Next Step in Push to Teach 21st Century Science - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

Next Step in Push to Teach 21st Century Science - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Next Step in
Nationwide Push to Teach Students 21st Century Science Skills

SACRAMENTO—New education standards that reflect the major advances in science over the past 15 years are one step closer to completion with the launch of a final public comment period before they go to the State Board of Education for adoption, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.

Achieve, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., released the latest draft today of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The NGSS were developed through a collaborative, state-level process of which California was one of the national leaders. The NGSS will clearly articulate the science standards, defined as the educational content and practices students will need to learn from kindergarten through grade twelve. The new K–12 science standards will be rich in content and practice, arranged across disciplines and grades, to provide all students an internationally benchmarked science education. The NGSS are based on the Framework for K–12 Science Education developed by the National Research Council.

"In the next decade, the number of jobs requiring highly technical skills is expected to outpace other occupations,"said Torlakson. "These Next Generation Science Standards will help students achieve real-world practical skills so they can help maintain California’s economic and technological leadership in the world."

The next step in the development of the NGSS will be a review by a panel of science experts, and public hearings are expected to be held in the spring throughout the state. In the summer, the State Board of Education should receive feedback from the panel and public hearings. Then in the fall, the State Board is expected to consider adoption of the NGSS. 

A recent U.S. Department of Commerce study found that over the past 10 years, growth in jobs in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) was three times greater than that of non-STEM occupations. The report also forecast that STEM jobs are expected to continue to grow at a faster rate than others in the coming decade. STEM-related industries continue to be a major factor in California's economy.

Torlakson convened his STEM Task Force last year to explore the status of STEM education in terms of curriculum, instructional practices, professional learning, student testing, resources, and community and business partnerships. The STEM Task Force will provide recommendations on how to improve teaching, learning, and equal access to STEM-related courses and careers for students in kindergarten through grade twelve. This "blueprint"for STEM education is also expected to include recommendations to integrate career technical education, the Common Core State Standards, and the NGSS. 

To view the final draft of the science standards, please visit the Next Generation Science Standards  Web site.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Michelle Gunderson Offers Pledge for Ethical Use of Student Data - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Michelle Gunderson Offers Pledge for Ethical Use of Student Data - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Michelle Gunderson Offers Pledge for Ethical Use of Student Data

by Anthony Cody

I attended the Occupy Department of Education 2.0 protest in Washington, DC, last week, and had a chance to spend some time with Chicago elementary teacher Michelle Gunderson. Michelle has become concerned about the myriad ways in which student data is now being used, and she shared with me this Personal Pledge for the Ethical Use of Student Data. She explains why she feels this is needed:

Michelle Gunderson: When I first started teaching in the Chicago Schools standardized tests were used as sorting instruments. Our students were given the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), a multiple choice test which involved reading passages, math computation, and math problem solving. At the end of the year, these scores along with grades and teacher recommendations were used to sort kids into piles, and we had classrooms labeled as "high, low, and bi-lingual" at our school.
Then in 1995 with the passage of the Illinois Education Reform Act and the CPS promotion policy, I saw testing as a tool for punishment. Children in 3rd, 6th, and 8th grades were placed in summer school with threat of retention if their scores on the ITBS fell below certain cut scores. Schools were also put on probation and threatened with closings based on test 

CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION MEETING IN LONG BEACH 4/13/13 - Perdaily.com

CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION MEETING IN LONG BEACH 4/13/13 - Perdaily.com:

CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION MEETING IN LONG BEACH 4/13/13

by Leonard Isenberg

A purposefully failed and monetized for profit public education system that seeks conformity and obedience from students and teachers in lieu of developing a questioning intellect is inconsistent with maintaining a democratic society. 

The elite that is pushing for such a debased system of public education doesn't seem to have the intelligence to realize that a society that self-imposes mediocre in the public education of the majority of its people is planting the seeds of its own destruction in a manner that they have failed to learn from declined societies of the past that were foolish enough to go down this same path.

Popout

SPRING 2013 CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION CONFERENCE

Spring 2013 CA Student Union Conference
Saturday, April 13, 2013
9:00 am to 6:00 pm
CSU Long Beach, Room TBD
1250 Bellflower Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90840

REGISTER | Facebook Event | Campus Map | More Info | DONATE

The Network For Public Education | Network for Public Education News! Volume 1, Issue: #4

The Network For Public Education | We are many. There is power in our numbers. Together, we will save our schools.:

Greetings! Welcome to the fourth edition of the NPE News! In this issue, we share news from Occupy Dept of Ed 2.0 in DC, and some great ways to get involved in grassroots activism. Please share this newsletter with friends, so we can build our network of those working to support our schools. If you would like to make a donation, or become a member, you can do so here. And don't forget to "like us" on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter! Note from Anthony Report from Washington, DC Dear Friends and Allies, I am just back from Washington, DC, where I spent three days on the pavement in front of the Department of Education building, with several hundred others from around the country, at Occupy the Department of Education 2.0. There were teachers, students, parents, principals and professors, all pouring out their frustrations and hopes on that plaza. The doors of the building opened once to allow in a small group of students from the protest, who met with the DoEd staff youth outreach team. The students reported that the staff seemed unaware of the ways that students' lives have been scripted and standardized by test after test. We stood up together, and we listened to one another. We marched to the White House, and we met in a church basement to talk some more.  We learned. We heard from teachers, like Michelle Gunderson of Chicago, who shared how she had built unity at her school so that they were able to stand 100% united in last year's strike. We heard Lois Weiner remind us that teachers in the United Kingdom and Mexico are facing the same issues that we are. This is not just a national movement, it is international. Brian Jones gave us hope when he pointed out that the victories the "reformers" have won are temporary at best, and rest on false promises that they don't have the ability to fulfill. Denisha Jones told us about her research into the threats to teacher preparation programs. Deborah Meier pointed out that schools are just one of many democratic spaces that are under attack. And dozens of other speakers inspired and taught us. Perhaps most inspiring were the students. Sarah Smith, the daughter of a kindergarten teacher, protested at Wisconsin's capitol every day in 2011. Stephanie Rivera, who joined with others to organize a new group, Students United for Public Education. A Chicago student said:  "I am #378947. That is my CPS code number. Student voices have been shut out, and we are here to change this. I am not just a number. I am Israel Muñoz, and I am one of the Chicago Students Organizing to Save Our Schools."  Israel told us what is happening in in his community: "The largest school closings in history are set to happen in Chicago this year. All these closings are in low income, African American and Latino communities. As a result, young students will have to cross dangerous gang territories. This is genocide. Our education is dying. 30,000 elementary students will be affected - but every student in Chicago is affected. Students will be crowded into classrooms, rival territories. Unacceptable. Not necessary. Underutilized schools have been neglected. Reduce the number of students per class and use all the rooms! Of course, that would require investing in our schools. Rahm Emanuel says there is no money. Every year, $250 million in tax increment financing is taken from money that's intended for blighted communities. But these monies go to downtown businesses, not our poor communities." Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis advised us to always think about three things before deciding on what to do. First, will it unite us? Second, will it make us stronger? And third, will it give us more power? Really, these three things can be boiled down to one word: Solidarity. It is our greatest asset. The Network for Public Education is looking to build solidarity with all those who protested last week at the Department of Education. We also want to support even more grassroots activism. Today we are watching the news from Newark closely, to hear how the students there have walked out in protest of budget cuts. On Saturday, April 13, we will host our first webinar, focused on grassroots organizing, featuring our allies in Indiana. Our movement is growing, but we need to reach out, organize, and find greater strength. Please join, and spread the word to others. A Nebraska activist sent along this quote today: : "Each of us feels some aspect of the world's suffering acutely.  And we must pay attention.  We must act.  This little corner of the world is ours to transform.  This little corner of the world is ours to save."  Stephen Cope. Each of us has that little corner we are working on, and when we help one another, that is what solidarity is all about.   Anthony A Chicago Teacher Shares her Pledge for the Ethical Use of Student Data Chicago elementary teacher Michelle Gunderson has authored a Personal Pldege for the Ethical Use of Student Data. She writes: "We see standardized test scores used to justify privatizing our schools. Over and over again our downtown administration starves neighborhood schools of resources and refuses to address the needs of our impoverished students. Then when these schools have low performing test scores, they are closed. Charter schools, which are private enterprises even when non-profit, are opened up to fill this void." "Hence, in my career as a CPS teacher I've witnessed standardized testing used to sort, punish, and privatize." "And I am saying enough is enough." "I've developed a Personal Pledge for the Ethical Use of Student Data. This pledge is my way of communicating to fellow teachers, parents, administrators, and education policy allies my stance on standardized testing. It's a document that helps codify my moral stance, and it is hoped it will help others take a similar action." You can read more, and download your copy of this pledge to share with others here.  Join Diane Ravitch in San Diego Monday Diane Ravitch will be in San Diego on Monday, April 15th, at 5 pm. at Kearny High school, at 7651 Wellington Way. She will be hosted by the San Diego Education Association. Anthony Cody will be there too. Come join us! T-Shirt Slogan Contest: Voting Time Here is Nancy Carlsson-Paige sporting a Network for Public Education t-shirt. But it still needs a slogan! We asked for suggestions, and about fifty people offered possible slogans.  Whose Schools? Our Schools! Public Schools Keep Us Free! Public Education is a Public Good Working to provide every child a meaningful education Public Education: We're All In! And many more to choose from! Please go here and vote for your favorite slogan. We will get the t-shirts online and available soon! Grassroots Report: A Letter from Indiana  A member of the North East Indiana Friends of Public Education has shared a moving letter that she wrote to elected leaders in her state. Take a look here, and start writing -- and sharing -- some letters of your own. NPE Webinar #1: How to Organize a Grassroots Group Organizers share ideas Many of those who have joined our network want to get involved in grassroots work to change the direction of education in our communities. We are now planning a series of web forums to share concrete ways to do just that. The first will focus on how to organize grassroots groups.   Phyllis Bush and members of the North East Indiana Friends of Public Education will share their experiences in getting organized. Formed just two years ago, this group helped elect teacher Glenda Ritz as state superintendent of education.     The webinar will take place on Saturday, April 13, at 2:30 pm Eastern time, 11:30 am Pacific time. You can register here. You will be emailed a link to the webinar a day or two before the event.

Please forward this newsletter far and wide!    In solidarity,   The Network For Public Education

SEZ Who? Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils - Teacher Beat - Education Week:

Hi,

I handle media relations for WestEd. Your April 9th Big Education A.P.E. post titled "SEZ Who? Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils - Teacher Beat - Education Week" includes WestEd and the full list of Edvance research partners. While WestEd does work with Edvance on projects, we didn't participate in this report described in the blog post. It seems misleading to show us as research partners related to this specific story. Could you please either remove mention of WestEd from this story, or add text that explains the list shown is not specifically related to the report discussed in the post?

Thanks. 

Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils

By Stephen Sawchuk on April 9, 2013 4:48 PM

Middle school Teach For America teachers in Texas seem to be holding their own in the classroom, outperforming other novice teachers in math, according to a recently released study from the San Antonio, Texas-based Edvance, an independent evaluation firm.

TFA alumni also did better than other veteran teachers in that subject, the study found.

The study stands out for several reasons. For one, it looks at a very large sample size of more than 1,500 TFA teachers and alumni, nearly 500 schools, and more than 11,000 students in each subject area of reading and math. The study also looked across several Texas districts' programs. Finally, the quasi-experimental methodology used allows for more confidence that the TFA teachers and not confounding factors are responsible for the student achievement, measured here using 2010-11 state standardized test scores.

That's important, because one problem with much of the research on TFA is that it tends to compare groups of students taught by TFA and non-TFA teachers, without ensuring that those groups' baseline characteristics are similar. The research is also mainly descriptive.

The research gold standard is a random-assignment experiment, using carefully matched treatment and control groups. But these are costly, time consuming, and logistically 

Research Partners

Edvance Research has established partnerships with leading national research and educational organizations.  These alliances are instrumental in expanding the work we do and collaborating to support our mission of improving outcomes for students through building the capacity of educators and their school communities to conduct, understand and use research in their practice. The partners listed below have contributed to Edvance work on various projects.    The Academic Development Institute (ADI) is a non-profit institution founded in 1984 with a portfolio of tools and resources for state agencies, school districts, communities and families.  ADI has held contracts with state education agencies, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and with the U.S. Department of Education, most recently running the Center on Innovation & Improvement, a national content center for the U.S. Department of Education.  ADI is now a partner in three national content centers—Innovations in Learning, School Turnaround, and Building State Capacity and Productivity, and is based in Lincoln, IL.  www.adi.org. Through research and policy analysis, CRPE seeks ways to make public education more effective, especially for America’s disadvantaged students. CRPE's work emphasizes evidence over posture and confronts hard truths, searching outside the traditional boundaries of education to find pragmatic, equitable, and promising approaches to address the complex challenges facing public education. CRPE's goal is to create new possibilities for the parents, educators, and public officials who strive to improve America’s schools. Founded at the University of Washington in 1993, CRPE is a self-sustaining organization funded entirely through private philanthropic dollars, federal grants, and contracts. www.crpe.org. The Value-Added Research Center (VARC), housed in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is recognized for their ground-breaking work on value-added systems and evaluation models, which are being increasingly utilized as a tool in school improvement. WCER is one of the oldest, largest and most productive university-based education research centers in the world. VARC has gained national prominence as a technical assistance provider for performance-based compensation projects. The organization is recognized for their extensive capacity in data quality and innovation in system redesign, providing broad-based support of holistic school reform efforts. VARC provides expertise for the full range of policy & technical challenges including productivity measures, data quality, IT systems, leadership evaluation, teacher evaluation, communication and stakeholder engagement, and pipeline/human capital strategies.  http://varc.wceruw.org The Education Commission of the States(ECS) is an interstate compact created in 1965 to improve public education by facilitating the exchange of information, ideas and experiences among state policymakers and education leaders. As a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization involving key leaders from all levels of the education system, ECS creates unique opportunities to build partnerships, share information and promote the development of policy based on available research and strategies. Forty-nine states, three territories and the District of Columbia constitute the commission's current membership. Each member state or territory is represented by seven commissioners -- the governor and six other individuals, typically legislators, chief state school officers, state and local school board members, superintendents, higher education officials and business leaders. www.ecs.org. Hi, I handle media relations for WestEd. Your April 9th Big Education A.P.E. post titled "SEZ Who? Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils - Teacher Beat - Education Week" includes WestEd and the full list of Edvance research partners. While WestEd does work with Edvance on projects, we didn't participate in this report described in the blog post. It seems misleading to show us as research partners related to this specific story. Could you please either remove mention of WestEd from this story, or add text that explains the list shown is not specifically related to the report discussed in the post? Thanks.  WestEd is a leading nonprofit research, development and service agency that offers a broad portfolio of nonpartisan, evidence-based solutions. As a nonprofit agency, WestEd work is guided by a mission of promoting excellence, achieving equity and improving learning for children, youth, and adults. Founded in 1966, WestEd is guided by research and experience, drawing on an ever-growing and constantly refined base of knowledge and development for more than four decades. The organization brings in exceptional talent from across the country to tackle the complex issues related to education and human development. www.wested.org The Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) is a national leader in research on high school reform and has conducted groundbreaking research on determinants of high school graduation and college access and success. CCSR, which is part of the Urban Education Institute (UEI) at the University of Chicago, conducts research of high technical quality that can inform and assess policy and practice in the Chicago Public Schools. CCSR seeks to expand communication among researchers, policy makers, and practitioners as it supports the search for solutions to the problems of school reform. CCSR encourages the use of research in policy action and improvement of practice, but does not argue for particular policies or programs. Rather, CCSR helps to build capacity for school reform by identifying what matters for student success and school improvement, creating critical indicators to chart progress, and conducting theory-driven evaluation to identify how programs and policies are working. CCSR is a partner with Edvance on the Texas Consortium on School Research (TCSR)project. Click here to learn more about CCSR: ccsr.uchicago.edu American Institutes for Research (AIR) is one of the largest behavioral and social science research organizations in the world. REL Southwest has partnered with AIR because of their vast experience in judging the quality of research evidence, their specialized capabilities in special education and high school reform and their ground breaking research in cost analysis. Founded in 1946 as a nonprofit organization AIR’s work spans a wide range of substantive areas: education, student assessment, international education, individual and organizational performance, health research and communication, human development, usability design and testing, employment equity, and statistical and research methods. The intellectual diversity of our more than 1,100 employees, more than 50 percent of whom hold advanced degrees, enables AIR to bring together experts in many fields, including education, psychology, sociology, economics, psychometrics, statistics, public health, usability engineering, software design, graphics and video communications—all in the search for innovative answers to any challenge. AIR has partnered with Edvance on the development of several fast response research studies for the Regional Educational Laboratory – Southwest (REL Southwest). Click here to learn more about AIR:  www.air.org KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools with a track record of preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life. There are currently 99 KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia serving more than 26,000 students. KIPP builds a partnership among parents, students, and teachers that puts learning first. By providing outstanding educators, more time in school learning, and a strong culture of achievement, KIPP is helping all students climb the mountain to and through college. Edvance Research partnered with KIPP by providing expert advice around the design of the National Study on KIPP's Impact at the Middle School Level. Click here to learn more about KIPP: www.kipp.org The University of Texas at Dallas Education Research Center (UTD-ERC), managed by Texas Schools Project, brings together over 500 million individual-level administrative data records from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), and other state agencies, creating an unparalleled source of PK-16 data that allows researchers to follow Texas students from pre-K through college and beyond. Texas Schools Project, which was established in 1992, supports independent, high-quality academic research and evaluation to improve academic achievement, teacher effectiveness, increase transitions to and success in postsecondary education, and improve labor market outcomes of students in Texas and the nation. In 2006 Texas Schools Project received its designation as a State of Texas Education Research Center. Over the past decade, Texas Schools Project has become one of the premier education research institutions in the country, working with leading researchers at universities in Texas and throughout the country to analyze relevant, policy-related questions that benefit students in Texas and nationwide. UTD-ERC is a partner with Edvance on the Texas Consortium on School Researchproject. Click here to learn more about the UTD-ERC: www.texasschoolsproject.org

#msnbc The Cycle: Smothering Occupy the DOE #uoodc13 and #optout. – @ the chalk face

#msnbc The Cycle: Smothering Occupy the DOE #uoodc13 and #optout. – @ the chalk face:

#msnbc The Cycle: Smothering Occupy the DOE #uoodc13 and #optout.

by Timothy D. Slekar

Occupy the DOE 2.0 and the Battle for Public Schools finally got some media coverage from MSNBC.   Check it out:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-cycle/51444548#51444548

I know.  Are you kidding me? Really? Four days of amazing groups and individuals speaking passionately about the abusive nature of corporate education reform and clear attack on the American system of public education and this is the best a mainstream media outlet can do? The segment above reduced the fight to demand a fully funded, comprehensive PUBLIC education for all children to a silly debate about whether or not “opting out” is good or bad. What?  Are my expectations too high?  I don’t think so and let tell you why. Occupy the DOE was not a gathering of crazy anti-testing people trying to shield their precious children from the real world. And Sheena Wright from the United Way had absolutely nothing of value to say about the merits of high stakes testing, literacy, and teacher evaluation. You mean to tell me that in NYC there was not a single retired teacher, education professor, statistician, or senior in high school available to be the guest?  Does MS (Gates) NBC lack the resources to find qualified 

Whac-A-Mole Leadership — Whole Child Education

Whac-A-Mole Leadership — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Whac-A-Mole Leadership

April 9, 2013 by Steven Weber

One of my favorite arcade games is Whac-A-Mole. When you drop your token in the machine, you have a limited amount of time to "whac" as many moles as you can. In the beginning of the game, one or two moles pop their heads up and it is fairly easy to hit each one. About twenty seconds into the game, the moles start popping up three at a time and when you smash a mole with the mallet it may pop up again.

Whac-A-Mole is similar to the daily routine of a principal. From the time you arrive at school in the morning until late in the evening, moles pop up. Your job is to address each mole and to prioritize which one is most important. In this article, I am going to describe the "six moles" a principal must address in order to be a good leader.

Six Moles A Principal Must Address

1. Family Concerns
   Principals receive phone calls, e-mails, and face-to-face messages from families. If you work in the car-rider line at an elementary school, a parent or grandparent may share a concern with you as they drop a child off at school. When you check your e-mail, you may have messages from multiple families with a concern about something that happened the day before. There are times when a family member has a concern about something that is a district-level concern, but it is the principal's job to advocate for families and contact the central office, or assist the family in navigating communication with the central office. Families are not moles, but concerns pop up frequently and the principal cannot ignore family concerns. It is not wise to whac a family member, but the concern must be addressed.
2. Instructional Rounds
   A principal wears several hats; and the instructional leadership hat is critical to the success of the school. If a principal is focused on e-mail, returning phone calls, developing professional development, and 

Schools Matter: Newark Students Fighting for Their Lives

Schools Matter: Newark Students Fighting for Their Lives:

Newark Students Fighting for Their Lives

by Judy Rabin

One of the most hopeful signs at Occupy the DOE 2.0 in DC this weekend were the number of students from all over the U.S. who showed up.  Students are beginning to stand up for their rights to a quality education and calling out the corporate criminals who continue to suck the life and soul out of public education while fattening their bottom lines and stockholder profits. That's what market driven education looks like, but that is not what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like.



Meanwhile, parents in New Jersey are opting their children out of the tests because they are also fed up.


A handful of New Jersey families will join an increasingly vocal national group boycotting state standardized tests this |spring, in the belief that they hinder true 

Harris-Perry to Beck and Limbaugh: ‘Allow me to double down’ | The Raw Story

Harris-Perry to Beck and Limbaugh: ‘Allow me to double down’ | The Raw Story:

Harris-Perry to Beck and Limbaugh: ‘Allow me to double down’

By David Ferguson
Tuesday, April 9, 2013 15:09 EDT

Topics: glenn beck ♦ rush limbaugh

 

• 12

   
• Email

Melissa Harris-Perry responded Tuesday to charges by right-wing commentators like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh who say that her recently released 30-second MSNBC promo is part of a United Nations plot to collectivise U.S. children and remove them from their parents’ custody.

In an essay published Tuesday called “Why caring for children is not just a parent’s job,”the Tulane professor and author said that the deluge of hate mail she has received from Beck and Limbaugh fans spurred her into action.

“My inbox began filling with hateful, personal attacks on Monday, apparently as a result of conservative reactions to a recent ‘Lean Forward’ advertisement now airing on MSNBC,” she wrote. “What I thought was an uncontroversial comment on my desire for Americans to see children as everyone’s responsibility has created a bit of a tempest in the right’s teapot. Allow me to double down.”

“I believe wholeheartedly, and without apology, that we have a collective responsibility to the 

When Making Deals In D.C. Hurts Children

When Making Deals In D.C. Hurts Children:

When Making Deals In D.C. Hurts Children

By Jeff Bryant | April 9, 2013

Everyone at all familiar with the Judgment of Solomon has to be aghast as political leaders reverse that Biblical wisdom and proceed to “split the difference” over who gets whose way on matters affecting children.

Instead of putting the interests of children first, there’s a prevailing wisdom among political centrists inside the Beltway that “compromising” with radical conservatives is the only serious approach to governance and policy-making. So when “hard fought” compromises are reached in the back corridors of the nation’s capital, centrists hold self-congratulatory press conferences, but the lives of children are cleaved in two. We see this in deals made over sequestration, in the new budget being proposed by the Obama administration, and regarding school security measures.

The Centrist Rejection Of Solomon’s Wisdom

Recall that when King Solomon was confronted by two interested parties vying over the well-being of a child, he threatened to serve both parties involved by hacking the kid in two.

This caused one party to stubbornly press its case and say, “Go ahead,” while the other party abandoned its own personal interests for what was in the best interest of the child in the long term. Solomon – understanding the long-term best interests of the child, and not the needs of the vying parties, was central to the matter – was able to rule justly and