Things really got percolating with Jay Mathews’ denouncement of ‘the politics of vouchers’ last month. So he and Robert Enlow of the Friedman Foundation will be donning the gloves next week to formally duke out the issue. Tune in ring-side May 14 - 19.

Whole language has invited some degree of controversy in recent years. Does this approach to literacy successfully teach children to read?

Whole language teacher Nancy Creech lives in Oxford, Michigan. Ken De Rosa lives in Philadelphia and blogs at D-Ed Reckoning.

More “April 9-13: Nancy Creech vs. Ken De Rosa on Whole Language (UPDATED 13 April, 10:38 a.m.)”

For a variety of reasons, it seems whole language is a hot topic right this minute.  Of course, a lot of it is due to the ongoing Reading First scandal.  Also, for one parent’s personal experiences with whole language, Rory Hester of Parentalcation recently vented his feelings (hat tip: this week’s Carnival of Education at Education Wonks). 

Fortunately, we here at Edspresso were primed and ready in advance for these events.  Due to an unbelievable stroke of luck prescient abilities known only to us at the Alliance, last month I set up a debate for the month of April on the subject of whole language.  April 9-13, whole language teacher Nancy Creech of Oxford, Michigan will debate blogger Ken De Rosa of D-Ed Reckoning.  Thanks in advance to both Nancy and Ken for their willingness to participate!

UPDATE: I just got an e-mail from Nancy–she now lives elsewhere in Oxford, not Eastpointe.

Now five years old, the landmark federal law is up for reauthorization.  Is it working?  What needs to change?  This three-way exchange features:

• Dianne Piché, Executive Director of the Citizens’ Commission on Civil Rights
• Mike Petrilli, Vice President for National Programs and Policy at the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
• Joel Packer, ESEA policy manager for the National Education Association

More “February 5-9: Dianne Piché vs. Mike Petrilli vs. Joel Packer on No Child Left Behind”

First off, many many thanks go out to Joseph Olchefske and Roger Clegg for a terrific debate last month.  We got a good deal of feedback, and it was unanimously positive. 

Now our next debate is lined up and ready to go.  And it will be rather different than anything we’ve ever done before.  More below the fold. 

More “The next debate is on its way”