Thursday, September 16, 2010

Hinojosa or not, here's what the Dallas school district needs | THE EDUCATION FRONT Blog | dallasnews.com

Hinojosa or not, here's what the Dallas school district needs THE EDUCATION FRONT Blog dallasnews.com

Hinojosa or not, here's what the Dallas school district needs

by William McKenzie/ Editorial Columnist

The most important question facing the Dallas school district is not whether Superintendent Michael Hinojosa leaves the Dallas school district for Las Vegas. What's most crucial is this question: Will enough members of the Dallas school board step forward to champion the next set of reforms the district needs for its students?
And right behind that question is this one: Will Dallas voters back the type of reformers the board needs?
Let's deal first with the set of reforms Dallas next needs.
Dr. Hinojosa has been absolutely right in trying to better align the district's curriculum to the state's standards.

Schools Matter: NOT Waiting for Superman and NOT Wanting Superwoman

NOT Waiting for Superman and NOT Wanting Superwoman

by Jim Horn

Michelle Rhee is proving that defeat only brings out more of the bad Superwoman in her. Valerie Strauss has noticed, pointing to an interview done with Microsoft/NBC's clueless Nora O'Donnell in which Rhee blames the lazy and stupid voters for not appreciating the hard work that she and lame duck dictator boss are engaged in.

. . . .She further suggests that people didn’t like the reforms -- which include linking teacher pay to student standardized test scores (a terrible idea) and increasing the number of standardized tests kids must take (another rotten idea) because they were hard.

The people just don’t want “hard” reform.

“Reformers across the country knew when the mayor and I took these aggressive reforms on that it

Education Research Report: The Effects of Online Instruction on Student Learning

Education Research Report: The Effects of Online Instruction on Student Learning: "The Effects of Online Instruction on Student Learning
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This paper presents the first experimental evidence on the effects of live versus internet media of instruction. Students in a large introductory microeconomics course at a major research university were randomly assigned to live lectures versus watching these same lectures in an internet setting, where all other factors (e.g., instruction, supplemental materials) were the same. Counter to the conclusions drawn by a recent U.S"

Eduflack: Student Achievement, Data, and ROI

Student Achievement, Data, and ROI

by Eduflack

I generally try to separate my professional life (as often reflected on the musings and postings of Eduflack) from my civic life (namely my service as Vice Chair of my local school board). But sometimes, it is impossible for the two sides not to meet in the middle and buy the other a beer.

Today marks one of the chance encounters. In today's Falls Church News-Press (the newspaper of record for

This is Dropout Nation: America's Truancy Problem: The L.A. County Example

This is Dropout Nation: America’s Truancy Problem: The L.A. County Example

Two hundred seventy-two thousand Los Angeles County students were truant during the 2008-2009 school year. Let that sink in. Two hundred seventy-two thousand kids. That is 16 percent of all the students attending schools in the heart of Southern California, or 1,509 students skipping school without an excuse every school day.

We know where many of these kids will end up: They will become high school dropouts. What is astounding is that thanks to California education officials and the state legislature, we even know the truancy rate at all. Most states are ignoring the importance of reporting credible, honest truancy numbers,

CTA Doctors Anti-Whitman Ad, Comcast Approves | Intercepts

CTA Doctors Anti-Whitman Ad, Comcast Approves

by Mike Antonucci

Comcast agreed to resume airing a revamped California Teachers Association political ad it had pulled after a complaint from the campaign of GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman. The CTA ad accused her of advocating $7 billion in education cuts and 100,000 teacher layoffs. The union agreed to add some new language to address the objections. Now, instead of the narrator intoning “Whitman says…

“Bonuses” Under DC Teachers New Contract � Larry Miller's Blog

“Bonuses” Under DC Teachers New Contract

by millerlf

Posting by Bill Turque Washington Post Sept 14

Celebration glosses over fine print on bonuses

My invitation to last Friday’s Union Station reception for the 663 “highly effective” DCPS teachers must have gotten hung up in The Post mailroom, which happens from time to time. So I can’t offer a first-hand account of the event, thrown by DCPS to honor educators who scored in the top echelon of the new IMPACT evaluation system. Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee said that after so much turmoil and unrest involving firings and layoffs, she wanted to do something that focused on the best the school system has to offer.

“I want the media and other people to focus on the fact that we have hundreds and hundreds of great people in

Federal jobs bill averts needs for cuts Notes from the news, Sept. 16 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, Sept. 16 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, Sept. 16

by Erika Owens

notes from the news image Jobs bill helps district balance budget The Inquirer
Money from the bill will be used this school year and next. This year it closes a gap left by the state contributing less than the District expected.

See also: Federal jobs bill averts needs for cuts The Notebook blog

Candidates for guv talk school choice The Notebook blog
At a conference convened by a school choice PAC, the Democrat and Republican candidates were largely in agreement about choice, but differed on whether they thought the public school system is part of the solution or a problem.

What can the president's words of encouragement mean for students? The Notebook blog
Masterman students were excited to hear from the president, but his words could have had more force at a struggling school.

See also: Phillyist Gallery: President Obama Visits Masterman Phillyist

SRC will vote next week on tougher anti-bullying rules Daily News
SRC member Johnny Irizarry suggested that with the changes to reporting rules, the District should track abuse by demographic categories so that we can "know where the problem is."

Arlene Ackerman's Smile Metropolis
Obama chose to speak from a magnet school, but Ackerman is not a fan of the schools.

Magnet school students shocked by teacher's marijuana arrest The Inquirer
The teacher worked at George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science for nine years.

Phila. Schools Review Cell Phone Policies for Students KYW
Superintendent Ackerman and the new schools safety chief are starting with persistently dangerous schools to see if there should be any adjustments made to the policy.

Unintended Consequences of School Choice Reality Check blog

Phila. police car, school bus involved in crash 6 ABC

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Notes from the news

National Journal Online -- Education Experts --Alexander Russo Is Education Research Not Measuring Up?

National Journal Online -- Education Experts -- Is Education Research Not Measuring Up?

Alexander Russo responded to Is Education Research Not Measuring Up? on September 16, 2010 09:56 AM

All Wrong Dear debate participants on this blog thread: You are all wrong and -- even worse -- not coming clean about the underlying issues of self-interest. Yes, ed schools can be dogmatic and social science research can be shoddy and obscure (though it's getting better, as Rick noted). Yes, education think tanks have turned into shiny-shoed PR operations (or, better yet, journalists!). But what's really going on here is ed schoolers and think tankers trying to discredit each other so as to soothe egoes, win research dollars, and prevail politically (or at least ideologically). And the real issue is...

Rhee’s Arrogance Continues in the Face of Defeat � Larry Miller's Blog

Rhee’s Arrogance Continues in the Face of Defeat

by millerlf

Rhee: Election result ‘devastating’ for D.C. schoolchildren

Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee made it increasingly clear Wednesday evening that she has no long-term interest in serving as Vincent C. Gray’s schools leader.

Speaking at the Newseum to an auditorium studded with Washington A-listers gathered for the red carpet premiere of the edu-documentary “Waiting for Superman,” Rhee said she would not “mince words” about Tuesday’s Democratic primary defeat of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.

“Yesterday’s election results were devastating, devastating,” Rhee said. “Not for me, because I’ll be fine, and not even for Fenty because he’ll be fine, but devastating for the schoolchildren of Washington, D.C.”

Rhee, part of a post-screening panel discussion that included Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Harlem

All Opinions Are Local - What's in store for Michelle Rhee?

What's in store for Michelle Rhee?

As soon as it became clear that D.C. voters had rejected incumbent Mayor Adrian Fenty in favor of D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray, the talk of the town turned to someone not on Tuesday's primary ballot: D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. Because Rhee's effort to reform D.C. schools has been so closely tied to the Fenty administration, and because the controversial chancellor has clashed with Gray, speculation is rampant about whether Rhee will stay or go. Under what terms would she stay? And if she leaves, where would she go?

Below is a snapshot of the debate as it has been playing out on The Post's Web site. But we also want to hear from you:

What do you think Gray's win means for Rhee? Should she stay or should she go? Tell us what you think in the comments below, or Tweet us your response with #whataboutRhee.

COLBERT KING

Opinion columnist

There are a few... in the Fenty administration who should be asked to

California Board of Education addresses teacher evaluation issue - EducationNews.org

Web's #1 Source for K12 and Higher Education News and Commentary - EducationNews.org

California Board of Education addresses teacher evaluation issue
9.16.10 - Panel votes to create an online database devoted to efforts around the country to measure education effectiveness

Suit filed over teacher salary deduction
9.16.10 - Michigan A lawsuit has been filed over the 3% deduction from teacher salaries that was part of the state's summer's incentive to encourage those with 30 or more years of experience to retire, leaving room to hire cheaper teachers. ...

Are Texas's social studies standards really so bad?
9.16.10 - The final Texas standards are for the most part conventional and inclusive. A few items betray a "conservative" viewpoint. They do not warrant the attention and defamation they have received nor the hysteria they have generated. ...

US dominates university rankings
9.16.10 - US universities dominate an international league table of the best institutions, with the UK featuring just five times in the top 50. ...

Dallas ISD chief Michael Hinojosa could be finalist for Nevada job
9.16.10 - The Clark County School District, which includes Las Vegas and is the fifth-largest in the country, is expected to name three finalists for its superintendent position at a special meeting today. Hinojosa has led DISD since May 2005 ...

Commentaries

Contemporary education in the Arab states
9.16.10 - Ali Abdullah Mosa Ph.D. Chief Editor ( altaalim.org ) - Hundreds of thousand schools and millions of students and teachers are going to start their new educational year this week. Students, teachers, professors, decision makers and politicians have been discussing the best ways to enhance the educational systems to meet the national development demands.

Are We Ready for Testing Under Common Core State Standards?
9.16.10 - Patricia Deubel - There's a bumpy road ahead on the way to a successful Common Core State Standards (CCSS) movement. Already states and districts are examining the match between current standards, what they currently teach at various grade levels, and the CCSS.

A Not-So-Bold Plan
9.16.10 - Is higher education at that proverbial tipping point where large scale change is imminent? If the number of recent books on that topic is any indication, look out below. As Peter Sacks stated in opening his recent essay at Minding the Campus, "College bashing is very much in vogue."

A wake-up call on mission creep — Joanne Jacobs

A wake-up call on mission creep As an example of how mission creep adds to administrative bloat, Jay P. Greene reports that the University of Central Arkansas is contracting with a company, called Snoozester to provide a wake-up and reminder phone call service for students. ...

Freakonomics: Paying for grades Freakonomics asks: Should we pay students to get better grades? The Freakonomics movie premieres on Oct. 1. It’s available for iTunes download here.

How High a Summit?

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