This Week In Education: EdSec: Duncan To S. Africa To Bolster U.S. Team Defense

This Week In Education: EdSec: Duncan To S. Africa To Bolster U.S. Team Defense

EdSec: Duncan To S. Africa To Bolster U.S. Team Defense

by Alexander Russo

Breaking news; President Obama is sending Education Secretary Arne Duncan to South Africa in an effort to bolster United States chances in the World Cup.
No, not really. But here's the schedule for next week. Nothing nearly as interesting on tap, at least as far as public media events that they want us to know about and hope will be covered by the press.

PUBLIC SCHEDULE OF U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY ARNE DUNCAN

THE WEEK AHEAD: Monday-Saturday, June 21-26, 2010

MONDAY, JUNE 21
11:20 a.m.
The Secretary will meet with U.S. Presidential Scholars. U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Hall of Flags, 16115 H

Thompson: Rejecting the Blame Game

by john thompson

My school is the lowest performing in the state, but before blaming educators or parents we should check Newsweek's rankings of top high schools. Our poor neighborhood sends kids to five schools on Jay Mathews' elite list and to several other equally excellent schools. When we still had Advanced Placement, I often felt like I was back teaching at Rutgers as I taught students who were more advanced than anyone from my generation. Now, I chat daily with the students, parents, and teachers at Harding Prep (ranking #69), which is a block from my house. Though listed as 77% low-income, it is not in the same world as the old Harding where gang-members and their Rotweillers stood vigil every day. When I judged History Contests at Classen (#39), the students and I would philosophize for hours afterward. The conversations were graduate-school quality.
(A brilliant project on labor history, I thus learned, was led by the son of my old Teamsters Union shop steward.)
The three ranked suburban schools, as well as other districts' schools that are less than 30 minutes away from