Yesterday, Congressional Quarterly reported that Senate Democrats have abandoned efforts to add $23 billion for saving teachers’ jobs to their chamber’s supplemental war spending bill, acknowledging they don’t have the 60 votes to block an expected Republican filibuster. Republicans have criticized the White-House backed proposal as a “bailout” that shouldn’t be attached to an emergency war spending bill. Supporters of … Read More
The Teachers' Unions' Last Stand?
In case you missed it, Steven Brill wrote a relatively balanced piece in this weekend’s New York Times Magazine about the national education reform landscape — and how teachers unions are truly facing a sink-or-swim moment of reinvention. As someone who feels neither allegiance nor antipathy toward either of the increasingly polarized camps (I actually like and respect both Linda … Read More
Many Faiths, One Truth
In today’s New York Times, the Dalai Lama writes about his own spiritual journey and how he has come to believe in the primacy of helping people of different faiths find common ground. Although he doesn’t speak about education, I read it through that lens (surprise surprise), wondering how our current policy recipes might differ if we shared the Dalai … Read More
Book of Learning Stories — Deadline Nears
I’m spending every minute this week finalizing the manuscript that will stitch together 50 people’s stories about powerful teaching and learning (Jossey-Bass, Spring 2011 release). Already, there are powerful voices and insights in the mix — from everyday citizens to U.S. Senators to the Secretary of Education himself. And although we already have several hundred stories to work with — … Read More
Less Standardization, More Flexibility
Great piece by the New York Times‘ Bob Herbert two days ago, in which he writes the following: “When you look at the variety of public schools that have worked well in the U.S. — in cities big and small, and in suburban and rural areas — you wonder why anyone thought it was a good idea to throw a … Read More
What the NFL Draft Can Teach School Reformers
This Thursday marks the prime-time return of the NFL Draft — an annual smorgasbord of possibility when each team fills out its roster with the best talent the college ranks have to offer. I’m a huge football fan, so I’ll be tuning in to see which players my beloved San Diego Chargers select to fill our current holes at running … Read More
BBC Walk and Talk
I spent this afternoon walking and talking with BBC reporter Kavitha Cardoza about assessment systems and what the U.S. can learn from other countries around the world. Check it out at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8612399.stm.
Privatization or Public-ization?
There’s a lot of talk these days about the growing support for a privatization of America’s public school system, and what it augurs over the long haul. Typically, that’s as far as the conversation gets before breaking down into myopic talking points that force people to pledge allegiance to one of two camps: these days you’re either pro or anti-charter, … Read More
Washington Post Review of American Schools
Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post published a nice review of American Schools today. Check it out at http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/civics-education/how-to-build-real-american-sch.html.
MSNBC — Chaltain and . . . Sharpton
This morning I was on MSNBC’s Morning Joe talking about the national climate for school reform . . . with Reverend Al Sharpton. Check it out at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35458319#35458319.
