Rhee Report Card Backwards? Denver School Board Drama: Ed Tonight
Is Michelle Rhee doing it wrong? Over at governing.com, Mark Funkhouser writes about "education and the inputs-outcomes trap." Taking a look at Rhee's StudentsFirst state policy report card, he argues that Rhee's approach here is backwards: "You don't start by deciding which policies are best; you start with outcomes and work your way back to see which policies are connected to good results." That is, Rhee is looking at rankings the wrong way since she's looking at policies instead of school performance.
I've been thinking about this paradox all week, ever since Randi Weingarten came out with a scathing response that pointed out the report was devoid of test scores. Weingarten is vehemently opposed to (an overdose of) standardized testing, and it's usually the other way around. This little ideological switcheroo probably doesn't matter in the long run, and it definitely doesn't affect kids in school. But it's just the latest example of how even the most strongly held ideologies in the ed-reform debate don't always apply to their beholders.
Whither Denver School Reform? EdNews Colorado is reporting that school board Secretary Nate Easley is stepping down due to a potential conflict of interest with his new day job. Why does it matter, you ask?
I've been thinking about this paradox all week, ever since Randi Weingarten came out with a scathing response that pointed out the report was devoid of test scores. Weingarten is vehemently opposed to (an overdose of) standardized testing, and it's usually the other way around. This little ideological switcheroo probably doesn't matter in the long run, and it definitely doesn't affect kids in school. But it's just the latest example of how even the most strongly held ideologies in the ed-reform debate don't always apply to their beholders.
Whither Denver School Reform? EdNews Colorado is reporting that school board Secretary Nate Easley is stepping down due to a potential conflict of interest with his new day job. Why does it matter, you ask?
Quality Counts 2013 Education Rankings Come In: Maryland First, South Dakota Last
NEW YORK -- The report card is in, and the grades aren't good. But at least they're slightly better than last year's.
On Thursday, Education Week, an education trade newspaper, released the 17th edition of the Quality Counts report, a widely-cited metric of overall educational quality in the United States. America's public schools are hardly passing: they garnered a C-plus. Last year, though, the U.S. scored a C, so the ranking represents some improvement.
"We're probably tough graders," Amy Hightower, who oversees the team of seven researchers that puts together
On Thursday, Education Week, an education trade newspaper, released the 17th edition of the Quality Counts report, a widely-cited metric of overall educational quality in the United States. America's public schools are hardly passing: they garnered a C-plus. Last year, though, the U.S. scored a C, so the ranking represents some improvement.
"We're probably tough graders," Amy Hightower, who oversees the team of seven researchers that puts together
Mental Health Care For Kids Severely Lacking, Says GAO
Hot off the presses, here's a report from the Government Accountability Office on the state of children's mental health care. It reveals some major problems.
"Most children whose emotions or behavior, as reported by their parent or guardian, indicated a potential need for a mental health service did not receive any services within the same year," the GAO wrote.
The report comes after Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), and Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (Calif.) requested that the GAO look into how psychotropic drugs affect the long-term development of kids who
"Most children whose emotions or behavior, as reported by their parent or guardian, indicated a potential need for a mental health service did not receive any services within the same year," the GAO wrote.
The report comes after Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), and Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (Calif.) requested that the GAO look into how psychotropic drugs affect the long-term development of kids who