Big Education Ape: Schools Matter: Weekend Readings

Thursday, April 28, 2011

by Kenneth Libby

Bruce Baker has an important post about using free and reduced lunch measures in education studies.
Ed Fuller writes about the characteristics of students entering "high-performing" charter networks in Texas (KIPP, YES, IDEA). Bonus: he even follows Bruce's advice (above) on disaggregating by free lunch and reduced lunch!
Steve Hinnefeld covers the education happenings in Indiana in this recent post, "Indiana General Assembly to public schools: Drop dead". With the Wisconsin shenanigans, attention to all kinds of craziness in New Jersey, and Illinois deforms, the Hoosier state has not been in the spotlight. But it should - big (bad) things are happening there, and Hinnefeld covers it marvelously.
The Eduwonk writes about a new KIPP study - but forgets to include a disclosure stating that his consulting shop, Bellwether Education Partners, advises KIPP.
It turns out the Gates and Broad Foundations aren't just funding the neoliberal outfits - they're alsoshelling out millions to Jeb Bush's advocacy org, the Foundation for Excellence in Education. Jeb's org is an associate member of the State Policy Network - the same network that coordinates right-wing attacks on public schools with regularity.