Undoubtedly, much of the next few days will be spent dissecting yesterday’s off-year elections and their greater meaning for healthcare reform, the 2010 congressional races, and the 2012 presidential campaigns. What does it mean for Republicans to take back the Virginia governor’s seat? How painful will the Democrats’ gubernatorial loss in New Jersey be? Why was the NYC mayor’s race closer than most expected? These are all questions that will (and already have) been raised in the past 12 hours.
Year: 2009
In Search of 21st Century Joe Clarks
When I’m flipping through the cable stations late at night, unable to sleep because something or another has my mind going a thousand miles an hour, there are a number of movies for which I will always stop and watch. Braveheart, Thank You For Smoking, the original All the King’s Men, Bull Durham, Tin Cup, Roadhouse, 10 Things I Hate About You, and She’s All That tops among them.
“Disrupting” High School Failure
Can you legislate graduation rates? Today, the Washington Post editorial board called on the state of Maryland to raise the compulsory age for school attendance, essentially using state law to require students to stay in Maryland high schools until the age of 18 (it is 16 now). The move, following on the heels of a similar policy adopted by the Montgomery County Board of Education is in direct response to the latest data showing a growing dropout rate in Maryland. The full editorial can be found here.
There’s Gambling in Our Ed Assessment Casablanca?
Millions and Millions of Minutes
It’s been used by education reformers and praised by the folks like Newt Gingrich. Business leaders point to it as a sign of the looming “crisis” our education system may be facing. It’s been screened at policy events and cited in opinion pieces. The “it,” of course, is the movie 2 Million Minutes: The 21st Century Solution. Produced by Robert A. Compton, the film is demonstrates how the United States is failing to keep up with the world (notable India and China) when it comes to education.
The Great White Whale of Teacher Quality
At the heart of EdSec Arne Duncan’s remarks at Teachers College last week has his new never-ending pursuit of the illusive “teacher quality.” Clearly, the search means more than the “highly qualified teacher” definition currently found in NCLB. More than the qualities that currently win one additional monies through the federal Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF). And even more than the plans floated more than two years ago by Sen. Joe Lieberman et al to redefine HQT as “highly qualified and effective teacher.”
Playing Games with LA’s Future
For more than a year now, we have been hearing about the dire financial state of public education in California. We’re ridden a roller coaster of threats of massive teacher layoffs and a two-year ban on the purchase of any textbooks or instructional materials. We’ve viewed district after district struggle to meet the school equity requirements placed on them by the courts. And we’ve witnessed state officials dance a West Coast two-step to quickly eliminate the barriers to additional federal education funding. And even though California has spent more of its education stimulus dollars, percentage wise, than any other state in the union, schools in the Golden State are still hurting and are still facing tough decisions and even tougher cuts.