I recently updated the operating system on my iPhone and iPad so I could use the new iCloud technology that would make it possible to seamlessly sync all my devices. Then I discovered I had to also update my Mac’s operating system. Yes, upgrades are easier than they used to be, but it takes time [...]
For a teacher there is a lot to like about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in mathematics. This carefully researched document brings badly needed uniformity to the curriculum, increases the rigor of the material to be covered and demands higher expectations for student achievement. Perhaps most importantly, the overarching goal is to switch the [...]
by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader Mel Riddile has recently written about a venture by a group of individuals to form The Fairfax Leadership Academy, a charter school in the affluent Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington D.C. I wholeheartedly agreed with his strong support of this endeavor. [...]
by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader Cheating in education appears to be rapidly reaching epidemic proportions. It is both expanding in scope and escalating in its prevalence. The most recent high profile scandal was highlighted in a post by Mel Riddile. The outlines of the story are simple—six high school students paid a 19-year-old college [...]
“A dozen experienced Fairfax educators and a state delegate have proposed the Fairfax Leadership Academy; could a charter school in Fairfax actually happen?”–Jay Mathews Jay Mathews’ skepticism may be just the kind of reverse psychology needed to earn approval for the first public charter in Fairfax County (VA), an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C. I [...]
“To qualify for a national merit scholarship, students in different states have to take the same exam, but they don’t have to get the same scores to win.”–Valerie Strauss We know that it is impossible to compare schools and students in different states based on the results on state tests. For example, the highest performing [...]
The following highlights are filtered for the convenience of school leaders. These are highlights of a draft re-authorization proposal released on October 11, 2011 by U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee as reported in Education Week by Alyson Kline. No AYP – Adequate Yearly Progress [...]
What are the pros and cons of tracking? That’s a question that I am frequently asked as I work with school leaders around the country. Instead of answering the question, I ask them a question in return. What do you mean by tracking? Instead of an immediate reply, I invariably get a confused look? What [...]
The following highlights are filtered for school leaders and were excerpted from Rick Hess’ interview with Hung-Hsi Wu in Education Week. Background: Hung-Hsi Wu is professor emeritus in mathematics from UC-Berkeley, who has just penned the cover story on this topic for AFT’s magazine American Educator. Dr. Wu, who started teaching at Berkeley in 1973, has [...]
In “It’s Poverty, Not Stupid” I proved that we should seek to raise the achievement of all students, but that our national focus should be on our poorest, under-resourced schools and students, who are the reason for our “average” international ranking. The following post includes excerpts from an article by Marcus Pohlman in the Washington [...]
