The Answer Sheet: schools


Posted at 02:54 PM ET, 05/23/2013

The Rev. John Thomas: No act of God caused Chicago schools closings
By Valerie Strauss
A reverend looks at what is really behind the decision by the Chicago Board of Education to go ahead with the largest mass closing of public schools in American history.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:54 PM ET, 05/23/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Chicago School Closings, Largest Mass Closing in U.S. History, The Schools Are Gone Because....

Posted at 06:01 AM ET, 05/14/2013

Fourth-grade creationist science quiz: Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago -- False
By Valerie Strauss
Take a look at the questions and answers on this quiz.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:01 AM ET, 05/14/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Creationist Schools, Really

Posted at 01:19 PM ET, 05/09/2013

The charter future of D.C. public schools
By Valerie Strauss
With one decision about one elementary school, D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson is filling in the picture of the future for the city's long troubled school system.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:19 PM ET, 05/09/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Chancellor's New Move, D.C. Public Schools

Posted at 05:19 PM ET, 05/07/2013

Louisiana Supreme Court rules school voucher funding unconstitutional
By Valerie Strauss
The Supreme Court of Louisiana ruled today 6-1 that the way the state funds its school voucher program is unconstitutional.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:19 PM ET, 05/07/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Public Money for Public Schools, School vouchers

Posted at 05:03 AM ET, 05/02/2013

Why collaboration is vital to creating effective schools
By Valerie Strauss
There's a big irony emerging from the ed wars between teachers unions and supporters of market-based reforms that rely heavily on motivating school personnel by threatening them.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:03 AM ET, 05/02/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Beyond The Education Wars, Effective Schools

Posted at 12:16 PM ET, 05/01/2013

Does what happened in 2008 still matter in 2013?
By Valerie Strauss
Why should we keep trying to figure out what happened in D.C. Public Schools in 2008?

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:16 PM ET, 05/01/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools and Cheating

Posted at 11:01 AM ET, 04/26/2013

A bad idea in D.C. on school reform -- and a sharp response (update)
By Valerie Strauss
The belief that this process should start with a team of lawyers and not end with one speaks to a fundamental missed opportunity.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:01 AM ET, 04/26/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  'Stop Hunting and Ask the Crowd', A Bad Idea, D.C. Public Schools, School Reform

Posted at 12:02 PM ET, 04/23/2013

A windfall for failing charter schools?
By Valerie Strauss
Lawmakers in Indiana are debating whether to forgive millions of dollars in loans that the state gave to charter schools that lost their charters because they were academically failing.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:02 PM ET, 04/23/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Loan Forgiveness

Posted at 06:02 AM ET, 04/22/2013

What's wrong with this school language survey form?
By Valerie Strauss
Look at this Home Language Survey Form from D.C. Public Schools to parents. What's wrong with it?

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:02 AM ET, 04/22/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  D.C. Public Schools, DCPS Home Language Survey

Posted at 12:58 PM ET, 04/16/2013

D.C. custodial staff were evaluated by student test scores. Really. (update)
By Valerie Strauss
How obsessive have school reformers been with linking student standardized test scores to the evaluations of adults in school buildings?

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:58 PM ET, 04/16/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  D.C. Public Schools, Evaluation, That's Not All

Posted at 09:47 PM ET, 04/15/2013

Why D.C. charter school is denied enrollment increase -- in 9 tweets
By Valerie Strauss
A D.C. charter school sought permission to hike enrollment for an unusual reason.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:47 PM ET, 04/15/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Unusual Reason

Posted at 10:11 AM ET, 04/14/2013

Probe of past D.C. test cheating called 'impractical' (update)
By Valerie Strauss
The D.C. Council's Education Committee will discuss the standardized test cheating scandal at a previously scheduled hearing on Thursday that, ironically, was intended to be about about test security .

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:11 AM ET, 04/14/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Better Late Than Never, D.C. Schools, Michelle Rhee, Standardized Tests, Test Cheating

Posted at 12:16 PM ET, 04/12/2013

Why not subpoena everyone in D.C. cheating scandal -- Rhee included? (update)
By Valerie Strauss
You don't investigate criminal activity by going in and asking, "Did you cheat? Are you sure you didn't cheat?" Everyone should have to testify under oath, including Michelle Rhee.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:16 PM ET, 04/12/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Cheating on Tests, D.C. Schools, New Memo Surfaces

Posted at 01:25 AM ET, 04/11/2013

Ten things to know about Fairfax County's next schools chief
By Valerie Strauss
She was born and educated in Texas, plus more about Karen Garza.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:25 AM ET, 04/11/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Fairfax County Schools, Her Background and Views

Posted at 03:54 PM ET, 04/09/2013

How much do college students really drink?
By Valerie Strauss
After a false alarm at the University of Virginia that dorm rooms were being raided for alcohol, the question arises: How much do college kids really drink? Here is more than you may want to know about the subject.

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:54 PM ET, 04/09/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Are Schools Swimming in Booze?, College Drinking

Posted at 02:04 PM ET, 04/07/2013

Mom: Why I won't let my son take high-stakes standardized test
By Valerie Strauss
" As test prep ramped up in February and March I had another revelation: Jacob does not love to read. Based on what he was bringing home from school, how could he? I realized that if I wanted to help him to love to read I had to take off the pressure that was coming from the PSSA."

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:04 PM ET, 04/07/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Standardized Tests, Tests Making Schools 'Worse'

Posted at 04:19 PM ET, 04/04/2013

List of Maryland private schools getting publicly funded books, other materials
By Valerie Strauss
Some well-known private schools in Maryland are getting books and computers that are being paid for by public funds.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:19 PM ET, 04/04/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Private Schools

Posted at 02:02 PM ET, 04/03/2013

Why is Maryland spending millions in public funds for private school books, computers?
By Valerie Strauss
There's an interesting item in the 2014 supplemental budget that Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has submitted: A request for $500,000 in "additional funds for non-public school textbooks." What is this all about?

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:02 PM ET, 04/03/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Maryland Schools, Other States Do It Too

Posted at 06:02 AM ET, 04/03/2013

Will charter schools survive the confusing charter movement?
By Valerie Strauss
America's education policies are brimming with contradiction, perhaps nowhere more than the charter movement.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:02 AM ET, 04/03/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  A Pogo Moment, Charter Schools

Posted at 12:31 PM ET, 03/28/2013

Scary reading in charter school bill
By Valerie Strauss
The details of charter school legislation in North Carolina reveal that its sponsors don't care much for holding charters accountable.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:31 PM ET, 03/28/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Where's The Accountability?

Posted at 03:20 PM ET, 03/26/2013

School vouchers: Still a bad idea despite Indiana court ruling
By Valerie Strauss
So the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled that the state's school voucher program is constitutional. It isn't the first time a supreme court has made a questionable call but, apart from the legal argument, the decision doesn't mean that vouchers are a good educational or civic idea.

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:20 PM ET, 03/26/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Public Money for Public Schools, Vouchers

Posted at 12:38 AM ET, 03/22/2013

Where was Chicago mayor when school closings were announced?
By Valerie Strauss
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was nowhere to be seen in Chicago when officials released the controversial news that 54 public schools would close this year. Where was he?

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:38 AM ET, 03/22/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Chicago Schools, On Vacation

Posted at 08:38 PM ET, 03/21/2013

Chicago closing 54 schools; union leader blasts 'outrageous' plan
By Valerie Strauss
Chicago says it will close 54 schools this year; Chicago Teachers Union leader says the closings are a travesty -- and worse.

By Valerie Strauss  |  08:38 PM ET, 03/21/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  'An Insult', Chicago Schools, School Closings

Posted at 11:55 AM ET, 02/16/2013

Colbert skewers Phoenix school 'gun posse' and trainer Steven Seagal
By Valerie Strauss
In the you-can't-make-up-this-stuff-category, an Arizona sheriff recruited actor Steven Seagal to train volunteers to be part of an armed posse to patrol Phoenix-area schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:55 AM ET, 02/16/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Guns in Schools, It's Hilarious, School Security, This Video Is Hilarious

Posted at 11:10 AM ET, 02/15/2013

Why wealthy foreigners invest in U.S. charter schools
By Valerie Strauss
Do you think they do this out of a love of education and a deep desire to help American kids? Guess again.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:10 AM ET, 02/15/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Investing in Charter Schools, Privatization of Public Education

Posted at 11:18 AM ET, 02/10/2013

The exaggeration of charter school waiting lists
By Valerie Strauss
No doubt there are excellent charter schools where waiting lists are very long. But there are also instances where waiting lists aren't exactly as long as charter supporters say they are.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:18 AM ET, 02/10/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Double Counting?

Posted at 11:25 AM ET, 02/09/2013

Global education market reaches $4.4 trillion -- and is growing
By Valerie Strauss
Good news for those who see school reform as a way to make big bucks: A new report says that the global education market is now worth $4.4 trillion -- that's TRILLION -- and set to grow a lot over the next five years.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:25 AM ET, 02/09/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  But Are Schools Any Better?, Global Education Market, Privatization

Posted at 10:48 AM ET, 01/31/2013

Charter schools that start bad stay bad, study finds
By Valerie Strauss
Charter schools that start out doing poorly aren't likely to improve, and charters that are successful from the beginning most often stay that way, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University who also analyzed charter management organizations.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:48 AM ET, 01/31/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  And Good Ones Stay Good, Charter Schools, Education Research

Posted at 01:46 PM ET, 01/23/2013

Proposed Loudoun charter denied application extension
By Valerie Strauss
An effort by a group of Turkish immigrants to get more time to develop their application to open a charter school in Loudoun County -- which would be the first there and possibly in Northern Virginia -- was rejected. That means that the board will decide on the controversial application in late February.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:46 PM ET, 01/23/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Big Concerns Cited, Charter Schools, Gulen Movement

Posted at 01:51 PM ET, 01/21/2013

Obama's three education references in inaugural speech
By Valerie Strauss
Here are the three references to education that President Obama made in his inaugural speech today.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:51 PM ET, 01/21/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Inaugural Speech, Schools and Teachers

Posted at 04:13 PM ET, 01/16/2013

PTA criticizes Obama's call for more armed school guards
By Valerie Strauss
The National Parent Teachers Organization said today it was pleased with much of President Obama's new proposals to improve school security but that his call for more armed guards at schools "comes as a disappointment."

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:13 PM ET, 01/16/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Group Opposes Guns on Campus, Gun Violence in Schools, guns, School Security

Posted at 12:08 PM ET, 01/10/2013

Parsing Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's education agenda
By Valerie Strauss
In his State of the Commonwealth address on Tuesday night, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell proposed a state constitutional amendment that would make it easier for charter schools to open, an A-F system to grade schools, the use of Teach For America members, and more.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:08 PM ET, 01/10/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  School Reform, Virginia schools, Wants More Charter Schools

Posted at 12:15 AM ET, 01/09/2013

Ravitch on Rhee
By Valerie Strauss
The PBS show "Frontline" on Tuesday night aired John Merrow's documentary on Michelle Rhee, which focused on the 3 1/2 years she was chancellor of D.C. Public Schools. There is sure to be a variety of opinions on what it said and what it didn't say. Below is the reaction of education historian Diane Ravitch, the preeminent voice in the growing opposition to Rhee's style of school reform.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:15 AM ET, 01/09/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  D.C. Public Schools, Michelle Rhee, Reaction to Frontline Profile

Posted at 12:25 PM ET, 01/08/2013

Va. legislator withdraws support from controversial Loudoun charter school proposal
By Valerie Strauss
A Virginia state senator has withdrawn support from a proposed charter school which would be the first in Loudoun and possibly in northern Virginia if allowed to open because of public "misgivings" and other concerns.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:25 PM ET, 01/08/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Concerns About Applicants, Gulen Movement

Posted at 11:39 AM ET, 01/07/2013

Moco schools chief on new teacher/principal evaluation systems
By Valerie Strauss
Here is a new message from Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Joshua Starr about changes to its nationally known educator evaluation systems that the district is being forced to make by the state of Maryland.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:39 AM ET, 01/07/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Changes Forced By State, Montgomery County Public Schools, Nationally Known Process Forced to Change By State, Teacher Evaluation

Posted at 05:24 PM ET, 12/21/2012

'Let's arm the young-uns': tweets on NRA proposal
By Valerie Strauss
Here are some tweets responding to the National Rifle Association's proposal to put armed guards in every school in the country.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:24 PM ET, 12/21/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Guns in Schools, NRA Proposal, Reaction

Posted at 01:11 PM ET, 12/21/2012

Virginia superintendents, principals reject guns in schools
By Valerie Strauss
Three educators' associations in Virginia just issued a release on school safety that says they are concerned about Gov. Bob McDonnell's suggestion that state residents have a discussion about allowing guns in schools

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:11 PM ET, 12/21/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Guns in Schools, Keeping Schools Safe, School Safety

Posted at 01:16 PM ET, 12/14/2012

Proposed Loudoun charter gets initial 'no' vote
By Valerie Strauss
A three-member select committee of the Loudoun School Board have voted against recommending that the full panel approve what would be the first public charter school in the county because of questions involving curriculum and other operational issues.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:16 PM ET, 12/14/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Full School Board to decide

Posted at 12:35 PM ET, 12/10/2012

Moco schools chief calls for three-year moratorium on standardized testing
By Valerie Strauss
Montgomery County Superintendent Joshua Starr, solidifying his role as a prominent critic of President Obama's education policies, says the country needs a three-year moratorium on standardized testing and needs to "stop the insanity" of evaluating teachers according to student test scores because it is based on "bad science."

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:35 PM ET, 12/10/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Montgomery County Schools, Problems With Reform, School Reform

Posted at 01:35 PM ET, 12/04/2012

A Florida charter school scandal gets worse
By Valerie Strauss
Remember the case of the charter school that gave its founding principal a $519,453 payout in taxpayer money when it was forced to close? It's gotten worse.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:35 PM ET, 12/04/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Where Did the Money Go?

Posted at 10:58 AM ET, 11/29/2012

Updated: Michelle Rhee writes a zealot's manifesto,' er, memoir
By Valerie Strauss
Michelle Rhee has written a memoir that gives her version of reality about the years (2007-2010) that she ran D.C. Public Schools and became a national leader of corporate-based school reform. The book is due out next year but Washington City Paper's Loose Lips has already read it and describes it in less than flattering terms. Here are some of the highlights.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:58 AM ET, 11/29/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  D.C. Public Schools, Michelle Rhee, Rhee-visionist History

Posted at 11:38 AM ET, 11/26/2012

Pennsylvania slapped by U.S. Ed Department over charter schools
By Valerie Strauss
While Pennsylvania considers adding eight more cyber charter schools to its roster of 16, it learns that the Department of Education has slapped down its plan to evaluate brick and mortar charters by a method that is easier than for traditional schools. Confused? Read on.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:38 AM ET, 11/26/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  8 More Cyber Charters?, Charter Schools, Cyber Charter Schools, New Cyber Charters Considered

Posted at 01:27 PM ET, 11/23/2012

Charter school corruption
By Valerie Strauss
As school reformers seek to open more and more charter schools, tales of corruption and self-serving behavior at these schools are told.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:27 PM ET, 11/23/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Fleecing Taxpayers

Posted at 11:25 AM ET, 11/21/2012

The future of D.C. public schools
By Valerie Strauss
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson's plan to close 20 traditional public schools in the nation's capital is nothing if not an acknowledgement that the system over which she presides is inexorably dwindling and being transformed into a collection of independently run public charter schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:25 AM ET, 11/21/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, D.C. Public Schools

Posted at 01:03 PM ET, 11/13/2012

Washington to allow charter schools after billionaire-backed initiative squeaks through
By Valerie Strauss
Washington becomes the 42nd state to allow public charter schools to open now that ballot Initiative1240 has passed by barely 1 percentage point -- this after a group of billionaires, including Bill Gates, donated more than $10 million to get it pushed through.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:03 PM ET, 11/13/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Initiative Squeaks Through

Posted at 03:40 PM ET, 11/09/2012

Sprouts for sprouts
By Valerie Strauss
It isn't a vegetable that kids gravitate to, but brussel sprouts were the centerpiece of a bunch of concoctions at a taste test for D.C. school children. Picture from the D.C. Central Kitchen.

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:40 PM ET, 11/09/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  D.C. Public Schools, School Food

Posted at 04:40 PM ET, 11/08/2012

Washington charter initiative STILL undecided update
By Valerie Strauss
It turns out that election results for Washington's initiative to allow charter schools to open in the state are incomplete and the outcome remains unknown despite the fact that a bunch of billionaires spent millions to get it approved.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:40 PM ET, 11/08/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Big Money, Charter Schools, School reforfm

Posted at 02:00 PM ET, 11/08/2012

How Obama helped Georgia charter measure win
By Valerie Strauss
Georgia's ballot measure to permit the state to create a committee to approve charter schools passed with big support from African Americans -- even though black lawmakers and other leaders in the state said it would lead to the resegregation of public schools. Who helped?

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:00 PM ET, 11/08/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Election Results, Powerful ad, School Reform

Posted at 01:44 PM ET, 10/26/2012

Charter school principal gets $519,453 payout (in taxpayer money)
By Valerie Strauss
How's this for outrageous? The principal of a charter school in Orange County, Fl., received a check for $519,453.36 in taxpayer money after the district school board agreed to let the school voluntarily close rather than be shut down for poor performance.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:44 PM ET, 10/26/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  A Bad Choice, Charter Schools

Posted at 10:38 AM ET, 10/20/2012

Microsoft gives $50,000 more to Washington charter school initiative
By Valerie Strauss
Ballot initiatives in several states that are pushing for a growth in charter schools are being funded in large part by wealthy donors who sometimes live elsewhere.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:38 AM ET, 10/20/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Big Money, Charter Schools; Privatization

Posted at 12:26 PM ET, 10/19/2012

Playing hardball over a Tennessee charter school
By Valerie Strauss
Well, they went ahead and did it. Tennessee education officials actually lived up to their petulant threat to withhold $3.4 million from Nashville public schools as punishment for refusing to allow a controversial charter school to open.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:26 PM ET, 10/19/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, School choice

Posted at 11:08 PM ET, 10/14/2012

Rich siblings spend big bucks to affect California education funding
By Valerie Strauss
Molly Munger vs. California Gov. Jerry Brown is this week's case study in our continuing look at how billionaires (and millionaires) are throwing around their money to drive education reform.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:08 PM ET, 10/14/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Bad Behavior, Education funding; California schools

Posted at 11:25 AM ET, 10/12/2012

Bill Gates, other billionaires funding charter effort in Washington state
By Valerie Strauss
To get an understanding of how America's wealthiest people are using their fortunes to drive school reform, take a look at a list of the contributors to the pro-charter school initiative on the Washington state ballot in November. The first few pages -- the ones with the biggest donations -- is a who's who of billionaires.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:25 AM ET, 10/12/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Billionaires, Charter Schools, Privatization

Posted at 09:36 AM ET, 10/08/2012

Pennsylvania eases NCLB rules to help charter schools
By Valerie Strauss
Pennsylvania makes AYP easier for charters than for traditional public schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:36 AM ET, 10/08/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Charter Schools, Charter schools; No Child Left Behind; AYP

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 03/03/2011

The Diane Ravitch myth
By Valerie Strauss
Anybody reading much of the commentary written on education policy could be forgiven for thinking that education historian Diane Ravitch is somehow the Wizardess of Ed, the woman behind the curtain secretly pulling the strings.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 03/03/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Diane Ravitch | Tags:  arne duncan, bill gates, charter schools, colbert report, diane ravitch, jon stewart, president obama, school reform, whitney tilson

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 02/27/2011

2 false claims that drive school reform
By Valerie Strauss
"Accountability" and "merit" are compelling concepts, especially when we are talking about adults who are charged with educating our children. But the concepts have been misused in school reform, writes an educator.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:00 AM ET, 02/27/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Accountability, Charter schools, Guest Bloggers, Performance pay, Teacher assessment | Tags:  accountability movement, charter schools, geoffrey canada, merit pay, michelle rhee, performance pay, school choice, teacher pay, teachers, waiting for superman

Posted at 09:45 AM ET, 02/03/2011

Why aren't public school parents protesting?
By Valerie Strauss
A public school parent in New York writes about money and privilege, and private and public schooling in New York City.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:45 AM ET, 02/03/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers | Tags:  Avenues, Avenues The World School, Joel Klein, Mom Blog, barry diller, beccarama, manhattan private schools, new york city, new york city schools, private schools

Posted at 09:19 PM ET, 02/01/2011

Arlington principal resigns: Read the letter
By Washington Post editors
Here's the text of an extraordinary letter released to the Arlington public school community by Williamsburg Middle School Principal Kathleen Francis, who just announced her unexpected resignation. In the letter, she blames Arlington Schools Supt. Patrick K. Murphy for creating a hostile environment.

By Washington Post editors  |  09:19 PM ET, 02/01/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Educational leadership | Tags:  arlington principal, arlington principal resigns, arlington public schools, arlington schools, principal resigns, williamsburg middle, williamsburg middle school

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/01/2011

'It makes no sense:' A dissection of Obama's education view
By Valerie Strauss
Here is a dissection of what President Obama said about education in his State of the Union speech, plus more.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 02/01/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  china and india and education, china education, chinese schools, education, education policy, education reform, indian schools, international competitiveness, obama speech, president obama, president obama school reform, public schools, race to the top, school reform, schools, state of the union, u.s. education

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/31/2011

Legislation: Teachers should grade parents
By Valerie Strauss
In the you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up category, a Florida (of course) state legislator is pushing legislation that would require some elementary school teachers to grade parents on how involved they are at their children's schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/31/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers, Teachers | Tags:  bill for teachers to grade parents, florida bill teachers, florida legislature, florida schools, legislation teachers parents, parents, teachers, teachers grading parents

Posted at 01:18 PM ET, 01/29/2011

Does Kaya Henderson want to run D.C. schools?
By Valerie Strauss
It just may be that Kaya Henderson, the interim chancellor of D.C. schools who was tapped to succeed Michelle Rhee, doesn’t want the job permanently.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:18 PM ET, 01/29/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools | Tags:  arne duncan, d.c. schools, d.c. superintendent, kaya henderson, michelle rhee

Posted at 05:30 AM ET, 01/28/2011

On this we should agree
By Valerie Strauss
A health expert writes that while there isn’t likely to be peace in the education world over charter schools and standardized testing, on this everyone should agree: The need to focus attention on disparities among our youth in education and in health.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:30 AM ET, 01/28/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  achievement gap, anxiety-related behaviors, anxiety-related disorders, effects of poverty, environment and schools, health disparities, indian suicide rates, native american suicide rates, poverty and education, public health services, suicide rates

Posted at 03:00 AM ET, 01/27/2011

School district turns snow days into ‘e-days’
By Valerie Strauss
A tiny rural Ohio school district is experimenting with a new version of the traditional snow day -- one that some kids are not likely to enjoy much.

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:00 AM ET, 01/27/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Technology, Technology | Tags:  classes cancelled, e-days, inclement weather policy, ohio snow days, schools that closed, snow days

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/26/2011

Things I’m sick of hearing
By Valerie Strauss
It’s time for school reformers to find new ways to attack their critics. It’s getting tiring hearing the same old refrains, which go something like this.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/26/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Achievement gap, Achievement gap, Achievement gap, Achievement gap, Achievement gap | Tags:  charter schools, data-driven reform, michelle rhee, president obama, school reform, standardized tests, teachers unions

Posted at 10:15 PM ET, 01/25/2011

Obama’s faulty education logic: What he said and failed to say
By Valerie Strauss
Someone should have told President Obama that there were important contradictions in the education portion of his State of the Union address before he delivered it to Congress.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:15 PM ET, 01/25/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Poverty, Poverty, Poverty | Tags:  education reform, no child left behind, obama, obama education initiative, obama education reform, obama race to the top, obama speech, obama state of the union, president obama, public school reform, public schools, race to the top, state of the union, state of the union speech

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 01/25/2011

Teaching without classroom teachers
By Valerie Strauss
Florida is the state that keeps on giving, at least to education writers. What it gives to its students is another question. One thing it isn’t giving to all of its students these days is classroom teachers.

By Valerie Strauss  |  08:00 AM ET, 01/25/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers | Tags:  florida, florida education, florida schools, florida virtual school, gov. rick scott, online classes, rick scott, virtual classrooms

Posted at 12:57 PM ET, 01/22/2011

What Rhee’s comments about her children say about her
By Valerie Strauss
Amid the national debate about "Tiger Mother" Amy Chua's parenting style, let's look at what Michelle Rhee recently said about her own children and what those comments reveal about Rhee and her views about education.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:57 PM ET, 01/22/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Michelle Rhee, Michelle Rhee | Tags:  amy chua, battle hymn of the tiger mother, chinese mother, education in finland, finland schools, grade retention, michelle rhee, parenting styles, rhee and soccer, soccer, social promotion, south korean schools, tiger moms, tiger mother

Posted at 12:35 PM ET, 01/21/2011

Say it isn’t so on IMPACT, Mayor Gray
By Valerie Strauss
Here’s why I was so disappointed to a plan by D.C. schools officials to have the flawed IMPACT teacher evaluation system reviewed by a Harvard think tank.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:35 PM ET, 01/21/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  d.c. schools, edulabs, harvard research, harvard thinktank, harvard university, mayor gray, mayor vincent gray, merit pay for teachers, michelle rhee, performance pay, teacher assessment, teacher evaluation

Posted at 05:36 PM ET, 01/20/2011

Pensions for teachers vs. chancellors
By Valerie Strauss
It seems fair to note that after making a public stink about the awfulness of pensions for public school teachers, former New York City Schools chancellor Joel Klein has himself accepted a $34,000 pension check.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:36 PM ET, 01/20/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers | Tags:  chancellor klein, joel klein, klein pension, new york city schools, pensions, ponzi schemes, schools chancellor, teachers pensions

Posted at 11:11 AM ET, 01/20/2011

Giving guns to teachers: A Nebraska legislator submits bill
By Valerie Strauss
It was inevitable that someone would push a plan to allow teachers to pack concealed guns, and now, someone has.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:11 AM ET, 01/20/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Student Life, Student Life, Student Life | Tags:  gun legislation, gun rights, guns, guns in schools, nebraska legislation, teachers and guns

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/20/2011

Policing the rush to charter schools
By Valerie Strauss
What would happen if we applied some school reform policies to city police departments?

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/20/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, gov. mitch daniels, indiana education, indiana schools, journal gazette, schools and police, vouchers

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/19/2011

Is Rhee's key D.C. reform being tossed?
By Valerie Strauss
While Michelle Rhee is busy trying to build up a national organization to take on the teachers unions, back in Washington D.C., where she was chancellor for 3 1/2 years, the new mayor may be on the road to taking apart her signature reform.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/19/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  IMPACT, IMPACT evaluation system, IMPACT teacher evaluation, d.c. schools, kaya henderson, mayor vincent gray, michelle rhee, school reform, teacher assessment, teacher evaluation, vincent gray

Posted at 12:30 PM ET, 01/16/2011

Why 'Inside Job' bests 'Waiting for Superman' on school reform
By Valerie Strauss
Now that "Waiting for Superman" has made the short list of documentaries up for an Academy Award, an educator explains why another film on the list, "Inside Job," does a better job of explaining the school crisis even though its not about education.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:30 PM ET, 01/16/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  academy awards, critics choice awards, davis guggenheim, golden globe awards, inside job, oscars, public schools, school reform, schools, waiting for superman

Posted at 11:04 AM ET, 01/14/2011

The astrology college story
By Valerie Strauss
There are a lot of schools that teach astrology, but only one ever received permission from a state to award degrees to its students.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:04 AM ET, 01/14/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  astrological schools, astrology, astrology college, astrology schools, kepler college

Posted at 05:47 PM ET, 01/13/2011

Should Duncan have plugged Henderson for D.C. schools boss?
By Valerie Strauss
If Education Secretary Arne Duncan were sitting in the editorial board of The New York Times talking about education, do you think he would put in a plug for a specific candidate to be chancellor of the city's public schools?

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:47 PM ET, 01/13/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  arne duncan, d.c. schools, d.c. schools chancellor, education secretary arne duncan, kaya henderson, mayor gray, mayor vincent gray, vincent gray

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/11/2011

Joel Klein's snow job
By Valerie Strauss
A New York City teacher takes a critical look at the legacy of Joel Klein, former schools chancellor and a leader of the modern reform movement.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/11/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  joel klein, joel klein legacy, klein's legacy, michael bloomberg, new york city schools, nyc schools, school reform

Posted at 04:30 PM ET, 01/10/2011

More questions for KIPP
By Valerie Strauss
Here's the next chapter of a debate on KIPP schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:30 PM ET, 01/10/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  century foundation, charter schools, charter schools and segregation, jay mathews, kipp, kipp charter schools, kipp schools, knowledge is power program

Posted at 08:30 AM ET, 01/10/2011

KIPP responds to criticism on attrition rates
By Valerie Strauss
Officials from the Knowledge Is Power Program, or KIPP charter schools, respond to a post about attrition rates and other issues.

By Valerie Strauss  |  08:30 AM ET, 01/10/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, kipp, kipp schools, knowledge is power program

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/10/2011

Latino studies program in Tucson declared illegal
By Valerie Strauss
An Arizona official has declared that an ethnic studies program on Latino culture is illegal under a new law that went effect on Jan. 1.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/10/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  History | Tags:  arizona schools, ethnic studies program, ethnic studies program declared illegal, latino studies, mexican-american studies program, tom horne, tucson schools

Posted at 10:30 AM ET, 01/09/2011

How to be taken seriously as a reformer (don't be an educator)
By Valerie Strauss
In the current upside-down world of education policy, there's one foolproof strategy for being taken seriously as a reformer: Make sure you're not an educator. Here, an educator writes about what counts -- and what SHOULD count -- in the school reform debate.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:30 AM ET, 01/09/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  Illiinois schools, Performance Counts, bill gates, eli broad, jeb bush, mark zuckerberg, obama and schools, obama daughters and school, oprah, performance counts, president obama and daughters, school reform, sidwell and obama, standardized tests, teacher assessment, teachers

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/07/2011

What 2010 education research really shows about reform
By Valerie Strauss
A review of 2010 education research on charter schools, value-added measures and merit pay shows that the results were not great news for supporters of these reforms.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/07/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  charter schools, education research, market-based reforms, shankar blog, value-added, value-added measures

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/05/2011

How technology will and won't change schools by 2020
By Valerie Strauss
Will ever newer technological devices really lead to an educational revolution and make schools unrecognizable by 2020?

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 01/05/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  education technology, handhelds, larry cuban, technology, technology in schools

Posted at 01:36 PM ET, 01/03/2011

America’s disdain for its children
By Valerie Strauss
Americans don’t really think very much of their children. Not really. Just take a look at the world of education.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:36 PM ET, 01/03/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, children, poverty, standardized tests, teacher evaluation, teachers

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/31/2010

A wrong-headed experiment in school leadership
By Valerie Strauss
Can you imagine the military anointing a school superintendent as a brigadier general? Of course you can’t, but this won’t surprise you: The Board of Education in Wake County, N.C., tapped a brigadier general who has no experience in instruction or academic leadership to be the new superintendent of the 143,000-student school system. He did work for Michelle Rhee in D.C. public schools, though.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/31/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Educational leadership | Tags:  educational leadership, gen. anthony tata, non-traditional superintendents, wake county public schools

Posted at 10:38 AM ET, 12/28/2010

A hard look at education research
By Valerie Strauss
Here's a back-and-forth between authors of a report hailing Florida's school reform and a critique of that report. It shows how controversial education "research" really is.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:38 AM ET, 12/28/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Alfie Kohn, Alfie Kohn, Alfie Kohn | Tags:  education research, florida school reform, florida schools, heritage foundation, school reform

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/27/2010

Who in education says 'oops'?
By Valerie Strauss
A former school superintendent explains why virtually nobody in education policy ever admits that they "either goofed or would reconsider their decision."

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/27/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, education policy, education policymakers, gates foundation, larry cuban, research on charter schools, technology in education

Posted at 01:00 PM ET, 12/22/2010

Bring back shop class
By Valerie Strauss
An educator writes: "Reinstituting manual education just might lead to a renaissance of common sense in how we educate our children."

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:00 PM ET, 12/22/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  high schools, marc epstein, shop class, vocational education

Posted at 02:05 PM ET, 12/21/2010

A sobering look at Florida school reform
By Valerie Strauss
With Florida increasingly being looked to as a national model for school reform, here's a clear-eyed look at exactly what has been going on in the Sunshine State.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:05 PM ET, 12/21/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, florida school reform, jeb bush, school reform, sherman dorn, standardized tests

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 12/21/2010

How a teachers' union actually helped kids (not just adults)
By Valerie Strauss
You've probably heard a lot about how teacher unions are obstacles to meaningful school reforms, but you probably have NOT heard about this remarkable union-involved success story in California.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 12/21/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Anthony Cody, Anthony Cody, Anthony Cody, Anthony Cody, Anthony Cody | Tags:  academic performance index, achievement gap, api, california schools, california teachers association, qeia, standardized tests, teachers union

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/20/2010

High remediation rates cast doubt on reforms
By Valerie Strauss
If standardized test-driven school reform is so successful, why are college remediation rates still so high?

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/20/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Community Colleges, Community Colleges | Tags:  jeb bush, joel klein, new york city remediation rates, new york city schools, remediation rates, school reform

Posted at 10:15 AM ET, 12/19/2010

'Burn and churn' among charter school principals
By Valerie Strauss
Seventy-one percent of charter school principals expect to leave their posts within five years, according to a new study. So what’s the big deal about entering and exiting charter school principals?

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:15 AM ET, 12/19/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter school principals, charter school teachers, charter schools, larry cuban, principal burnout, principals, school reform

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/17/2010

The disaster California schools face, and a teacher's call to action
By Valerie Strauss
California's public schools face a real funding disaster, and a teacher says it is time to fight back.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/17/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Anthony Cody, Anthony Cody | Tags:  anthony cody, budget deficit, california budget deficit, california schools, jerry brown, proposition 13

Posted at 04:25 PM ET, 12/15/2010

What Rhee wrought
By Valerie Strauss
Anyone who thinks that Michelle Rhee was a whiz as chancellor of D.C. public schools and should be heading a national "reform" movement ought to read about a high school she attempted to “transform” in the nation’s capital.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:25 PM ET, 12/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  d.c. schools, dunbar, dunbar high, dunbar high school, friends of bedford, michelle rhee, rhee, school reform, school transformation, transformation schools

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 12/15/2010

Joel Klein's business model and the drowning of Nicole Suriel
By Valerie Strauss
The principal of the New York City elementary school where a field trip to a beach ended in the drowning death of a sixth grader has finally been fired. But not because of his responsibility in the botched trip.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:00 PM ET, 12/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  joel klein, mayor bloomberg, new york city schools, nicole suriel, nyc schools, school reform, student drowning

Posted at 10:45 AM ET, 12/14/2010

The 'Parent Trigger' doesn't help schools or parents
By Valerie Strauss
The so-called “parent trigger” law in California, which allows a majority of parents (from a school or from their “feeder” schools) to sign a petition that forces a school to be converted into a charter, is not a genuine parent engagement strategy. The recent effort to apply the law for the first time shows why.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:45 AM ET, 12/14/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  california schools, california's parent trigger, charter schools, larry ferlazzo, parent revolution, parent trigger, parent trigger law

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/14/2010

Where education reform is heading: From extreme to extremum
By Valerie Strauss
If you want to understand where public education reform is heading, look south and east to Florida, where the governor-elect, Rick Scott, is talking about a new funding student formula that is more likely to destroy the public school system than accomplish anything else.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/14/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  florida schools, jeb bush, opportunity scholarships, private schools, public education system, public schools, rick scott, school choice movement, school funding formula, universal voucher program, universal vouchers, vouchers

Posted at 01:14 PM ET, 12/13/2010

What Norway (not Finland) tells us about schools
By Valerie Strauss
An educator explains what the United States can learn from Norway's education system.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:14 PM ET, 12/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  OECD, PISA, PISA results, finland education system, finland schools, norway, school reform

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/13/2010

A Felliniesque education story
By Valerie Strauss
A veteran teacher writes that if today's education debate seems Felliniesque, don’t worry; you have not lost your senses. "What is apparent, however, is that the people who run the show have."

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  david steiner, fellini, how to assess teachers, merryl tisch, new york board of education, nyc schools, releasing test scores, standardized tests, teacher assessment, teachers, test scores released

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/10/2010

Valerie vs. Jay on Teach for America, KIPP, etc.
By Valerie Strauss
My friend and colleague Jay Mathews, the most knowledgeable education reporter ever, challenged me to a debate. It evolved into a discussion about Teach for America. Here it is.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/10/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers | Tags:  education programs, education schools, jay mathews, kipp, mathews strauss debate, teach for america, teach for america debate, teacher education, teachers, valerie strauss

Posted at 02:10 PM ET, 12/09/2010

Teachers: What we need to do to fix schools
By Valerie Strauss
Fourteen teachers from urban schools around the country worked for a year to study how to improve troubled schools. Here are the results.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:10 PM ET, 12/09/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers, Teachers, Teachers, Teachers | Tags:  larry ferlazzo, quality teachers, school reform, teacher assessment, teacher development, teacher planning, teachers, teachers leadership network, urban schools, urban teachers

Posted at 02:00 PM ET, 12/09/2010

Teachers: How much more can we take?
By Valerie Strauss
Established, expert teachers tell their personal stories about how the joy is going out of their profession and why they are thinking the previously unthinkable: getting out.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:00 PM ET, 12/09/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers | Tags:  teachers, teaching profession, urban schools, urban teachers, veteran teachers

Posted at 03:29 PM ET, 12/08/2010

Absent teachers reserve 'crisis' created by Klein, Bloomberg, union
By Valerie Strauss
A teacher explains how all sides are responsible for the mess surrounding New York City's "absent teacher reserve: "If this self-inflicted "crisis" were given to a business management class as a case study, it's likely that they would conclude that the negotiators on both sides of the table were idiots."

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:29 PM ET, 12/08/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  cathie black, cathleen black, joel klein, new york city schools, nyc schools, teacher assessment, teacher tenure, teachers

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/08/2010

A primer on (and problems with) market-based reform
By Valerie Strauss
Here's a primer on market-based school reform, the vision of its proponents and why their agenda is not the best thing for children.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/08/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  andy smarick, arne duncan, checker finn, chester finn, democrats for education reform, dfer, fordham institute, geoffrey canada, green dot charter schools, harlem children's zone, jeb bush, joel klein, kipp, kipp schools, market-based reform, michael bloomberg, michelle rhee, richard barth, rick hess, rick scott, school reform, steve barr, wendy kopp, whitney tilson

Posted at 11:39 AM ET, 12/07/2010

Ravitch to Gates: Let's talk
By Valerie Strauss
Education historian Diane Ravitch invites Bill Gates to a public discussion on education reform, and explains why public schools must remain public.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:39 AM ET, 12/07/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  bill gates, checker finn, diane ravitch, education policy, federal control of schools, local control of schools, obama and school reform, republicans in congress, school reform, school reform policies, wall street journal

Posted at 04:40 PM ET, 12/06/2010

Michelle Rhee, celebrity, goes national
By Valerie Strauss
Running the Washington D.C. schools wasn’t a big enough platform for the super star Michelle Rhee. She's onto her next act.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:40 PM ET, 12/06/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Educational leadership, Educational leadership, Educational leadership | Tags:  joel klein, michelle rhee, public schools, school reform, students first

Posted at 01:52 PM ET, 12/05/2010

When teachers are their own worst enemies
By Valerie Strauss
An educator/author argues that teachers, however unwittingly, helped create the accountability movement that is now "choking" them.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:52 PM ET, 12/05/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  accountability movement, california standards test, common core standards, common standards, criterion-based tests, public schools, school reform, standardized test, standards movement, teachers

Posted at 01:02 PM ET, 12/03/2010

What is Michelle Rhee up to in Florida?
By Valerie Strauss
What is Michelle Rhee up to by taking an unpaid, advisory position on the education transition team of Florida Gov.-elect Rick Scott?

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:02 PM ET, 12/03/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Educational leadership | Tags:  bush and rhee, florida schools, jeb bush, michelle rhee, rhee and education, rhee and florida, rhee in florida, rick scott, steven colbert, the colbert report, washington d.c. schools

Posted at 10:30 AM ET, 12/02/2010

Rhee, Ackerman and 'cultural competence' in urban reform
By Valerie Strauss
Are any school superintendents who helicopter into big cities for a few years "culturally competent" to do the job well?

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:30 AM ET, 12/02/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  arlene ackerman, michelle rhee, philadelphia schools, public schools, school reform, the notebook, washington d.c. schools

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/02/2010

Is progress in Florida schools exaggerated?
By Valerie Strauss
Florida’s public school system is frequently held up as an exemplary example of how specific school reforms -- vouchers, charter schools, on-line schooling, high-stakes standardized tests, etc. -- can improve student achievement. But things aren't always what they seem.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 12/02/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Accountability, Accountability, Accountability | Tags:  achievement gap, charter schools, florida, florida's schools, jeb bush, school reform, vouchers

Posted at 09:30 AM ET, 12/01/2010

Some Education Department spin
By Valerie Strauss
It didn’t long for the Education Department to try to link its school turnaround policy to a new report that says that the number of high school “dropout factories” has declined in the last decade. The problem for the department is that there is no link.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:30 AM ET, 12/01/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  america's promise, arne duncan, building a grad nation, dropout crisis, dropout factories, education department, high schools, school dropouts, school reform, turnaround models

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 11/30/2010

Ravitch answers Gates
By Valerie Strauss
Bill Gates, in an article by Jonathan Alter of Newsweek, poses some questions to education historian Diane Ravitch, who Alter inexplicably calls the Microsoft founder's "chief adversary." Here she answers Gates' questions.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 11/30/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags:  bill gates, charter schools, diane ravitch, jonathan alter, microsoft, newsweek, school reform, teachers

Posted at 06:38 PM ET, 11/29/2010

Bloomberg gets his schools chancellor in NYC
By Valerie Strauss
Why did Cathie Black generate more hostility than Joel Klein did when they -- both non-educators -- were chosen eight years apart to run the largest public school system in the country.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:38 PM ET, 11/29/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Educational leadership | Tags:  black and waiver, cathie black, cathleen black, chancellor black, david steiner, new york city schools, nyc chancellor, nyc schools, steiner grants waiver, waiver

Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 11/29/2010

Willingham: Why Black deserves a chance to run NYC schools
By Valerie Strauss
Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham writes: "Understanding and actually attending to teachers’ perspectives on New York City classrooms in 2010 is probably mostly a matter of listening, and of valuing what teachers have to say." That's why, he says, Cathy Black deserves a chance to run the schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:30 AM ET, 11/29/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers | Tags:  cathie black, cathleen black, daniel willingham, educational leadership, new york city schools, new york city schools chancellor, nyc schools, nyc schools chancellor

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 11/29/2010

What Tom Friedman got wrong about schools and why it matters
By Valerie Strauss
The great New York Times columnist Tom Friedman wrote in a recent piece that if he were a cub reporter today, he’d want to be “covering the epicenter of national security -- but that would be the Education Department.” If Friedman the cub reporter had turned in this piece, a veteran education editor would have sent it back, asking him to back up his contentions with research. He’d have a hard time.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 11/29/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  arne duncan, education secretary arne duncan, performance pay, public schools, school reform, schools, standardized tests, teacher evaluation, the new york times, tom friedman

Posted at 08:59 AM ET, 11/28/2010

Why non-educator school chiefs aren't the answer
By Valerie Strauss
Historian Larry Cuban looks at how big-city school systems decided to reach into the corporate ranks to find school superintendents, and why they are no silver bullet to improving schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  08:59 AM ET, 11/28/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Educational leadership, Educational leadership, Educational leadership | Tags:  cathie black, cathleen black, educational leadership, qualifications for superintendents, school reform, school superintendents, schools, superintendents

Posted at 12:06 PM ET, 11/23/2010

Murdoch buys education technology company
By Valerie Strauss
This didn't take long: Joel Klein announces on Nov. 9 that at year’s end he will resign as York City’s Schools chancellorship to become executive vice president at Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. Yesterday the company announced it was buying a technology company with big financial ties to the New York City school system.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:06 PM ET, 11/23/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  education technology, joel klein, new york city public schools, news corp., news corporation, nyc schools, public schools, rupert murdoch, school policy, school reform, schools, wireless generation

Posted at 01:18 PM ET, 11/22/2010

The N.Y. chancellorship mess gets messier
By Valerie Strauss
It’s about time that there’s a strong public backlash to an ill-considered education decision. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg likely did not anticipate the strong pushback he would get to his decision to tap as the next chancellor of New York’s public school system a media executive with no experience in public education.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:18 PM ET, 11/22/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Educational leadership | Tags:  cathie black, cathleen black, chancellorship, david steiner, joel klein, new york city chancellorship, new york city schools, schools, steiner, steiner panel

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/22/2010

How to help African-American males in school: Treat them like gifted students
By Valerie Strauss
The way to help African-American males in school is for teachers to do for them what works for gifted students: Develop their strengths.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 11/22/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Achievement gap, Achievement gap | Tags:  SAT scores, achievement gap, african-american males, black males, council of great city schools, national urban alliance, schools

Posted at 12:46 PM ET, 11/20/2010

Why teaching experience really matters
By Valerie Strauss
Bill Gates just urged school districts and states to stop rewarding teachers for their experience in the classroom and/or advanced education degrees. Arne Duncan makes the same argument. But evidence shows that teaching experience DOES matter.

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:46 PM ET, 11/20/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  arne duncan, bill gates, class size, does experience matter, education department, education secretary duncan, lowering class size, raising class size, research on class size, research on teaching experience, school reform, schools, shankar blog, standardized tests, teacher experience, teacher pay, teacher quality, teacher salaries, teachers, teaching experience, value added

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 11/18/2010

Teachers give 'Superman' director an earful
By Valerie Strauss
"Waiting for Superman" film director Davis Guggenheim asks teachers to tell him what they about his education film -- the one that scapegoats teachers -- and they let him have it.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 11/18/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Anthony Cody, Anthony Cody | Tags:  anthony cody, attack on teachers, charter schools, davis guggenheim, superman, teachers, teachers unions, waiting for superman

Posted at 09:04 AM ET, 11/17/2010

What Ravitch told KIPP and Teach for America
By Valerie Strauss
Education historian Diane Ravitch gave a speech at Rice University about school reform in which she directly challenged officials from Teach for America and the Knowledge Is Power Program who were present -- the very people who had invited her.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:04 AM ET, 11/17/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags:  arne duncan, charter schools, diane ravitch, finland, finland education, kipp, knowledge is power program, nclb, no child left behind, obama school reform, president obama, rice university, secretary duncan, teach for america, teachers, tfa

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 11/17/2010

The sad story of an L.A. school labeled 'failing'
By Valerie Strauss
A teacher at a Los Angeles middle school writes about why her school was just declared to be "failing" and why the designation is patently unfair: "In today’s world of testing and sanctions, best efforts are irrelevant if scores do not increase at a fast enough rate."

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 11/17/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  failing schools, la schools, los angeles unified school district, public school choice, schools, teacher assessment, teachers, value-added measurement

Posted at 03:20 PM ET, 11/16/2010

Some advice for Cathie Black on NYC schools job
By Valerie Strauss
Cathie Black is doing her homework to gear up to be the chancellor of New York City schools, including reaching out to Michelle Rhee and others for advice. But why would she want the job given that intense opposition has arisen because of her lack of credentials?

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:20 PM ET, 11/16/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Educational leadership | Tags:  broad foundation, cathie black, cathleen black, david steiner, eli broad, hearst magazines, joel klein, mayor bloomberg, michael bloomberg, michelle a. rhee, michelle rhee, new york city schools, nyc schools, waivers

Posted at 09:21 AM ET, 11/15/2010

NYC Chancellor Cathie Black, in her own words
By Valerie Strauss
In an effort to learn about Cathleen Black, the woman that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg chose to succeed Joel Klein as head of the city’s public schools, I turned to the book she wrote: “Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life.)”

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:21 AM ET, 11/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Educational leadership | Tags:  basic black, cathie black, cathleen black, educational leadership, joel klein, leadership, mayor bloomberg, naep, new york city schools, nyc schools, school leadership

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/15/2010

Lisa Simpson and why reform isn't really reform
By Valerie Strauss
What we’re seeing today in the world of education is most accurately labeled “intensification,” not reform. It’s changing things, but it’s changing them in the same direction we’ve been moving for well over a decade. Lisa Simpson

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 11/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  charter schools, kevin welner, lisa simpson, school reform, the simpsons

Posted at 01:00 AM ET, 11/15/2010

Are Rhee and Florida interested in each other?
By Valerie Strauss
The talk in education circles in Florida is that the governor elect, Rick Scott, may be looking for a new education commission and one name that seems dominant in the discussion is Michelle Rhee, who just resigned as Washington D.C. Schools chancellor.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:00 AM ET, 11/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Educational leadership | Tags:  arne duncan, florida, florida education, florida education commissioners, florida governor, florida schools, george bush, george w. bush, jeb bush, michelle a. rhee, michelle rhee, rhee, rick scott

Posted at 11:55 AM ET, 11/13/2010

Teacher: Data, my new dirty word
By Valerie Strauss
A teacher explains how an obsession with data has led to the redefinition of teaching and learning: "Teaching itself has become redefined as generating, collecting, and using data, and learning has become redefined as the curve connecting data points. This is a fundamental shift in how educators think, talk, and go about educating our children. Unfortunately, it is not a shift that serves anyone but the data-collectors very well."

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:55 AM ET, 11/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  data, education, educational data, mad math minutes, mad minutes, nclb, no child left behind, school reform, schools, teachers, teaching and learning, test data

Posted at 09:40 AM ET, 11/12/2010

What’s wrong with releasing names and scores?
By Valerie Strauss
A teacher writing about plans by the NYC Department of Education to release teachers’ names and value-added ratings to the press, says: "Is this sheer stubbornness on the part of school leaders, or do they not understand the harm this would cause?"

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:40 AM ET, 11/12/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  diana senechal, la times, la times teachers, new york city schools, new york times, new york times teachers, nyc doe, school reform, schools and teachers, teacher assessment, teacher evaluation, teachers, the los angeles times, value added, value added assessment

Posted at 08:13 AM ET, 11/11/2010

Yes, you can teach kids to eat broccoli
By Valerie Strauss
I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it, but at Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School in Washington D.C., chef Lisa Dobbs runs a food program that has young students relishing broccoli, tilapia encrused with panko, boureks with beef or vegetables, and other foods not commonly embraced by kids.

By Valerie Strauss  |  08:13 AM ET, 11/11/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Health | Tags:  bill shore, charter schools, child nutrition act, elsie whitlow stokes, first lady michelle obama, jeff bridges, lisa dobbs, michelle obama, nutrition education, obesity, school lunch, share our strength, stokes charter school, whole foods

Posted at 07:38 PM ET, 11/09/2010

Bloomberg errs again with NYC public schools
By Valerie Strauss
There is unfortunate symmetry to today’s news that Joel Klein had resigned as New York City Schools Chancellor today to join Rupert Murdoch’s outfit, and that he was being succeeded by Cathie Black, chair of Hearst Magazines. Klein, who is becoming an executive vice president for News Corp., had taken the job as chancellor without any experience in education.

By Valerie Strauss  |  07:38 PM ET, 11/09/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  bloomberg appoints black, cathie black, chancellor and black, chancellor black, chancellor klein, hearst magazines, joel klein, klein and murdoch, klein quits, klein resigns, klein to news corp., mayor bloomberg, michael bloomberg, new york city chancellor, new york schools, news corp., nyc chancellor, nyc schools

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/09/2010

Harvard’s strange ‘Strange Bedfellows’ education event
By Valerie Strauss
You might think, or at least I would, that a ticketed discussion at the Harvard University Institute of Politics on education would include people with different views. But with Michelle Rhee, Jeb Bush and John Podesta as the panel, the "discussion" will sound more like an echo chamber.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 11/09/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  arne duncan, charter schools, education department, harvard, harvard university, institute of politics, iop, jeb bush, john podesta, margaret spellings, michelle rhee, no child left behind, obama education reform, president obama, race to the top, school reform

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/08/2010

A public school teacher’s distress
By Valerie Strauss
A school teacher writes a letter about why she fears for the future of public education.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 11/08/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers, Teachers | Tags:  charter schools, diane ravitch, no child left behind, school reform, tax levy, taxes, teachers, toldeo schools

Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 11/06/2010

How Bill Maher got D.C. school reform wrong
By Valerie Strauss
The myth-making about the course of D.C. school reform and why Mayor Adrian Fenty was voted out of office in the nation’s capital continued last night, this time on HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher.”

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:30 AM ET, 11/06/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools | Tags:  adrian fenty, bill maher, d.c. schools, hbo, mayor fenty, michelle rhee, real time with bill maher, school reform, the wall street journal, the washington post

Posted at 05:00 PM ET, 11/05/2010

Montgomery County admits kids were pushed too hard in math
By Valerie Strauss
The highly regarded Montgomery County Public Schools now admits that it has been pushing too many kids into accelerated math when they weren't ready and will stop it. A lot of parents are going to lose bragging rights at cocktail parties.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 PM ET, 11/05/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools | Tags:  accelerated math, common core standards, math, math programs, moco, moco schools, montgomery county public schools, montgomery county schools

Posted at 11:19 AM ET, 11/04/2010

Some good news for California teachers
By Valerie Strauss
Public schools teachers in California got some good news from the midterm elections: Their candidate won in the race for state Superintendent of Public Instruction is still good news.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:19 AM ET, 11/04/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers | Tags:  california, california teachers, cft, charter schools, dfer, diane ravitch, gloria romero, state superintendent, tom torlakson

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/04/2010

Where Kline stands on education policy
By Valerie Strauss
The man expected to be the new chairman of the House's education committee has some strong opinions about policy: He immensely dislikes No Child Left Behindy, but wants the Disabilities Education Act fully funded.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 11/04/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Congress | Tags:  112th congress, IDEA, arne duncan, charter schools, congress, education committee, education policy, gop takeover, gop victory, house education and labor committee, john kline, midterm elections, nclb, no child left behind, president obama, race to the top, rep. john kline, republican victory, special ed, special education

Posted at 03:30 PM ET, 11/02/2010

What Michelle Rhee did in D.C.: Point by point
By Valerie Strauss
Here's a final critique of Michelle Rhee's legacy as chancellor of D.C. public schools, point by point, by a former D.C. schools student and teacher.

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:30 PM ET, 11/02/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  d.c. schools, diane ravitch, michelle rhee, naep, rhee's legacy, standardized tests

Posted at 09:56 AM ET, 11/02/2010

What other countries are really doing in education
By Valerie Strauss
For a while education mavens keep pointing to other countries as models for education reform. Let's look at what some of them are really doing. Guess what? It's not what we're doing.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:56 AM ET, 11/02/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  arne duncan, education finland, education singapore, finland, finland schools, finland teachers, singapore, teachers

Posted at 09:22 AM ET, 10/31/2010

A real Halloween fright: Costume contracts
By Valerie Strauss
Lots of schools have banned Halloween. Some say they don’t have time for Halloween frivolity; others worry that the day has religious overtones and families could be offended. And then there are those that set down so many rules about wearing a costume that the fun can get knocked out of it. Here's a contract kids and parents had to sign at one school.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:22 AM ET, 10/31/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  costumes, first amendment, halloween, halloween and schools, halloween costumes, history of halloween

Posted at 09:57 AM ET, 10/29/2010

What Rhee's successor should do first
By Valerie Strauss
Michelle Rhee rather gracelessly delivered a parting shot to teachers on her way out of the building, telling them to watch their backs because the teacher evaluation system that she created, IMPACT, can tell who’s good and who’s not. Unfortunately, that’s not quite accurate. It's an unfair system open for abuse and Rhee's successor should move to fix it. Now.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:57 AM ET, 10/29/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  IMPACT, d.c. schools, kaya henderson, michelle rhee, performance pay, teach assessment, teacher evaluation, teacher preparation

Posted at 01:13 PM ET, 10/28/2010

New college rankings based on quality, cost
By Valerie Strauss
The folks at Kiplinger.com, which offers financial advice, did some numbers crunching and came up with their list of the best values in private universities and liberal arts colleges, taking quality and cost into consideration.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:13 PM ET, 10/28/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  College Costs | Tags:  best values in education, caltech, college costs, duke, harvard, higher education costs, kiplingers, kiplingers best values, mit, princeton, private schools, rice university, swarthmore college, total college costs, yale

Posted at 09:30 AM ET, 10/27/2010

Ravitch on how wrong 'Superman' really is
By Valerie Strauss
Education historian Diane Ravitch critiques the most basic things that Davis Guggenheim got wrong in 'Waiting for Superman.'

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:30 AM ET, 10/27/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter schools, davis guggenheim, diane ravitch, naep, proficient, standardized tests, waiting for superman

Posted at 10:01 AM ET, 10/26/2010

Safety schools matter in college admissions
By Valerie Strauss
A college admissions consultant advises kids applying to college to think hard about safety schools. They may be the most important schools on any individual’s college list.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:01 AM ET, 10/26/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  College Admissions, College Admissions, College Admissions | Tags:  college admissions, college applications, getting into college, safeties, safety schools, what's a safety?

Posted at 03:36 PM ET, 10/24/2010

Saving public education: the 'Dolly Solution'
By Valerie Strauss
An educator proposes a new model for school reform: cloning, which, in three easy steps, is the surest route for improving public education. It makes perfect sense.

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:36 PM ET, 10/24/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  arne duncan, cloning, dolly parton, dolly the sheep, education department, george washington, jaime escalante, led zeppelin, no child left behind, public schools, race to the top, school reform, schools, stairway to heaven, stand and deliver, teachers, ted williams

Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 10/22/2010

Economic school integration: A response to Valerie Strauss and Jerry Weast
By Valerie Strauss
Richard D. Kahlenberg makes strong arguments as he responds to separate criticism that Montgomery County Public Schools Supt. Jerry Weast and I raised about a Century Foundation report about economic school integration in Montgomery County.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:30 AM ET, 10/22/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  century foundation, economic integration, economic school integration, jerry weast, mcps, montgomery county, montgomery county public schools, richard kahlenberg, school choice, socioeconomic integregation, the answer sheet, valerie strauss

Posted at 12:27 PM ET, 10/21/2010

On school reform, by Philadelphia's mayor and superintendent
By Valerie Strauss
Philadelphia's mayor and schools superintendent write: "To read the news coming out of Washington, D.C., you’d think the only way to reform public schools is by firing teachers, closing schools, and battling it out in the media. Not so."

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:27 PM ET, 10/21/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  arlene ackerman, engagement, michael nutter, parent involvement, philadelphia schools, school reform, teachers, teachers union

Posted at 10:41 AM ET, 10/21/2010

Kudos for D.C. school meal program but hold applause for Congress
By Valerie Strauss
D.C. public schools officials deserve an ovation for a new program to feed dinner to about 10,000 students in an effort to help improve childhood nutrition and ensure that kids don’t go hungry. But let's hold the applause for Congress.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:41 AM ET, 10/21/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  d.c. schools, dinners at school, food stamps, healthy meals, hunger, michelle rhee, nutrition, obama administration, school breakfast, school dinners, school lunch, school meals, school nutrition act

Posted at 12:30 PM ET, 10/20/2010

Threats to school reform ... are within school reform
By Valerie Strauss
Educator Mike Rose writes: "There is a crisis in American education, and it involves mostly poor children, and thus it is a moral as well as educational outrage. But it is just not accurate to characterize public education itself as being in a 30-year crisis."

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:30 PM ET, 10/20/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  Harlem children's zone, KPP, Teach for America, a nation at risk, curriculum, deborah meier, how to fix our schools, joel klein, manifesto, mike rose, narrowing of curriculum, no child left behind, poverty and schools, race to the top, reform manifesto, school reform, stephen j. gould

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/20/2010

The Chamber of Commerce's flawed 'Superman' school reform guide
By Valerie Strauss
In a shameless act of movie flacking, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce just published a guide for business leaders on school reform that is linked to and reinforces the skewed vision of public education portrayed in the movie “Waiting for Superman.”

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 10/20/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  batman, business leaders, business leaders and school reform, chamber of commerce, charter schools, clark kent, davis guggenheim, effective teachers, finland and teachers, reform guide, school reform, superman, superman and clark kent, teach for america, waiting for superman, what superman would do

Posted at 04:00 PM ET, 10/19/2010

Missing from reform debate: The power of caring
By Valerie Strauss
The founder of YouthBuild programs writes: "We are woefully off the mark when the conversation is all about superintendents and principals needing power to fire inept teachers and not about using their power to create a caring, learning community."

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:00 PM ET, 10/19/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  curriculum, harlem schools, learning process, parent involvement, school reform, teachers development, youthbuild

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/19/2010

How billionaire donors harm public education
By Valerie Strauss
Today the foundation set up by billionaires Eli and Edythe Broad is giving $2 million to an urban school district that has pursued education reform that they like. On Friday a Florida teacher is going to run 50 miles to raise money so that he and his fellow teachers don’t have to spend their own money to buy paper and pencils, binders (1- and 2-inch), spiral notebooks, composition books, printer ink. Together the two events show the perverted way schools are funded.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 10/19/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  bill gates, broad prize, charter schools, eli broad, facebook, mark zuckerberg, newark schools, school reform

Posted at 11:25 AM ET, 10/18/2010

Willingham: Should teachers be so important?
By Valerie Strauss
Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham writes: "Teacher quality is the most important in-school factor that influences kids’ schooling. I’m not so sure that’s a good thing."

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:25 AM ET, 10/18/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham | Tags:  daniel willingham, education, school reform, schools, student achievement, teachers

Posted at 11:34 AM ET, 10/16/2010

Supt. Ackerman's critique of 'manifesto'
By Valerie Strauss
Philadelphia Schools Supt. Arlene Ackerman writes why she doesn't agree with the "reform manifesto" approved by 15 other big city school district chiefs.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:34 AM ET, 10/16/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  arlene ackerman, charter schools, joel klein, manifesto, michelle rhee, school reform, teachers

Posted at 02:02 PM ET, 10/15/2010

Superintendent Ackerman withdraws name from 'manifesto'
By Valerie Strauss
So it turns out that Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman doesn’t really agree with the “reform manifesto” that appeared this week in the Washington Post and signed by 16, scratch that, now 15, big-city school district chiefs.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:02 PM ET, 10/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  arlene ackerman, buffalo public schools, james raymond, joel klein, jonathan raymond, klein manifesto, manifesto, philadelphia schools, reform manifesto, sacramento schools, school manifesto, school reform

Posted at 11:35 AM ET, 10/15/2010

The limits of Moco schools' economic integration study
By Valerie Strauss
There are big limits to the study released today showing that several hundred low-income students who went to school in low-poverty schools in Montgomery County did better on standardized math tests than kids who went to high-poverty schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:35 AM ET, 10/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Equity, Equity, Equity | Tags:  casey foundation, david berliner, economic integration, high-poverty schools, low-income families, michelle rhee, moco schools, montgomery county schools, poverty, standardized tests

Posted at 01:41 PM ET, 10/14/2010

Michelle Rhee's greatest hits
By Valerie Strauss
Here are some of the most memorable things that Michelle Rhee said during her tenure as chancellor of Washington D.C. schools. I think my favorite is the one about taping students' mouths shut.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:41 PM ET, 10/14/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools | Tags:  d.c. schools, greatest hits, michelle rhee, rhee, rhee quits, rhee's greatest hits, rhee's tenure, school reform

Posted at 12:02 PM ET, 10/13/2010

Ravitch: Charters are a lead bullet
By Valerie Strauss
Education historian Diane Ravitch writes: "Charters are not a silver bullet. They are a lead bullet. Their target is American public education.""

By Valerie Strauss  |  12:02 PM ET, 10/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags:  CREDO, broad roundation, charter schools, diane ravitch, icef, richard riordan, ross global, ross global academy

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/13/2010

A different vision from a different superintendent
By Valerie Strauss
Jonathan P. Raymond, superintendent of Sacramento schools, offers a starkly different vision of school reform than that portrayed in a manifesto signed by 16 of his colleagues, including the soon-to-be-departing Michelle Rhee of Washington D.C.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 10/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  jonathan p. raymond, klein rhee manifesto, manifesto, michelle rhee, reform manifesto, sacramento schools, school reform, supt. raymond

Posted at 05:30 AM ET, 10/13/2010

Rhee’s big legacy: Being a whirlwind
By Valerie Strauss
She came in like a whirlwind, kicking up dust wherever she went, and now, Michelle Rhee, all-powerful chancellor of D.C. public schools, is leaving after three years, securing her place in the history of D.C. public education as, well, mostly a whirlwind.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:30 AM ET, 10/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  d.c. schools, michelle rhee, michelle rhee quits, michelle rhee resigns, reformer quits, reformers, rhee leaving, rhee quits, rhee resigns, school reform

Posted at 01:21 PM ET, 10/12/2010

Study shows deep disparities in funding for schools
By Valerie Strauss
A new study starkly shows deep disparities in the way school districts across the country are funded, a reality that raises big questions about how effective “reforms” that don’t deal with the issue of equity can really be.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:21 PM ET, 10/12/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Equity, Equity | Tags:  cost per student, equity, funding report card, how to fund schools, is school funding fair?, report card, research, school funding, school resources

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/12/2010

'Manifesto' should be resignation letter
By Valerie Strauss
Educator and researcher Kevin G. Welner writes that none of the reforms discussed in a "manifesto" for school reform by Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee and 14 other schools chiefs are grounded in research and are nothing more than fads and gimmicks.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 10/12/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  charter schools, fixing schools, joel klein, klein manifesto, klein rhee, manifesto, merit pay, michelle rhee, obama and school reform, obama and schools, president obama, reform manifest, rhee manifesto, school reform

Posted at 02:55 PM ET, 10/09/2010

The bankrupt 'school reform manifesto' of Rhee, Klein, etc.
By Valerie Strauss
There are so many things wrong with the new “school reform manifesto” signed by 16 school district chiefs -- including New York’s Joel Klein and Washington’s Michelle Rhee -- and published in The Washington Post that it is hard to know where to start.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:55 PM ET, 10/09/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  baltimore contract, baltimore schools, council of great city schools, joel klein, klein and rhee, michael casserly, michelle rhee, reform document, reform manifesto, school manifesto, teachers, teachers and assessment, washington post

Posted at 02:55 PM ET, 10/08/2010

P.S.: Stephen Colbert blew it on schools, too
By Valerie Strauss
It wasn't enough that Lewis Black was unsuccessful in adequately skewering modern school reform on Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" earlier this week. Last night Steven Colbert blew it too.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:55 PM ET, 10/08/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  charter schools, colbert nation, comedy central, davis guggenheim, jon stewart, lewis black, school reform, steven colbert, the colbert report, the daily show, waiting for superman

Posted at 10:25 AM ET, 10/08/2010

Using 'School Quality Reviews' to improve schools
By Valerie Strauss
Here is the first of three articles that will describe an assessment and evaluation system for schools that its authors, Monty Neill and Gary Ratner, argue should replace No Child Left Behind's test-centric structure.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:25 AM ET, 10/08/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  assessing schools, evaluating schools, fairtest, monty neill, naep, nclb, no child left behind, school quality reviews, standardized tests, state tests

Posted at 02:30 PM ET, 10/07/2010

Jon Stewart and Lewis Black blew it on schools
By Valerie Strauss
Lewis Black’s piece on “the public school crisis” that aired on Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show” the other night left me wondering why education reform hasn’t been more of a high value target for Stewart or, for that matter, Steven Colbert.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:30 PM ET, 10/07/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  charter schools, colbert report, jon stewart, lewis black, school reform, steven colbert, the colbert report, the daily show, waiting for superman

Posted at 03:26 PM ET, 10/04/2010

What public school teachers really need
By Valerie Strauss
A teacher at the SEED Public Charter School in Washington D.C., which was featured in the film "Waiting for Superman," explains what makes his school work for teachers.

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:26 PM ET, 10/04/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers, Teachers | Tags:  center for teaching quality, certified teachers, charter schools, dan brown, davis guggenheim, guest bloggers, school reform, seed charter, seed public charter school, seed school, superman, superman film, waiting for superman

Posted at 09:30 AM ET, 10/04/2010

How to make schools safer for gay students
By Valerie Strauss
Here are new recommendations for schools to address safety concerns of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students in the wake of four suicides of gay students in three weeks.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:30 AM ET, 10/04/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  College Life, College Life, College Life | Tags:  gay students, gay suicides, harassment of gays, harrass and gays, lgbt, lgbt students, lgbt suicides, safe campuses, safe schools, students suicide, suicides

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/04/2010

Book blasts research base for Obama reform plan
By Valerie Strauss
A new book analyzes the research base for President Obama's blueprint for education reform and finds that it is, at best, very weak.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 10/04/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Research, Research | Tags:  diane ravitch, education research, esea, no child left behind, obama blueprint, obama schools, reform blueprint, research, research summary, school reform, welner

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/01/2010

Why won't Congress admit NCLB failed?
By Valerie Strauss
Monty Neill asks and answers: Why is Congress so unwilling to recognize both research and public opinion and overhaul the most basic fact of No Child Left Behind: Its high-stakes standardized testing regime has failed?

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 10/01/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  arne duncan, congress, congress nclb, fairtest, finland education, finland schools, gallup poll, nclb, no child left behind, singapore education, singapore schools

Posted at 09:00 AM ET, 09/28/2010

Strengths and weaknesses of 'Superman'
By Valerie Strauss
Educator Mark Phillips writes that there are notable strengths to "Waiting for Superman," but it is too much like a "Superman" film, replete with heroes and villains, hostile threats and romanticized outcomes.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:00 AM ET, 09/28/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  al gore, an inconvenient truth, charter schools, davis guggenheim, the lottery, waiting for superman

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/28/2010

A kid reporter learns the ropes covering Obama
By Valerie Strauss
Here's a charming report by a Scholastic kid reporter on covering his first presidential press conference at the White House. Kids interested in journalism deserve attention!

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/28/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Student Life | Tags:  kids press corps, obama and schools, obama press conference, scholastic

Posted at 02:41 PM ET, 09/27/2010

The elephant that Obama and Lauer ignored: Poverty and student achievement
By Valerie Strauss
When President Obama sat down for an interview about school reform with NBC's Matt Lauer, they walked right up to the link between poverty and student achievement, but wound up ignoring the elephant in the room. And that tells you what you need to know about the Obama administration's school reform policy.

By Valerie Strauss  |  02:41 PM ET, 09/27/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Race to the Top, Race to the Top, Race to the Top | Tags:  arne duncan, education nation, obama, obama nbc, obama school reform, obama schools, president obama, president obama; obama interview; obama lauer interview; obama education interview; student achievement poverty; poverty and schools, race to the top

Posted at 01:03 PM ET, 09/26/2010

Will Rhee be a footnote in school reform history?
By Valerie Strauss
Like Hugh Scott, the first African American superintendent in Washington D.C., Michelle Rhee will be a footnote in a doctoral dissertation on the D.C. schools a generation from now, educator Larry Cuban writes.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:03 PM ET, 09/26/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  $100 million and newark, $100 million newark schools, adrian fenty, gray and schools, larry cuban, mark zuckerberg, michelle rhee, newark schools, rhee and fenty, rhee and vincent gray, school reform, teacher assessment, teachers, will rhee stay, zuckerberg and newark

Posted at 01:30 PM ET, 09/23/2010

Ravitch: Why Fenty, Rhee really lost
By Valerie Strauss
Diane Ravitch, writing about Mayor Adrian Fenty's loss, says: "Journalists attributed Fenty’s loss to the power of the teachers’ union, but such an explanation implies that black voters, even in the privacy of the voting booth, lack the capacity to make an informed choice. When the Tea Party wins a race, journalists don’t write about who controlled their vote, but about a voter revolt; they acknowledge that those who turned out to vote had made a conscious decision."

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:30 PM ET, 09/23/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags:  D.C. schools, Diane Ravitch, adrian fenty, bill perkins, democrats for education reform, dfer, fenty loses, gray rhee, gray rhee summit, michelle rhee, school reform, tea party, teacher unions, vincent gray

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/22/2010

Are charter schools really innovative?
By Valerie Strauss
A key school reform is driven by an assumption that charter schools are wellsprings of new ideas. Unfortunately, with rare exceptions, that’s not the case, writes educator Marion Brady.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/22/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  charter networks, charter school movement, charter schools, charters and innovative, expanding charters, marion brady, school reform

Posted at 01:02 PM ET, 09/21/2010

Oprah and her warrior woman, Michelle Rhee
By Valerie Strauss
When Oprah Winfrey aired “Waiting For Superman - The Movie That Can Transform America’s Schools,” on her television show, viewers should have realized that they were watching an entertainment show with a show woman -- not an educator -- as host. Guests Michelle Rhee, Bill Gates and Davis Guggenheim all played their parts, not letting facts get in the way.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:02 PM ET, 09/21/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools | Tags:  bill gates, bill gates and oprah, d.c. schools, davis guggenheim, guggenheim film, michelle rhee, michelle rhee and oprah winfrey, oprah, oprah and gates and rhee, oprah and rhee, oprah show, oprah winfrey, rhee on oprah, school reform and rhee, waiting for superman, waiting for superman and rhee, will rhee go?, will rhee stay?

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/21/2010

The danger of blaming schools for economic woes
By Valerie Strauss
Principal George Wood writes: "It’s funny how the start of school also marks the unofficial start of the fall campaign season. What isn’t funny is how so many politicians running for office blame kids for our faltering economy."

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/21/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  George Wood, George Wood, George Wood | Tags:  a nation at risk, blaming schools, blaming teachers, george wood, gulf oil spill, public schools, schools and economy

Posted at 09:00 AM ET, 09/20/2010

What Americans really think about public schools
By Valerie Strauss
In an era of unrelenting bashing of public education by “experts,” a new poll shows that most Americans actually like their neighborhood public schools -- though they don’t seem to like public schools in general -- and they have trust in teachers. And the Obama administration’s education agenda gets mixed reviews in the 2010 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll.

By Valerie Strauss  |  09:00 AM ET, 09/20/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Research, Research, Research | Tags:  content standards, failing schools, gallup poll, kappan magazine, obama and education, obama and school reform, pdk poll, phi delta kappa, public schools, school funding, standardized tests, teacher quality, teachers and pay, teachers and respect, what americans think about education

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/17/2010

How the ACT caught up with the SAT
By Valerie Strauss
For more than 80 years, the SAT has been the nation’s dominant, standardized college admissions exam. This year – for the first time – as many students in the high school class of 2010 sat for the rival ACT as took the SAT. How did it happen?

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/17/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  act, college admissions, crossing the finish line, fairtest, sat, sat act, sat or act, sat vs. act, standardized tests, test-optional colleges, test-optional schools, writing section act, writing section sat

Posted at 05:30 PM ET, 09/16/2010

While we wait for ‘Superman,’ let's focus on teaching
By Valerie Strauss
he founding director of a center that fosters best teaching practices saw "Waiting for Superman" and writes: "Conventional thinking tells us the best way to improve teacher effectiveness is to remove the ineffective teachers and replace them with effective ones. No doubt, this strategy is needed. But if we’re going for a fundamental shift in what we expect from schools, then a wholesale cast change won’t be the fix we imagine. We’ll risk ending up with a new batch of well-intentioned, but improperly prepared players in a flawed system."

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:30 PM ET, 09/16/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags:  center for inspired teaching, firing teachers, how to fix schools, inspired teachers, inspired teaching, professional development, school reform, superman movie, teacher development, teachers, waiting for superman

Posted at 04:00 PM ET, 09/16/2010

Why 'Waiting for Superman' premiere was chilling
By Valerie Strauss
Something chilling happened at the Washington D.C. premiere of "Waiting for Superman" that involved Michelle Rhee and the A-list audience.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:00 PM ET, 09/16/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools | Tags:  adrian fenty, al franken, arne duncan, charter schools, d.c. schools, david axelrod, fenty and gray, george miller, melody barnes, michelle rhee, movie premiere, obama and refoms, obama reform, president obama and school reform, research and education, research on charter schools, rhee and gray, superman film, superman premiere, teachers and unions, vincent gray, waiting for superman, what will rhee do?, when will rhee leave?, who will replace rhee

Posted at 10:33 PM ET, 09/15/2010

Is that so, Chancellor Rhee?
By Valerie Strauss
So, it turns out, the problem with school reforms in D.C. -- which contributed to the defeat of D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty in the Democratic primary -- wasn’t that some of them were punitive and nonsensical. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee said in an interview today that the people just didn’t get it. It’s the people’s fault.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:33 PM ET, 09/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools | Tags:  adrian fenty, d.c. schools, gray and fenty, is reform dead?, michelle rhee, msnbc, rhee, rhee and blame, rhee interview, school reform, vincent gray, will rhee stay

Posted at 08:48 PM ET, 09/15/2010

Rhee should stay or go, not be a lame duck
By Valerie Strauss
Oh no. Two D.C. Council members are essentially during Vincent Gray, the man expected to be Washington D.C.’s next mayor, to turn D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee into a lame duck.

By Valerie Strauss  |  08:48 PM ET, 09/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools | Tags:  d.c. election, d.c. schools, d.c. vote, gray and rhee, gray wins, is rhee leaving, is rhee staying, michelle rhee, vincent gray

Posted at 06:40 AM ET, 09/15/2010

What Gray, Rhee should do now for D.C. schools
By Valerie Strauss
D.C. school kids and parents and teachers don’t need uncertainty about who is going to be in charge of the system. That means Vincent Gray and Michelle Rhee have to figure out quickly if they can work together or not.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:40 AM ET, 09/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  d.c. school reform, fenty loses, gray and rhee, gray wins, is rhee leaving, michelle rhee, rhee and fenty, rhee and gray, what now for d.c. schools, will rhee leave?

Posted at 05:13 PM ET, 09/14/2010

About that Time magazine education poll
By Valerie Strauss
Here are some questions about Time magazine's recent education poll.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:13 PM ET, 09/14/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform, School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  merit pay, time and education poll, time magazine education poll, time poll and schools

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 09/14/2010

Obama picked wrong school to give speech
By Valerie Strauss
The Philadelphia school chosen for President Obama’s second annual “back to school” speech to students around the country is consistently ranked as a great public college-preparatory institution. That’s why he should have picked a different school to visit.

By Valerie Strauss  |  05:00 AM ET, 09/14/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  School turnarounds/reform | Tags:  central falls high school, elliott school, obama and back to school, obama and back to school speech, obama and masterman school, obama and school reform, obama and speech, obama and speech and students, obama speech, president obama and back to school, president obama and school reform, restructured schools, t.c. williams, t.c. williams high school, urgent need of reform list

Posted at 01:02 PM ET, 09/12/2010

If Rhee leaves ... if Rhee stays
By Valerie Strauss
If D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee leaves, the schools won't crumble. If she stays, and there is a good argument to be made for consistency in leadership, she should broaden her view of how to evaluate teachers and schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:02 PM ET, 09/12/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools | Tags:  IMPACT, NAEP, Rhee and IMPACT, d.c. school reform, d.c. schools, fenty and gray, future of D.C. schools, michelle rhee, rhee and fenty

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/10/2010

Why kids in school need to play
By Valerie Strauss
A veteran teacher asks: "Since when did the word "play" become outlawed in kindergarten?" And she explains why play is crucial for kids.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/10/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  benefits of play, kids and play, play and kindergarten, playtime and schools

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 09/09/2010

Rhee in D.C.: The myth of the heroic leader
By Valerie Strauss
A former superintendent and Stanford professor emeritus writes that the heroic view of superintendents breaking china in order to build a better district for students—an image loved by media and the public—is a sure-fire recipe for disappointment and cynicism over turning around failing schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:30 AM ET, 09/09/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  fenty and rhee, larry cuban, michelle rhee, michelle rhee and adrian fenty, rhee and d.c. schools, will rhee stay or go?

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/07/2010

The (D.C.) Odyssey, starring Rhee and Fenty
By Valerie Strauss
Sam Chaltain explains how D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and his schools chancellor, Michelle Rhee, have been on a journey befitting Homer's Odyssey: "From the start, Fenty and Rhee have behaved as strangers in a strange land. In Fenty’s case, it was by turning a tin ear to many of the core supporters who had been most essential to his victory in 2006. With Rhee, it was by repeatedly making public comments that demonized the group most essential to her efforts – the city’s teachers."

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 09/07/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Sam Chaltain, Sam Chaltain, Sam Chaltain | Tags:  andrew rotherham and washington post, d.c. mayoral primary, d.c. schools, fenty and grey, fenty and race, rhee and fenty, will rhee stay or go?

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 09/01/2010

Why paying parents to attend school events is wrong
By Valerie Strauss
Veteran teacher Larry Ferlazzo writes about two new programs to pay parents to attend school meetings, explaining why this is a bad idea and what schools can do instead to promote parent engagement.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:30 AM ET, 09/01/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Parents, Parents, Parents | Tags:  daniel pink and drive, larry ferlazzo, parent university, paying parents, paying parents and schools

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 08/30/2010

Education implications of D.C. mayoral primary
By Valerie Strauss
Frederick Hess looks at the three education takeaways from The Washington Post poll showing D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty behind his challenger in the Democratic primary.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:30 AM ET, 08/30/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  adrian fenty, d.c. mayor, d.c. mayor's race, d.c. public schools, d.c. schools and rhee, fenty and rhee. mayor's race, fenty poll, frederick hess, mayor's poll, michelle rhee, rick hess, washington post poll, will rhee stay?

Posted at 11:22 AM ET, 08/26/2010

Getting real about social, emotional learning
By Valerie Strauss
Since we know that socialization is key to student growth and achievement, why don't we do a better job of integrating social and emotional learning into school programs, standards, evaluations and assessments?

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:22 AM ET, 08/26/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers | Tags:  ascd, bullying and schools, bullying summit, sean slade, social and emotional learning

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 08/24/2010

How ed reformers push the wrong theory of learning -- Brady
By Valerie Strauss
A veteran educator and curriculum expert explains why today's education reformers are operating under the wrong theory of learning.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 08/24/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Curriculum, Curriculum, Curriculum, Curriculum, Curriculum | Tags:  joel klein and schools, marion brady, michael bloomberg and schools, new progressives, school curriculum, school reformers

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 08/20/2010

Where’s the rigor in U.S. schools?
By Valerie Strauss
The release of new ACT results shows that much of what U.S. schools offer is “rigorous” in name only.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:30 AM ET, 08/20/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  a nation at risk, academic rigor, common standards, curriculum and schools, hechinger report, justin snider, national standards, standards and curriculum

Posted at 10:30 AM ET, 08/19/2010

A federal focus on high schools is long overdue
By Valerie Strauss
Two Alliance for Excellent Education officials argue that the federal government has concentrated too little on high schools for years, not too much.

By Valerie Strauss  |  10:30 AM ET, 08/19/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  alliance for excellent education, high schools, school improvement grants

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 08/19/2010

Russo: The willy-nilly nature of teacher layoffs
By Valerie Strauss
Alexander Russo writes about the case of a highly certified, tenured teacher who is being laid off.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:00 AM ET, 08/19/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags:  alexander russo, chicago schools, little village high school, teachers and layoffs

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 08/18/2010

Should Rhee stay or go?
By Valerie Strauss
Educator Sam Chaltain looks at the pros and cons of Rhee staying as D.C. schools chief as a decisive election approaches.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:00 AM ET, 08/18/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools, D.C. Schools | Tags:  d.c. election, d.c. schools, michelle rhee, rhee and d.c. schools, rhee and fenty, sam chaltain

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 08/18/2010

The problem with abolishing the 'D'
By Valerie Strauss
A teacher questions the wisdom of a decision by a New York school district to abolish the "D" grade.

By Valerie Strauss  |  06:30 AM ET, 08/18/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Grades, Grades | Tags:  abolishing the D, grades, grading students, how to grade students, joe bower, mount olive schools

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 08/16/2010

Willingham: Can reformers control their own reforms?
By Valerie Strauss
Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham, looking at Paul Peterson's book "Saving Schools," writes about education reformers and the problem they have historically encountered in keeping control of the reforms they launch. How this pattern will affect the Common Core standards is a big question, he says.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:00 AM ET, 08/16/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham | Tags:  common core standards, daniel willingham, national standards, paul peterson, paul peterson's book, saving schools, school reform