This Week In Education

Five Best Blogs: Short Weeks Always Seem The Longest

2012-02-24T13:20:00-05:00

A daily roundup of all the best education blog posts and commentary I can find. Write something interesting or unexpected and yours might make the list:

Scroll down to see the full list. Get on Twitter to get the list in real time.

Media: NYT & WNYC Publishing Old, Inaccurate Teacher Scores

2012-02-24T11:35:58-05:00

You'd think it would be the small, scrappy, online-only publication that would do something rash and regrettable, not the venerable legacy media outlet. But that's not how it's playing out in New York City, where everything is upside down right now. Tiny GothamSchools has declined to publish individual teacher ratings and the massive New York Times has come up with a fancy app to celebrate their arrival.

Click below for more about why the Times is going ahead -- and why doing so is a bad call from my perspective -- even though I don't mind tests (or like teachers) nearly as much as everyone else.

You can be sure that the NYT's public editor is already doing warm-up exercises to get ready to write about this one.

The main arguments for publishing the data over at the Times -- in collaboration with WNYC -- seem to be that (a) they didn't generate the data themselves and (b) that they're going to present it carefully and responsibly. The first is a reference to the LA Times, which crunched raw numbers on its own (thanks, Hechinger Institute) back in 2010 and published individual ratings that it generated. The second argument is a reference to the idea (delusional, I think) that any imaginable amount of contextualization is going to stop folks from plugging in teachers' names and sharing the scores that appear. Margins of errors, asterisks, explanatory text be damned.

That's what the folks at the LA Times said, too, and look at that experience. If the data require so much explanation it raises questions about why they're being used. Plus which, they're old and no longer being used. As GothamSchools put it, "No amount of context could justify attaching teachers’ names to the statistics."

It's ironic that Bill Gates' oped against the publication of the data came out yesterday in the Times, where he calls publishing the data a "capricious exercise in public shaming"). But he's not the only one. Hardcore reformers like Wendy Kopp and Michelle Rhee are publicly if belatedly coming out opposed to publishing the data. ("We have concerns that these ratings don't account for the true & whole picture of effectiveness parents are entitled to receive," said StudentsFirst spokesperson Nancy Zuckerbrod in an email.) By my count, that leaves Arne Duncan, Joel Klein, and Steve Brill as pretty much the only folks in America who still favor publishing data like this.

Last but not least, it's sad and somewhat disturbing that the blog post penned by Jodi Rudoren explaining that it's going to go ahead with the process tries to make it seem like UFT head Mike Mulgrew might actually support the release of the data. He's quoted encouraging teachers to participate in the validation process but his opposition to the release of the scores is well known and should have been included, as should have been a reference to the Gates oped, right? A previous post, by Mary Ann Giordano, wonders why Gates would weigh in on such a local issue (though it does note that these data are being released because of media requests and legal actions).

Previous posts by me on this topic:

"Naive" To Print Teachers' Scores, Says TFA Founder August 2011

How Reporters Got Sucked Into Value-Added Debacle March 2011

Hechinger Head Disavows LA Times' Value-Added Decision September 2010

Former LA Times Journo Bashes LAT September 2010

Premature, Inappropriate Uses Raise Red Flags February 2011

Movies: Oscar-Nominated Memphis High School Documentary

2012-02-24T10:57:49-05:00

Undefeated On Point Tom Ashbrook: "The Manassas High School Tigers were bad, so bad that other football teams paid them to come, play, and get beaten. But a new coach breathed life and hope into this inner city team." Also reviewed in Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Time

AM News: Black Male Teachers Becoming Extinct?

2012-02-24T09:13:03-05:00

Black male teachers becoming extinct CNN: Terris King, 25, a kindergarten teacher at the Bishop John T. Walker School in Washington D.C., believes that for African-American children, having a strong role model in front of them can make a huge difference.

Online Public Schools Gain Popularity, but Quality Questions Persist PBS: Full-time public cyber schools are now an option in 30 states, allowing some 250,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade to press buttons to raise their hands and message their teachers. John Tulenko of Learning Matters Television reports from Pennsylvania where the demand for online charter schools is high.

A Cautionary Tale on SIG in Colorado Politics K12: Folks following the implementation of the School Improvement Grant program should check out this story inThe Denver Post, which took a look at a handful of SIG schools run by Global Partnership Schools.

Ed. Dept. to Closely Monitor Subgroups in NCLB Waiver States Politics K12: With 11 states now freed from some parts of the No Child Left Behind Act, and another round of states readying their waiver applications, the U.S. Department of Education has turned to perhaps the most important part of the process: holding states to their new accountability promises.

Ratings of New York City Teachers to Be Released Friday NYT: The ratings grade nearly 18,000 teachers based on how much progress their students have made on standardized tests.

MORE NEWS ITEMS INSIDE

District seeks return of chartering authority Washington Post: D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Chancellor Kaya Henderson are discussing a plan to restore the District’s power to create public charter schools as part of an effort to raise the quality of education in low-income communities.

Virginia seeks No Child Left Behind waiver Washington Post: The Virginia State Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to request relief from key parts of the federal No Child Left Behind law, which has drawn widespread criticism for saddling schools with unrealistic achievement goals and harsh penalties.

Spate of arrests shows rise in reporting, not in abuse, police say LAT: In three weeks, six L.A. Unified employees have been booked on suspicion of sex-related crimes. The Miramonte episode has sparked some people to come forward and others to be more watchful, police say.

Five Best Blogs: No One Cares About Pageviews Any More

2012-02-23T16:20:00-05:00

A daily roundup of all the best education blog posts and commentary I can find. Write something interesting or unexpected and yours might make the list:

Scroll down to see the full list. Get on Twitter to get the list in real time.

Thompson: What To Make Of Failing Charters In Oklahoma City

2012-02-23T16:11:48-05:00

Megan Rolland of the Daily Oklahoman reports that the Oklahoma City School Board is confused about what it should do to meet the new accountability system prompted by the state's NCLB waiver. Nearly a quarter of the district's schools could be subject to some sort of state intervention. All four of my former neighborhood schools are eligible to be taken over, and now the district is planning to fight back. Like OKC's Board Chair, however, I am struck by the appearance of four charter schools on the preliminary list, if for no other reason than they have not addressed the gap between improvements for the highest and lowest performers. One of the four is the largest alternative school that takes the city's most traumatized kids. Another was praised not too long ago by the Wall Street Journal. A third, an elementary school, was the lowest performing urban school in the state before a hospital transformed it. Before it became a charter, most of my students came from the old failing school, but now its graduates go to the best magnet schools in the city not to where I used to teach. The charter conversion has been listed as one of the nation's top 53 charter schools. And ASTEC, which is 86% Hispanic and 93% low income, may be the best school I have ever seen. One subgroup did not measure up -- just one. When I worked at the Aerospace Academy, there wasn't a good teacher in the building. All were superb.-JT (@drjohnthompson)Image via.

Quotes: Gates Weighs In (So Late!) Against Publishing VAM Ratings

2012-02-23T10:21:53-05:00

Developing a systematic way to help teachers get better is the most powerful idea in education today. The surest way to weaken it is to twist it into a capricious exercise in public shaming. - Bill Gates in the NYT

Movies: The Inner Lives Of Stressed-Out, Numbed-Out Teachers

2012-02-23T09:52:44-05:00

Starting tomorrow you can check out Detachment, a new education-themed movie starring Adrien Brody.

There are some predictable swipes at NCLB, central office politics, burned out teachers, and parents demanding special education services for violent children, but the film fits pretty neatly into the troubled teacher / Half Nelson subgenre; don't go in anticipating a pretty story with lots of redeeming turns of events or satisfyingly simple resolutions. It's pretty brutal stuff, despite the cute chalkboard animations and a brooding Adrien Brody (and Lucy Liu hiding behind heavy plastic glasses). The story is about a half-zombie substitute teacher at a constantly near-violent Queens(?) high school. In his off time he visits his grandfather at a pretty awful nursing home and takes in an underage prostitute. There are some pretty disturbed kids and unhappy adults, and lots of violence, verbal and otherwise.

You will feel something watching this movie, which is good, but it won't be pleasant. Featuring a cast that includes James Caan, Marsha Gay Harding, Christina Hendricks.

Parents: The Quandary Of The Liberal Homeschooler

2012-02-23T09:44:57-05:00

Being a liberal homeschooler must feel a little strange right now, what with conservative Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum touting homeschooling as a model for education while at the same time liberal-leaning education writer Dana Goldstein has been calling homeschoolers out for prioritizing short-term individual benefit over longer term collective good. This isn't the only instance where this dynamic is happening, however. Liberal criticism of mainstream school reforms (NCLB waivers, Race to the Top) often parallels criticisms from conservative groups and candidates, while at the same time civil rights groups are working furiously behind the scenes to preserve those very same laws. Tell that to a liberal critic of NCLB or charter schools and watch his or her head explode.

AM News: School Safety Improving (No One Notices)

2012-02-23T09:34:00-05:00

Report: Crime at US public schools on the decline AP: Violent crime at the nation's schools is declining, and students and schools are reporting less bullying and gang activity. NYT: Five Students Arrested a Day, Police Data Show

Santorum Would 'Eliminate' No Child Left Behind Act Politics K12: Santorum elaborated that not only does he not want the federal government really involved in schools, but he said that "state government should get out of the state education business" as well... Santorum said he was for "customizing education," "parental control," and "local" control.

'Why I Go to School': An Antidote For Dropping Out PBS: Every year, more than 1.3 million students drop out of high school. That’s 7,000 students a day dropping out for many reasons, most of which are largely personal and reflective of a student’s circumstances at home, school and in the community.

MORE NEWS ITEMS INSIDE

Chicago Shake-Up Targets 17 Schools WSJ: This city's school board voted Wednesday to shake up the teaching staffs at 17 low-performing public schools, handing Mayor Rahm Emanuel a victory in his battle with the teachers union and highlighting an increasingly aggressive stance on education overhauls by a number of Democratic mayors nationwide. ALSO After sharp criticisms, CPS board OKs school closings, turnarounds Chicago Tribune

Newark mayor: NYPD Muslim files 'deeply offensive AP via Boston.com: The mayor and police director of New Jersey's largest city said Wednesday the New York Police Department misled their city and never told them it was conducting a widespread spying operation on Newark's Muslim neighborhoods. Had they known, they said, they never would have allowed it.

Bill Will Allow Churches To Teach Religion Classes To Public School Students Religious News Service via HuffPost: A bill in Alabama would allow churches or ministries to teach a religion class to public school students off campus, so long as parents and school boards give permission and the churches are responsible for transportation and any expenses.

Separate But Equal? Policy Brief Aims To Ensure Charter Schools Aren't. HuffPost: Charter schools often promise to bring greater equity to education, but a new brief starts with the assumption that they fall short in delivery -- and provides recommendations to fix the alleged injustice.

Closure spurs talk of new strategy for struggling charter schools GothamSchools: Last month, as parents from Peninsula Preparatory Academy vocally protested the city’s decision to close their charter school, Principal Ericka Wala quietly pursued an alternative.

Baltimore County proposes new student discipline code Baltimore Sun: For minor offenses, principals would have to try interventions before suspensions

Five Best Blogs: "We're Going To Honey Badger The Achievement Gap"

2012-02-22T16:19:00-05:00

A daily roundup of all the best education blog posts and commentary I can find. Write something interesting or unexpected and yours might make the list:

Scroll down to see the full list. Get on Twitter to get the list in real time.

Memes: "What Teachers Really Do"

2012-02-22T14:54:00-05:00

There's an unstoppable "What I Really Do" meme going around and thanks to @mandyzatynski here's one of the teacher versions.

What my friends think I do.

What my Mom thinks I do.

What society thinks I do.

What kids think I do.

What I think I do.

What I really do.

Thompson: Charter Fines & Expulsions Create Dysfunctional System

2012-02-22T12:22:38-05:00

Recent coverage on excessive disciplinary actions in charter schools in the Chicago Catalyst and the Washington Post should prompt soul searching for educators in both charter and neighborhood schools. One of the original purposes of charter schools was pushing the educational status quo to think anew. Traditionally, attendance and behavior were the third rail of school politics, and urban schools were especially loathe to address disciplinary issues. Poor secondary schools were caught in a Catch 22, where they were not allowed to enforce their codes of conduct because there was no place to put chronic offenders. But districts refused to invest in alternative schools because educators, who were continually complaining about chaos in their buildings, would supposedly kick the difficult students out. My hope was that reality-based policies, such as allowing charters to build respectful learning cultures, could then be extended to neighborhood schools in the inner city. Boy, was I wrong!

We now have the tiered system that central office administrators feared. Charter schools can enforce their academic, attendance, and behavioral standards because they have the ultimate alternative system for handling the students who are emotionally incapable of meeting those expectations. It is called neighborhood schools.

Even as the proliferation of choice increased the burdens on neighborhood schools by dumping the tougher-to-educate kids on us, I have been reluctant to criticize charters. After all, the stricter standards that helped charter teachers also liberated their students from the anarchy of neighborhood schools.

Although I question the "No Excuses" schools' approach to discipline, I admire their commitment to teaching students to be students. As long as adults respect the autonomy of students, and remain sensitive to their senses of fairness, I can remain hopeful that the best charters can be models for creating the cultures necessary for deep learning. Consequently, I have been slow to judge charters that were accused of using harsh discipline to push low achieving kids out. Boy, was I naive!

Catalyst reports that charters in that city have been assessing detention and fines for having their shoes untied or failing to sit up, make proper eye contact, and articulate clearly. Chicago’s Rowe-Clark Math and Science Academy averaged 16 detentions per student in 2010-11 and collected an average of $80 per student in fines.

I am as "old school" as they come in terms of discipline, but I cannot believe that any system can work without respecting the students’ sense of justice and I cannot believe that such a punitive regime could pass teens’ smell test. In my experience, most students demand stricter discipline and resent their peers who interfere with their learning. But they also care deeply for their classmates who may be less successful in overcoming adversity. For instance, when a kid brings family stresses to school and lets it interfere with new and uncomfortable classroom behaviors (like not averting eyes in an effort to avoid conflict) and is further punished, it is hard to believe that most classmates would buy into such a verdict. More likely, in schools admitting the full spectrum of students, older teens would see it as a tactic to push out their less successful peers.

I have never taught in a Chicago charter, and I understand their desire to build a unique sense of identity, so when I first read of the fines, I bit my tongue. But, Bill Turque of the Washington Post now reports that a D.C. charter, Friendship Collegiate Academy-Woodson, expelled 8% of its students. Another Friendship charter suspended 35% of its students for ten or more days.

And not being an elementary teacher, I did not voice reservations when the Post’s Donna St. George documents the seemingly excessive suspensions of small children in the D.C. Public Schools where 192 preschool, first graders were suspended. But D.C. charters had 434 "suspension incidences"of those groups of small children.

I am always reluctant to criticize my brethren in charters, and I still hope that educators in choice and neighborhood schools can band together to push for reality-based policies for creating respectful learning cultures for all students. We will not be allowed to do so, however, until we convince stakeholders that our calls for discipline are not punitive. So, we must unite and condemn abuses such "zero tolerance" and arresting students for misbehavior that should receive consequences from the school. The time has also come to condemn excessive use of fines and suspensions for young children.-JT (@drjohnthompson)Image via.

Video: "Sh*t TFAers Say"

2012-02-22T10:03:00-05:00

Much as I love to make fun of TFA this "internal" self-parody video includes such gems as "We're going to honey badger the achievement gap" and reveals an admirable level of self-awareness. Perhaps they're not all robots after all. Via @coopmike48 and @ess_dog (shaun richman)

Bruno: Teaching Content Vs. "Teaching To The Test"

2012-02-22T09:12:20-05:00

The Obama administration has been taking a lot of flak - most recently from Jon Stewart - for criticizing "teaching to the test" while simultaneously pushing policies that are arguably going to encourage exactly that sort of behavior by teachers and school officials.

I think it's fair enough to blame President Obama to the extent that his policies promote ineffective instruction. At the same time, though, the phrase "teaching to the test" masks a lot of variability in what educators are actually doing to improve their scores, and it's not always obvious that when schools "teach to the test" they're helping themselves at all.

Take curriculum narrowing, for example. On the one hand, it seems clear that many schools have reduced time spent on other subjects to focus on reading and math, and that this is probably not good in the long run for affected students. (Although it's worth noting that this seems to be less of an issue at the high school level.) On the other hand, is this curriculum narrowing even a particularly good way to improve reading scores? Given how important a wide breadth of content knowledge is to reading comprehension, and how little value there seems to be in lengthy "reading comprehension strategy" instruction, I would argue that it probably is not.

Similarly, there are reasons to be skeptical about the effectiveness of spending significant instructional time on "test-taking strategies". It's probably helpful for students to be familiar with the structure of a test, even if only to improve its validity, but presumably the most helpful thing for students will be knowing the content being tested. Apart from a few short lessons prior to our state test in May I spend no time whatever teaching test-taking strategies to my science students because I figure that they will get better scores anyway if I spend my all-too-precious instructional minutes just teaching the content laid out in our science standards.

In other words, a lot of "teaching to the test" strikes me as only questionably effective even as a means of improving test scores. (I'd like to see more research on this, although this Gates Foundation report offers some circumstantial support for my position.) To the extent that educators are responding to even perverse incentives in counterproductive ways, I think there's plenty of blame to go around. - PB (@MrPABruno) (Image source)

AM News: Parent Trigger Setback In California

2012-02-22T09:03:21-05:00

Campaign for Adelanto charter school falls short LA Times: School officials in the High Desert community of Adelanto say there weren't enough signatures under the parent trigger law to mandate a charter conversion.

Santorum’s children went to a cyber charter school Washington Post: About a decade ago, Santorum and his wife, Karen, enrolled five of their children in the Western Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School.

Supreme Court to Hear Affirmative Action Case NYT: The court’s decision in a new case has the potential to undo an accommodation on affirmative action in higher education reached by the court in 2003.

Report Scrutinizes States' Teacher-Induction Policies TeacherBeat: Even as there are more and more novice teachers in the ranks of the profession, states' teacher induction policies are generally piecemeal, contends a new report by the New Teacher Center.

Cost doesn't spell success for Colorado schools using consultants to improve achievement Denver Post: These schools are sharing $5 billion in federal tax dollars in a massive, three-year rescue effort, but no one nationally is tracking how the money is spent and no one can say whether the influx of cash will end up helping kids.

MORE NEWS ITEMS INSIDE

Malloy kicks off hearing on his education plan AP via Boston.com: Gov. Dannel P. Malloy made his pitch on Tuesday for tightening teacher tenure rules, saying Connecticut has some teachers who "don't belong" in the classroom.

'Don't say gay' bill troubles Tenn. school counselors USA Today: School counselors are concerned about the "Don't say gay" bill, which limits instruction.

Emergency Manager OUT In Highland Park, Snyder Urges Quick Legislative Action HuffPost: Highland Park Schools Emergency Manager Jack Martin will be walking away from his position heading the district -- at least for the time being.

School closing foes, board members set for showdown Chicago Tribune: Hundreds of community activists, parents, students and union leaders are expected to converge Wednesday morning at Chicago Public Schools'headquarters to pressure the school board to reject a reform package that includes closing or overhauling 17 struggling schools.

City calls off state hearing to restore federal improvement grants GothamSchools: City officials won’t be heading to Albany this week after all to petition State Education Commissioner John King to restore federal funding for 33 struggling schools.

As new evaluations firm up, more city principals oppose them GothamSchools: During the month that Gov. Andrew Cuomo was engineering revisions to the state’s teacher evaluation law, more city principals signed onto a petition critiquing it.

Special needs children need not apply InsideSchools: This fall for the first time, local NYC schools are supposed to serve all but the most disabled special needs students in their zone, a change cheered by education advocates. But parents in some neighborhoods are being turned away by school staff, who are either unaware of the new policy or overwhelmed by its implications.

Five Best Blogs: Back To Work!

2012-02-21T16:16:00-05:00

A daily roundup of all the best education blog posts and commentary I can find. Write something interesting or unexpected and yours might make the list:

Scroll down to see the full list. Get on Twitter to get the list in real time.

Cartoons: What Parents Really Say At Teacher Conferences

2012-02-21T16:08:00-05:00

From the New Yorker: "We think he needs more individual neglect."

Video: Homeschooling For Everyone, Says Santorum

2012-02-21T15:01:43-05:00

"It's amazing that so many kids turn out to be fairly normal, considering the weird socialization they get in public schools. In a home school, by contrast, children interact in a rich and complex way with adults and children of other ages all the time." Via Jezebel: Rick Santorum Wants Kids to Get the 'Broad' Home School Experience.

Reform: TFA On SNL

2012-02-21T14:19:14-05:00

Oh, god. The black-haired lead singer of Sleigh Bells (musical guest on Saturday Night Live last weekend) is a TFA alum. Via Eduwonk.

It sorta makes sense, though. Alexis Krauss, South Bronx '09, talks about her teaching experience here.

Veteran musicians everywhere are grumbling about her lack of formal preparation and unwarranted success.

Teachers: Here's TED 2012 Teacher Angie Miller

2012-02-21T11:21:00-05:00

A week from Monday in Long Beach TED 2012 kicks off, but it's not until Friday March 3 that the educators take the stage.

Along with names you already know -- Bill Nye, Rafe Esquith, Aaron Reedy -- are Angie Miller, an 11-year middle school English Language Arts teacher (and the 2011 NH teacher of the year). Her latest blog post is here: Not Done Yet.

Previous TED posts: Bill Nye, Rafe Esquith -- Aaron Reedy?, Transformative Ideas, Or Feel-Good Insiders' Club?, Beware Of Storytellers.

Thompson: Teachers' Concerns About Credit Recovery

2012-02-21T10:25:15-05:00

Geoff Decker's "Muted Response to Regents' Call for Credit Recovery Comments," in GothamSchools points to both an explicit and an implicit hypocrisy. The big abuse of "Credit Recovery" is the practice of awarding credits to students regardless of whether they attended class or learned the subject matter. As education expert David Bloomfield explains, providing a "fig leaf to cover administrative embarrassment" seems to be a prime purpose. Teachers are outraged by the damage it does to students, as well as the way it cripples efforts to improve test scores. "If you want to hold me accountable," a teacher complained, then you cannot, “go behind my back and pass students that I fail.” The policy wonk in me prompts another objection. The recent study by Chetty, Friedman, and Rockoff, "The Long-Term Impacts of Teachers," excluded classes where more than 25% of students were on IEPs. Ostensibly, the reason was that teachers in those classes get additional support, and thus share responsibility for outcomes. How can a teacher be seen as solely responsible for student performance when authority is divided between the classroom instructor and the person(s) who awards the credit?-JT (@drjohnthompson)Image via.

Bruno: Good News Bad For Our Narratives

2012-02-21T10:22:47-05:00

Over at The Daily Howler, Bob Somerby has been on a tear recently pointing out that pundits of all kinds seem to be stubbornly indifferent to good education news. He emphasizes the shrinking achievement gap between black students and white students on the NAEP as something you rarely see mentioned, and I'd add that to the growing pile of good-but-largely-ignored news that includes rising achievement for disadvantaged groups generally and improving school safety. Bob thinks we can chalk up this news blackout to the fact that commentators have sorted themselves into "tribes", each of which dislikes the other too much to risk inadvertently crediting them with an accomplishment. I think there's definitely a lot to that explanation, but that there's also a real fear on both sides of undermining their preferred narrative. My sense is that "reformers" don't want to talk about the good news because then they'd have to acknowledge that these positive trends mostly began prior to their favorite reforms. This would undermine the narrative that the "status quo" of salary schedules and tenure is an insurmountable obstacle to progress. At the same time, I think the anti-reform crowd is reluctant to discuss the good news because it has continued in the "corporate reform" era. This, in turn, makes the repeal of NCLB-type reforms seem that much less urgent. Whatever the explanation, however, the end result seems to be that we mostly hear about how bad our educational institutions are despite the fact that these same institutions are not only improving, but are arguably the best they've ever been. - PB (@MrPABruno) (Image source)

Media: "Linsanity" Not So New To School Reform

2012-02-21T10:07:00-05:00

Like many others I've been enjoying the harmless hullabaloo surrounding Jeremy Lin, which has (with a couple of notable exceptions) been harmless and distracting and blissfully divorced from having anything to do with education (aside from a few Daily Show jokes about Tiger Moms and the "Asian F." And yet, I can't help but note the similarities between the media frenzy surrounding Lin and the over-exuberant treatment of any number of recent education figures (Sal Kahn, Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee, Geoff Canada, Steve Barr, Diane Ravitch, etc.). And I can't help but think about just how modest and preliminary Lin's accomplishments are at this point in his career. So let's enjoy the Linsanity as long as it lasts but remember to exercise a little bit of caution and skepticism the next time a Jeremy Lin shows up in education, has some early successes, and seems poised to be the next education savior. Related: Jeremy Lin And The NBA’s Savior Myth.

AM News: Hawaii Might Have Resolved "Race" Issues

2012-02-21T09:31:00-05:00

Hawaii teachers reach tentative agreement on key Race to the Top promise AP: The union representing Hawaii's public school teachers has reached a tentative agreement on a key element of the state's Race to the Top grant that has recently been put in jeopardy because of unsatisfactory progress on promised reforms.

City, Union Spar Over Evaluations WSJ: One day after Gov. Cuomo heralded a statewide teacher-evaluation agreement, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Friday the city could close "a whole bunch more schools" unless it quickly reaches a final deal with its teachers union.

New Rules Planned on School Vending Machines NYT: The Obama administration, in a continuation of its efforts to curb childhood obesity, plans to set nationwide guidelines to promote healthy choices in schools.

Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal in ‘Parent-Trigger’ Film NYT: As new “parent-trigger” laws seem poised to allow parents to take over failing schools, they’re already the stuff of Hollywood drama.

MORE NEWS ITEMS INSIDE

Struggling Teachers to Be Scored by Independent Observers NYT: As part of the agreement on teacher evaluations, the city education department and the United Federation of Teachers will implement a evaluation system that will bring independent observers into New York City’s classrooms to monitor the weakest teachers and provide a second opinion to supplement observations by the school principal.

CPS adds a new assessment test for elementary school students Chicago Tribune: Chicago Public Schools' new administration has long complained that assessment tests for the state's Illinois Standard Achievement Test set the bar too low when preparing kids for college.

Teachers In Atlanta Cheating Scandal Could Get Contract Renewals HuffPost: Atlanta Public Schools may be forced to renew the contracts of 90 tenured teachers implicated in one of the nation's largest cheating scandals because of job protection rights.

Maps: Use Of Student Data Not Really As Widespread As This

2012-02-20T12:37:49-05:00

This Newsday story (State teacher evaluation plans) and map of states using or not using student performance data is interesting but misleading in that it lumps together states that are using or "planning" to use student data (dark blue), and treats states where they're considering using student data (light blue) differently from those who've decided against it (red).

I'm planning on giving up bagels and cream cheese, but that's no real guarantee I'll do it. I'm considering going to Spain sometime soon, but again...who knows? The overall effect is to make it seem like there's a lot more actually going on than I think there is. via @karawebley

Turnarounds: The SIG Mystery

2012-02-20T11:37:29-05:00

The Denver Post is running a three-part series on the challenges and flaws of the federal SIG school turnaround program you might want to read. The first installment, from yesterday, explores the money being spent on consultants and the lack of transparency. The second, which runs today, focuses on the limited impact of SIG funding in a high poverty district near Denver. SIG is Race To The Top's lesser-known step-sibling (even though it's sent more money to a broader set of schools than Race ever will). It's NCLB's weak "restructuring" sanctions, pumped up steroids. It's an easy program to beat up on -- the massive spending, the permissive (or limited) turnaround options , the lack of speed and quality of implementation. I've never quite understood how it rose to such prominence and size in the Obama administration, or how Team Duncan and the White House anticipated that school closings and restaffings of SIG would be blamed on NCLB as much as the current Administration.

Hot Seat Interview: Hey, Student Teacher

2012-02-20T11:15:04-05:00

@heygirlteacher You see them everywhere in schools, starting in January and February -- taking notes in the back of class, administering interim assessments, heading to or from the copy machine. Unsure if you're an administrator or a parent, they smile nervously when you walk by them in the hall. Sometimes they get to teach a lesson or run part of an activity, which serves to remind anyone watching (a) how hard it is to be a good teacher or (b) how crappy the regular teacher is. They're student teachers -- college students finishing up their education degrees with a little bit of classroom time.

They're not all young faceless widgets, however. Some of them stand out. One of them -- let's call her HGT (not pictured) -- is a student teacher in a large Midwestern school district who decided one day to start a blog about being a teacher that is, for education blogs, sort of popular. She hasn't revealed her identity to anyone outside a close circle of friends and I've agreed to help keep her secret. On the Hot Seat (below), she talks about what it's like being a student teacher, where she came up with the idea for "Hey Girl Teacher" and how it took off, and why it's been such a big hit among young teachers and teaching candidates. She also dishes on her ed school preparation, what she thinks about people who go the TFA route, and explains the mysterious appeal of Ryan Gosling.

What was the moment or realization that caused you to start HGT, and how long between that moment and your first post?

HGT: I was observing in my new classroom a little over a month ago and I had one of those "Ah HA!" moments we all love to see from our students. I literally wrote, "Hey girl, teacher" in my student teaching journal and whipped up my first meme that weekend. By the end of the week I had several hundred followers and began seeing the Hey Girl Teacher name linked on my friends' walls.

Do you remember what the "AHA!" moment was when you were observing and came up with the idea?

HGT: I have seen the "feminist ryan gosling" photos as well as the "hey girl" meme that speaks to crafters and have always found them funny. I realized, while watching my teacher, that if anyone needed some words of encouragement, it was teachers. I really admire my mentor teacher and her ability to include humor and silliness in her classroom. I think that her spirit may have helped to inspire me to make the first meme.

Which picture / caption was your breakout hit -- the one that got the most likes or generated the most attention?

HGT: I tagged this one under "education" on tumblr and it was featured.

What is it about ryan gosling that everyone loves so much, anyway?

HGT: I really never hopped on the ryan gosling band wagon until I saw him in Crazy Stupid Love. I've tried watching The Notebook many times and can't get myself to connect with his character. What sold me on him is that he's not a typical hunk. His movies are usually really good and he often plays a man with flaws. Girls like that. He's charming, muscular enough to chop wood, and photographs incredibly well. He's perfect for my purposes.

What do you have to do as a student teacher, anyway, and is your "mentor" teacher into helping you learn the craft or just happy to have someone to copy worksheets?

HGT: My mentor teacher is absolutely wonderful. We both manage the classroom and so far I'm teaching 3/4ths of the day. Sure, I sometimes run copies or grade papers while she teaches a lesson, but she's encouraging and is providing me with the space and time to get better. I can't imagine what it feels like to hand your classroom over to another person and I'm really lucky that she's got enough faith in me to do so.

How good or awful was your ed school program in terms of mixing practical and theoretical information and getting you ready to teach in a real live classroom next year?

HGT: That's a tough question. I can't tell if I'm nervous because I'm not prepared or if I'd be nervous no matter what kind of training I'd received. I've been physically present in a lot of classrooms, but haven't had a lot of opportunity to manage a whole group until recently. In my college courses, we spent a lot of time planning and participating in mock lessons with our peers. We all pretended to be a certain grade level and tried to respond accordingly. However, we're all adults! When you "teach a lesson" to a group of college students, you don't run the risk of someone getting a bloody nose, four kids raising their hands because they have an "emergency," books falling on the ground, a hallway full of noisy 8th graders, or several pairs of students giggling throughout the room. It's completely different and seemed like a poor use of time. I would have liked to spend more time leading large groups and practicing my behavior management skills. I can plan until I'm blue in the face, but that's not going to help me learn how to redirect my students after a student shouts a curse word or has a melt down. Like I said, though, it's a tough questions. I don't think I'll ever feel fully prepared because in teaching, every single day is full of surprises.

Do you have any beef with folks that major in something else and then just do TFA or something before going into the classroom? are there any in your school right now?

HGT: I have a friend who joined TFA a few years ago and I can see that she's amazingly passionate and has been making a real impact in her students' lives. I don't have any beef with teachers that have chosen alternative paths and think that the most important thing about getting into the classroom is that the individual really wants to be there and make a difference.

Website: Hey, Girl Teacher

Twitter: @heygirlteacher

AM News: States Challenged To Implement New Teacher Eval Programs

2012-02-20T09:01:37-05:00

States Address Problems With Teacher Evaluations NYT: Officials in states like Tennessee who are testing new teacher evaluation systems required by the Obama administration are struggling with problems philosophical and logistical.

Santorum Slams Education System, Will Home-School Children At White House HuffPost: In an appearance at an Ohio Christian Alliance event Saturday, GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum called the viability of the public education system into question. NYT: Santorum Defends Remarks on Obama and Public Schools

Scarred by Cheating Scandal, Atlanta Schools Are on the Mend NYT (Winerip): Less than a year after a state report found that 178 principals and teachers had cheated on test scores, a new school superintendent, Erroll B. Davis Jr., is restoring the system.

More public schools dish up 3 meals a day AP: Too often it is after the fact that teachers discover their students are worrying less about math and reading and more about where the next meal comes from....

MORE NEWS ITEMS INSIDE

Area school leaders cautious on raising dropout age Boston.com: School chiefs wary of boost in dropout age President Obama’s call for all states to raise their dropout age to 18 is drawing a cautious response from area school leaders, who warn that forcing students to stay in school longer will not by itself solve the state’s dropout issues.

Chicago Program to Bridge Gap With Parents Draws Fire NYT: Despite Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s well-publicized commitment to involve parents in Chicago’s public schools, some of them are not happy with how he and his team are following through.

'Parent trigger' campaign divides families at troubled Adelanto elementary school LAT: Some angry parents want to remove their names from petitions seeking charter status before the school board votes.

Md. schools moving from zero-tolerance discipline policies Baltimore Sun: Dorchester case led state school board to push change

Five Best Blogs: Hey, Mr. Teacher Tumblr

2012-02-17T16:37:00-05:00

A daily roundup of all the best education blog posts and commentary I can find. Write something interesting or unexpected and yours might make the list:

This Week In Education

Five Best Blogs: Short Weeks Always Seem The Longest

Media: NYT & WNYC Publishing Old, Inaccurate Teacher Scores

Movies: Oscar-Nominated Memphis High School Documentary

AM News: Black Male Teachers Becoming Extinct?

Five Best Blogs: No One Cares About Pageviews Any More

Thompson: What To Make Of Failing Charters In Oklahoma City

Quotes: Gates Weighs In (So Late!) Against Publishing VAM Ratings

Movies: The Inner Lives Of Stressed-Out, Numbed-Out Teachers

Parents: The Quandary Of The Liberal Homeschooler

AM News: School Safety Improving (No One Notices)

Five Best Blogs: "We're Going To Honey Badger The Achievement Gap"

Memes: "What Teachers Really Do"

Thompson: Charter Fines & Expulsions Create Dysfunctional System

Video: "Sh*t TFAers Say"

Bruno: Teaching Content Vs. "Teaching To The Test"

AM News: Parent Trigger Setback In California

Five Best Blogs: Back To Work!

Cartoons: What Parents *Really* Say At Teacher Conferences

Video: Homeschooling For Everyone, Says Santorum

Reform: TFA On SNL

Teachers: Here's TED 2012 Teacher Angie Miller

Thompson: Teachers' Concerns About Credit Recovery

Bruno: Good News Bad For Our Narratives

Media: "Linsanity" Not So New To School Reform

AM News: Hawaii Might Have Resolved "Race" Issues

Maps: Use Of Student Data Not Really As Widespread As This

Turnarounds: The SIG Mystery

Hot Seat Interview: Hey, Student Teacher

AM News: States Challenged To Implement New Teacher Eval Programs

Five Best Blogs: Hey, Mr. Teacher Tumblr

Cartoons: What Parents Really Say At Teacher Conferences