States Not All Lowering AYP Standards

State passing rates on AYP (the percentage of schools that meet state testing requirements and thus federal ones) varies widely, as you can see from the great chart to the right (courtesy of Stateline.org).

But, of course, this doesn't mean that the students in high percentage states are smarter than the rest, or that their schools are better. It probably just means that their tests are easier, or that the cutoff score is lower.

Some states like North Carolina have low AYP pass rates AND their state test cutoffs seem low, according to Pauline Vu's Stateline story. In NC, students had to answer correctly fewer than half the questions to pass [the middle school algebra test]. In some grades, they can flub two-thirds of the questions and still be marked “proficient.”

But not all states have lowered their requirements or rigor, Vu points out. There are lots of different things going on. Check it out: Where All the Children Are Above Average

PS -- Remember just a few years ago when it was hard to get state passing rates for AYP and folks didn't want state-by-state comparisons because they were thought to be misleading? Someone tried to retrieve a report listing state rates, but it lived on.

UPDATE: Sherman Dorn thinks Vu and I don't understand that it's rigor, as well as cutoffs, that affect state pass rates, and that we don't deserve a cookie. But he's wrong. Bad Dorn.

The PEN NewsBlast, In Summary

There's lots of good stuff as usual in the PEN NewsBlast (NewsBlast)t, though I wish they'd understand how hard it is to read anything after Happy Hour has started. The cutoff is Thursdays at 4 -- how many times do I have to tell them? Some of the standouts this week include a Local Education Fund handbook, and a peek into the secret world of grantmaking.

Health Care Big, Education Small

Whatever you may think of the Bush health care proposal being rolled out this week, it's hard not to notice how much bigger and bolder it is than pretty much anyone's education proposals, whether they be to fix NCLB or to develop national standards. To get something that big and transformative in education, you'd have to look at a nationwide universal preschool program, the elimination of local school districts (or teachers unions), or a Constitutional amendment giving everyone the right to an adequate education. But so far as I know, no one powerful is talking about these things right now. What we ARE talking about seems so puny by comparison.

UPDATE: The lack of bold solutions is just as bad at the state level, writes Joe Williams at The Chalkboard (though I'm guessing that some universal pre-K proponents would take issue with him).

The "Real" Congressman Miller Vs. The Other One

Over the AFTBlog they're chomping at the bit about the possibility that the "other" Representative Miller -- Brad, from NC -- might subpoena folks in the USDE as part of his newly-formed science oversight subcommittee (A Congressman Drops the S-Bomb). Don't forget that the "real" Congressman Miller (George, CA) hired a chief investigator to do much the same thing last month -- at the full committee level (Miller Ramps Up For Oversight & Investigations).

Friday Funnies

Inner-City Teacher Inspires Students To Stab Him
"Before Mr. Fitzsimmons came along, nobody had been dedicated and hardworking enough to show us that we had the power to make a difference," said student and stabbing participant Gabriel Salazar. (From The Onion)

UPDATE: School bans talking at lunch after choking incidents CNN
A Roman Catholic elementary school adopted new lunchroom rules this week requiring students to remain silent while eating. The move comes after three recent choking incidents in the cafeteria.

Canned Quotes (& Questionable "Experts") In The NYT

When I first read those quotes from Mike Petrilli at the end of Thursday's NYT, I wondered why he wasn't talking about national standards. Then I found out that they weren't the fresh, live quotes, they seemed to be (Mike told me). Instead, they're taken straight from Petrilli's essay on the Bush NCLB proposal (Mr. Fix-It). Which leaves us wondering which of the other quotes used by reporter Diana Jean Schemo (pictured) were canned. Others may not care, but I think it makes a difference.

And, I've said it before: reporters, maybe it would be good to find someone who's actually done a few reauthorizations (and who isn't just playing at being fair-minded). There are so many folks within easy reach who know more than Petrilli, and who aren't loathed by the current inhabitants of the USDE for being a turncoat and declaring NCLB a bust in order to promote Fordham's agenda. Talking to Petrilli about reauthorizing NCLB is like talking to Scooter Libby about Karl Rove and the war in Iraq -- it was an ugly breakup, and it's only getting worse.

Morning Round-up January 26, 2007

Colleges Regroup After Voters Ban Race Preferences NYT
Others are using many different approaches, like working with mostly minority high schools, using minority students as recruiters, and offering summer prep programs for promising students from struggling high schools.

Learning Improvements Among Head Start Children Tracked EdWeek
Children participating in Head Start during the 2003-04 school year showed significant learning gains in vocabulary, early math skills, and early writing skills, according to the latest results of an ongoing survey.

Fairfax Resists 'No Child' Provision WaPo
The Fairfax County School Board last night defied the U.S. Department of Education -- and challenged the No Child Left Behind Act -- by declining to force thousands of immigrant students to take a federally mandated test because local educators think it is unfair.

Same-sex classes a growing trend in public schools CNN.com
Supporters say splitting students by sex minimizes distractions, helps them learn better and allows boys and girls to explore subjects they may not otherwise take.

Subversion, War, Kit And Kaboodle -- Hogwash!

You have to love EdSec Spellings’ use of the phrase “kit and kaboodle” to describe the Administration’s desire to win approval of their whole NCLB reauthorization package, though so far only NPR seems to have used it in a segment. So fun, so quaint. So Spellings.

But that's not the only rhetorical flourish up Spellings' sleeve. She defends the new tough restructuring requirements for persistently failing schools in saying, “I think we all have to answer…what are we going to do about that?'" Meaning: if you don’t like my ideas, come up with something better, but you can't say the status quo is OK.

Not surprisingly, the NEA’s Reg Weaver goes nuclear about the Bush proposals, declaring “This is war," according to Stephanie Banchero’s piece in the Chicago Tribune.

In that same piece, however, Banchero or her editors make what seems to me a mis-step in describing the Bush proposal as “subverting” state laws and local collective bargaining agreements, which seems unnecessarily ominous.

There are hundreds of provisions in federal law that require states and districts to do things as a condition of receiving federal funds -- highway speed limits are the most common example. Plus which, you've already got Weaver declaring war, so no need to reiterate that some folks don't like the proposal. I think it’s more fair to say that the law “strong-arms” states and districts into changing their policies.

I can already anticipate Banchero's response, in which she will undoubtedly paraphrase the Vice President's recent use of colorful if quaint language: "hogwash."

UPDATE: Banchero can't catch a break -- over at District 299, which focuses on Chicago schools, a reader berates her for saying that the Bush provisions would "benefit" CPS, which is operating under a 30-school charter cap.

HotSeats Galore

Earlier this week, we put USDE longtimer Fritz Edelstein on the HotSeat, where he told all sorts of secrets that only a 31-year USDE veteran can tell. But he's hardly the first. As some of you have requested, here are some past favorites:

Rick Hess -- A Liberals' Kind Of Conservative
Those rumors about good-looking slaves doing all his writing for him aren't true.

NYT Magazine's Paul Tough On The HotSeat
What he really thinks about school reform and social policy.

Matt Maurer & The Shadowy World Of Education PR Companies
Why it's better to get an AP story than one in the NYT.

Journalism Guru Richard Lee Colvin...
What makes a good education story? You might be surprised.

Fordham's Petrilli Survives The HotSeat
He'll always be our first -- and perhaps one of our funniest.

KIPP Co-Founder Mike Feinberg On The HotSeat

Any others you liked, or suggestions for future HotSeats, let us know.

Wanna Run A Public Boarding School?

Those crazy folks at the SEED Foundation are looking for someone to run their new Baltimore school -- a college-prep, public boarding school for students in grades 6-12. "The Head of School for Maryland will have a tremendous opportunity to create a brand new school, with the benefits of relying on proven aspects of SEED’s first school program, as well as the resources, funding and community support that you and we have developed over the past 10 years." Tell them Alexander sent you.

Where's Hillary On Education Reform?

Senator Hillary Clinton has not said much about PK - 12 education in the past few days since her Presidential campaign announcement, even as she has been soliciting questions from website visitors to answer in her live, online webchats. And she's probably wise not to. School reform ideas hardly ever get anyone elected, and have often arguably dragged them down.

Still, as first noted on The Chalkboard, former Senate staffer Dan Gerstein wishes he'd had a chance to ask Clinton some questions (five questions that won't make Hillary's webchats ). On education, Gerstein asks whether Clinton will "embrace controversial education reforms" as she has in the past, including an expansion of charter schools.

But instead, Senator Clinton is talking about what everyone else talks about -- making college more affordable (surprise, surprise) and improving life for the struggling middle class. She did mention an interest in providing additional relief to "young people" who go into shortage areas like math and science. Still no word about her position on national standards or NCLB reauthorization. We're not holding our breath.

Adminstration Pushes Its NCLB Plan -- "Kit And Kaboodle"

Slowly, the most important details of the Bush reauthorization plan are coming out -- a private school option we've seen before (but will play differently now that Congress is on record for vouchers in DC and New Orleans), the likely expansion of the growth model option for meeting AYP, some uncertain language regarding highly qualified teachers, and -- most obviously inflammatory -- beefed-up requirements for schools in restructuring and districts with inequitable distribution of teachers that could abrogate collective bargaining agreements and contradict state or local charter law.

The reactions so far have been as you'd expect. But the main thing missing or underplayed from the NCLB reauthorization coverage so far is that, in essentially rolling out their reauthorization proposal this week, the Administration made a choice that has substantive and political ramifications.

They could have waited until the Aspen Commission report came out. They could have developed a joint proposal with Kennedy and Miller. They could have waited until the budget was released next week. But they didn't. Of course, this approach let's the Administration do what it did for many months on Iraq, which is to say "we have a plan, where's yours?" And that's worked out really well for them so far, I guess.

Why The Poor Eat Too Much

It's not just about what poor people eat that makes them more prone to overeating and obseity, according to this article from Salon (The anxiety of appetite). It's why they eat.

"When food stamps run out, or the kids' medical expenses take precedence, or the local food bank shuts down or runs out of food, you're not going to eat a lot. And when food becomes available again, you binge."

In their efforts to help the poor eat healthy foods, says the author, those who are trying to help run the risk of failing and creating a new form of progressive discrimination against the poor and overweight.

Morning Round-up January 25, 2007

Bush Proposes Broadening the No Child Left Behind Act NYT
The proposals would give local school officials new powers to override both teachers’ contracts and state limits on charter schools in the case of persistently failing schools.

New education reforms get mixed reviews AP
Democrats and teachers‘ unions are criticizing the Bush administration for proposing to let school officials override collective bargaining agreements and state laws in an effort to reshape the No Child Left Behind law.

Teacher has ways to light a fire under his pupils USAT
In a new book, Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire, he offers practical advice for teachers and parents.

Obama & The Madrassa: The Real Education Story Of The Week

Sad to say, the only school-related issue that most folks out in the non-education world are paying any attention to right now is the issue of whether Barack Obama attended a Muslim school as a child in Indonesia: "Even last night, while Mr. Obama was doing interviews following President Bush’s national address, he was asked about the rumors," notes The Caucus (Obama's Religion and Schooling). "He was asked about it again on the “Today” show. Afterward, his staff released a fullblown offensive –perhaps a few days too late — to the media."

The 103rd Carnival of Education

The Carnival of Education returns home this week to The Education Wonks. As usual, there are a variety of education topics and submissions. Here's an interesting one:

NYC Educator teaches in the New York City Public School System. Educator is telling us all about the Petty Tyrant EduCrat who allowed a hurt child to bleed until the necessary hall pass was obtained. Only then was the kid put into an ambulance and rushed to the hospital...

More Stupid State Of The Union Fun

If like me you are trying to avoid doing any real work today, there's a fun little gizmo in the NYT that lets you see how often and where a word shows up in one of the SOTU speeches of the last six years.

Based on a quick search for schools, education, and no child, it seems pretty clear that this speech was less focused on education than others in the past.

I count eight mentions for schools in 2001, 11 mentions in 2004, but just 4 last night. But you better check for yourself - you know how bad I am at counting.

Are Management Companies Better For Charters?

Speaking of the education industry, last week Erik Robelen wrote a fascinating piece for EdWeek that among other things described the foundation trend towards funding the growth and spread of EMOs -- education management organizations -- to run groups of charter schools instead of invididual operations (Venture Fund Fueling Push For New Schools). 

This week, charter insider Marc Dean Millot writes that EMOs are "a poor business model" whose economies of scale are mostly illusory (What Happened to the Charter Idea?: (I) Why “Bottom-Up” Became “Top-Down”).  (subscription required).

But Millot, who formerly ran a national charter organization and now puts out a newsletter covering the school improvement industry, doesn't romanticize the good old days of mom-and-pop charter schools, either.  "Establishing charter schools is an entrepreneurial triathlon - combining the challenges of political campaigns, business starts and pedagogical creation," he writes.  "Schools resulting from the herculean efforts of the under-qualified missionaries who stepped forward were often too small to be financially stable, vulnerable to political opposition, and perhaps prone to mediocrity."

Reaction Roundup -- What Did You Think Of The Speech?

I'm still groggy from trying to give immediate reactions to the President's speech last night (Live-Blogging The State Of The Union) -- which was fun but ridiculous -- meanwhile, others make some interesting (and similar) points this morning:

UPDATE: A Constrained Vision: "At the State of the Union speech tonight, two of the First Lady's guests had something to do with education." (Ed policy in the First Lady's box)

UPDATE 2: Get Schooled: "It didn't take President Bush long to bring up education in his "State of the Union" address last night, and it took even less time for him to move on to other topics." ('No Child' Goes On)

UPDATE 3: Chairman Miller: "The task of renewing the law will be made much more difficult if the President's budget fails to provide a substantial increase in funding for schools to carry out their responsibilities under the law."

UPDATE 4: Mike Petrilli (Fordham): "Though it's not the fundamental rethinking of No Child Left Behind that we would have preferred, the president's reauthorization proposal represents a pretty decent repair attempt. It's 50% "stay the course," 30% "tweak and tuck," and 20% "bold new ideas." (Mr. Fix-It)

UPDATE 5: Quick & The Ed (again): "Note to NBC: This woman is NOT Margaret Spellings." (Will the real Margaret Spellings please stand up?)

UPDATE 6: Reality CheckED: "There's been a lot of talk about a backlash to testing, but to the extent that's happening, it seems to be happening among teachers...More than half of parents, about 54%, feel the amount of testing is "about right." (NCLB Gets A Nod)

Eduwonk: "The fact that President Bush’s State of the Union clearly said he wanted No Child reauthorized is significant, as is the placement of education at the top of the speech. But beyond that, not a whole lot in Tuesday night's speech." (All Hat, Hidden Cattle)

The Quick And The Ed: "Am I the only person who found it odd and somewhat unseemly that the President of the United States used a portion of his State of the Union Address to essentially advertise a line of baby toys?" (Bush Hearts Baby Einstein)

For more great blog writing -- that's not about the SOTU speech -- check out my little roundup of some recent favorites here: Great Blog Writing. There's some really good stuff in there.

Morning Round-up January 24, 2007

Bush Revives Some Past Proposals NYT
Mr. Bush also returned to the signature bipartisan accomplishment of his first term, the No Child Left Behind legislation that requires schools to demonstrate yearly progress in students’ achievements. He urged Congress to renew the law.

Bush to Push School Voucher Proposal AP
President Bush is making another run at giving poor students private school vouchers, but the Democratic-controlled Congress appears ready to block that move.

After the Last Lap, It's Time for SAT Prep NYT
The course, paid for with a $100,000 federal grant, is intended to help poor and immigrant runners in the Armory’s program decipher the often complex college admissions process.

Love of Learning: Which Children Have It Most NYT
A study uses Census data to look at children who are most interested in their schoolwork.

Tutoring, Textbooks, & Testing

EdWeek has recently beefed up its coverage of the education industry -- I use the term in the most neutral sense -- and this week there are a bunch of articles about three of the main things that the education industry does for schools: tutoring, testing, and textbooks.

Companies Want Changes in NCLB Tutoring Policies
Disappointing numbers fuel call for steps aimed at boosting student participation.

Tougher Oversight Promised for Private Tutors in Georgia
Earlier this month, state officials barred the Get Smart Inc. service from working with public school tutoring for three years after investigators found some Clayton County, Ga., middle school students were being paid $5 to forge parent signatures for lessons that never took place.

‘What Works’ Review Finds Leading Math Texts Wanting
Only one elementary school math program has received even a qualified nod from evaluators for its research record.

States Adopt New Tests for English-Learners
The new changes aim to meet federal requirements, though some officials protest.

Live-Blogging The State Of The Union (Sort Of)

I should be doing my laundry or feeding my new cat, but instead I'm here, live-blogging the State Of The Union for any glimpses of education news. This is not so easy to do without a drink - where's the Jameson when I really need it? Start at the bottom if you want to read in chronological order. But it's really all over after the first 10 minutes of the speech.

Great Blog Writing

Every week, The Education Wonks organize an amazing Carnival Of Education Blogs that includes dozens and dozens of author-submitted blog posts.

Every once in a while, I take my own look at the education blogs and come up with my own favorite posts – usually ones that are particularly counterintuitive, insightful, or well-written.

Click below to see some recent favorites. I guarantee you'll find at least a couple that you really like -- especially the funny ones.

AFT Blog Scores President's Education Agenda

Kudos to the AFTies for being first to find and link to the President's education agenda, such as it is, in tonight's State of the Union. It's nothing unexpected, but it's the latest and offers some hints and details. Can we start the drinking game now, or do we have to wait until he actually starts talking?

Why No One Cares Deeply About Iraq -- Or Urban Schools

This article in Salon (Where's the outrage?) argues that there is no significant antiwar movement because the vast majority of the public who are "not facing death or the death of immediate family members, doesn't care enough."

I'd argue that much the same is true of reforming urban school systems, which are nearly as far away from many lawmakers' and middle class taxpayers' experiences as the Middle East.

According to the piece, by Gary Kamiya, "The elites talk and the kids who go to community college get blown up...People are capable of genuine concern for their fellow citizens, but self-interest is an exponentially more powerful driving force. "

According to some, reinstating the draft is the most obvious way to make sure that the middle class -- and elected officials -- pay attention. What would it take to do the same for urban schools? National service? A critical mass of folks who have a stake in urban schools? Maybe this is what Teach For America's Wendy Kopp is talking about, after all.

Public Agenda (Re)Starts Its Education Blog

Public Agenda has often done fascinating work on education issues -- telling us what folks really think, whether we want to hear it or not. To make education engagement a more regular thing, they're going to re-start their education blog, called Reality CheckED. It (re)lanches tomorrow (the old one seems to have come and gone during the summer and fall of last year). Maybe they got some of that Gates money to make sure education is big in the upcoming campaign.

From the press release: "Public Agenda is all about keeping people talking and the positive effects of exchanging ideas and sharing perspectives. We want to encourage the discussions cropping up around current educational reforms. We will be drawing on our years of research to enhance the conversation and welcome you to jump in with ideas of your own."

Welcome, and good luck.

Secrets Of The USDE: Insider Edelstein On The HotSeat

In honor of tonight's State Of The Union, this week's HotSeat honoree is longtime USDE insider Fritz Edlestein, who tells all under pressure, including among other things,

-- about his new endeavors (they are many)
-- on whether mayoral control is right for everyone (it's not)
-- on how to get a law changed after it's been passed (can it really be that easy?)
-- on his shameful involvement in Blue Ribbon Schools (now it can be told)
-- on whether it's a go for national standards ("the time is getting riper"), and
-- about some of his main accomplishments and favorite colleagues from 31 years at the Department.

Oh, and he schools us on how to pronounce his name correctly, too.

Morning Round-up January 23, 2007

Acquisition Ban Lifter at Career Education NYT
Career Education is battling back from government investigations, private lawsuits and accreditation problems, many stemming from accusations that the company cheated on admissions practices, financial aid and job placement.

Teachers Tackle Their Own Extra Credit WaPo
Although some wonder how much the program raises student achievement, there is a growing movement toward national certification. The number of board-certified teachers has tripled in the past five years to more than 55,000 nationwide.

Pete Seeger among children's book winners CNN.com
A book by Pete Seeger about a young musician who loses his hearing and a wordless story about an underwater camera were among the winners of children's book prizes announced Monday by the American Library Association.

New Documentary: "Whatever It Takes"

There's an interesting new documentary about school reform on its way, this one (called "Whatever It Takes") about a small school and a new principal in the South Bronx. Shot during 05-06, it's a labor of love that's still in post-production, but it's already won some small awards and there's a nice trailer to look at (surf to www.whateverittakesdoc.com). Or to watch a YouTube version of the video click below.

When finished, the full-length documentary will take a hard look at both sides of the small schools debate, says director Christopher Wong, asking the tough question: "can a team of dedicated individuals, within the context of a small school, bring about educational change for talented but underprivileged students born into a community of poverty and hopelessness?"

The title may remind some of the much-admired NYT Magazine article from a few weeks ago, "What it takes to make a student," whose author I interviewed just before this site switched over to EdWeek.org. You can check that out here.

Who's Under More Pressure To "Deliver" NCLB? Pelosi Or Bush?

Riffing off of a Washington Post story about the upcoming struggles Speaker Pelosi faces within her own ranks, Eduwonk posts on how challenging it is going to be for NCLB to get reauthorized (NCLB'ed) -- and whether that falls in Pelosi's lap or the President's. "The line about Pelosi feeling she needs to deliver for new members and what they ran on is a down arrow on NCLB in some cases," writes Eduwonk. "But, isn't the President's forthcoming budget request (and any private signals he might be sending) pretty key here in terms of whether we get to an NCLB deal?"

Ravitch Moves Left On Teachers Unions

Proving once again that she's nothing if not iconoclastic, Diane Ravitch seems to be moving much farther left than most would expect. Or maybe I just assumed she was a critic.

It's not just the joint appearances with small schools queen Debbie Meier -- soon to be turned into a new EdWeek venture, I'm told. She's also featured in the latest issue of the American Educator in strong support of teachers unions (Cultivating Solutions) of all things:

"Protecting teachers from ill-conceived instructional mandates, intolerable conditions, and poor compensation—these are all reasons why teacher unions were important 100 years ago, and remain so today, says this noted education historian."

No wonder they put her on the cover. For an online interview of her from last year, check out On The HotSeat: Uber-Contrarian Diane Ravitch.

State Of The Union Preview: Reauthorize NCLB

Don't expect much from the President about education in the upcoming State Of The Union besides the call to reauthorize NCLB, based on this mention in a White House press briefing last week: " I think that the issues that the President has chosen to talk about in the State of the Union are ones that we all agree on the ultimate goal -- maybe not on every single detail -- but we have different paths of getting there. And I think that he believes that there are ways that we can work together -- on energy reform, there's a lot of common ground there. On education reform, No Child Left Behind is beginning to show some results. And so as that gets reauthorized this year, under the leadership of Secretary Spellings and Senator Ted Kennedy, I think that a lot can get done there."

This is a far cry from last year, when SOTU-watchers were all aflutter about the President's STEM proposal, which like most things mentioned in these speeches went nowhere: $9B Proposed for Science Education.

What Hillary's Candidacy Means For Education - Not Much

As the first '08 presidential candidate to make front, top and left of the Washington Post, Hillary Clinton made the rumors official on Saturday, January 20, 2007 - exactly two years from the date of the next presidential inauguration. She used a highly-praised online video on her website to make the announcement (which never mentions education), coupled with a typed statement of her candidacy (which barely mentions education). The most popular policy issue associated with Hillary is health care - something she did stress in her announcement.

Clinton's statement on NCLB's 5th anniversary notes her original support for NCLB and her charge that the Bush administration is under-funding NCLB. At the same time, she has earned an "A" from the NEA for voting in their interests 100% of the time in 2005 and submitted a request to the Government Accountability Office regarding the "slow progress in implementing academic assistance for students under the No Child Left Behind Act."

To see her stances on education in the Senate click here. A comprehensive site called On The Issues has a lengthy profile of Hillary's stances on education from AR to U.S. Senate. Main points: doesn't support school vouchers, supports types of performance pay, one-time testing for teachers - but no word yet on National Standards. My advice - don't hold your breath.

Morning Round-up January 22, 2007

Oregon latest state to raise graduation requirements Boston Globe
Oregon is the latest state to take action in a nationwide movement to raise graduation requirements after a speech Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates gave to the nation's governors in 2005.

Taking Middle Schoolers Out of the Middle NYT
The two schools, in disparate corners of the nation’s largest school system, are part of a national effort to rethink middle school, driven by increasingly well-documented slumps in learning among early adolescents as well as middle school crime rates and stubborn high school dropout rates.

Education Department says lender was overpaid AP
Under the deal, the Education Department said any future payments the Lincoln, Nebraska-based company, Nelnet, has pending from the agency for subsidies on student loans will go through a review process to determine what the proper amounts should be.

Week In Review January 16-21

Looking Forward - 2008
What Obama's Candidacy Means For Education

On The Hill
New House Ed Committee Name & Staff List
Good News For Ed Funding and Earmarks
Dems Lengthen Subcommittee Names (& Name New Heads)
What 1.2 Trillion Could Have Bought

Media Watch
Jerry Bracey On The Huffington Post
Assignment Changes At The Washington Post

National Standards
National Standards -- Then Vs. Now
Quest Columnist Kevin Kosar: Do National Standards Have A Chance?

Education Policy
Exclusive: Security Checks For Ed Researchers
Regulating The Testing Industry Returns
The Think Tank Mystery

Best Of The Rest
Oprah's School
Pop Princess Calls Out President Bush On NLCB
Breaking Up All-Star Faculties In NYC
Banning Soccer

Banning Soccer

There's been a slew of banning going on around the country, it seems (cell phones, games of tag, etc.) -- most of which seem ridiculous from the outside even as they make sense to those who propose them. This one might take the cake: a Georgia town has banned kids from playing soccer on public playing fields. But of course it's simpler, and more complicated, than that. In the NYT: Refugees Find Hostility and Hope on Soccer Field