Education News, Analysis, and Commentary
I had some content teed up but it can certainly wait. Here is short note from Mary Wells and me, there really are not words but we tried. Again yesterday parents in an American town had their world shattered by a truly monstrous act of violence. And although the facts are still coming into focus, …
On the morning of Monday, January 29th 1979, 16-year-old Brenda Spencer began shooting her rifle at students waiting to enter Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego. She ultimately killed the school’s principal, a custodian, and wounded eight children and a police officer. She then barricaded herself in her home. When a reporter reached her on …
Coming attractions: I’m hosting a Twitter discussion for the WISE Education Summit next Tuesday morning. Twitter may not be a real place, pace Dave Chappelle, but I’ll be there. How are kids doing anyway? Well, ask them. On academics, though, they may not be doing so well. This new analysis of learning loss is sobering. It …
Continue reading “Student Voice…And Good News On Pensions? More…”
The drip drip from Loudoun County, Virginia, in regard to a sexual assault incident(s) continues. Today we learned, ONLY ON WTOP: Loudoun County’s superintendent notified the school board the same day a female student was sexually assaulted at Stone Bridge High School, according to an email obtained by WTOP. https://t.co/Re4vkD7H60 — WTOP (@WTOP) October 22, …
Continue reading “Why Loudoun Matters…Where Are The Scouts?”
Julia Galef has a great book recently out called The Scout Mindset. The world needs scouts and soldiers but Galef argues the scout approach has unique value. I’d say that’s especially true in a sprawling sector like education. Oversimplifying a bit, scouts seek to see things as they are and have habits around seeking dissenting …
Continue reading “Kaepernick And RBG Might Offer A Lesson For “CRT?””
I promise I’m not going to turn this blog into a police blotter – but that would be easier than it seems in our field these past few years – Chicago, Atlanta, DC, this item below, and so forth as well as some episodes I’m sure I’m forgetting. But per this item on Parkland the …
“With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.” Happy Birthday William. Kids like him! He’s relevant today! If there is a policy issue you really want to tackle Emma Vadehra is organizing the next cohort of Next100. Security experts generally agree the 2018 Parkland massacre, where 17 people were killed in a school shooting, was a …
Continue reading “Odds & Ends: Florida Arrests, LAUSD, Culture Wars…”
It’s easy to knock (and a favored sport for some) Politico for focusing on horse race politics – but the debate about reopening schools has become horse race politics not substance so this is a pretty good overview: President Joe Biden’s vow to reopen most schools during his first 100 days is crashing into demands of …
Continue reading “School Reopening – It’s All Politics Now?”
Music at the top here: Bellwether’s house band Chord Values. Happy Opening Day! Slow blogging, since last week, sorry, for a sector where nothing is happening it’s surprisingly busy. But a bunch of stuff below. Funders! Something you hear a lot in certain rooms in this sector is how so much money is dirty. Don’t …
Ashley LiBetti on Elizabeth Warren and Head Start – and Head Start lessons. The lessons are drawn from this new Bellwether analysis of leading Head Start programs and the lessons they offer. Well worth your time. Janus fallout. At Bellwether we do some work with New Classrooms Teach to One and we also have a lot …