At The 74 today I take a look at our national fight over guns and what we are, and are not, talking about.
Let me save you some time, don’t mess with Chad Aldeman on pension issues. In fact, he’s a super nice guy, very friendly, even-handed, and eager to be helpful. So if you’re not a pension expert, before you sound off you might want to check in with him so this doesn’t happen.
Sara Mead, who knows a thing or two about charter authorizing looks at what it takes.
Max Marchitello and Chad Aldeman:
Illinois needs more Black people to become educators, but the K-12 system may inadvertently make it more difficult for Black teachers to start and progress through a career in education.
And here’s Max on pay gaps and how pension systems echo them throughout an educator’s retirement.
Willingham on this week’s protests. A California teacher was put on administrative leave for teaching. On Wednesday I wrote for 74 about how the kids walking out of school have the right idea – the adults though are in the way.
By the way, the Tinker case has come in for special abuse this week as it’s been twisted in all manner of ways to make various points. It’s about student rights to free expression but with limits, including on disruptive behavior. That’s why schools that punished students in excess of normal discipline for skipping out of class would be violating students’ rights but are on firm ground enforcing whatever their policies happen to be. (The courts also tend to frown on policies that are vague or made up after the fact). There are some cases after Tinker that have further defined limits on student rights but Tinker is an interesting case and a fast read to get up to speed.
This Colorado teacher tenure case is a big deal substantively and politically.
David Harris is leaving the Mind Trust, what he’s accomplished in Indy is remarkable.
The impact of the demographic burden shifting from young to old in this country will be significant for public finance and schools.
This is an important Urban analysis of how long it takes kids to get to school. Chris Stewart points out that this idea that public schools are open to all has a fatal flaw at the heart of it.
Foster Friess is matching donations to his fund to help with mentoring, bullying, and civility.
The Teach For America Rural School Leadership Academy is now open to all rural school leaders, not only those with a TFA relationship.
Curious about personalized learning and ESSA? KnowledgeWorks has you covered.
Bill Gates in conversation with Sacramento’s Jorge Aguilar. And this Arthur Brooks reflection is worth checking out.
This Eva Moskowitz interview is interesting and the ending is disconcerting:
“[Trump] did ask me about Common Core. I kept trying to disclose, ‘I’m a Hillary supporter. I’m a liberal Democrat.’ And I said, ‘Oh, and I believe in Common Core,’ because I thought that would lead me to the door. And he said he said, ‘I believe in Common Core.’ And I said, ‘No, you don’t.’ On that level, it was very strange.”
Lots of talk about veterans running for office but a lot of teachers and former teachers are, too.
And here’s a story about a teacher who allegedly fed a puppy to a turtle in school.
Too much going on in this story to pull quote. It was better than landing all those snowboard tricks.
