Making a test meaningful is a challenge. Not only does the test need to be fair to the students taking them, it needs to provide real data that tells the teacher something. It needs to explain where the student is so that they can move forward together. (more…)
George Will is enamored with Arne Duncan. Time and talent. Longer school day, longer school year. The challenges of changing current practice. Duncan is not everyone’s darling however. See here and here. The critiques and the praise fall into difficult territory. (more…)
I was at a Teach for America event this weekend, and there were a few takeaways. It was pointed out that good teachers have skills that transfer into many, many other positions. In fact, they are transferrable across the spectrum. The question is - how are these skills developed? TFA has strategic instruction and supports to help develop these skills. Do our ed schools? (more…)
Improving teacher quality requires comprehensive and multiple strategic efforts incorporating policy, practice and politics. This article details how the challenge of contracts is impacting the DC schools, and how good intentions and a desire for real change requires precarious, precise thought and action.
I gave a grants writing seminar at the NYS Positive Behavior Intervention Specialist Coach’s Forum. This is a strong program with many types of evaluation metrics, indicating strong success with children from all backgrounds. What I like best about the program is that it doesn’t buy into excuses, but works with a wide array of strategies to make classroom time learning time, and keep kids (especially those prone to referrals and trips to the principal’s office) in the classroom. That’s a great example of equity for our children.
Looking at underlying motivations and finding strategies that work is not easy, but this program and the resources that it puts into action make a strong case for making everyone’s classroom time count.
Renaming NCLB is a great idea. It’s not just a flawed plan passed 8 years ago that needs to be looked at. (more…)
These local administrators and union representatives are cautiously pro-Obama plan. Waiting to find out what the plan specifies seems too long a delay. The broad policies have been defined, those with decision making power say that these policies make sense. So now we need to move forward. Actions speak louder than words.
This is the best interview I’ve seen on the Daily Show, John Stewart interviewing Jim Cramer. It’s also the most uncomfortable, proving the adage that the truth hurts. John Stewart doing serious news. What a novelty. But its good. And it highlights the disparities that the market created, heightened and perpetuated.
Since EVERYONE is impacted by the economic fiasco and budget crisis, then the burden of solutions is upon everyone as well. Including the administrators of our schools. For our local district, there are approximately 19 distinct numbers for administrative personnel listed here…. not including building level assistants. What are the metrics by which we are evaluating their efficiency and performance? (more…)
