Sara Mead says Governor Cuomo is on the right track on menstrual products and schools.
Education, we’re back baby! Only terrorism stands in our way…But, oh no, here’s another poll that’s more crowded.
Interesting WSJ analysis on vouchers:
“The schools that have 20% to 30% voucher kids and 70% to 80% fee-paying kids, they look more like the private schools that we sort of put on a pedestal—that have very ambitious programs,” says Patrick Wolf, a professor of education policy at the University of Arkansas who has studied private-school choice programs for about 19 years. “Ones that enroll a very high percent of voucher students tend to be low-resourced.”
Some school improvement news out of Louisiana. An interesting thing about our field is that John White has helped drive some great work in Louisiana, behind the scenes most people would agree with that assessment. And yet he’s under constant political pressure from the governor there and everyone is just like, ‘oh well, business as usual.’ Seems like a problem for a sector that wants to get better?
Commissioner endorsement in Massachusetts.
Tim Daly on how talented low income kids fall through the cracks.
Matt Barnum busts personalized learning advocates for some hyperbole. This one is tricky though because, yes, there is a lot of overheated rhetoric – and not just about personalized. On the other hand, we have to think bigger because even the “best” ideas today are not sufficient – despite all the bloodletting about them. We need pro-big ideas, but anti-hyperbole.
Higher ed is unbundling. K-12 still fighting tooth and nail against this kind of thing – which seems like an odd way to build and broaden support for public education. (And yes, I know that per the article linked some (though far from all) homeschoolers are really acidic in their rhetoric about public schools, but we’re talking about kids here, not the politics of their parents).
Here’s an interesting take on school choice in DC – more widespread than most realize, but also more complicated. And this look at charter schools in the west is worth reading. It’s interesting in terms of growth states and what’s happening there. And, a lot of charter proponents have not wanted to wrestle with a hard question of tradeoffs: Loose authorizing policies create a lot of problems, but also produce some great schools.
Why are wonks and teachers stocking up on beers and burritos and tuning up VW buses? Yes! The Knowledge Matters School Tour is coming.
Here’s a victory lap on Chicago school improvement. Discuss!
And here’s a look at effects of reformed discipline practices on student learning and discipline. Look for more studies trying to get a handle on this.
Check out Liz Longley. She’s on the road this spring. And pitchers and catchers (and this one) report soon!
