The trouble with ‘Groupthink’ in school reform
This *was written by educator Anthony Cody, who worked for 24 years in the Oakland schools, 18 years teaching science at a high-needs school and six years as a mentor and coach of teachers. He is a National Board-certified teacher. A version of this post appeared on his Education Week Teacherblog, Living in Dialogue *. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Commencement speaker blasts students
Here’s a new one in the annals of commencement speakers: A teacher at Wellesley High School in Massachusetts gave his address to the Class of 2012 and blasted the students, telling them over and over, “You’re not special.” Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
‘Turning and turning in the widening gyre’
This *was written by William J. Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder,, a member of the Vermont State Board of Education, and a former school superintendent. The views expressed are his own.* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
The most useless standardized tests
This *was written by Fred Smith, a retired New York City Board of Education senior analyst who worked for the public school system in test research and development. A version of this post first appeared on citylimits.org* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Charter renewed for controversial school but questions remain
*Correction: An earlier version of this post said CSP won a four-year charter extension. The extension was for three years.* The Chesapeake Science Point Public Charter School has won a three-year extension of its charter from the Anne Arundel Board of Education, but it has been ordered to make a number of major operational changes. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
‘Flipping’ classrooms: Does it make sense?
One of the biggest trends in classroom teaching is the “flipped classroom,” which lives up to its name: Students learn lessons at home — with the help of videos and/or other materials their teachers provide — and then do their “homework” in class, getting individualized help from the teacher and working with other students. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
The ‘Wild Wild West’ of D.C. schools: A charter school parent’s view
This *was written by Allison Brown, a former trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section, and a parent. She founded an education consulting firm that works with school districts and schools to focus on federal compliance through equity and collaboration with students, parents, and communities. Her email address is allison@allisonbrownconsulting.com.* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
How College Board can move past SAT blunder
Once it became widely known that the College Board was allowing students who paid $4,500 for a special summer college prep program to take the SAT in August when nobody else could, it was only a matter of time before the plan collapsed. That’s what happened today when the board called off the heavily criticized Aug. 3 SAT, admitting it had made a big mistake. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Should Chesapeake Science Point have its charter extended?
The Chesapeake Science Point Public Charter School in Anne Arundel County is an academic powerhouse. Most of its students get high scores on state standardized tests, and some of them successfully compete in state and international math competitions. But if you look at this assessment by the county’s school superintendent of how the school operates, you might give it a failing grade. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Vouchers and the future of public education
This *was written by education historian Diane Ravitch, a research professor at New York University and author of the bestselling “The Death and Life of the Great American School System.” This first appeared on her blog. * Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Why teachers shouldn’t learn neuroscience
This *was written by cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia and author of “Why Don’t Students Like School?” His next book, “When Can You Trust The Experts? How to tell good science from bad in education,” will be published in July. This appeared on his Science and Education blog.* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Is teacher tenure a myth?
My colleague Emma Brown wrote a terrific story detailing a hearing in which a tenured veteran teacher was challenging her principal’s efforts to fire her. The teacher was portrayed by Fairfax County Public School officials as incompetent and rigid. She said that her principal didn’t like her — especially after she became the school’s union representative — and wanted to get rid of. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Why teachers shouldn’t learn neuroscience
This *was written by cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia and author of “Why Don’t Students Like School?” His next book, “When Can You Trust The Experts? How to tell good science from bad in education,” will be published in July. This appeared on his Science and Education blog.* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Why we need vocational education
This was* written by Mark Phillips, professor emeritus of secondary education at San Francisco State University. This was written for his blog on Edutopia , and he also publishes a monthly column on education for the Marin Independent Journal. * Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
The Answer Sheet - 4 days ago
College Board urged to cancel special August SAT
The College Board was urged Monday to cancel a scheduled Aug. 3 administration of the SAT for a select group of ‘gifted and talented’ students enrolled in a $4,500 college prep program. The request to the College Board, which owns the SAT, was sent by educational consultant Elizabeth A. Stone and Robert A. Schaeffer, public education director of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, known as FairTest. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
The case against single-sex schooling
This *was written by Rebecca Bigler and Lise Eliot. Bigler is a professor of psychology and women’s and gender studies at the University of Texas at Austin, and Eliot is associate professor of neuroscience at the Chicago Medical School of Rosalind Franklin University. Both are co-authors of “The pseudoscience of single-sex schooling” published in the journal Science last September*. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
20 things kids should learn about money
Here are the 20 basic things that young people should learn about financial literacy — as recommended by the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability. The council, named in January, recently released “Money as You Grow,” personal finance lessons for kids — and everyone else who doesn’t know how to live financially smart. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
The dangers of not teaching personal finance to kids
This *was written by Brian Page, a 2011 Milken National Educator Award winner. He is a Personal Finance and AP Macroeconomics teacher with Reading Community City Schools in Ohio. He has worked with the Ohio Department of Education to develop Personal Finance and Business Education standards and serves on various education advisory boards including Vanguard, BizWorld, and FinLitTV.* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Why some kids can’t do homework (and what teachers should do about it)
T*his was written by Kenneth Goldberg, a clinical psychologist with 35 years of professional experience working with children, adolescents and adults. Now in private practice, he served previouslsy as clinical director for a children’s resident treatment facility, director of a psychiatric day-treatment program for the chronically mentally ill, and head of a rural mental-health center. He wrote “The Homework Trap: How to Save the Sanity of Parents, Students and Teachers.”* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to ... more »
The SAT: The College Board blunders
Many thousands of students around the country are taking the SAT today, the last time the college entrance exam is being given in the 2011-12 school year. But get this: A special August test date has been set for “gifted and talented” kids who enroll in an expensive summer college prep program. Everybody else has to wait until October for the next opportunity to take the test. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]