The Answer Sheet - School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else).

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/31/2012

School superintendent to Thomas Friedman: Why you are wrong about Race to the Top

By Valerie Strauss

A California school superintendent challenges Thomas Friedman's depiction in a recent NYT column of Race to the Top: " Race to the Top’s heavy-handed, top-down mandates create division and derision within the public education community at precisely a time all sides should be coming together."

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 10/31/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/31/2012

Changes to Common Application questioned

By Valerie Strauss

Why did the recent announcement about upcoming changes to the Common Application generate so much discussion and controversy in the world of college admissions?

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/31/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:01 AM ET, 10/30/2012

Which state has the best public schools?

By Valerie Strauss

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has boasted repeatedly that the public schools of Massachusetts, the state where he was once governor, are “ranked number one of all 50 states.” Yet an annual state ranking by Education Week has given the top spot to Maryland for four straight years. So which state has the best schools? Is there any way to really decide?

By Valerie Strauss | 09:01 AM ET, 10/30/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:01 AM ET, 10/30/2012

Reform ‘insanity’ in a single chart

By Valerie Strauss

Insanity is sometimes defined as doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. Here's an "insanity chart" showing the problems facing public schools and the (same) approach taken to fix it by the "no excuses" brand of school reform.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:01 AM ET, 10/30/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:01 AM ET, 10/30/2012

Kid calls 911 for help with homework — video

By Valerie Strauss

A youngster needed help with his homework, so he picked up the phone.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:01 AM ET, 10/30/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:53 PM ET, 10/29/2012

Why Obama’s leading education critic will vote for him

By Valerie Strauss

Diane Ravitch has savaged President Obama's education policies for years, saying they have harmed public schools. But here's why she has decided to vote for him anyway.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:53 PM ET, 10/29/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Decision, Diane Ravitch, Election, School Reform

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 10/29/2012

Letter from disgusted teacher: ‘I quit’

By Valerie Strauss

A North Carolina teacher's powerful letter lists reasons he is quitting, including: "I will not spend another day under the expectations that I prepare every student for the increasing numbers of meaningless tests.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 10/29/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:00 AM ET, 10/29/2012

Ann Romney: ‘We need to throw out’ public school system

By Valerie Strauss

Good Housekeeping magazine has a new interview with Ann Romney in which she reveals "the answers" to making sure students get "a proper education."

By Valerie Strauss | 03:00 AM ET, 10/29/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:06 AM ET, 10/28/2012

Eight hurricane experts and the cool things they study

By Valerie Strauss

There's more to the study of hurricanes than figuring out the strength of the winds and where they are going to hit. Here are 10 experts on different aspects of hurricanes and the interesting things they study.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:06 AM ET, 10/28/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Hurricane Sandy, Research

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 10/28/2012

American reading habits survey: Was it misinterpreted?

By Valerie Strauss

Much of the news coverage of a new survey of American reading habits led with the somewhat surprising finding that young people (age 16-29), supposedly enamored of gaming and video content, are actually reading a lot and using libraries. Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham says the press reports are misleading.

By Valerie Strauss | 08:00 AM ET, 10/28/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/28/2012

A math class video trick for Halloween

By Valerie Strauss

Here's a video trick that Assistant Professor Matthew Weathers did for his Nature of Math class at Biola University in California. It's an experiment in video editing and mixing video with live action.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 10/28/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:37 PM ET, 10/27/2012

MCPS on ‘Seven Keys to College Readiness’ — update

By Valerie Strauss

Short summary of story

By Valerie Strauss | 04:37 PM ET, 10/27/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

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 12:03 PM ET, 10/26/2012

Study: Demography remains destiny in NYC despite school choice reforms

By Valerie Strauss

School reformers like to say demography is not destiny. But a new study of New York City's reform effort, which made school choice a priority, has failed to bring about educational equity.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:03 PM ET, 10/26/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education Research, Research, School choice

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/26/2012

Why MCPS Seven Keys to College Readiness should be tossed

By Valerie Strauss

Do the "Seven Keys to College Readiness" that are promoted in Montgomery County Public Schools really make sense?

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 10/26/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:01 AM ET, 10/26/2012

Wisconsins new school grading index: a dogs breakfast of numbers

By Valerie Strauss

The report card for Wisconsin K-12 schools currently making the rounds is a particularly opaque attempt to grade the quality of education that Wisconsins children are receiving at the hands of their teachers and administrators. It is as though the Department of Public Instruction has decided to weigh cattle by placing them on a scale to get their weight in pounds then combining that with the wealth of the farmer who raised them, the number of acres of the farm, and the make of car the farmer drives.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:01 AM ET, 10/26/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:38 AM ET, 10/25/2012

Will teachers help decide presidential election?

By Valerie Strauss

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are about 3.3 million working public school teachers, more than 75 percent of them women. That's a lot of votes and a lot of campaign and get-out-the-vote supporters -- and that's why it is fair to wonder whether the education policies of President Obama and Mitt Romney could have an impact on the November election.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:38 AM ET, 10/25/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Obama vs. Romney, Presidential Election, Teachers

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 10/25/2012

How one national school voucher program fared

By Valerie Strauss

Chile represents the longest running, purest example of education vouchers in the world. Designed by economic Milton Friedman, the program didn't live up to the hype. Here's why.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 10/25/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:42 PM ET, 10/24/2012

What if Texas cheerleaders wave banners with Koran verses?

By Valerie Strauss

A Texas judge rules that cheerleaders at a public high school can display at football games banners with Bible verses. What if the banners were emblazoned with quotes from a Wiccan text?

By Valerie Strauss | 03:42 PM ET, 10/24/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Constitution, Freedom of Speech, Texas Cheerleaders

Posted at 11:44 AM ET, 10/24/2012

Billionaires put big bucks in Louisiana school board races

By Valerie Strauss

Here is a new case study in our continuing look at how billionaires (and millionaires) are throwing around their money to drive education reform.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:44 AM ET, 10/24/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Billionaires, Privatization, School Reform

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/24/2012

How to save taxpayers billions of $$ — really

By Valerie Strauss

Marion Brady offers a new version of Eisenhower's warning: "Beware the education-test manufacturer complex. The potential for disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/24/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/24/2012

The problem with the Broad Prize

By Valerie Strauss

The $1 million Broad Prize is considered the most prestigious urban education award given annually to school districts. Why?

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/24/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:36 PM ET, 10/23/2012

Welcome to the blogging world, Superman!

By Valerie Strauss

It's not often that a superhero joins the blogging world, but, apparently, we are getting one -- Superman, er, Clark Kent.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:36 PM ET, 10/23/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Blogging, Clark Kent Quiting Newspaper, Clark Kent Quits Newspaper, D.C. Comics, Superman

Posted at 02:50 PM ET, 10/23/2012

Caption this cartoon: ‘Who’s got issues?’

By Valerie Strauss

Here's a cartoon that needs a caption.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:50 PM ET, 10/23/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:15 PM ET, 10/23/2012

The changing blame game in U.S. education

By Valerie Strauss

Teachers have felt under such heavy assault for the past several years by school reformers intent on using assessment methods that experts say are invalid, reducing their collective bargaining rights and other actions that it may be hard to remember that it wasn't always this way. In the following post, Larry Cuban, a former superintendent of Arlington Public Schools, writes about the changing "blame game" in American education.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:15 PM ET, 10/23/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/23/2012

‘How Children Succeed’ — Q&A with Paul Tough

By Valerie Strauss

Here is a conversation I had by email with Paul Tough about his new book, "How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character."

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/23/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:30 AM ET, 10/23/2012

10 great education tweets from debate

By Valerie Strauss

"Romney came THIS close to saying he had binders full of teachers he loved" -- and other great tweets from the debate.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:30 AM ET, 10/23/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 10/22/2012

How Lynn University snagged the presidential debate

By Valerie Strauss

How does a small, unknown university introduce its brand to 65 million people at the same time? If it is Lynn University in Florida, it snags the last presidential debate in the 2012 election campaign, and spends a year getting ready for its big moment.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 10/22/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Obama vs. Romney, Presidential Debate

Posted at 04:01 AM ET, 10/22/2012

How Teach For America became powerful

By Valerie Strauss

How did Teach For America become such a powerful force in school reform? Here's a book excerpt that explains the birth and growth of Wendy Kopp's senior thesis project.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:01 AM ET, 10/22/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:15 PM ET, 10/21/2012

Ex-Marine turned teacher: ‘Stop demonizing me and my profession’

By Valerie Strauss

A man who served as a Marine and a police officer before becoming a physics teacher writes about the assault on his profession. Stop it, he asks reformers.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:15 PM ET, 10/21/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Guest Voicers, School Reform, Teaching

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 03:30 PM ET, 10/19/2012

About the ‘rogue experiment’ that upset researchers

By Valerie Strauss

What's the connection between an experiment by an entrepreneur who dropped 100 tons of iron dust into the Pacific Ocean and school reform initiatives?

By Valerie Strauss | 03:30 PM ET, 10/19/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Just Saying, School Reform; Science Experiments

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 04:00 AM ET, 10/19/2012

A new approach to the difficult middle school years

By Valerie Strauss

Elementary and high school are hard enough to run but middle school is a problem unto itself. Even today exactly what to do with middle schoolers is a challenge. Read about a conference at the University of Virginia that is investigating a new approach to educating these young people.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/19/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/18/2012

Obama, Romney advisors debate school reform

By Valerie Strauss

President Obama and Mitt Romney didn't say much about school reform in either of their recent debates, but two of their advisors did in a conversation about education at Teachers College at Columbia University. Here's the video.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/18/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:35 PM ET, 10/17/2012

Yes, students should take chemistry. Here’s why

By Valerie Strauss

A doctoral student rebuts a post that said students shouldn't take chemistry if they don't want to: "People don't have to become scientists if they don't want to, but they should have a fundamental understanding of scientific concepts. That way, people like myself need not be terrified that an ignorant public will vote to slash funding for scientific research and understanding. That way, iconic moments such as the landing of Curiosity on Mars will not be overshadowed in viewership by shows such as Honey Boo Boo."

By Valerie Strauss | 12:35 PM ET, 10/17/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Curriculum, STEM

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/17/2012

Why almost all school reform efforts have failed

By Valerie Strauss

Why is it that wave after wave of school reform doesn't seem to make much of a dent in the problems that they are designed to address? David Berliner writes in a new essay that achievement gaps are "hard to erase because the gaps have only a little to do with what goes on in schools, and a lot to do with social and cultural factors that affect student performance."

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/17/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:45 PM ET, 10/16/2012

Debate questions on education for Obama, Romney

By Valerie Strauss

Here are some questions on education and school reform that Brian Cory, vice principal at Tenafly High School in New Jersey, would like to see debated by President Obama and Mitt Romney.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:45 PM ET, 10/16/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:45 PM ET, 10/16/2012

‘All of this is nonsense. It is absolute total nonsense.”

By Valerie Strauss

Dropout rates are at an all-time low, high school graduation rate are at an all-time high, as are scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. It is facts like these, Diane Ravitch says in this speech, that undermine the contention by people like Bill Gates that the public education system is "broken."

By Valerie Strauss | 12:45 PM ET, 10/16/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 10/16/2012

Should caps on charter school growth be lifted?

By Valerie Strauss

Charter school advocates commonly say that caps on the growth of these public schools in some states are preventing the opening of some high-quality schools. Is this actually true?

By Valerie Strauss | 07:00 AM ET, 10/16/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:01 AM ET, 10/16/2012

Why are you forcing my son to take chemistry? Update

By Valerie Strauss

ANSWER SHEET | A parent questions why the state mandates every student to take the subject.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:01 AM ET, 10/16/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:33 PM ET, 10/15/2012

Impact of NCLB waiver on poor schools challenged

By Valerie Strauss

Short summary of story

By Valerie Strauss | 02:33 PM ET, 10/15/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:00 PM ET, 10/15/2012

French president pushing homework ban as part of ed reforms

By Valerie Strauss

French President François Hollande, would likely win a popularity contest among school children around the world with his promise to end homework as part of a series of reforms to overhaul the country's education system.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:00 PM ET, 10/15/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Homework; school reform, International

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 10/15/2012

‘Why everyone deserves a second chance at education’ — a book excerpt

By Valerie Strauss

Mike Rose's new book looks at the schools where millions of Americans get a second chance: community colleges and non-traditional higher education programs that give people a chance to reinvent themselves.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 10/15/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

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 12:30 PM ET, 10/14/2012

Traumatic lives of students affect teacher’s evaluation

By Valerie Strauss

A Massachusetts teacher sees her "value-added" grade plummet from one year to the next. Why? Because her students changed. She writes about why her evaluation is unfair.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:30 PM ET, 10/14/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

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 08:00 AM ET, 10/12/2012

Why the ‘market theory’ of education reform doesn’t work

By Valerie Strauss

Choice and markets, in the form of the charter movement, are driving the American education reform agenda. The theory is as American as apple pie. But, says Marc Tucker, there is no evidence anywhere in the world that this approach works and is nothing more than "diddling around."

By Valerie Strauss | 08:00 AM ET, 10/12/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 10/12/2012

‘Something is wrong when….”

By Valerie Strauss

New York Principal Carol Burris tells Gov. Cuomo's education commission that the state's school reform policies are hurting students: "Something is very wrong when nine year olds sit for tests that are longer than the SAT and the Graduate Record Examination combined."

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 10/12/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/12/2012

New data on public education released

By Valerie Strauss

U.S. Census Bureau releases new statistics on public education enrollment, spending, college outcomes aboutand other issues.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/12/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:35 PM ET, 10/11/2012

How to waste $500,000+ in education funds

By Valerie Strauss

The District of Columbia's Office of the State Superintendent of Education issued a release about a $500,000 grant with this headline: "Charter School Consortium Selected to Measure Student Growth, Inform Teacher Instruction." Here's what is it all about (think standardized tests) and why there are an infinite number of better uses for the money.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:35 PM ET, 10/11/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:45 AM ET, 10/11/2012

‘Meducation:’ Colbert on giving poor kids ADHD drugs so they can focus in school

By Valerie Strauss

Here is Stephen Colbert's hilarious take on a New York Times story about doctors who are giving ADHD drugs to kids who don't have ADHD simply to help them focus better in school. A doctor was quoted as saying: "We’ve decided as a society that it’s too expensive to modify the kid’s environment. So we have to modify the kid."

By Valerie Strauss | 11:45 AM ET, 10/11/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:01 AM ET, 10/11/2012

What Joel Klein’s misleading autobiography means for school reform

By Valerie Strauss

Joel Klein has repeatedly talked about how he grew up poor and was headed for failure until a teacher helped him realize his potential. Here Richard Rothstein explains why Klein's story is misleading -- and why that matters in the school reform debate.

By Valerie Strauss | 09:01 AM ET, 10/11/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/11/2012

How long one teacher took to become great

By Valerie Strauss

Today young college graduates accepted by Teach For America get five weeks of summer training and are considered "highly qualified teachers." Here veteran educator Marion Brady tells how many years it took him to become a really great teacher -- and why he wouldn't pass an evaluation today if he were in the classroom.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/11/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:49 PM ET, 10/10/2012

The ‘right’ college major can mean big bucks, according to Census data

By Valerie Strauss

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that people who took certain college majors (think engineering) wind up earning more than $1 million more than those with other majors (think education) over the course of a career.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:49 PM ET, 10/10/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: College majors; Lifetime Earnings, Compensation

Posted at 09:00 AM ET, 10/10/2012

Holding Broad Academy and Bush Institute ‘accountable’

By Valerie Strauss

If teacher training programs are graded on test scores, why not principal/sup programs?

By Valerie Strauss | 09:00 AM ET, 10/10/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 10/10/2012

Who is Abigail Noel Fisher?

By Valerie Strauss

A young woman who didn't get into the school she wanted and blamed it on affirmative action policies is getting a Supreme Court hearing.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 10/10/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:01 AM ET, 10/10/2012

Can schools really reform society?

By Valerie Strauss

Gay Talese wrote: “Like religion, the game of baseball is founded on aspirations rarely met." Here's why the same is true of schooling.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:01 AM ET, 10/10/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:01 AM ET, 10/10/2012

Nobel Prize winner in medicine flunked biology

By Valerie Strauss

Anderson Cooper tells the story in this video of a boy whose teacher (wrongly) thought he would make a lousy scientist.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:01 AM ET, 10/10/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:29 PM ET, 10/09/2012

Nobel Prizes: Which schools have won the most?

By Valerie Strauss

Are the winningest institutions in the United States or Europe? Here's the list.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:29 PM ET, 10/09/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: AWARDS, Nobel Prizes;

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/09/2012

Eleven year old: ‘Ridiculous’ to use my test to grade my teacher

By Valerie Strauss

Student questions why she has to take a special assessment to measure her teacher's worth.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 10/09/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:01 AM ET, 10/09/2012

School libraries without books

By Valerie Strauss

D.C. mayor is urged to direct new funding to help ailing libraries.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:01 AM ET, 10/09/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:02 PM ET, 10/08/2012

Things educators could say but don’t

By Valerie Strauss

Are teachers more humanely motivated than most of the rest of us?

By Valerie Strauss | 05:02 PM ET, 10/08/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Guest Voices, No Child Left Behind; School Reform

Posted at 03:31 PM ET, 10/08/2012

Next on school reformers’ agenda

By Valerie Strauss

Principals can expect to be in the

By Valerie Strauss | 03:31 PM ET, 10/08/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education Policy, School Reform; School Choice, What's Coming

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 06:01 AM ET, 10/08/2012

Still obtuse about standardized testing

By Valerie Strauss

Why test at all? The answer is not as self-evident as it seems.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:01 AM ET, 10/08/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:02 AM ET, 10/08/2012

Blaming stressed-out parents for school failure

By Valerie Strauss

A no-win for parents, who get faulted for being too involved or absent.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:02 AM ET, 10/08/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 10/06/2012

Six reasons why ‘value-added’ and merit pay aren’t fair — in three minutes

By Valerie Strauss

A cognitive scientist explains why what sounds good really isn't.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:00 AM ET, 10/06/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:43 PM ET, 10/05/2012

Cheating scandal lands ex-schools chief in prison in El Paso

By Valerie Strauss

Former El Paso schools chief gets 3 1/2 years for raising cheating to a whole new level.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:43 PM ET, 10/05/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Cheating Scandal, Standardized Tests; Cheating;

Posted at 02:59 PM ET, 10/05/2012

Ex-Teach For America member changes his mind

By Valerie Strauss

A Los Angeles educator finds that change is much harder than he thought.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:59 PM ET, 10/05/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Guest Voices, School Reforms, Teach for America, Teacher preparation

Posted at 06:31 AM ET, 10/05/2012

Two important points about test-based accountability

By Valerie Strauss

Short summary of story The consequences of too much test-based accountability

By Valerie Strauss | 06:31 AM ET, 10/05/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:06 AM ET, 10/05/2012

Beating ‘Compliance Acquiescence Disorder’ in school

By Valerie Strauss

The problem with '“Compliance Acquiescent Disorder'

By Valerie Strauss | 04:06 AM ET, 10/05/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/05/2012

The new Answer Sheet

By Valerie Strauss

It's a new day at Answer Sheet.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/05/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Blog news

Posted at 05:35 PM ET, 10/04/2012

What would a President Romney really do in education?

By Valerie Strauss

A conservative says much would stay the same in ed policy under a President Romney -- but not everything.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:35 PM ET, 10/04/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Divining the future, Looking into future, Mitt Romney; Education policy; School reform

Posted at 01:57 PM ET, 10/04/2012

What Obama’s debate performance says about his education policy

By Valerie Strauss

There is a connection between Obama’s lackluster response to Romney and education policy.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:57 PM ET, 10/04/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:54 PM ET, 10/04/2012

Romney, the debate and education

By Valerie Strauss

What we learned about Romney’s education policy plans during the debate.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:54 PM ET, 10/04/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/04/2012

Do kids really learn from failure? Why conventional wisdom may be wrong

By Valerie Strauss

It is commonly said failures helps kids learn. It turns out that failure may not be as helpful as all that.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/04/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:22 AM ET, 10/04/2012

A dozen debate tweets about education

By Valerie Strauss

Here are some tweets from the presidential debate that tell you who said what.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:22 AM ET, 10/04/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:05 PM ET, 10/03/2012

Pearson’s new chief on the business of education

By Valerie Strauss

The largest education company in the world will soon have a new leader. Here’s an interview with John Fallon.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:05 PM ET, 10/03/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 10/03/2012

Why school reform (and other) debates get nasty

By Valerie Strauss

Daniel Willingham cites research to explain why people attack each other when they disagree.

By Valerie Strauss | 08:00 AM ET, 10/03/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/03/2012

Why Obama’s school turnaround policy doesn’t work

By Valerie Strauss

A new brief says that Obama’s school turnaround policy fuels conditions that make schools fail.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 10/03/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/03/2012

‘Grit’ becoming new reform mantra — unfortunately

By Valerie Strauss

Paul Tough’s new book has people talking about teaching children to have ‘grit’ — and its already tiresome.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 10/03/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:05 AM ET, 10/03/2012

A new presidential debate curriculum for schools

By Valerie Strauss

Lynn University, site of the third Obama-Romney debate, has a free curriculum on electoral process.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:05 AM ET, 10/03/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Men's Basketball

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/03/2012

Will Obama, Romney debate school reform?

By Valerie Strauss

School reform isn’t a designated topic for the first Romney-Obama debate but it still could come up. Will it?

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/03/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:06 PM ET, 10/02/2012

A teacher remembers protecting students from D.C. snipers

By Valerie Strauss

No standardized test measures for this: Teachers willing to take a bullet for their students.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:06 PM ET, 10/02/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/02/2012

Teacher: What school reformers don’t know

By Valerie Strauss

A Montgomery County teacher says that reformers should spend a month i educators’ shoes.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/02/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:34 PM ET, 10/01/2012

Missing from the 2012 MacArthur genius list

By Valerie Strauss

What profession missed MacArthur genius list? Not stringed-instrument bow makers. Guess again.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:34 PM ET, 10/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:15 PM ET, 10/01/2012

What is Wendy Kopp talking about?

By Valerie Strauss

Teach for America’s founder wrote a review about Jonathan Kozol’s book that begs some questions.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:15 PM ET, 10/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:10 AM ET, 10/01/2012

A surprising candidate for Florida education chief

By Valerie Strauss

The Florida school board member who took a student standardized test wants to be state education chief.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:10 AM ET, 10/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 10/01/2012

Driving to school with Bohemian Rhapsody — video

By Valerie Strauss

Here’s one way some kids get ready for school: Belting out Bohemian Rhapsody on the way.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 10/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 10/01/2012

More ways ‘value-added’ teacher evaluations harm students

By Valerie Strauss

A California principal weighs in on how using student test scores to evaluate teachers hurts kids.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 10/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

The Answer Sheet: October, 2012