Friday, October 07, 2005
More Sandi
Julian Betts, Andrew Zau, and Kevin King examine student achievement in San Diego. Results may surprise...the Blueprint worked in the lower grades, not so well in high school.
A new report (pdf) from the Fordham Foundation tries to establish a charter typology. The results might surprise the usual suspects who characterize charters as a right-wing plot. Based on this method, turns out charters might be something of a left-wing conspiracy.
LA Times' Helfand and Rubin take a look at the Governator's teacher dismissal initiative.
Do you really need a conference to answer this question?
Writing in Grist, Daniel Akst wonders whether school choice might help curb suburban sprawl. Not a bad question though he uses school choice pretty generically, not clear that any of what he argues is at odds with charter schools and charters might in fact help address some of the political challenges he discusses.
Two Articles
Jay Mathews revisits college rankings in his Wash. Post online column. A little background here.
In the NYT David Brooks turns in an interesting column about cultural capital:
...life prospects are wildly unequal. As Ross Douthat notes in The Atlantic Monthly, a child growing up in a family earning over $90,000 has a 1 in 2 chance of getting a college degree by age 24; a child in a family earning $35,000 to $61,000 has a 1 in 10 chance; a child in a family earning under $35,000 has a 1 in 17 chance.
But, because of this new Times Select service, you can't read the whole thing unless you subscribe, get it at the newsstand, or it pops up here.
vSkool.org (an organization for online ed providers) has started a blog with educational information for those displaced by Katrina. It's light on propaganda and has some useful information.
Another brilliant move that seems almost deliberately calculated to repel the public. Some teachers in California are refusing to write college recommendations for students until an agreement is reached on their contract. Going over big with parents!
The irony here is obvious and troubling. The teachers' unions are convinced that conservatives are out to do in the public schools, but if that is in fact the case, then it seems the best ally the conservatives have is, well, the teachers' unions.
The Education Sector
Although Education Sector formally launches in January, its newsletter started today (monthly through the end of the year, twice a month thereafter). Here is the inaugural issue and you can sign up to get it delivered free. Takes just a few seconds to sign up.
Because of privacy policies, even if you got the 21st Century Schools Project Bulletin by email you will not automatically be signed up for The Education Sector. You must subscribe.
This issue includes briefs on Sandy Feldman, AYP, the Broad Prize, college rankings, and Katrina relief among other items. It's like the Bulletin, only more nifty!
Interesting article about Erksine Bowles taking the helm at UNC that also discusses other pols who have moved into college presidencies.
New report by Sara Mead on charter schooling in Washington, D.C., the most thorough look yet. Examines performance, opportunities, and challenges and makes recommendations for improvement. Washington Post on the report here.
There is a tentative deal in NYC on the teachers' contract. Lots of early analysis, praise, grumbling floating around. Insta-reax from smart money in the city is that it's a pretty square deal, Bloomberg got what he wanted -- the teachers' union out of the mayoral race, UFT head Weingarten got enough money to probably get this past her members, and NYC Chancellor Klein got some of the reforms he wanted and the groundwork for more next time (the excess teacher issue -- what to do with excessed teachers who do not land anywhere -- is a ticking time bomb, watch for it to explode in a few years). But, Bloomie looked like a sure bet to win reelection anyway so some folks wondering why he didn't hold out for more. Still, D mayoral candidate Ferrer considered to be the big loser in this deal because neutral UFT means no door knockers, phone banks, etc...
Lots of analysis and commentary. NYT here and here, NY Post here, NY Daily News here, Klein on the Politiker blog here and here, dissenting UFT critics here, UFT's blog Edwize here.
Harsh reality check here.
Update: NY Post's Sager goes a little overboard with the sarcasm but the underlying point is about right, the UFT leadership is now selling a contract with provisions addressing a bunch of issues they not too long ago went completely batty over when Eva Moskowitz raised them. Meanwhile, these guys are on the attack and these guys are spinning like tops about how this is actually a big win?!?! Are they that concerned this could go down?* But, in general big urban unions are better at exploiting language in these contracts than management so watch that ball going forward.
*Nonetheless, Eduwonk is setting the morning line at 6-1 in favor of ratification. That's good action for ICEers who truly believe...
Breaking Bennett News
Just out from K-12 this A.M., Bill Bennett out as chair of the board of directors obviously as a result of the back and forth of the past few days...
Update: This smells a little panicky on the part of K-12. The company is struggling some and must feel they can't take a risk here.
Watch New York today, agreement on the contract and other big news coming this afternoon...lot of action over the weekend...
Interesting jobs (policy analysis, development, and communications) at a fast-paced educational start-up, Education Sector.
You can get more specific information here.
NYT's Lewin takes a look at Teach For America.
This year, Teach for America drew applications from 12 percent of Yale's graduates, 11 percent of Dartmouth's and 8 percent of Harvard's and Princeton's. The group also recruits for diversity, and this year got applications from 12 percent of the graduates of Spelman College, a historically black women's college in Atlanta.
Update: Michael Lach weighs-in, too.