This Week In Education: Thompson: Refocus On Classroom Instruction, Brookings Urges

This Week In Education: Thompson: Refocus On Classroom Instruction, Brookings Urges:

Thompson: Refocus On Classroom Instruction, Brookings Urges

by john thompson

The contemporary data-driven "reform" movement, fundamentally, is a theoretical bank shot, where in the name of "output-based" accountability non-educators'  change the subject away from teaching and learning in order to somehow improve teaching and learning.  "Choosing Blindly," by the Brookings Foundation's Grover Whitehurst and Matthew Chingos, is a reminder that the best way to improve classroom outcomes is to concentrate on the real interactions in the classroom and not some statistical models.  The better approach, all along, would have been to target the interactions between flesh and blood students, teachers, and the learning material

Hill: House Labor-HHS Appropriations Staff Moves

by Alexander Russo

Jennifer Gera (left) has been tapped to handle education issues for the House Labor/HHS/Education appropriations subcommittee, according to the Knowledge Alliance.
She's replacing Susan Ross, who was promoted to clerk.  
Congrats, condolences to all.  Any other arrivals or departures of note, let me know.

AM News: Savvy Romney Proposes USDE Downsize

by Will Treece

Romney offers policy details at closed-door fundraiser MSNBC:  "The Department of Education: I will either consolidate with another agency, or perhaps make it a heck of a lot smaller. I'm not going to get rid of it entirely." Romney added that he learned in his 1994 campaign for Senate that proposing to eliminate the agency was politically volatile.
Should Teachers Text With Students? HuffPost: This year has already seen a slew of controversial incidents involving teachers texting students. Earlier this month, Pennsylvania teacher Timothy Moll was accused of texting one of his students and offering good grades for naked pictures.
Programs encourage new grads to try entrepreneurship USA Today: Opportunities are springing up nationwide