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

Posted at 04:14 PM ET, 02/28/2013

Welfare for the rich? Private school tax credit programs expanding

By Valerie Strauss

What sequester? Some states are using public money to pay private school tuition through controversial tax credit programs that benefit the rich. And the programs are expanding..

By Valerie Strauss | 04:14 PM ET, 02/28/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Just Another School Choice, School choice, Tax Credits

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 02/28/2013

It's time for Teach For America to fold -- former TFAer

By Valerie Strauss

A Teach For America alum who finished teaching last year gives a detailed argument about why Wendy Kopp should close shop.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:00 AM ET, 02/28/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:18 AM ET, 02/28/2013

To Arne Duncan: 'Check your facts'

By Valerie Strauss

Arne Duncan gets slapped for comments linking teacher layoffs to the sequester.

By Valerie Strauss | 09:18 AM ET, 02/28/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Arne Duncan, Sequester, The Exaggerated 'Pink Slips''

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 02/28/2013

Research on preschool: Setting the record straight

By Valerie Strauss

Is President Obama's preschool proposal based on solid research? Here's an analysis by an early childhood expert.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 02/28/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 02/28/2013

What's worth learning?

By Valerie Strauss

Less is actually more when it comes to teaching and learning, a veteran educator argues. Here's what he means.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 02/28/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:05 PM ET, 02/27/2013

Education innovator wins $1 million TED prize

By Valerie Strauss

The winner of the first $1 million TED Prize for education innovation is (no, not Sal Khan) Sugata Mitra, for his plan to start this year the "School in the Cloud." What's that?

By Valerie Strauss | 02:05 PM ET, 02/27/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: 'School in the Cloud', Education Innovation

Posted at 12:45 PM ET, 02/27/2013

An education reform warning for Democrats

By Valerie Strauss

If there is one area where there is bipartisan support in President Obama's agenda, it is education reform. And that's too bad. Here's the history of this and an explanation of why it is a problem.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:45 PM ET, 02/27/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 02/27/2013

Michelle Obama links movement to better test scores

By Valerie Strauss

The first lady says that kids should get more physical education and that it will help them in the classroom.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 02/27/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/27/2013

AT&T's lousy lessons for kids

By Valerie Strauss

No, ATT, more is not always better than less -- even if your ads to promote phones with 4G say so, or, rather, have kids say it in staged conversations that are supposed to be cute but aren't.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 02/27/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:56 PM ET, 02/26/2013

SAT exam to be redesigned

By Valerie Strauss

The famed SAT college admissions exam will undergo a thorough redesign by the College Board, which is calling the effort an "ambitious effort" to "better meets" the needs of students and schools.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:56 PM ET, 02/26/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Aim: 'Increase Value', College Admissions, SAT

Posted at 01:17 PM ET, 02/26/2013

Largest for-profit U.S. university expects to be put on probation by accreditor

By Valerie Strauss

The University of Phoenix, the largest for-profit university in the U.S. and the school with that great "I Am a Phoenix' advertising campaign, is expecting to be put on probation by its accrediting agency.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:17 PM ET, 02/26/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:54 AM ET, 02/26/2013

Editorial bashes Jeb Bush's education 'reform' efforts

By Valerie Strauss

A Florida newspaper rips apart Jeb Bush's school reform record in the state and takes on his national reputation as a leading education reformer.

By Valerie Strauss | 09:54 AM ET, 02/26/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: 'Undeserved Reputation', Jeb Bush, School Reform

Posted at 07:00 AM ET, 02/26/2013

Why I oppose Common Core standards: Ravitch

By Valerie Strauss

The leading voice in the movement against corporate-based school reform believes in national standards but has come out against the Common Core.

By Valerie Strauss | 07:00 AM ET, 02/26/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/26/2013

Resistance to Common Core standards growing

By Valerie Strauss

In Indiana there is a push to put a hold on Common Core implementation. Here's why.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 02/26/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:00 AM ET, 02/25/2013

'You can't have that data': 19 months of stonewalling by ed bureaucrats

By Valerie Strauss

In state after state, critics of education reform try to get data from state education departments to see for themselves how well the reforms are working but often get stonewalled. Here's one such story.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:00 AM ET, 02/25/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education Reform, School Reform, So Much For Transparency

Posted at 11:21 AM ET, 02/24/2013

The Grammys, the Oscars and now the Bunkum Awards

By Valerie Strauss

Unlike the Grammys and the Oscars, the Bunkum Awards are given to winners who would rather not receive them.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:21 AM ET, 02/24/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education Research, For Awful Education Research

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 02/24/2013

The big misunderstanding about MOOCs

By Valerie Strauss

MOOCs, those massive open online courses, are said by some to be the future of higher education. Really?

By Valerie Strauss | 08:00 AM ET, 02/24/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/24/2013

Does school reform perpetuate inequity?

By Valerie Strauss

The test-based and no excuses reform paradigm is a massive failure when measured against goals committed to equity.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 02/24/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:14 AM ET, 02/23/2013

Should cursive writing be required? A N.C. bill would mandate it

By Valerie Strauss

Many schools don't bother teaching cursive writing anymore, but efforts are being made to require that they do.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:14 AM ET, 02/23/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Curriculum, So Much For The Internet

Posted at 03:55 PM ET, 02/22/2013

Massachusetts professors protest high-stakes standardized tests

By Valerie Strauss

A coalition of more than 130 Massachusetts professors and researchers from at least 20 schools -- including Harvard -- signed a public statement opposing high-stakes standardized tests to assess students, teachers and schools.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:55 PM ET, 02/22/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: New Step in Revolt, Standardized Tests, Testing Revolt

Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 02/22/2013

Four reasons why teachers should not teach creationism

By Valerie Strauss

If teachers teach creationism, why, then, shouldn't students study alternative views in other fields, writes Daniel Willingham. ''Why is such deference offered to Euclid? My uncle Leon has an alternative version of plane geometry and it shows Euclid was all wrong. I think that theory deserves a hearing."

By Valerie Strauss | 11:30 AM ET, 02/22/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:32 AM ET, 02/22/2013

Teacher questions value of AP program

By Valerie Strauss

A teacher who taught AP government questions whether all AP courses really make high school students more prepared for college than they would have been if they took other courses.

By Valerie Strauss | 08:32 AM ET, 02/22/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Advanced Placement, Challenging Jay Mathews, He Challenges Jay Mathews, School Reform

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 02/22/2013

Next steps toward achieving equity in education

By Valerie Strauss

How can federal policy offer solutions to eliminate disparities in educational opportunities that give rise to the achievement gap? Here are some recommendations.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 02/22/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:45 PM ET, 02/21/2013

It's wrong 'to spend a cent less' on high-risk kids, teacher tells lawmakers

By Valerie Strauss

An award-winning teacher spells out what could happen to her needy students if Congress allows automatic budget cuts to go forward on March 1.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:45 PM ET, 02/21/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:16 AM ET, 02/21/2013

U.S. teachers' job satisfaction craters -- report

By Valerie Strauss

American teachers are enjoying their jobs less than at any time in the last 25 years, a new survey shows. And there's more bad news about the effects of school reform.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:16 AM ET, 02/21/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: And More Bad News, Teaching Profession

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 02/20/2013

Five habits of great students: Lessons from top-ranked STEM school

By Valerie Strauss

Many factors affect how well students do in school, but among them are how the students themselves approach their work and learning. Here are some lessons from a top STEM school.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:00 AM ET, 02/20/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:29 AM ET, 02/20/2013

Sal Kahn on his famous online academy

By Valerie Strauss

Is the Khan Academy really a breakthrough educational model as its supporters say? Does its founder, Sal Khan, believe that?

By Valerie Strauss | 07:29 AM ET, 02/20/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 02/20/2013

If students designed their own school it would look like this

By Valerie Strauss

A public high school student actually allowed some students to design their own semester and run it themselves.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 02/20/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:09 PM ET, 02/19/2013

Report: U.S. should focus on equity in education

By Valerie Strauss

A new report today released by a congressionally-mandated commission focuses on an issue that has not been an Obama administration priority: equity in education.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:09 PM ET, 02/19/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Document Has Some Flaws, Equity in Education, What It Says

Posted at 02:46 PM ET, 02/19/2013

What's wrong with this tweet about black history from D.C. state education agency?

By Valerie Strauss

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education, the state education agency of the District of Columbia, tweeted about Booker T. Washington. Here's why it is wrong.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:46 PM ET, 02/19/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: African Americans in White House, Black History Month, Booker T. Washington, From D.C.'s State Ed Agency

Posted at 12:35 PM ET, 02/19/2013

Another former public education official working for Murdoch

By Valerie Strauss

This time it is Justin Hamilton, the former press secretary to Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:35 PM ET, 02/19/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: A New Job, Arne Duncan, Rupert Murdoch, With Joel Klein

Posted at 10:22 AM ET, 02/19/2013

Why is Obama calling for a 'rigorous curriculum' for 3-year-olds?

By Valerie Strauss

The Obama administration's first focus on early childhood education, back in 2011, raises questions about focus.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:22 AM ET, 02/19/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Early Childhood Education, The Devil Is In The Details, The Early Childhood Initiative

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 02/19/2013

How many ineffective teachers are actually out there?

By Valerie Strauss

That's the 250-million-dollar question that must be addressed by both sides wrangling over what kind of teacher-evaluation system to build.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 02/19/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:15 AM ET, 02/18/2013

Professor: Why Teach For America can't recruit in my classroom

By Valerie Strauss

Teach For America is the darling of school reformers but not to Mark Naison, a professor at Fordham University. Here's why.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:15 AM ET, 02/18/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:05 AM ET, 02/18/2013

2013 Presidents' Day quiz

By Valerie Strauss

How much have you learned (or, rather, do you remember) about U.S. presidents?

By Valerie Strauss | 01:05 AM ET, 02/18/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: American History, Test Yourself

Posted at 11:27 AM ET, 02/17/2013

Student 'zombies' protest standardized tests

By Valerie Strauss

The year-long revolt against high-stakes standardized testing is being increasingly fueled by students, including a "zombie" army in Providence.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:27 AM ET, 02/17/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Anti-Testing Revolt Growing, Standardized Testing Revolt, Young People Step Up Revolt

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 02/17/2013

The problem with our 'first in the world' education obsession

By Valerie Strauss

By Valerie Strauss | 11:00 AM ET, 02/17/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:30 AM ET, 02/17/2013

Which presidents are on your money?

By Valerie Strauss

Do you know your money history? Who, for example, is on the $100,000 bill -- and what ever happened to that bill?

By Valerie Strauss | 09:30 AM ET, 02/17/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

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 06:00 AM ET, 02/16/2013

How charter schools choose desirable students

By Valerie Strauss

An investigation finds selective admissions practices at some charter schools, including a requirement that applicants submit a 15-page research paper.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 02/16/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:48 PM ET, 02/15/2013

New York school drops 'Redskins' team name

By Valerie Strauss

A New York school district is dropping the name that its sports teams have been called for nearly a century, the Redskins.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:48 PM ET, 02/15/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Students Asked For Change, The Redskins

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 08:59 AM ET, 02/15/2013

Perk of the job: Arne Duncan in NBA All-Star game

By Valerie Strauss

Duncan played varsity ball at Harvard and professional basketball in Australia. Tonight he hits the courts again.

By Valerie Strauss | 08:59 AM ET, 02/15/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Arne Duncan, Education Secretary Hits the Court, NBA All-Star Game, Perk of Being Education Secretary

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/15/2013

What is Gov. Bobby Jindal talking about?

By Valerie Strauss

Progress that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal says has been made in New Orlean's charter-dominant Recovery School District.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 02/15/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 02/15/2013

Open letter to Arne Duncan from Chicago teachers

By Valerie Strauss

A coalition of teachers -- including those from the school Arne Duncan attended as a child -- write the education secretary an open letter with concerns about his policies.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 02/15/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:20 PM ET, 02/14/2013

Duncan warns Congress on impact of 'sequestration' on education programs

By Valerie Strauss

Education Secretary Arne Duncan details who will get hurt immediately in the education world if automatic spending cuts are not stopped by Congress on March 1.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:20 PM ET, 02/14/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Arne Duncan, Sequestration, Who Will Get Hurt

Posted at 09:06 AM ET, 02/14/2013

CollegeConfidential Web site hacked

By Valerie Strauss

Here's a good teachable moment about how to create online passwords.

By Valerie Strauss | 09:06 AM ET, 02/14/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Security Warning, Websites

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/14/2013

The phrase that demeans teachers

By Valerie Strauss

Here's a piece about a refrain repeatedly used by school reformers that really means, " Teachers do not care about kids."

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 02/14/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:00 AM ET, 02/14/2013

Let's measure love (just like we measure teachers)

By Valerie Strauss

If you put together the current obsession with measurement in modern school reform efforts (Bill Gates titled his 2013 annual foundation letter "Measuring Progress") with the fact that today is Valentine's Day, this is what you get.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:00 AM ET, 02/14/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:02 PM ET, 02/13/2013

The Maryland whiz kid sitting with Michelle Obama at SOTU

By Valerie Strauss

First Lady Michelle Obama had a number of guests sit with her to watch President Obama's State of the Union address, and one of those invited was science whiz Jack Andraka, a 10th grader at Glen Burnie's North County High School. Read about his discovery.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:02 PM ET, 02/13/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:45 AM ET, 02/13/2013

Former education commissioner blasts Common Core process -- update

By Valerie Strauss

A year after rocking the ed world by blasting standardized testing, Robert Scott, the former ed commissioner of Texas, now goes after the Common Core State Standards.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:45 AM ET, 02/13/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Common Core State Standards, Watch The Video

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/13/2013

A 15-year-old student's ed reform plan: Self-directed learning

By Valerie Strauss

How would teenagers change school if they had the power? Here one teen spells out what reform would look like if he were in charge. His keyword: Choice.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 02/13/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 02/13/2013

Do young kids need to learn a lot of facts?

By Valerie Strauss

Early childhood experts Edward Miller and Nancy Carlsson-Paige take on E.D. Hirsch over the Common Core State Standards.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 02/13/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:31 PM ET, 02/12/2013

Six great education tweets from Obama's SOTU

By Valerie Strauss

How did President Obama's State of the Union address go over with educators and education activists? Here's a sampling.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:31 PM ET, 02/12/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Reaction, State of the Union

Posted at 09:21 PM ET, 02/12/2013

Obama on education in State of Union address

By Valerie Strauss

President Obama calls for early childhood education and other education initiatives in his State of the Union speech.

By Valerie Strauss | 09:21 PM ET, 02/12/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: State of the Union, Stresses Early Childhood Education

Posted at 10:00 AM ET, 02/12/2013

Jon Stewart on Harvard cheating scandal in U.S. government class

By Valerie Strauss

If you need a laugh, watch this video in which Jon Stewart, on The Daily Show, "reports" on a cheating scandal at Harvard University.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:00 AM ET, 02/12/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 02/12/2013

Why introverts shouldn't be forced to talk in class

By Valerie Strauss

If you think being forced to speak up in class to get a class participation grade is akin to cruel and unusual punishment, here's a post for you.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 02/12/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:30 PM ET, 02/11/2013

What Obama should say about education in State of Union

By Valerie Strauss

Here's what President Obama would say about education in his State of the Union address if Diane Ravitch were writing that part of his speech.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:30 PM ET, 02/11/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 02/11/2013

A REAL paradigm shift in education

By Valerie Strauss

Long before corporate America began its assault on public schooling, American education was in trouble. Here's why, and what to do about it.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 02/11/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 02/11/2013

A teacher evaluation session out of 'Star Wars'

By Valerie Strauss

This may sound like science fiction, but it's actually Teacher Evaluator Year 2 training in New York. Scary stuff.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 02/11/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

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 12:00 PM ET, 02/09/2013

A warning to college profs from a high school teacher

By Valerie Strauss

"Please do not blame those of us in public schools for how unprepared for higher education the students arriving at your institutions are. We have very little say in what is happening to public education"

By Valerie Strauss | 12:00 PM ET, 02/09/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

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 12:46 PM ET, 02/08/2013

Beyond 'Beloved': books that are commonly challenged

By Valerie Strauss

Here we go again with parents who think that their sensibilities about particular books should apply to everybody.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:46 PM ET, 02/08/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: 'Harry Potter' Too, Banned Books, Challenged Books

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/08/2013

Common Application changes college essays for 2013-14

By Valerie Strauss

The Common Application, widely used for college admissions by high school seniors at nearly 500 colleges and universities, has new essay prompts for 2013-14, and increased the number of words allowed for essay.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 02/08/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 02/08/2013

College Board markets midweek SAT testing to schools

By Valerie Strauss

For many years students could only take the SAT on Saturday. Why is the College Board now allowing some to take it during the week?

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 02/08/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 02/07/2013

N.C. governor attacks higher ed, proposes funding colleges by graduates' jobs

By Valerie Strauss

A new voice heard from in the continued trashing of higher education and the liberal arts by conservatives: North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory.

By Valerie Strauss | 08:00 AM ET, 02/07/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/07/2013

Why Is Obama's Agriculture Department blocking school integration?

By Valerie Strauss

Iowa City just joined a growing number of school districts in trying to promote student academic achievement by giving all pupils a chance to attend good, economically diverse schools.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 02/07/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 02/07/2013

Why some black families led the charge against school desegregation

By Valerie Strauss

A 2007 Supreme Court decision changed how American schools handle race and undermined the most important civil rights cases of the last century.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 02/07/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:17 PM ET, 02/06/2013

Seattle teachers face sanctions for refusing to give standardized test

By Valerie Strauss

Seattle high school teachers who are refusing to give students a state standardized test that they say is fatally flawed now face sanctions, and students are taking the test this week by order of state officials who ordered administrators to administer it.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:17 PM ET, 02/06/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Administrators Give Test to Students, Standardized Test, Testing Revolt

Posted at 12:26 PM ET, 02/06/2013

Students can't Google everything: Why knowledge matters

By Valerie Strauss

If you mistake advocacy for a knowledge-based curriculum as wistful nostalgia for a better time, or as "old fashioned" you just don't get it, writes Daniel Willingham, in this piece about a school reform debate in Britain that resonates here as well.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:26 PM ET, 02/06/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: School Reform, School Reform Debate

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 02/06/2013

For the mega-rich: $80,000 trip to bond with college chums

By Valerie Strauss

I received in the mail a glossy travel brochure from the Northwestern Alumni Association with an offer to join a three-week trip to Africa and South America. The journey, called "Cape to Cape: An Expedition by Private Jet," looked so impressive on the cover that I looked inside to see whether it just might be too fantastic to turn down. It was. Too fantastic, that is. And this raises questions about the way colleges and universities raise money.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 02/06/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/06/2013

Is parent involvement in school really useful?

By Valerie Strauss

It's one of those things in education that everybody takes for granted: parent involvement is good and necessary. But is it, and if so, what kind?

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 02/06/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:01 AM ET, 02/06/2013

Is school reform making America less competitive?

By Valerie Strauss

Many school reformers say that their efforts are aimed at helping to improve schools so Americans can be competitive in the 21st Century economy. Here's an argument saying that school reform is doing exactly the opposite.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:01 AM ET, 02/06/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 02/05/2013

Why education 'research wars' leave no winners

By Valerie Strauss

There's a constant barrage of data, reports and papers flying around, and sifting through it with a quality filter, as well as synthesizing large bodies of usually mixed evidence into policy conclusions, are massive challenges. And that's an education researcher talking. Here's why the research wars leave no winners.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:00 PM ET, 02/05/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:38 AM ET, 02/05/2013

Tennessee lawmaker wants to cut welfare benefits for bad report cards

By Valerie Strauss

There seems to be no end to the number of wacky school reform ideas. Now a Tennessee state senator wants to cut welfare payments to families whose kids get really bad report cards and test scores.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:38 AM ET, 02/05/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Idea Gets an 'F', School Reform

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 02/05/2013

How online class about online learning failed miserably

By Valerie Strauss

In the you-can't-make-up-this-stuff category: The class was entitled Fundamentals of Online Education: Planning and Application and it was a MOOC, one of those massive open online courses that are given for free to tens of thousands of students at a time. Here's a first-person account of how it failed.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 02/05/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 02/05/2013

Why growing concentrated poverty dooms school reform

By Valerie Strauss

Until very recently, policymakers ignored the effect that concentrated poverty has on student achievement. Here's a look at why more attention must be paid to the problem.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 02/05/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:08 AM ET, 02/05/2013

Jon Stewart tests Michelle Rhee, defends teachers (update with video)

By Valerie Strauss

on Stewart invited Michelle Rhee on "The Daily Show" Monday night and, while he didn't skewer her the way some Rhee critics would have liked, he kept challenging her about whether her brand of school reform unfairly targets teachers. He also said what Rhee and other reformers could take to be something of a slight: There has been "no real innovation in education since John Dewey."

By Valerie Strauss | 01:08 AM ET, 02/05/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: He Challenges Reforms, He Defends Teachers, Jon Stewart, Michelle Rhee, Polite But Challenging, School Reform

Posted at 05:42 PM ET, 02/04/2013

Michelle Rhee's memoir: What you can learn from reading it

By Valerie Strauss

Michelle Rhee's memoir, "Radical" is coming out on Tuesday and you may be wondering what, if anything, you could learn from reading the book. Plenty of things, like, for example, how the first time she fired someone was as a college sophomore while she managed a deli named Grumpy's, how she got "huge, crazy red welts" on her body from stress when she was a young teacher, and how she watched Teach For America founder Wendy Kopp dance "without much success at rhythm" at a TFA event.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:42 PM ET, 02/04/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Michelle Rhee, Who Actually Wrote It?

Posted at 04:57 PM ET, 02/04/2013

350 out of 4,150 college presidents sign gun control letter

By Valerie Strauss

Education Secretary Arne Duncan, appearing today with college presidents, students, administrations and mayors to demand congressional action to curb gun violence, said Congress needs to be forced by Americans outside Washington D.C. to do the right thing.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:57 PM ET, 02/04/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: And Who Didn't?, College Presidents, Gun Control, Who Did and Who Didn't

Posted at 12:19 PM ET, 02/04/2013

Second-graders correct NFL players' tweets

By Valerie Strauss

Second graders at Elmwood Franklin Elementary School in Buffalo, N.Y., used their grammar lessons to correct tweets from NFL players.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:19 PM ET, 02/04/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Elementary School, Getting It Right

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 02/04/2013

Maryland's teacher evaluation problem

By Valerie Strauss

For years, the Montgomery County Public School system has implemented a nationally renowned teacher evaluation system. So why is Maryland trying to force Moco it and other school systems in the state to change to something decidedly worse?

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 02/04/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:00 AM ET, 02/03/2013

Why 'school reform' is a misnomer -- principal

By Valerie Strauss

"We are living through a time of unrelenting change driven by political and economic agendas. It is inappropriately referred to as education reform," said an award-winning principal. Here's why.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:00 AM ET, 02/03/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:34 PM ET, 02/02/2013

The inconvenient truth of education 'reform'

By Valerie Strauss

Several important things happened in the education world this week; here's an analysis that answers this question: Whose interests are really being served with school reform?

By Valerie Strauss | 12:34 PM ET, 02/02/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: School Reform, The Costs

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/02/2013

Is 2013 the tipping point for high-stakes testing obsession?

By Valerie Strauss

For the last year a revolt against high-stakes standardized testing has been growing around the country, with teachers, principals, superintendents, parents and students speaking out about the negative impact on education of this obsession. Have we reached a tipping point?

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 02/02/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:58 PM ET, 02/01/2013

Arne Duncan: We need gun control, more early childhood education

By Valerie Strauss

ducation Arne Duncan made clear in an interview with Bloomberg Radio that he plans to concentrate on early childhood education in President Obama's second term and he said the country must deal with gun violence now. Here are excerpts from the interview.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:58 PM ET, 02/01/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Arne Duncan, Early Childhood Education, Education Secretary, Excerpts From Interview

Posted at 10:00 AM ET, 02/01/2013

A letter to Teach For America's Wendy Kopp -- and her response

By Valerie Strauss

Former Teach For America corps member Gary Rubinstein, who has become a serious critic of the organization for years, wrote an open letter to TFA founder Wendy Kopp, expressing his concerns with the organization. She responded. Here are both letters.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:00 AM ET, 02/01/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 02/01/2013

On the killing of a star student in Chicago

By Valerie Strauss

Here is a moving statement from Chicago Teachers Union President Karen GJ Lewis, t on the shooting death of King College Prep student Hadiya Pendleton, a star student who was gunned down a little more than a week after she participated in President Obama's inauguration as part of her school's band.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:00 AM ET, 02/01/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

The Answer Sheet: February, 2013