This Week In Education Blogs: Readers Digest Version Of The NatJourn

This Week In Education

Blogs: Readers Digest Version Of The NatJourn

by Alexander Russo

No time to wade through all the hot air on National Journal's education experts blog? Me, neither. Good thing that there's this handy dandy digest of what everyone's had to say so far. Click below to read it. The topic is RTTT - who or what should win the next round. But reader beware: Lots of spin, wishful thinking, and extremely predictable blather.
Arne Duncan - Only the best and boldest plans will win. Watering down reform to get more union buy-in is not a good strategy. Margaret Spellings – bold reforms trump stakeholder buy-in when the stakeholders are behind the times. Diane Ravitch – Forget the debate about buy-in versus

Thompson: Losing Our Educational Topsoil

by john thompson

Since Margaret Spellings in Drag Arne Duncan wants to scale up the Texas Miracle, he should note the turnover rate of their principals, with 70% leaving within five years.  The rate is almost as bad for assistant principals and 30% of them leave administration altogether, and the toll is higher with low performing schools. I kid the Secretary because he wants both the Lone Star State'smacho accountability and the Broader Bolder agenda.  But that makes capacity-building even more challenging.  Surely Duncan agrees with Sam Chaltain that principals must nurture the rich topsoil from which school transformations must grow.  And perhaps a he can fund the importation of enough ready-made compost for a few dozen turnarounds.   But how can we create the organic matter - enough