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

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 11:44 AM ET, 04/30/2013

Not a word from Obama (or White House press corps) on education

By Valerie Strauss

What President Obama didn't talk about in his Tuesday news conference.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:44 AM ET, 04/30/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education Policy, Nada On Education, On Education, President Obama

Posted at 10:53 AM ET, 04/29/2013

Study: Preschool funding sees unprecedented single-year drop

By Valerie Strauss

Enrollment stalled and more programs saw a drop in quality than improvement along with the funding drop.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:53 AM ET, 04/29/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Early Childhood Education, Nationwide

Posted at 12:50 PM ET, 04/28/2013

Obama's big second-term education problem

By Valerie Strauss

President Obama has something of a problem in his second term in terms of education policy: His first term.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:50 PM ET, 04/28/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education Policy, Education Reform, It's Duncan's Problem Too, President Obama

Posted at 07:02 AM ET, 04/25/2013

Can computers really grade essay tests?

By Valerie Strauss

The National Council of Teachers of English say "no," even if there is new software that says "yes."

By Valerie Strauss | 07:02 AM ET, 04/25/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Debate on Technology in Education, Technology in Education

Posted at 12:02 PM ET, 04/21/2013

Duncan spells out education agenda to Congress

By Valerie Strauss

Education Secretary Arne Duncan makes his case for education budget to congressional subcommittee. Here's his testimony.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:02 PM ET, 04/21/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Arne Duncan, Defending 2014 Budget Request, Education Budget

Posted at 10:53 AM ET, 04/17/2013

There's a lot of 'acting' at U.S. Education Department

By Valerie Strauss

Nearly six months after the presidential election, the Education Department is still riddled with "acting" officials and Secretary Arne Duncan is losing key aides.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:53 AM ET, 04/17/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Arne Duncan, Duncan Losing Top Aides, Education Department

Posted at 02:47 PM ET, 04/10/2013

Universal preschool: Important but no panacea

By Valerie Strauss

Increasing the number of youngsters in preschool is a good thing. But improving quality in programs is another, and the content and direction of preschools will be influenced by ideological fervor.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:47 PM ET, 04/10/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Early Childhood Education, Preschool, Quality of Program Matters

Posted at 12:17 PM ET, 03/27/2013

Why is math so hard for so many?

By Valerie Strauss

If you are someone who has long struggled with math, read on to find out why that might be the case.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:17 PM ET, 03/27/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: 'A Cultural Contrivance', Innumeracy Like Dyslexia?, Math, Math Education

Posted at 02:49 PM ET, 03/21/2013

Students seek to repeal Alabama law forcing teachers to say homosexuality is criminal

By Valerie Strauss

Two Alabama students have started a petition on change.org in support of a bill seeking to repeal a state law requiring sex ed teachers to tell students that homosexuality is a crime.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:49 PM ET, 03/21/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Sex Education

Posted at 10:06 AM ET, 03/17/2013

College student leads fight against anti-evolution teachings in schools

By Valerie Strauss

Going to college is tough enough without leading a campaign to repeal a bad state law, but that's what Zach Kopplin, 19, has been doing for several years. His target: The badly named Louisiana Science Education Act, which actually allows teachers in science classrooms to discuss creationism as a way to question evolution.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:06 AM ET, 03/17/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Protecting the Teaching of Evolution, Science Education

Posted at 03:33 PM ET, 03/15/2013

Three commitments U.S. Ed Dept. made at teaching summit

By Valerie Strauss

Here's the text of an email outlining the three commitments the U.S. Education Department delegation just made at an international summit.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:33 PM ET, 03/15/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education Department, Read the Email, Teaching Profession

Posted at 01:31 PM ET, 03/08/2013

French mother sends son named Jihad to school in T-shirt with the words 'I am a bomb'

By Valerie Strauss

A mother who named her son Jihad and sent him to school with a T-shirt that mentions bombs and Sept. 11 is on trial in France.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:31 PM ET, 03/08/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education News, You Can't Make Up This Stuff

Posted at 08:47 AM ET, 03/07/2013

Jon Stewart ridicules preschool critics

By Valerie Strauss

Take six minutes and 12 seconds to watch Stewart take apart critics of preschool.

By Valerie Strauss | 08:47 AM ET, 03/07/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Early Childhood Education, Hilarious Video

Posted at 03:05 PM ET, 03/06/2013

Voters send mixed signals to school reformers in L.A.

By Valerie Strauss

Voters keep sending signals that they have very mixed feelings about corporate-based school reform. The latest signs come from Los Angeles, where races for three Board of Education seats resulted in one defeat, one win, and one runoff for supporters of school reform.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:05 PM ET, 03/06/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Board of Education Races, School Reform

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 10:48 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 02:01 PM ET, 01/29/2013

National school boards group blasts U.S. Education Department

By Valerie Strauss

The National Schools Board Association today blasted the Obama administration's education policies, saying that the Education Department under Secretary Arne Duncan has pushed "unnecessary and counter-productive federal intrusion" onto local school districts.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:01 PM ET, 01/29/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education Policy, Hits 'Federal Intrusion', School Boards

Posted at 04:06 PM ET, 01/24/2013

California's Gov. Brown blasts state, federal education policy

By Valerie Strauss

"We seem to think," California Gov. Jerry Brown said in his State of the State Address today, "that education is a thing like a vaccine that can be designed from afar and simply injected into our children." Here are some of the other things he said in address on education.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:06 PM ET, 01/24/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: California Gov. Brown, Calls for Trusting Teachers, Education Policy

Posted at 11:59 AM ET, 01/09/2013

Education reform as a business

By Valerie Strauss

Here is an example of how school reform has become little more than a business in some arenas (and just how removed some reformers have gotten from classrooms and teachers and students and the actual dynamic of teaching and learning). It's the "Business Plan Competition" being run by the Yale School of Management.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:59 AM ET, 01/09/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education as a Business, Investing in Education, School Reform, The Profit Motive

Posted at 01:46 PM ET, 01/02/2013

House Republicans like Indiana for education panel (update)

By Valerie Strauss

The Republicans have chosen their lineup for the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce in the 113th Congress, and it turns out that Indiana took top honors in terms of number of seats. Here's the list.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:46 PM ET, 01/02/2013 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Congress, Education Policy, House committee members selected, The List

Posted at 02:17 PM ET, 12/12/2012

'Fifty Shades of Who Cares'

By Valerie Strauss

There's an avalanche of education tweets every day. Here's one of the more original ones.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:17 PM ET, 12/12/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Best Ed Tweet of 12/12/12?, Best Ed Tweet of Day?, Education Tweets

Posted at 02:22 PM ET, 11/28/2012

Arne Duncan's second term?

By Valerie Strauss

Why would Education Secretary Arne Duncan not directly address questions put to hima bout his second-term agenda at Jeb Bush's school reform summit in Washington D.C. today?

By Valerie Strauss | 02:22 PM ET, 11/28/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Arne Duncan, Education Secretary, Exotic Dancer?, Obama administration

Posted at 04:11 PM ET, 11/19/2012

Study: Homework linked to better standardized test scores

By Valerie Strauss

Researchers who looked at data from more than 18,000 10th-graders found little correlation between the time students spent doing homework and better grades in math and science courses. But they did find a positive relationship the time spent on homework and standardized test scores.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:11 PM ET, 11/19/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education Research, Homework, Standardized Tests

Posted at 02:04 PM ET, 11/15/2012

Unique for-credit online education program launched by university consortium

By Valerie Strauss

A consortium of highly regarded universities around the country said today it was starting a first-of-its kind program that would allow undergraduates from the schools to take approved online courses for credit from any of the institutions.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:04 PM ET, 11/15/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Online Education, University Consortium, Virtual Ed

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

Jon Stewart focuses on public education

By Valerie Strauss

On "The Daily Show" Thursday night, Jon Stewart did a segment that focused on public education -- the impact of budget cuts, how kids learn, teachers. Watch it.

By Valerie Strauss | 09:11 AM ET, 11/09/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Budget Cuts, Jon Stewart, Public Education, The Daily Show, Video

Posted at 04:04 PM ET, 11/07/2012

A call for President Obama to change course on education

By Arthur H. Camins

Here is a call to President Obama and other school reformers to reevaluate the reform initiatives they have undertaken in recent years, framed against the documentary "The Fog of War," in which former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara came to realize how he had ignored evidence in his prosecution of the Vietnam War.

By Arthur H. Camins | 04:04 PM ET, 11/07/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education Policy, School Reform, The Fog of Education War

Posted at 03:18 PM ET, 11/06/2012

A bakers dozen of races that matter to education

By Valerie Strauss

There's at a lot at stake for public education in Tuesday's election. There are initiatives on school funding, the spread of charter schools and vouchers, and plenty more. Here are some key races to watch.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:18 PM ET, 11/06/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Election Results, Public Education, School Reform

Posted at 01:20 PM ET, 11/04/2012

Obama, Romney talk about education visions

By Valerie Strauss

Listen to the candidates talk about their view of education and the federal role in supporting public schools.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:20 PM ET, 11/04/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education Agendas, Video

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 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 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 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 11:51 AM ET, 03/16/2012

A new poverty-doesn’t-really-matter-much argument

By Valerie Strauss

And so drumbeat keeps getting louder

By Valerie Strauss | 11:51 AM ET, 03/16/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Education, Paul Petrson, School reform, teating

Posted at 05:58 PM ET, 02/01/2012

New D.C. principal’s termination letter from Dallas

By Valerie Strauss

Here’s part of the letter recommending termination of a principal who left Dallas public schools last year amid a scandal and then was hired by D.C. public schools.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:58 PM ET, 02/01/2012 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: education

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/28/2011

'Brain-based' education: Run from it

By Valerie Strauss

A veteran educator explains why teachers should run from any curriculum that says it is "brain-based."

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 02/28/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Larry Cuban, Learning, Research | Tags: brain research, brain-based education, daniel willingham, education and brain, larry cuban

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 02/03/2011

The VIVA Project: What teachers told Duncan

By Valerie Strauss

More than 150 public school teachers put their heads together to devise solutions to problems that most affect their profession. Then they got to do something unusual with their conclusions: present them to Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 02/03/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: Arne Duncan, The Answer Sheet, VIVA project, education, education secretary duncan, evaluation and teachers, performance-based evaluation, school, teachers

Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 02/02/2011

The Bartleby Project

By Valerie Strauss

A veteran educator writes about the country's obsession with standardized testing and what might be done about it.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:30 AM ET, 02/02/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: education reform, president obama, school reform, standardized test industry, standardized tests, test industry, the bartleby project

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 05:28 PM ET, 01/31/2011

Letter to President Obama: Who is a 'highly qualified' teacher?

By Valerie Strauss

More than 50 organizations sign a letter to President Obama about legislation that would codify a Bush-era regulation that allows states to label teachers as “highly qualified” when they are still in training – and, in many cases, just beginning training – in alternative route programs. alternative route programs.Bamajoin in

By Valerie Strauss | 05:28 PM ET, 01/31/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Teachers | Tags: continuing resolution, definition of highly qualified, education groups, h.r. 3082, highly qualified, highly qualified teacher, letter to obama, president obama, public school teachers

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 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 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 01:25 PM ET, 01/19/2011

New report on educational productivity: a waste of resources?

By Valerie Strauss

It's hard to argue with the general notion in a new report about educational productivity released today that says -- are you surprised -- that we waste a lot of money. But beyond that, I'm trying to figure out what else of value the report offers. Help.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:25 PM ET, 01/19/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Accountability, Accountability | Tags: center for american progress, education, educational productivity, educational research, productivity, research and education

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

The case against NCLB reauthorization

By Valerie Strauss

Here's an argument by someone other than Margaret Spellings against reauthorization of No Child Left Behind.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 01/19/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: edujobs, elementary and secondary education act, nclb, nclb reauthorization, no child left behind, obama and school reform, president obama, race to the top, reauthorization esea, school reforms

Posted at 01:51 PM ET, 01/17/2011

Martin Luther King Jr. on education: In his own words

By Valerie Strauss

Here are some writings by Martin Luther King Jr., on education. Though they are from decades ago, some of this sounds like it could have been written today.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:51 PM ET, 01/17/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: king on education, king's speeches, king's writings, martin luther king, martin luther king day, mlk day

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/17/2011

A quiz: Martin Luther King’s unusual education

By Valerie Strauss

Martin Luther King Jr., had something of an unusual education. Test yourself on how much you know about it, and then read the answers, which include information that may surprise you about him.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 01/17/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: History, History | Tags: about martin luther king, day, facts about king, king and education, king facts, martin luther king, martin luther king day, martin luther king jr., mlk, mlk day, mlk facts

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 03:16 PM ET, 01/13/2011

Va. orders history textbook review -- finally

By Valerie Strauss

The Virginia Board of Education has finally taken the first step toward removing two elementary school history textbooks that it had earlier approved despite many errors.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:16 PM ET, 01/13/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: History, History | Tags: errors in textbooks, five ponds press, history textbooks, textbook controversy, textbook errors, textbooks, textbooks and errors, virginia board of education, virginia history, virginia textbooks

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 01/12/2011

The big 5: A teacher's translation guide for policymakers

By Valerie Strauss

Those hoping for educator buy-in on the next big education reform idea should first consult this translation guide , which explains some catchphrases and buzzwords that set off warning bells for teachers.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:00 PM ET, 01/12/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: edu-speak, education buzzwords, education policy, educational rigor, failure is not an option, paradigm shift, research-based methods, rick hess, roxanna elden, teachers

Posted at 11:29 AM ET, 01/12/2011

Framing education as a business

By Valerie Strauss

If you have any doubt that business thinking has taken over the education policy debate, take a look at these invitations from two non-profit organizations in Washington D.C., the CATO Institute and the Center for American Progress.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:29 AM ET, 01/12/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education as Business | Tags: bill clinton, cato institute, center for american progress, education as business, education buzzwords, education debate, education policy, john podesta, president clinton, public education, return on investment

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 11:15 AM ET, 01/06/2011

NCLB's 9th anniversary: 'Will there be anything we will need to remember after the test?'

By Valerie Strauss

Nine years ago this week president Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act. Take a look at what it wrought.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:15 AM ET, 01/06/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: congress and nclb, esea, esea reauthorization, national education association, nclb, nclb reauthorization, no child left behind, standardized testing, teachers unions

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 01/06/2011

A principal on standardized vs. teacher-written tests

By Valerie Strauss

Educator George Wood urges Congress not to rely on standardized tests to measure achievement. If you don't think that "data-driven decision-making" is really test-driven decision making, consider this: Ohio’s school report cards consist of 26 “data” points, and 24 of them—92%--are test scores.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 01/06/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: George Wood, George Wood, George Wood, George Wood, George Wood | Tags: arne duncan, disaggregated data, education secretary duncan, elementary and secondary school act, esea, esea reauthoraization, george word, nclb, new congress, new york performance assessment consortium, no child left behind, reauthorization of no child left behind, standardized tests

Posted at 12:30 PM ET, 01/05/2011

Resolutions someone should make for 2011

By Valerie Strauss

An educator offers some resolutions for the new year: That President Obama et al stop saying, "We are going to educate ourselves toward a 21st Century economy;" that people who really know about education appear on Oprah; that policy makers stop making standardized testing the gold standard of student achievement and teacher effectiveness; that we stop using corporate speak (game changer, incentivize) to talk about education. And more.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:30 PM ET, 01/05/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: 2011 resolutions, ian hacking, mike rose, new year's resolutions, obama and education policy, oprah, oprah winfrey, president obama, standardized tests, stephen jay gould, student achievement, teacher effectiveness

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

A satirical look at Rhee's 'Students First' (or how students fell to a tie for third)

By Valerie Strauss

Here's a satirical look at Michelle Rhee's Students First campaign. Students, it seems, have fallen from First.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:00 AM ET, 01/05/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Laugh and cry, Laugh and cry | Tags: edtweak, education tweak, michelle rhee, students first

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 02:00 PM ET, 01/03/2011

A response to Arne Duncan

By Valerie Strauss

Here's a response to a piece Education Secretary Arne Duncan wrote in The Washington Post today.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:00 PM ET, 01/03/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: arne duncan, bill gates, education secretary arne duncan, esea, nclb, no child left behind, school reform, testing industry

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, 12/28/2010

Ravitch takes stock of education in 2010

By Valerie Strauss

Education historian Diane Ravitch looks back at the education world of 2010.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 12/28/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags: diane ravitch, education policy, teacher assessment, teachers

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 12/27/2010

Willingham: 3 brain facts every educator should know

By Valerie Strauss

Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham writes, "Most of what you see advertised as educational advice rooted in neuroscience is bunkum."

By Valerie Strauss | 11:00 AM ET, 12/27/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham | Tags: brain-based classrooms, brain-based education, brain-based teaching, daniel willingham, myelination, neuroscience and education, prefrontal cortex and teens, teaching and neuroscience, the brain and education

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 12:29 PM ET, 12/20/2010

A 'highly qualified' gift from Congress to Teach for America -- UPDATED

By Valerie Strauss

Is a teacher still in training "highly qualified?" Some of our legislators think so.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:29 PM ET, 12/20/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Congress, Congress | Tags: CR, continuing resolution, education department, highly qualified teachers, renee v. duncan, teach for america, teachers, tom harkin

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 09:30 AM ET, 12/12/2010

What international test scores really tell us: Lessons buried in PISA report

By Valerie Strauss

Buried in the data report about the latest international results of PISA are lessons that show how U.S. education policy is failing.

By Valerie Strauss | 09:30 AM ET, 12/12/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: PISA, PISA scores, U.S. PISA scores, arne duncan, education policy, how u.s. fares in international rankings, international rankings, international test scores, obama education policy, pisa, the american dream

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 05:00 AM ET, 12/09/2010

Kohn: Remember when we had higher standards? Neither do I

By Valerie Strauss

When, Alfie Kohn asks, haven't we been complaining about low standards in public schools and calling for accountability? The answer: Apparently, never. A golden period never existed.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 12/09/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Alfie Kohn, Alfie Kohn, Alfie Kohn | Tags: accountability, alfie kohn, common standards, education system, nation at risk, reagan administration, school reform, standards

Posted at 10:40 AM ET, 12/08/2010

Schools eligible for 2011 John Lennon Scholarship

By Valerie Strauss

The John Lennon Scholarship Program created by Yoko Ono is now accepting applicants from a certain group of schools. Here they are.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:40 AM ET, 12/08/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: College Costs | Tags: Appalachian State University, Bard College, Belmont University, Berklee College of Music, Birmingham-Southern College, Brown University, California State University Northridge, Carnegie Mellon University, Catawba College, City College of New York, Clark Atlanta University, Colorado State University, Columbia College (Chicago), DePaul University, Drexel University, Elmhurst College, Emory University, Florida State University, Full Sail, Georgia State University, Harvard University, Hunter College, Indiana University, Ithaca College, Lehigh University, Loyola University (New Orleans), Michigan State University, Middle Tennessee S. University, Millikin University, New England Conservatory, New York University, Northwestern University, Oberlin College, Purchase College (SUNY), UCLA, University of Alabama, University of California Los Angeles, University of Cincinnati, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Florida, University of Houston, University of Idaho, University of Memphis, University of Miami, University of Michigan, University of North Alabama, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of North Texas, University of Southern California, University of Texas at Austin, University of Utah, Vanderbilt University, Wilkes Community College, Yale University, john lennon, john lennon scholarships, menc, national association for music education, yoko ono

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 11:30 AM ET, 12/06/2010

Willingham: Close to a magic bullet in education

By Valerie Strauss

Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham writes about something that he says may come as close to being a magic bullet in education as anything.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:30 AM ET, 12/06/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Achievement gap, Achievement gap, Achievement gap, Achievement gap | Tags: achievement gap, daniel willingham, education research, gender gap, school reform

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 10:00 AM ET, 12/03/2010

Was achievement gap understated?

By Valerie Strauss

An education analyst writes that a graph released by government underestimates the achievement gap on the latest 12th grade National Assessment of Educational Progress scores.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:00 AM ET, 12/03/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Achievement gap | Tags: achievement gap, bluegrass institute, education statistics, naep, national assessment of educational progress, nces

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 12/03/2010

Time to pay attention to a reform that works

By Valerie Strauss

There’s an education reform strategy that has 50 years of solid research behind it, with proven results that demonstrate how to improve student achievement. It’s. a solution backed by both political parties to help narrow the achievement gap, increase high school graduation rates and reduce crime and delinquency. So why don't we focus on it like a laser beam?

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 12/03/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: achievement gap, early childhood education, kindergarten, pre-k, pre-kindergarten

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, 12/01/2010

First blame the teachers, then the parents

By Valerie Strauss

An educator warns that after teachers have been sufficiently scapegoated for the troubled public education system, parents will be next. And she offers an alternate framework for which to reform schools, one of responsibility rather than phony accountability.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 12/01/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: accountability, arne duncan, department of education, school reform, teachers

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 09:30 AM ET, 11/24/2010

The mismatch between Duncan's words, actions

By Valerie Strauss

A veteran teacher writes an open letter to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, saying that the mismatch between Duncan's words and actions makes "a real consensus impossible."

By Valerie Strauss | 09:30 AM ET, 11/24/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Anthony Cody, Anthony Cody, Anthony Cody | Tags: anthony cody, arne duncan, education secretary, evaluating teachers, school reform, standardized tests, teacher assessment, value-added

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 09:00 AM ET, 11/22/2010

Hannah Arendt and the point of education

By Valerie Strauss

An award-winning veteran teacher reflects on the reasons we bother to educate children, and concludes that we have forgotten or never knew, because if we did, we wouldn't do it the way we do now. "I find I am becoming increasingly radicalized as I age," he writes.

By Valerie Strauss | 09:00 AM ET, 11/22/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers | Tags: education, guest bloggers, hannah arendt, kenneth bernstein, standardized tests

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 01:43 PM ET, 11/19/2010

Kohn: What 'ready to learn' really means

By Valerie Strauss

Alfie Kohn explores the real meaning of what he calls the "rather odd" phrase "ready to learn" as it is applied to young children.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:43 PM ET, 11/19/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Alfie Kohn, Alfie Kohn, Alfie Kohn | Tags: David McLelland, alfie kohn, early childhood education, martin haberman, readiness to learn, ready to learn

Posted at 06:09 PM ET, 11/18/2010

The NAEP scores problem

By Valerie Strauss

When you live by test scores, you run the risk of dying by them too -- or, at least, the policies that dictated their importance should.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:09 PM ET, 11/18/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: arne duncan, education secretary arne duncan, naep, naep scores, national assessment of educational progress, standardized tests, test scores

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 10:57 AM ET, 11/16/2010

Experts: How to overhaul teacher ed (and my problem with their report)

By Valerie Strauss

A major report released today calls for overhauling teacher education programs. It offers a number of strong recommendations, but, unfortunately, continues a reliance on standardized tests.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:57 AM ET, 11/16/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Standardized Tests, Standardized Tests, Standardized Tests | Tags: blue ribbon panel, blue ribbon panel report, education programs need overhauling, effective teachers, preparing teachers, report on clinical practice, report on teacher education, report on teacher preparation, standardized tests, teacher assessment, teacher ed, teacher education, teacher education programs, teacher education through clinical practice, teacher preparation, teacher quality

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 05:00 AM ET, 11/12/2010

Palin: Parents should decide what kids eat in school

By Valerie Strauss

An effort by the Pennsylvania Board of Education to encourage public schools to limit sweets and introduce more healthy foods has attracted an unlikely critic: Sarah Palin.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 11/12/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Health | Tags: banning sweets, child nutrition act, cookies, michelle obama, nutrition, nutrition guidelines, obesity, obesity epidemic, palin cookies, pennsylvania board of education, sarah palin, school breakfast, school lunch

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 06:00 AM ET, 11/11/2010

De-legitimizing public education

By Valerie Strauss

The quality of American education is going to get worse. Count on it. And contrary to the conventional wisdom, the main reason isn’t going to be the loss of funding accompanying economic hard times. Educator Marion Brady explains why.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 11/11/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: bill gates, marion brady, public education, school reform

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 11/10/2010

Why the Education Dept. should be eliminated -- Wood

By Valerie Strauss

School principal George Wood, acknowledging that "it is peculiar for someone who values education to be arguing for what has often been a very conservative position," explains why he thinks the Education Department should be eliminated.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 11/10/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: George Wood, George Wood | Tags: ed department, education department, eliminate the education department, george wood, guest bloggers

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 01:57 PM ET, 11/04/2010

Margaret Spellings: The last NCLB defender?

By Valerie Strauss

It's hard to find strong defenders of No Child Left Behind these days, except, perhaps, for Margaret Spellings.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:57 PM ET, 11/04/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: No Child Left Behind | Tags: arne duncan, diane ravitch, education secretary arne duncan, jay mathews, margaret spellings, nclb, no child left behind, vincent gray

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 10:00 AM ET, 11/03/2010

Why so many bright kids fail to launch in college

By Valerie Strauss

Nationwide, there is a large and growing group of bright kids whose brains aren’t wired right for a demanding college routine. The strategies and supports that worked in high school when they were living at home are not adequate to the new demands that college places on the executive functions of the brain.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:00 AM ET, 11/03/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Higher Education, Higher Education | Tags: SAT scores, add, adhd, college dropouts, college freshmen, college graduation, college work, executive functioning, graduation rates, high school, higher education, landmark college, learning disabilities

Posted at 05:00 AM ET, 11/03/2010

Education policy: What will happen now

By Valerie Strauss

If you think things have been unexpectedly bad in the world of education under President Obama, the Republican takeover of the House could just make things even worse.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 AM ET, 11/03/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Congress | Tags: boehner, boehner speaker of the house, congress, democrats, education department, education policy, gops takes house, john boehner, nclb, no child left behind, obama, obama democrats, president obama, rand paul, republican takeover, republicans, speaker of the house

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 06:00 AM ET, 11/02/2010

Is Duncan out of bounds?

By Valerie Strauss

I have one question about this poster promoting Education Secretary Arne Duncan's speech on school reform at UNESCO headquarters in Paris this week: Who thought showing Duncan playing basketball with President Obama was a good idea?

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 11/02/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: arne duncan, education department, president obama, school reform, secretary arne duncan, secretary duncan, unesco

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 10/29/2010

And now, a tragicomic conversation on 'differentiation'

By Valerie Strauss

If you liked a video I posted this week showing a funny but scary conversation about collaborative planning and teaching, here's a different one, this on "differentiation." Watch the new one even if you didn't like the first one.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 10/29/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: collaboration, differentiation, education video, planning meeting, school reform, teacher collaboration, teachers, you tube

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 06:00 AM ET, 10/27/2010

7 Class size myths -- and the truth

By Valerie Strauss

Across the country, class sizes are increasing at unprecedented rates. Budget pressures are weighing on school districts, but there has also been a fierce attack on the value of class size reduction. Here are the most common myths about class size (No 1: It is an unproven, ineffective reform) along with the facts.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 10/27/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Class size, Class size | Tags: class size, class size matters, class size reduction, education department, florida class size, leonie haimson, school reform, texas class size

Posted at 11:49 AM ET, 10/26/2010

In STEM era, humanities get new attention

By Valerie Strauss

Given all the attention STEM-related subjects get, you could be forgiven for thinking that math, science, technology and engineering are the only things college students can take. In this STEM era, the humanities are getting new attention at colleges and universities.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:49 AM ET, 10/26/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Curriculum, Curriculum | Tags: STEM, brandeis university, engineering degrees, humanities, iran, mandel center, math education, new york times editorial, president obama, science fair, social sciences, south korea, stem education, the humanities, university of connecticut, university of pittsburgh, white house

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 11:25 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 06:00 AM ET, 10/14/2010

Radical idea: Public schools aren't an awful mess

By Valerie Strauss

A longtime educator writes about public education: "Backed into a corner, beat up and wildly uneven in quality, yes." But an unmitigated disaster? No.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 10/14/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: ariana huffington, arne duncan, gerald bracey, guest bloggers, hurricane katrina, katrina nation, nancy flanagan, pisa, public education, school reform, teachers, waiting for superman, wendy puriefoy

Posted at 09:29 AM ET, 10/08/2010

Still trying to make sense of NBC's Teacher Town Hall

By Valerie Strauss

A special education teacher who attended NBC's Teacher Town Hall is still trying to make sense out of the event, saying that it did not turn out as advertised.

By Valerie Strauss | 09:29 AM ET, 10/08/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: education nation, nbc, school reform, teachers

Posted at 12:03 PM ET, 10/06/2010

Down the education rabbit hole

By Valerie Strauss

David B. Cohen writes, referring to Lewis Carrol's "Alice's Adventures: "Much of the education reform debate has been down the rabbit hole for a while, but I keep expecting people to act with some common sense."

By Valerie Strauss | 12:03 PM ET, 10/06/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: bush initiative, bush institute, education nation, newsweek, principals, school reform, teachers

Posted at 12:11 PM ET, 10/05/2010

Report: Schools, teacher ed programs ignore how kids really learn

By Valerie Strauss

James Comer and Robert Pianta write about a new report that says: "Despite big advances in our understanding of how children and adolescents grow and learn, little of that knowledge has found its way into schools or educator preparation programs."

By Valerie Strauss | 12:11 PM ET, 10/05/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Research, Research, Research | Tags: achievement gap, education research, james comer, research, robert pianita, student achievement, teacher education, teacher evaluation, teacher quality

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 06:00 AM ET, 09/30/2010

The strange media coverage of Obama's education policies

By Valerie Strauss

School reform has suddenly caught the attention of mainstream news organizations in a big way. Why aren't they more skeptical about President Obama's reform agenda?

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 09/30/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: School turnarounds/reform | Tags: $100 million newark, education nation, journalism, nbc, school reform, waiting for superman, zuckerberg

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/29/2010

Ravitch: The long, failed history of merit pay and how the Ed Department ignores it

By Valerie Strauss

Education historian Diane Ravitch writes: "Few people realize that merit pay schemes have been tried again and again since the 1920s. Belief in them waxes and wanes, but the results have never been robust." And a day after a big study was released showing that performance pay made no difference, the Education Department handed out millions of dollars for the development of merit pay programs.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 09/29/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags: $1.2 billion and merit pay, diane ravitch, education department and merit pay, merit pay, merit pay study, performance pay, ravitch book, study on performance pay, vanderbilt study

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 09:00 AM ET, 09/25/2010

Season of the education film: Do they help or hurt?

By Valerie Strauss

We are in the season of the educational documentary. There has been a lot written about several films, including "Waiting for Superman," but the real question is what happens after the final credits roll. Will there be any lasting impact?

By Valerie Strauss | 09:00 AM ET, 09/25/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: education documentaries, education films, race to nowhere, school reform, the cartel, the lottery, waiting for superman

Posted at 03:15 PM ET, 09/24/2010

Texas education board: Textbooks favor Islam over Christianity

By Valerie Strauss

The Texas Board of Education adopts a controversial resolution today that accuses textbook publishers of favoring Islam over Christianity and tells them to stop it. Never mind that the books the board cited as examples of bias were phased out of Texas classrooms long ago.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:15 PM ET, 09/24/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: History, History, History | Tags: islam resolution, mosque and ground zero, religion resolution and texas, resolution, texas, texas and islam, texas and textbooks, texas board of education, texas resolution, textbook resolution, textbooks and islam

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 11:56 AM ET, 09/21/2010

World Bank invests more in education; big gap remains

By Valerie Strauss

The World Bank announced that it will make $750 million in additional investment through 2015 to achieve universal primary education. The additional funding of $150 million per year over the next five years represents less than 1/100 of the total global need.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:56 AM ET, 09/21/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Equity | Tags: education, education funding, education investment, fu, oins summit, united nations summit, world bank

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, 09/20/2010

Has education reform jumped the shark? A teacher says 'yes'

By Valerie Strauss

A veteran teacher looks at recent events in the education world and concludes that yes, indeed, education reform has jumped the shark, and the signs of its collapse are everywhere.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 09/20/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: anthony cody, arne duncan, bill gates, education nation, gates on oprah, michelle rhee, nbc education nation, oprah, race to the top, rhee on oprah, teachers and reform, teachers town hall

Posted at 12:34 PM ET, 09/19/2010

Ravitch: Why civil rights groups oppose the Obama agenda

By Valerie Strauss

Education historian Diane Ravitch looks at the Obama administration's insistence on embracing competition in federal education funding and more.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:34 PM ET, 09/19/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags: arne duncan, bridging differences, civil rights groups, civil rights report, diane ravitch, equity in education, guest bloggers, no child left behind, race to the top

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 09:30 AM ET, 09/16/2010

Study shows test score improvements

By Valerie Strauss

For those who follow test scores, here's a new study of five years of assessment trends showing that U.S. 4th and 8th graders are doing better in reading and math than they were in 2005. It’s not just according to the states’ own tests used for No Child Left Behind accountability, but also according to the federally sponsored National Assessment of Educational Progress.

By Valerie Strauss | 09:30 AM ET, 09/16/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Standardized Tests, Standardized Tests, Standardized Tests | Tags: center on education progress, jack jenningers, study on test scores, test scores, test scores increase, test scores rising, test scores up

Posted at 03:51 PM ET, 09/15/2010

Texas considers how Islam is portrayed in textbooks

By Valerie Strauss

The Texas Board of Education finally adopted its social studies standards a few weeks ago, seeming to put an end to the a huge controversy that erupted when critics accused religious fundamentalists of rewriting American history. Now, apparently, it is taking up a new issue: How students should learn about Islam.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:51 PM ET, 09/15/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: History | Tags: social studies standards, texas and islam, texas and social studies, texas and standards, texas board of education, texas islam rule, texas school board

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 03:00 PM ET, 09/13/2010

Obama ed policy lacks scientific support -- Willingham

By Valerie Strauss

Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham calls into question President Obama's judgment on the administration's education policy, saying that it has no scientific support.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:00 PM ET, 09/13/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham | Tags: common core standards, daniel willingham, duncan and policy, duncan and reforms, naep, national assessment of educational progress, obama and education policy, obama and inaugural address, obama and school reform, president obama and education, race to the top, race to the top requirements, science and obama administration, teacher assessment

Posted at 11:00 AM ET, 09/08/2010

School board president: Ed reformers ‘just don’t get it’

By Valerie Strauss

A school board president blasts current education reformers, saying "They simply just don’t get it. They don’t realize what true education is and they have no clue the challenges we face in helping students engage in it."

By Valerie Strauss | 11:00 AM ET, 09/08/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: School turnarounds/reform | Tags: charlotte hummel, education reform, school reform, william penn school district

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/08/2010

Ravitch: Welcome back to school "reform"

By Valerie Strauss

Diane Ravitch predicts that the 2010-11 school year will be another year in which "teachers and principals will be blamed and punished" unless their students' test scores go "up and up," more principals will be fired and more schools will be closed. And more.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 09/08/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags: diane ravitch, education secretary duncan, guest bloggers, no child left behind, obama and blueprint, obama and school reform, race to the top, race to the top winners, rttt winners, the death and life of the great american school system, top ooool reboamael

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 09/03/2010

The decade’s best education books?

By Valerie Strauss

The magazine Education Next's poll of best education books of the past decade is showing some ironic results.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 09/03/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham | Tags: best education books, best education books of the decade, daniel willingham, diane ravitch, ed next's poll of books, education next, education next's poll, linda darling-hammong, poll of education books, the death and life of the great american school system, why don't students like school?

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 06:30 AM ET, 08/16/2010

The problem with favoring high schools in turnaround grant program

By Valerie Strauss

The Obama administration has doled out a disproportionate amount of school turnaround funds to high schools, even though no one knows exactly how to improve them.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:30 AM ET, 08/16/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: Tier 1, Tier 2, obama and education policies, obama and school reform, school improvement grants, school turnaround grants, school turnarounds

Posted at 11:13 AM ET, 08/07/2010

Why you should be skeptical about standardized test scores

By Valerie Strauss

A Columbia University teacher writes about the problems with our faith our standardized test scores: "Yes, we 'just' need better tests. But creating better tests is very hard and very expensive. And in a system as vast and complex as ours, it’ll be tempting to continue using tests that can be graded quickly and that don’t look very different from the ones we now use. But without a radically different approach to standardized testing in this country, we are unlikely to get different results."

By Valerie Strauss | 11:13 AM ET, 08/07/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: in, obama and education, obama's education policies, rhe, rhee fires teachers, standardized test scores, using standardized tests for high stakes decisions

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

Principal: Not the change I had in mind

By Valerie Strauss

A principal writes: "I am still not over the sadness and anger I feel over what happened to my colleague, [principal] Joyce Irvine.... Parents are grateful for her leadership, she knows all of her students, she launched innovative programs, her teachers and her superintendent give her high marks, and even her U.S. senator has praised her work. And she has been fired."

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 08/06/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: George Wood, George Wood, George Wood, George Wood | Tags: George Wood, Joyce Irvine, Race to the top, education reform, principal fired, race to the top policies, school reform, vermont principal

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 08/02/2010

Ed policies ignore science on how/when kids learn

By Valerie Strauss

Early education expert Lisa Guernsey shows just how out of whack American public education is by looking at new science and social research.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 08/02/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: Lisa Guernsey, New America Foundation, early childhood development and reading, early education, early education initiative, literacy development

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 07/30/2010

Obama, education, Snooki, civil rights and Bryan Bass

By Valerie Strauss

It's hard to make sense out of what happened in the world of education this week. But let's try.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 07/30/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Race to the Top, Race to the Top | Tags: al sharpton, arne duncan and urban league, civil rights leaders and obama, obama and snooki, obama and urban league, obama mentions snooki, obama's education speech, obama's speech to urban league, snooki, snooki and jersey shore, urban league convention

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 07/28/2010

New analysis blasts Obama’s school turnaround policy -- and tells how to fix it

By Valerie Strauss

The Obama administration’s approach to improving the country's most troubled schools are nothing more than a toughened version of largely unsuccessful strategies concocted under president Bush and should be replaced with a flexible system that involves parents and communities, according to a new report that includes a list of more than 2,000 targeted schools and a demographic analysis.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:30 AM ET, 07/28/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: civil rights leaders and education, duncan and urban league, education framework, how to turnaround schools, no child left behind, no child left behind and school turnaround models, obama and urban league, report on school turnaround, school transformation models, school turnaround models

Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 07/27/2010

Duncan and education’s “quiet revolution”

By Valerie Strauss

Some things speak for themselves. That includes this blogpost on the Education Department’s website about a major speech Secretary Arne Duncan is giving today. The post talks about a “quiet revolution” in education now sweeping the country, one in which...

By Valerie Strauss | 06:00 AM ET, 07/27/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: duncan anounces race to the top finalists, duncan speech, quiet revolution and education, race to the top finalists, rttt finalists

Posted at 03:00 PM ET, 07/26/2010

Civil rights groups skewer Obama education policy (updated)

By Valerie Strauss

It is most politely written, but a 17-page framework for education reform being released today by a coalition of civil rights groups amounts to a thrashing of President Obama’s education policies and it offers a prescription for how to set things right.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:00 PM ET, 07/26/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: civil rights and duncan, civil rights leaders and education, duncan and urban league, framework for education and civil rights groups, framework for providing all students an opportunity to learn, obama and urban league, obama speaks to urban league, the urban league, urban league convention

Posted at 07:53 AM ET, 07/21/2010

Alexander Russo on Jay Mathews and Harlem Children's Zone

By Valerie Strauss

There's nothing like a good fight to spice up a hot July day, so here, Alexander Russo of "This Week in Education" takes on my esteemed colleague Jay Mathews over the Harlem Children's Zone.

By Valerie Strauss | 07:53 AM ET, 07/21/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: alexander russo, brookings and harlem children's zone, brookings and hcz, criticism of harlem children's zone, geoffrey canada, harlem children's zone, hcz and hype, jay mathews, poverty and school reform, poverty and student achievement, promise academy, promise charter academies, this week in education

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 07/20/2010

Education law 'tales of the weird'

By Valerie Strauss

Here are some education stories that are, well, just a little weird.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:30 AM ET, 07/20/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: education law, strange education stories, weird education stories

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 07/19/2010

A letter to Secretary Arne Duncan

By Valerie Strauss

A businesswoman and education activist writes a letter to Education Secretary Arne Duncan about the difference between his words and his policies.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:30 AM ET, 07/19/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: arne duncan, failure of nclb, nclb, obama's education blueprint, race to the top grants, rita solnet, school reform

Posted at 11:02 AM ET, 07/15/2010

Florida's FCAT scandal -- the next chapter

By Valerie Strauss

Let’s go to Florida for the latest entry in the category of “you can’t make up this stuff.” Here's the latest twist in the scandal over the state's 2010 standardized test scores.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:02 AM ET, 07/15/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Standardized Tests | Tags: FCAT, eric smith, florida comprehensive assessment test, florida education department, ncs pearson, pearson and fcats, problems with fcats, standardized tests

Posted at 04:29 PM ET, 07/14/2010

A weird accountability system in Texas

By Valerie Strauss

In the category of “data will set your school system free, unless, of course, the data In the In the category of “data will set your school system free, unless, of course, the data doesn’t doesn’t tell the literal truth, ” we have the Texas Projection Measure. It’s a tool that awards schools credit for students who have actually failed state-mandated tests but who are expected to pass sometime in the future

By Valerie Strauss | 04:29 PM ET, 07/14/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Research, Research | Tags: accountability measures and school, data driven reform, gerald bracey, texas accountability measures, texas education agency, texas projection measure

Posted at 11:15 AM ET, 07/12/2010

How Gates is spending money on school reform

By Valerie Strauss

My colleague Nick Anderson's story about Bill Gates explains how Gates is spending hundreds of millions of dollars in public education.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:15 AM ET, 07/12/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: bill & melinda gates foundation, bill gates, gates foundation and public education, gates foundation and schools, nick anderson

Posted at 10:24 AM ET, 07/12/2010

Questions for Michelle Obama's live Web chat on obesity

By Valerie Strauss

First Lady Michelle Obama is hosting her first live web chat on Tuesday about her national campaign to end the country's obesity epidemic. Here are a few questions for her.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:24 AM ET, 07/12/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Health, Health | Tags: first lady and web chat, first lady michelle obama and let's move, let's move and michelle obama, michelle obama, michelle obama and first web chat, michelle obama and obesity, michelle obama and web chat, nclb and physical education, physical education and obesity, web chat and let's move

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 07/12/2010

Bill Gates' troubling involvement in school reform

By Valerie Strauss

Bill Gates is surely smart and rich, but his involvement in public education is highly troubling for a number of reasons. Here's why.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:30 AM ET, 07/12/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Teachers | Tags: bill gates, bill gates and teachers, bill gates at aft convention, gates foundation and education, gates foundation and race to the top, gates speech to teachers, teachers

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 07/09/2010

The problem with linking phys ed to academics

By Valerie Strauss

Sure, physical education has been linked to academic achievement. But why should it be? Isn't being physically fit a goal unto itself?

By Valerie Strauss | 06:30 AM ET, 07/09/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: benefits of physical education, guest bloggers, health, pe and academics, physical education, physical education and academics, physical education and test scores, sean slade, teaching to the whole child, the whole child

Posted at 02:51 PM ET, 07/08/2010

Studies question Arizona’s policy on English learners

By Valerie Strauss

Nine new studies released today show how poorly English learners are faring in Arizona.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:51 PM ET, 07/08/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: English language learners, English language learners | Tags: arizona and english language learners, arizona education policies, civil rights project at ucla, civil rights projects, new studies on arizona

Posted at 12:30 PM ET, 07/08/2010

Ravitch on teachers and her critics

By Valerie Strauss

Education historian Diane Ravitch brings down the house at a teachers convention and answers her critics.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:30 PM ET, 07/08/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags: charter schools and research, death and life of great american school system, diane ravitch, ed week and ravitch, national education association and convention, nea convention, ravitch and nea, ravitch and teachers, ravitch and video, teachers convention

Posted at 09:30 AM ET, 07/07/2010

The value of arts education: A video

By Valerie Strauss

Here is a 14-minute film that does a great job detailing the impact of arts education on the development of children’s cognitive, artistic, social and psychological development.

By Valerie Strauss | 09:30 AM ET, 07/07/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Arts Education | Tags: andrew swaine, arts education, arts/learning, derek ledoux, effects of arts education, importance of arts education, kennedy center and arts video, value of arts education

Posted at 12:31 PM ET, 07/06/2010

Senators' logic for fighting cuts to Race to Top flawed

By Valerie Strauss

A letter that 13 senators wrote in opposition to proposed cuts to three of President Obama’s main education programs has some flawed reasoning.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:31 PM ET, 07/06/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Race to the Top, Race to the Top | Tags: bayh letter, cutting race to the top, duncan and race to the top, legislation and teachers, legislation to save teachers jobs, obey and education bill, obey and teachers, race to the top and second round, race to the top and winners, race to the top applications, race to the top criteria

Posted at 02:26 PM ET, 07/02/2010

Favorite quote of the week (by Obey)

By Valerie Strauss

House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey uttered my favorite quote of the week. In a town not known for its humor, this made me laugh.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:26 PM ET, 07/02/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Race to the Top, Race to the Top | Tags: cuts to race to the top, david obey, education jobs at risk, edujobs bill, house passes war bill, house rules committee, obey duncan, race to the top, race to the top and duncan, saving education jobs

Posted at 01:14 PM ET, 06/28/2010

Willingham: Newsweek story on single-sex ed research misses mark

By Valerie Strauss

Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham critiques a Newsweek article on single-sex education and how faithfully it represents research on the issue.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:14 PM ET, 06/28/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Guest Bloggers | Tags: dan willingham, daniel willingham, education research, newsweek, research and education, single-sex education, single-sex education and effectiveness.

Posted at 11:42 AM ET, 06/27/2010

Obama policy blamed for popular principal's reassignment

By Valerie Strauss

A popular principal is being reassigned in Lincoln, Neb., and district officials say that the U.S. Education Department is to blame.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:42 AM ET, 06/27/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: de ann currin, duncan and obama and school reform, elliott elementary school, lincoln public schools, obama administration and education policy, obama's education policy, replacing the principal, restructuring and school, restructuring models, schools and federal intervention, stimulus money for education, title 1 money, title 1 schools

Posted at 11:44 AM ET, 06/24/2010

Choosing public higher ed for the right reasons

By Valerie Strauss

The president of the University of Buffalo writes about why families should choose public higher education.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:44 AM ET, 06/24/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: College Admissions | Tags: SUNY system, benefits of public education, best schools in SUNY system, choosing a college, college admissions, college applicaitons, getting into college, how to pick a college, university of buffalo

Posted at 02:35 PM ET, 06/23/2010

Texas judge rejects creationist master's degree

By Valerie Strauss

A federal judge has denied an effort by the Institute for Creation Research to issue masters degrees in science education from “a Biblical scientific creationist viewpoint,” instead siding with state officials who initially refused to allow the program to go forward.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:35 PM ET, 06/23/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Science | Tags: creationism, creationism vs. evolution, creationist science, earth science institute and texas, institute for creation research, judge rejects creationist masters degree, judge sam sparks and ruling, texas and creationist institute, texas higher education coordinating board

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 06/21/2010

Christian churches oppose Race to the Top, Obama blueprint

By Valerie Strauss

An extraordinary letter sent to President Obama and U.S. lawmakers by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA -- which represents churches that have a combined membership of 45 million people -- should erase any doubt that the opposition to the Obama administration's education policies is wide and deep.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:30 AM ET, 06/21/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: No Child Left Behind, No Child Left Behind, No Child Left Behind | Tags: arne duncan and school reform, charter schools and pastoral letter, churches of christ, education reform, elementary and secondary school act and reauthorization, esea reauthorization, national council of the churches of christ, national council of the churches of christ in the usa, obama and blueprint and education reform, obama and school reform, pastoral letter, pastoral letter and obama and education, president obama's blueprint for education reform, race to the top, reauthorization of no child left behind

Posted at 06:20 PM ET, 06/18/2010

Detroit school board head quits after complaint alleging inappropriate behavior

By Valerie Strauss

In the category of you can't make up this stuff, the Detroit Board of Education president quits after the schools superintendent accuses him of inappropriate behavior.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:20 PM ET, 06/18/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: board president resigns, detroit board of education, otis mathis, school board

Posted at 09:00 AM ET, 06/16/2010

Ravitch: 'Are we in an era of National Stupidity?'

By Valerie Strauss

Education historian Diane Ravitch looks at the accumulating evidence revealing how our "accountability policies are a great fraud," and asks: "Are we in an era of National Stupidity or National Insanity?"

By Valerie Strauss | 09:00 AM ET, 06/16/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch | Tags: Arne Duncan, Diane Ravitch, accountability and nclb, accountability movement, accountability policies, bridging differences, diane ravitch and deborah meier, holding teachers accountability, how to hold teachers accountable, narrowing the curriculum, president obama and education bluerpint, president obama and school reform, teachers and merit pay

Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 06/10/2010

Reformers: Stop doing these 4 things

By Valerie Strauss

An expert on classroom instruction explains the four things school leaders have to stop doing immediately to improve teaching and student achievement.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:30 AM ET, 06/10/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Learning | Tags: block scheduling, great instruction, improving classroom instructions, john o'connor, mistakes in education reform, school reformers

Posted at 04:30 AM ET, 06/09/2010

MCPS selling its reputation to Pearson

By Valerie Strauss

Some may call Project North Star a pretty smart deal. I would use less flattering words to describe the deal into which Montgomery County Public Schools just entered with the world’s largest for-profit educational publishing company to nationally “brand” a newly created K-5 curriculum.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:30 AM ET, 06/09/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Montgomery County Public Schools | Tags: mcps, mcps curriculum, montgomery county public schools, pearson and montgomery county schools, pearson education, pearson education and curriculum, project north star

Posted at 11:19 AM ET, 06/04/2010

Why fun is important in learning

By Valerie Strauss

By Sean Slade. Why do we assume that learning only occurs when kids are serious and quiet? This anti-fun vein is evident in education editorials and discussion boards, but brain research suggests that fun is not just beneficial to learning but required for long-term memory and authentic learning.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:19 AM ET, 06/04/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Learning | Tags: ascd, engaging students, fun in education, healthy classrooms, healthy school communitiesy, learning, theory of learning

Posted at 12:00 PM ET, 06/03/2010

Movies and School Reform: Lessons from ‘An Inconvenient Truth’

By Valerie Strauss

By Frederick M. Hess. I can’t recall how many times over the years I’ve heard from school reformers, "We need our own ‘An Inconvenient Truth.’ " You know, a cinematic indictment of the educational status quo jarring enough to stir a lethargic public. Well, all of a sudden, we’ve got a whole bunch of them, and we’re about to see how much they matter.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:00 PM ET, 06/03/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Guest Bloggers | Tags: documentaries on education, education movies, education reform, frederick hess, guest bloggers, movies and school reform, the cartel and movie, the lottery and movie, waiting for superman

Posted at 05:00 PM ET, 06/02/2010

Must we link P.E. (and everything else) to test scores?

By Valerie Strauss

Is there nothing in education today that we do not feel the need to justify through improved standardized test scores? A new report is out about physical education in public schools. The news is not good.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:00 PM ET, 06/02/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Health, Health, Health | Tags: american heart association, let's move, michelle obama, michelle obama's anti-obesity campaign, obama and get Fit, obesity, obesity epidemic, physical activity and health, physical education, physical education and test scores, recommended physical education guidelines, standardized test scores

Posted at 05:16 PM ET, 06/01/2010

The desperation of Race to the Top

By Valerie Strauss

Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell should stop sounding so defensive about why the state opted out of the second round of the $4 billion Race to the Top contest. Virginia and at least 20 other states did the right thing.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:16 PM ET, 06/01/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: duncan and race to the top, education secretary arne duncan, race to the top, race to the top second round, rttt second round, school reform and arne duncan, states and race to the top

Posted at 01:38 PM ET, 06/01/2010

Chicago's teacher performance-based pay didn't work -- new analysis

By Valerie Strauss

A study released today shows no evidence that performance-based compensation for teachers in Chicago improved student math and reading tests when compared with a group of similar schools that did not use the system. Meanwhile, states are rushing to implement this kind of payment system without real evidence that it works.

By Valerie Strauss | 01:38 PM ET, 06/01/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Research, Research, Research | Tags: analysis on performance-based pay, chicago tap, chicago tap and report, chicago tap program, duncan and chicago, education secretary arne duncan, performance-based pay, race to the top, report on performanced-based pay, tap

Posted at 12:25 PM ET, 05/31/2010

The schooling of Buddy Valastro, the Cake Boss

By Valerie Strauss

Here is another in my "Talking Out of School" series of interviews with people from different walks of life about their education, formal and informal. Today read about Buddy Valastro, aka, the Cake Boss.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:25 PM ET, 05/31/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Talking Out of School | Tags: Buddy Valastro, Buddy Valastro and cake Boss, Cake Boss, Cake Boss and school, Cake boss and education, Talking Out of School, buddy and carlo's bakery, buddy valastro and cakes, carlo's bakery, carlo's bakery in hoboken

Posted at 10:01 AM ET, 05/29/2010

Gender gap in higher education growing -- report

By Valerie Strauss

In less than a decade women will account for 59 percent of total undergraduate enrollment and 61 percent of graduate enrollment at the country’s colleges and universities and already have a dominant presence at every degree level, a new government report shows. But women still remain severely underrepresented in certain fields, the report shows, and young adult males still have higher median earnings than young adult females with the same levels of education at every degree level.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:01 AM ET, 05/29/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Higher Education, Higher Education | Tags: condition of education, condition of education 2010, female enrollment, female enrollment in higher education, gender and enrollment, higher education, male attainment and college, male enrollment, male enrollment in college, participation in higher education by gender, women and higher education

Posted at 12:07 PM ET, 05/28/2010

1 in 6 U.S. students in high-poverty schools

By Valerie Strauss

A government analysis of U.S. schools shows that one in six public school students attend high poverty schools and that the percentage of high-poverty schools has significantly increased over the past decade. There's a lot more data too.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:07 PM ET, 05/28/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Equity, Equity | Tags: 2010 condition of education, analysis on high-poverty schools, condition of education, data on schools, equity, high-poverty schools, percentage of high-poverty schools, school

Posted at 03:06 PM ET, 05/27/2010

Sharp critique of for-profit ed companies

By Valerie Strauss

A highly successful and well-known Wall Street trader who has become famous for foreseeing the country's financial crash gives a speech blasting the for-profit education industry.

By Valerie Strauss | 03:06 PM ET, 05/27/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Higher Education | Tags: for-profit education, for-profit higher education, steven eisman and for-profit education, steven eisman speech, the big short

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 05/24/2010

Bad standards: Not just in Texas

By Valerie Strauss

Texas isn’t the only place with lousy social studies standards, though you might be forgiven for thinking so considering all the attention that Texas Board of Education has received in recent months as it adopted a new set of standards.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:30 AM ET, 05/24/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: History, History | Tags: Indiana textbooks, Oregon standards, Texas board of education, Texas social studies standards, Texas standards, history, social studies standards, standards, textbooks

Posted at 09:30 AM ET, 05/21/2010

Prof to students: Campaign for me, skip final exam

By Valerie Strauss

A professor and state legislator offered his students this deal: Campaign for me and you don't have to take the final exam.

By Valerie Strauss | 09:30 AM ET, 05/21/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: final exam and tobia, higher education, rep. tobia and complaint, tobia, tobia and students

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 05/21/2010

The worst Texas social studies standard?

By Valerie Strauss

I’ve been reading the social studies standards in Texas as well as the many proposed changes being pushed by religious conservatives on the Board of Education, and playing an entirely subjective game: Which is the most egregious twisting of history?

By Valerie Strauss | 06:30 AM ET, 05/21/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: History | Tags: revising social studies standards, texas and standards, texas board of education, texas social studies standards, texas standards

Posted at 11:15 AM ET, 05/20/2010

Obama’s mistake with technology in ed reform

By Valerie Strauss

The Obama administration's plan for rewriting No Child Left Behind makes the mistake of relegating technology – a catalyst for all educational reform efforts for the 21st century – to just an “additional, cross-cutting priority.”

By Valerie Strauss | 11:15 AM ET, 05/20/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Technology, Technology | Tags: blueprint for reform, obama and blueprint for reform, obama and mistake, obama and nclb, obamas, teachers college, teachers college at columbia university, technology in education, technology in schools

Posted at 11:37 AM ET, 05/19/2010

Rand Paul’s views on education and reform

By Valerie Strauss

The political man of the moment is Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist and political novice who won the Republican Senate primary in a sign of the attraction of the tea party’s anti-government message. So let’s take a look at his views on education and reform.

By Valerie Strauss | 11:37 AM ET, 05/19/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: No Child Left Behind | Tags: NCLB, abolish education department, nclb and rand paul, no child left behind and paul, rand paul and education, rand paul and education department, rand paul and school reform, rand paul views on education

Posted at 12:26 PM ET, 05/17/2010

Is education research all dreck? -- Willingham

By Valerie Strauss

Cognitive scientist evaluates whether education research is all garbage or has some value.

By Valerie Strauss | 12:26 PM ET, 05/17/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham, Daniel Willingham | Tags: Daniel Willingham, aera, education research, value of education research

Posted at 03:23 PM ET, 05/13/2010

Did Texas school board abuse its power?

By Valerie Strauss

With the Texas State Board of Education getting ready to adopt controversial new social studies standards, a new report accuses the panel of abusing its power and asks the state Legislature to intervene. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of...

By Valerie Strauss | 03:23 PM ET, 05/13/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: History | Tags: history, history standards and texas, texas board of education, texas social studies standards

Posted at 04:32 PM ET, 05/11/2010

A new source for education news, analysis

By Valerie Strauss

Here's a new source for the public to get news and analysis about education.

By Valerie Strauss | 04:32 PM ET, 05/11/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Hechinger Report, Teachers College, education news

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 05/11/2010

John Lennon and Arne Duncan

By Valerie Strauss

The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is visiting the Department of Education today, and we imagine what it would be like if Education Secretary Arne Duncan fully supported arts education.

By Valerie Strauss | 06:30 AM ET, 05/11/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: Arne Duncan, John Lennon and music, John Lennon bus, John Lennon bus and Education Department, an, arts education, arts education and Arne Duncan

Posted at 10:20 AM ET, 05/10/2010

Say what, Secretary Duncan?

By Valerie Strauss

Education Secretary Arne Duncan must have been kidding when he said he has no public opposition to his education reforms. Because if he isn't kidding, the alternative is far worse.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:20 AM ET, 05/10/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: Education Secretary Duncan, Race to the Top, Race to the Top opposition, Wall Street Journal and Duncan, public opposition to reform, race to the top proposals, states pull out of race to the top

Posted at 05:02 PM ET, 05/09/2010

Charter schools: Is this the way it was supposed to work?

By Valerie Strauss

With Education Secretary Arne Duncan promoting the expansion of publicly funded charter schools as if they had been proven to be the silver bullet for school reform (they haven’t), it seems reasonable to look at what can happen when schools are opened without enough regulation.

By Valerie Strauss | 05:02 PM ET, 05/09/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags: Arne Duncan, Central Avenue School, Duncan and charter schools, Education Secretary Duncan, Florida and charter schools, Imagine Schools, New York Times and charter schools, St. Petersburg Times and charter schools, charter schools

Posted at 06:30 AM ET, 05/06/2010

Harvard study gives Race to Top winners bad grades on academic standards

By Valerie Strauss

One of the two states chosen by Education Secretary Arne Duncan as a winner in the first round of the $4 billion Race to the Top competition has academic standards that earned the grade of ‘F’ in a new study by Harvard University researchers, while the other state got a ‘C minus.’

By Valerie Strauss | 06:30 AM ET, 05/06/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan, Education Secretary Duncan | Tags: Education Next, NAEP, National Assessment of Educational Progress, No Child Left Behind, Paul Peterson, Race to the Top, academic standards, education next, grading the states, state assessments, state content standards, state standards

Posted at 02:00 AM ET, 05/06/2010

How U.S. school reform is linked to UK vote

By Valerie Strauss

A British writer explains the connection between U.S. charter schools and the general election today in the United Kingdom--and an interest on both sides of the Atlantic in the KIPP charter schools.

By Valerie Strauss | 02:00 AM ET, 05/06/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Categories: Charter schools, Charter schools | Tags: British election, British schools, Gordon brown, Gove and KIPP, KIPP, KIPP schools, Knowledge Is Power, UK election, charter schools, education in britain, obama and KIPP, schools in England

Posted at 10:44 AM ET, 05/02/2010

Education Department changes the music

By Valerie Strauss

Elevator music is out at the Department of Education. “Schoolhouse Rock!” is in.

By Valerie Strauss | 10:44 AM ET, 05/02/2010 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)
Tags: Conjunction Junction, Department of Education, disney and conjunction junction, new music at ed department, schoolhouse rock, schoolhouse rock and education department

The Answer Sheet: education