Tuesday, December 23, 2008

A Test for School Reform
Washington Post, D.C., December 23, 2008
Every politician and appointee seems to have all the answers to our public schools problems. It amazes me how few of these people have actually taught in those schools.

New Education Leader Must Focus on NCLB
Duncan Wrong Education Choice
Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, December 23, 2008
Along with admiration for Arne Duncan’s impressive reforms while Chicago’s school chief, Barack Obama has also expressed respect for his inside jump shot. As predicted, the president-elect last week tapped Duncan, his close friend and basketball buddy, to serve as his education secretary.

Will Arne Duncan Be the Bold Education Reformer Obama Needs?
December 23, 2008, Huffington Post, NY
It’s been like a crowded basketball court these past couple of weeks for school improvement advocates with more than a few elbows thrown as everyone vied for the "bold reformer" territory.

D.C. Solicits Development For 11 Former School Sites
Washington Post, D.C, December 23, 2008
The administration of D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said yesterday that it is seeking to redevelop 11 now-shuttered public schools, inviting developers to submit proposals that can include retail space, offices and high-priced and affordable housing.

Union: Florida Drops In U.S. Ranking Of Teacher Pay
Tampa Tribune, FL, December 22, 2008
Florida lost ground in a ranking of teacher pay compiled by the nation’s largest teachers union.

Ol’ Ed Goedhart Had a Bill … EIEIO!
Las Vegas Review - Journal, NV, December 23, 2008
There might be 50 ways to leave your lover, but even Albert Einstein himself would have trouble adding up all the excuses the left uses to explain why so many of the government-run schools suck eggs.

Lower-Paid Teachers Often Paired With Poorest Kids
Columbus Dispatch, OH, December 23, 2008
Teachers with lower salaries are concentrated in the highest-poverty elementary schools in most of Ohio’s largest districts, according to a report released yesterday by the Education Trust.

More Charters Coming To New Orleans
KATC, LA, December 22, 2008
The state Recovery School District, which took over scores of troubled New Orleans public schools after Hurricane Katrina, is moving ahead with plans to turn more of those schools into independently run charter schools.