Have teachers changed their minds about reform?
What do teachers really think about the current school reform movement? Matthew Di Carlo, senior fellow at the non-profit Albert Shanker Institute in Washington, D.C. explains. Thisoriginally appeared on the institute’s Shanker Blog.
By Matthew Di Carlo
In a recent Washington Post article called “Teachers leaning in favor of reforms,” veteran reporter Jay Mathews puts forth an argument that one hears rather frequently – that teachers are “changing their minds,” in a favorable direction, about the current wave of education reform. Among other things, Mr. Mathews cites two teacher surveys. One of them, which we discussed here, is a single-year survey that doesn’t actually look at trends, and therefore cannot tell us much about shifts in teachers’ attitudes over time (it was also a voluntary online survey).
His second source, on the other hand, is in fact a useful means of (cautiously) assessing
Top 10 education policy wishes
Here are the top 10 items on an education wish list for the holiday season and the new year. It was written byGreg Kaufmann, who reports on poverty for the Nation, and Elaine Weiss, the national coordinator for theBroader Bolder Approach to Education. This appeared on The Nation's website.
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Arne Duncan thanks Sandy Hook educators
Here is a newly released video and transcript of Education Secretary Arne Duncan's statement to the educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., scene of last week's shootings that killed 20 children and six teachers. Duncan visited Newtown on Wednesday, speaking privately with teachers and school district staff, according to this Connecticut news blog. He was also reported to have attended services that were held for Sandy Hook Principal Dawn Hochsprung, and he met with her daughters.
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