Best Of The Week (July 9-13)

The Big Picture
Where's Our Michael Moore?
Capturing The Current School Reform Moment ... Down To The "Granular" Level

On The Hill
Fresh Off The FritzWire
Burr & Gregg Deliver The First Volley
....Or They Could Introduce NCLB Reauthorization Language
The Week Ahead (July 9-13)

NCLB News
Burr & Gregg Deliver The First Volley
Addressing NCLB's "Reverse Lake Wobegon Syndrome"

Urban Education
Payzant Says He Didn't Know About Pilot Schools Screening Kids Either
Do AP Incentive Programs Skew The Challenge Index?
Expanding District Boundaries, Beefing Up The NCLB Transfer Provision

Teachers & Teaching
What Most Folks Don't "Get" About Schools
Now Cool: Librarians

Foundation Follies
Who's In Charge Of What At The Gates Foundation? No One Knows.
Inside The Gates Machine

Media Watch
Is Wikipedia Accurate & Neutral On Education Issues?
Who Decides What's Important -- Readers, Or Editors?

School Life
The Water Gun Wars
Consultants Vs. Real Live School Administrators, Part 5

Special New York City Pull-Out Section
Yet Another Thing For Chancellor Klein To Worry About
Watch Out, New York City Schools -- Here Comes Medina

Fresh Off The FritzWire

Appropriations: On Wednesday, July 11, the House Appropriations Committee completed mark-up on a $607 billion Labor-HHS-Education spending bill that will set funding levels for education, health and labor programs for FY 2008. The bill allocates $62.6 billion for the Education Department, an increase of $2.3 billion over current funding. Overall, the total bill is roughly $7 billion more than that approved for FY 2007. Go to: http://appropriations.house.gov. The measure next moves to the House floor for consideration. The Senate has yet to move on its version of the bill.

Introduced Legislation: S 1775 (Burr, North Carolina) introduced, the “No Child Left Behind Act of 2007” to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to ensure that no child is left behind. (http://burr.senate.gov).

New Reports: Today, the Center on Education Policy released a report examining the kind of assistance that schools identified for improvement under NCLB receive and how effective district and state officials believe that assistance to be. Moving Beyond Identification: Assisting Schools in Improvement is posted on the Center's home page (www.cep-dc.org) under "What's New."

Yet Another Thing For Chancellor Klein To Worry About

Recently named along with Joel Klein as one of the most influential parts of the New York City education scene, InsideSchools.org goes beyond the usual news coverage and profiles individual schools. Now it has a blog to go along with all the rest.

Expanding District Boundaries, Beefing Up The NCLB Transfer Provision

NPR reminds us that it was 50 years ago that the Little Rock Nine were escorted into white schools (Little Rock Marks Desegregation Anniversary. Jonathan Kozol observes in a recent NYT opinion piece that the Supreme Court's decision last week still allows all sorts of methods of increasing integration, including beefing up the transfer provision in NCLB (Transferring Up). Meanwhile, the NY Sun tells us that imaginative folks there are wondering what would happen if they did that whole city-suburban district thing (Activists Revive Idea of Blending Students From City, Suburbs)

Big Stories Of The Day (July 13)

Positive Trends Recorded in U.S. Data on Teenagers AP
Fewer high school students were having sex and more were using condoms in 2005, according to the latest government report on the well-being of the nation’s children. Via EdWeek.org.

Government Eyes Seat Belts for School Buses AP
The government is looking again at whether children are safer in seat belts when they ride the bus to school, months after a deadly crash in Alabama. Via District Administration.

U.S. education official touts charter schools Albany Press & Sun Bulletin
With a successful charter school's graduation ceremony as a backdrop Wednesday, President Bush's deputy education secretary said the administration is pushing to expand the number the publicly funded private institutions when a 5-year-old education accountability program is reauthorized this year.

Burr & Gregg Deliver The First Volley

According to the attached press release, Republican Senators Gregg and Burr are today introducing a "comprehensive" NCLB reauthorization bill -- the first of will likely be several volleys from folks who want to push or promote something that's not quite the same as what the committee and leadership staff are up to.

Is Wikipedia Accurate & Neutral On Education Issues?

Sick of everyone putting in their two cents instead of just giving you the facts? Me, too. According to this Times Magazine story from earlier this month, we should all be turning to Wikipedia for information -- including breaking news -- since the collaborative website is all about maintaining a neutral point of view. Sound interesting? Well, not so fast. The articles all created by group effort, and are not necessarily complete or accurate even if they're neutral. Maybe that's why people like opinion -- better sifting. Here's the entry for Reading First. And for NCLB. Click "history" to see what changes have been made. Make a correction if you find something wrong.

Watch Out, New York City Schools -- Here Comes Medina

Thanks to everyone who wrote in explaining that it's insider Jennifer (Jenny) Medina who's now writing city education stories that we'll all be (and are already) reading.

According to an internal email announcement someone sent me, Medina "began her career at The New York Times as an intern in education where working with Tamar Lewin she turned out a memorable series on how city schools were pushing students out so they wouldn't count as part of the dropout rate." Since then she's covered NY and CT state politics, as well as the Lieberman campaign, and more. "All of this was just the right preparation for covering the high-stakes drama of a school system of 1.1 million students where the political infighting can rival any legislature's and passions run high over the ideology of math teaching, kindergarten admissions, cell phones and contested territory as small schools proliferate and vie for space."

This is apparently a picture of Medina on the job. Here are some of her recent stories, some of which have already started appearing in the paper.

Payzant Says He Didn't Know About Pilot Schools Screening Kids Either

Following up on the Boston Globe's story that Boston's famed pilot schools were screening students rather than taking all comers like everyone else (is supposed to). former Boston superintendent Tom Payzant (under whose leadership the pilots were started) said that he didn't know about the practice, either.

Writes Payzant: "Frankly, I was surprised that schools other than Quincy Upper and the Arts Academy had special requirements. Sometimes the Supt. is the last to know." Payzant said he'd tell the schools to cut it out, though perhaps allowing schools to require a parent visit upon acceptance so that they know what they're getting into. Payzant also says that he's criticized charters for not taking enough SPED and ELL, and that the pilots have done better with ELLs and were being "pushed" on SPED kids for several years. "I pushed them to address the special ed issue 4-5 years ago and insisted that they welcome students with disabilities. There has been a lot of progress on that front."

Adds current interim superintendent Mike Contompasis: "I do not believe that the pilots with the exception of Fenway continue to screen prior to the lottery process. I am informing the pilots again that these practices will cease effective in the coming year."

NYT Education Reporter Flies The Coop -- Who Will Replace Him?

Word is that NYT education reporter David Herszenhorn has in fact left (escaped?) and is already down in DC covering Congress. [Read more about and an outdated but still reasonable look at where education reporters go to when they are no longer education reporters here.] No word yet on who's going to replace him in covering the NYC schools. How about Columbia's LynNell Hancock (right), who recently wrote a great send-up of the NYC reform effort in The Nation and who still may not have forgiven my for my ambush interview of her (here)? Or maybe Elizabeth Green (left), who just left US News to come cover the city schools for The Sun? Or even Joe Williams, who used to cover the city and now is stuck doing DFER? Of course, I'm sure it will be someone from inside the paper.

What Most Folks Don't "Get" About Schools

In yesterday's education column, Times education writer David Herszenhorn reflects on what it's been like covering NYC schools for over four years -- and what most adults don't (or don't want to) understand: "Working with children looks easy. It is not." Then the tagline at the end of the story seems to indicate that Herszenhorn is leaving the beat. Working with schools isn't just hard on teachers, it seems. Congrats, condolences. I'll try and get more information.

Big Stories Of The Day (July 12)

House moves to lower interest on student loans AP
Legislation to lower interest rates on student loans and increase aid to poor people who want to go to college won House approval yesterday.

Potter Has Limited Effect on Reading Habits NYT
The truth about Harry Potter and reading is not quite a straightforward success story.

Teacher-Turned-Astronaut to Deliver Educational Payload EdWeek
Barbara R. Morgan and the crew of the space shuttle Endeavour will conduct a variety of educational activities on an 11 day mission.

Carnival Time Vs. The Mustache

I managed to pull myself away from Burger King's "grow your own mustache" site (I'm 'stashing Obama) to skim this week's ed policy posts over at The Carnival Of Education: Week 127 and saw that there are posts on zero tolerance, harassment, student obesity, and the gaps between research and policy. Check it out.

Where's Our Michael Moore?

I'm finding it hard to get worked up about education reform these days when crazed but brilliant "Sicko" documentarian Michael Moore is taking on CNN's Wolf Blitzer, handsome medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, and mainstream coverage of health care issues (as well as missing the boat on Iraq, the treatment of veterans, etc.). It makes you think. Wouldn't it be horrifying and exciting and disruptive if someone in education -- a more charismatic and compelling version of Jonathan Kozol, Debbie Meier, Marian Wright Edelman, et al -- was pushing this hard on the school reform front, and getting this kind of attention? Why isn't there? If there was, who would be leading the way?

Do AP Incentive Programs Skew The Challenge Index? Yes, Says Benton

Dallas Morning News education columnist Josh Benton isn't the first to raise questions about Newsweek's High School Challenge Index (aka "Uncle Jay's List'), but the fact that two local Dallas high schools -- both in the same building -- got ranked #1 and #2 this year does give him an interesting perspective. In his column (here), Benton points out that at least some of the Dallas success is due to a local incentive program that pays kids and teachers for AP participation. In fact, Texas was the home of these AP incentive programs, which spread nationally and are now funded federally thanks in large part to my old boss, Jeff Bingaman, and Kay Bailey Hutchison.

The Water Gun Wars

Anyone dealing with kids this summer is probably dealing with water -- water balloons, water bottles, water guns. Here, Slate takes the time to rate the water guns that are out there, most of which are are far cry from the puny translucent pistols some of us may remember from long ago: Scouting out the best water guns. The top-rated Tarantula (pictured) is introduced as follows: "Packing a gun this well-designed almost feels like cheating....Its overdone space-age styling may seem a tad embarrassing, but its performance on the battlefield will teach your enemies to show some respect."

Inside The Gates Machine: Golston, Phillips, Pennington, Seleznow, & Shelton

OK, I think I understand at least some of the basics now, thanks to Gates spokesperson Marie Groark. Former Portland supe Vicki Phillips (right) will be the "new" Tom Vander Ark, heading the education initiative. However, the setup is different, too. Education is now going to be under US Programs, run by Allan Golston, and expanded to include special initiatives, which is being run by former JFF-er Hilary Pennington (left).

Within education, Steve Seleznow (the white guy) runs the Western States plus Ohio. Jim Shelton runs the Eastern states and "new school creation and replications." A slightly outdated version of this is here. Next step -- figuring out the second level of program officers who run each particular initiative.

Who Decides What's Important -- Readers, Or Editors?

Washington Post, media critic Howard Kurtz points out that much of the astounding success of the Huffington Post, a group blog that features all sorts of generally Democratic commentary and content (including mine), has come from the ability (and willingness) of its editors to go beyond the now-standard "most read story" gizmo in the corner and actually bring popular articles to the front page, top center. Editors hate this because it means that readers are making placement and prominence decisions and mixing commentary with news. Advertisers love it because it makes the site the sites that do this (Daily Kos and Google News are other examples) all the more popular. Check out Kurtz's piece here: The Huffington Empire.

Addressing NCLB's "Reverse Lake Wobegon Syndrome"

Defending -- much less advocating -- NCLB has to be one of the most thankless jobs out there, but the LA Times' columnist Ron Brownstein gives it a shot in Don't leave this law behind. Sounding like he's been talking to EdSec Spellings, Kati Haycock, and Bruce Reed a lot, Brownstein admits that the law has "minted enemies" and blames the current AYP system for creating a "reverse Lake Wobegon syndrome" in which too many schools are rated as low-performing. But he concludes that improving the law is possible, and that with immigration reform seemingly done in "educational accountability offers Washington its last chance for a big bipartisan accomplishment this year." We'll see.

Big Stories Of The Day (July 11)

Texas to End High-School Exit Exams NPR
The Texas legislature has voted to end one of the most controversial aspects of its school accountability system: exit-level exams that students must pass to get their high-school diplomas.

Locke High's weary teachers face a hard multiple-choice test LA Times
They're divided over whether to become a charter school.

School settles after student's mouth taped MSNBC.com
A school district agreed to pay $33,250 to settle a lawsuit by a former student who accused an elementary school teacher of wrapping tape around his head for talking too much.

Pittsburgh schools drop 'public' from name to boost image Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Public Schools will drop "public" from its name and adopt a new, standardized way of referring to its schools as part of a campaign to brighten and strengthen the district's image. Via EdNews.org.

Consultants Vs. Real Live School Administrators, Part 5

From today's Washington Examiner, via The Quick And The Ed:

Communications breakdown caused boxes of sporting goods, computers and other essential equipment to be left padlocked in a shuttered District of Columbia junior high school for almost an entire year while a neighboring school was starved for supplies, a city consultant told The Examiner.

From the June 21 edition of The Nation:

The [bus route] chaos was caused in large part by the financial consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal, an outfit the department hired without competitive bidding at $16 million to find $200 million from the [New York City] department's budget to divert directly into the schools...The net savings for all this grief: $5 million, far less than what was originally estimated.

I'm not saying that district folks always get it right -- just that high-priced consultants are no guarantee of efficiency and performance either.

Who's In Charge Of What At The Gates Foundation? No One Knows.

While the Gates Foundation continues to influence education reform near and far (just this week strong-arming the LAUSD school board), no one really seems to have a complete picture of who's who and who does what in their education division these days.

So here's your chance to show off what you know, individually and as a group, by sharing who does what out there and in the states. Phillips? Shelton? Sanford? Bailey? Fleischauer et al at GMMB? Together, maybe we can piece it all together.

Best Of The Blogs

I skim them so you don't have to..

Reading on the same page Joanne Jacobs
Congress hates the most successful part of No Child Left Behind, writes Charlotte Allen in a Weekly Standard story on Reading First.

Lampkin Goes Off On NEA And Prez Candidates Joe Williams' Blog Marc Lampkin, of Ed in 08 fame, and writing on the Huffington Post, gave all the candidates who appeared at last week's National Education Association Pander-Palooza an 'F' grade.

It's All About The Kids! Eduwonk
The Washington Post editorial board lays out the real behind the scenes tension surrounding confirmation hearings for D.C. Mayor Fenty's picks to manage the school system: Two guys want to be mayor, but only one is.

First Amendment Pressures Mount for High School Journalism
Editors, high school journalists need your help. First Amendment freedoms are at stake.

Capturing The Current School Reform Moment ... Down To The Granular Level

Though I usually find articles in The Nation tiresome and predictable even when I agree with them, I knew I was going to like LynNell Hancock's recent article on school reform in New York City when she started out making fun of the word "granular," which is currently being over-used in certain circles when it comes to describing detailed data.

But it's not just that...

Big Stories Of The Day (July 10)

Public Schools Feed Multitudes in the Summer NYT
The New York City school system has become one of the nation’s largest summer soup kitchens.

Pilot Schools Setting More Hurdles Boston Globe
Most of Boston's experimental pilot high schools, held up as a national model and acclaimed for outperforming traditional public schools, have quietly created admissions hurdles that call into question whether they are stacking the deck with the most successful students.

More than half of teens forgo summer jobs USA Today
Perhaps the biggest reason teens are bypassing work is to spend more time studying, even during the summer: 37.6% of teens ages 16 to 19 were enrolled in school in July 2006, up from 36.5% a year earlier and more than three times the share enrolled two decades ago, according to the Labor Department.

High Schoolers Who Confronted Bush Tell Their Story Independent Media Institute
If the Libby commutation and the ongoing war in Iraq and well everything being perpetrated by our president and his goons has you in a bummer of a mood on this Fourth of July, than the video to your right should cure what ails you. Via EdNews.org.

Now Cool: Librarians

A lot of people seem to be enjoying this NYT Magazine article about new-era librarians (A Hipper Crowd Of Shushers): "With so much of the job involving technology and with a focus now on finding and sharing information beyond just what is available in books, a new type of librarian is emerging — the kind that, according to the Web site Librarian Avengers, is “looking to put the ‘hep cat’ in cataloguing.” There are an increasing number of librarians who are notable not just for their pink-streaked hair but also for their passion for pop culture, activism and technology."

....Or They Could Introduce NCLB Reauthorization Language

Maybe the week won't be so slow after all, I'm told, if Hill staff finally release the bill language that they've been working on feverishly with hopes of -- could this really happen? -- marking up a bill before August recess? It doesn't seem possible, but who knows. Congress Now says "As for No Child Left Behind, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers is making a push to mark up its reauthorization before the August recess, with the hope of reauthorizing President Bush's landmark education reforms before they expire at the end of September. Staff from both parties are negotiating the final details of the bill's legislative language, which will likely be released within the week as a precursor to a markup." Yikes. I'm excited. I'm scared. I'm skeptical.

The Week Ahead

If it's not about Iraq, health care, the campaign, or the environment, it doesn't seem like there's that much going on in DC these next few days. Fresh off her weekend in Aspen, the EdSec is going to Crystal City this afternoon to to talk about investing in children at the White House Conference on the Americas. Mysteriously, it's not open to the press. The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to mark up the Labor-HHS-Education bill on Wednesday. That same day, Secty Spellings flies up to Albany to give a commencement speech for the A Brighter Choice charter schools (single sex, BTW). Next Monday, AEI has an event on NCLB.

Big Stories Of The Day (Monday July 9)

Not really that new or big, but more to come with Congress back in session...

Advocates for Students With Disabilities Balk at Proposed NCLB Changes EdWeek
Some fear high standards for such students could be sacrificed as states seek more flexibility in the law.

Nutrition education ineffective USA Today
The federal government will spend more than $1 billion this year on nutrition education but an Associated Press review of scientific studies examining 57 such programs found mostly failure.

Schools turn to private donors Detroit Free Press
Once limited to colleges and private schools, reliance on private donations has become a $31.5 billion part of the public K-12 experience, complete with gala fund-raisers and old-fashioned merchandise peddling.

School backers revisit role Seattle Times
The influential Seattle group Alliance for Education is reshaping itself and examining questions about control of the money it raises for schools.

School Graffiti Nets 4-Month Suspension AP
Writing "I love Alex" on a school gymnasium wall brought a 12-year-old the same punishment as if she had made terrorist threats.

The Best Of The Week (July 2-8)

Bush Administration
Aspen-Bound EdSec
Briggs Nominated & Confirmed For USDE Post
Over-Reacting On Deseg Implications?

Campaign 2008
Obama Hands NEA Endorsement To Clinton
Bad Republican Advice On NCLB Strategy
Remembering John Kerry
Biden Takes The Lead
No Clear Way To Pay For Initiatives, Says FactCheck

NCLB News
Growth Models Across America -- And More Pilots To Come
Summer School For The Princeton Review
Spying On The NEA Convention

Foundation Follies
Looking Back At The Year That Was: The Fordham Version
Job Of The Week: The Andy Sector Wants You!

Media Watch
Does "The Pulse" Need CPR?
EdWeek's Online Extravaganza

School Life
This Is How We Roll [Our Backpacks]
"YouTube For Nerds"
Short "Vay-Kay" For St. Louis Area Students

Site News
Racism Watch, Part 2