Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All Week
@GovChristie: Education Politics, Not Education Policy
Remember Chris Christie's big idea from this past winter? He was going to lengthen the school day and the school year. It was urgent that we do this immediately: "This is a key step to improve student outcomes and boost our competitiveness. We should do it now."So, how's that going, Governor?It was one of the centerpieces of Gov. Chris Christie’s State of the State address in January: a
JUL 24
The Merit Pay Virus Keeps Spreading
I just noticed that the controversial teachers contract in Paterson, NJ was approved by the local union by a slim margin:PATERSON — By a narrow margin, the Paterson teachers’ union has approved its new labor contracts, but some members question the way the voting was conducted, saying not everyone got a chance to cast a ballot. About 53 percent of the votes were in favor of the two contracts and 4
JUL 22
What Exactly Does Campbell Brown Want?
It appears that Campbell Brown, in the wake of Michelle Rhee's continuing descent into irrelevance, is going to be the new face of reforminess for the foreseeable future. Say what you will about Rhee, at least she taught for a couple of years; Brown forms her opinions about teachers, however, unencumbered by even that little bit of experience:Under New York law, schools must decide after just thre
JUL 20
Civil Conversations Are Honest Conversations
Via Peter Greene, I see that Andy Smarick, formerly of the New Jersey Department of Education, is quite vexed at the idea that someone's feelings may get hurt when discussing the expansion of charter schools:I have two concerns with the way these things are trending. The first is that our field needs someone who consistently makes earnest, objective, sturdy philosophical arguments against charteri
UARK Study Shamelessly (& Knowingly) Uses Bogus Measures to Make Charter Productivity Claims
Any good study of the relative productivity and efficiency of charter schools compared to other schools (if such comparisons were worthwhile to begin with) would require precise estimates of comparable financial inputs and outcomes as well as the conditions under which those inputs are expected to yield outcomes. The University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform has just produced a follow
My open letter to President Obama about public education
Dear President Obama,Along with millions of Americans, I proudly and joyously voted for you in 2008. I believed that finally our nation was living up to its promise of a land where 'all men [and women] are created equal'. I have continually admired your resolve and poise in the face of birthers and other racists who have purposefully jeopardized the best interests of our nation as they plot your p
Feds will investigate “One Newark”
The deeply flawed state school reorganization plan known as “One Newark” faces a federal investigation. In response to a detailed request for a probe from Pulse New Jersey, a parent activist group founded by Johnny Lattner and Sharon Smith, the U.S. Department of Education will determine whether the plan–which has confused the lives of thousands of […]
GUEST: Ripoff “colleges”: Crushing debt and subprime education
Politicians rain our money on ripoff schools BY LINDA STAMATO We have been using public money to prop up private, for-profit colleges, while their students acquire crushing debt and questionable credentials. And, more than half of the students default on their loans. So, why, why are we doing this? Our Congress, the one that doesn’t […]
New Jersey Education Ain't That Good!
The New Jersey education system certainly has failed if 44% of the population still believes Christie is doing a good job!During his administration:*New Jersey’s credit rating has been reduced six times*A $400M federal education grant was lost*“The Governor” signs and promotes a law regarding pensions and then reneges on it a year later (then he proclaims at a Town Hall Meeting – “A deal is a dea