted at 7:57 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Monday, May 02, 2005

Department Of No-Win Situations

Well, it was a loaded burrito...

Seriously, episodes like this are no-win situations for schools.
Posted at 11:54 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

More NCLB...
Two developments worth noting.

First, Gray Lady waking up? Looks like at least a little glasnost at the news side of the NYT. Excellent article by Avi Salzman about the goings on in CT. Reporting with more nuance from the NYT is not good news for anti-NCLB jihadists.

Second, and also ominously, The Washington Times (with help from the aforementioned Antonucci) breaks the NEA memo that basically shows that this lawsuit is about public relations not legal issues. In short, the memo undercuts the legal foundation for the argument that Congress is imposing anything on the states. Isn't this an inappropriate use of the courts?

Again, seems as likely as not that the NEA will rue the day it decided to go down this road.
Posted at 10:34 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Russo On Edublogs
This Week's Alexander Russo reviews blogs in the edublogosphere (full disclosure, he offers kind words for Eduwonk). He credits the tireless Jimmy Kilpatrick for his helpful news summaries and outs Mike Antonucci as the must-read of everyone who follows the minor role teachers' unions play in education policy. You can disagree with Antonucci's politics, Eduwonk often does, but his stuff is always timely, always straight, impeccably sourced, and often quite funny.
Posted at 8:28 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post

Charter Authorizing
This is really counterproductive, because universities have proven to be, overall, among the best charter school authorizers. If the teachers' unions were as interested in quality charter schools as they say, as opposed to just doing away with them, they'd be championing colleges and universities as authorizers while encouraging accountability for lower quality authorizers (for instance that school district that profited from that disastrous California Charter Academy).
Posted at 7:37 AM | Comments: 0 | Link to this item | Email this post