Do Funders Sink Education Research, Too?

Check out this free Wall Street Journal article about just how misleading and self-interested drug research has been (Antidepressants Under Scrutiny).  I know there are an awful lot of rose-colored results out there in education research, but apparently drug companies routinely conduct but don't report studies that come out with "negative" results (ie, don't show benefits for their drugs), and the FDA doesn't track these disappearing studies, meaning that drugs are a lot less effective than your doctor knows or the ads say.  It's hard to believe, but neither the companies nor the researchers are under any legal obligation to report the results of these negative studies.  Does this happen in education research, too, or are the studies set up so broadly that the results are going to come out positive no matter what?

Drive-By Blog Roundup

US News calls teaching career over-rated, says Scott Elliott: Teaching overrated?. DC kid talks about low quality schools, at TQATE:  Crackonomics. Roy Romer blacklists EdWeek blogger, she says:  An Ohio Educator's Q-and-A with Roy Romer. Rights and testing groups clarify ELLs, from Big Charlie:   The 411 On NCLB and ELL. Unions divides, says nominally pro-union Dem: Unions bitterly divided in Democratic race. More about unions, from The Hoff:  Allies Question NEA's Legal Strategy, Prefer a Political One. Moles book reaches the century mark, says Britannica Blog:   The Wind in the Willows Turns 100.

Brittanica Blog

Preschool for none.  Horace Mann Achievement Academy.  A ban on "left behind" headlines.  Kozol and Petrilli endorse NCLB.  Teachers block class size reduction amendment.  Kucinich picks Spellings as running mate.  Wonks and pundits leave offices to start teaching.  This blog becomes more popular than the Huffington Post.

My first foray on the Britannica Blog.

If Weingarten Leaves To Head AFT, A Blogger Might Run The NYC Teachers Union

There's concrete if preliminary news that NYC teachers union head Randi Weingarten (pictured, second from right) seems to be on her way to DC to run the national AFT, leaving room for possible replacements in NYC.  The Sun's Elizabeth Green has the scoop, natch:  "Reversing years of denials, Ms. Weingarten last year said for the first time that she is open to considering the job if Mr. McElroy chooses to leave." Among those mentioned in the story as possible replacements -- though not the lead contender -- is Leo Casey, who posts frequently on the UFT blog, Edwize.

Chealsea Clinton Loves Teachers, Hates Exams, Too

Just like her mom, Chelsea Clinton manages to pander to teachers (you're so great!) and bash     tests during a recent campaign appearance:

"I think it’s great that you’re a teacher, I think it’s great that all the students are here, particularly after your exam. I think I might have wanted to run right out the door after my high school exams."

Yay, teachers!  Boo, exams!

Big Stories Of The Day?

Report: School slayings down MSNBC
About 16 students are murdered in U.S. schools each year, says a new government report. While that number and rate of slayings holds steady, it is lower than in the previous decade.

Urban Schools Aiming Higher Than Diploma NYT
There’s a growing sense of urgency among educators that every student should be on a college track.

Virtual schools threatened by court ruling MSNBC
Seventh-grader Marcy Thompson cried when she heard that a court had ordered the state to stop funding the virtual school she has attended for the last five years.

Revising a Name, but Not a Familiar Slogan NYT
The United Negro College Fund’s slogan remains a powerful ad message 35 years after its debut. The group’s name, however, has become a source of alienation.

McDonald’s Ending Promotion on Jackets of Children’s Report Cards NYT
McDonald’s has decided to stop sponsoring Happy Meals as rewards for children with good grades and attendance records in elementary schools in Seminole County, Fla.

Chicago Union President Tries To Oust Vice President

There's always been some Keystone Cops to the Chicago Teachers Union, but this latest incident has got to take the cake:  The union president, Marilyn Stewart, elected last spring to a second term, got into a fight with her VP, Ted Dallas, elected with her and from the same caucus, and decided to write a letter about it.

Addressed to Arne Duncan, the superintendent of Chicago Public Schools, the letter (pictured, exclusive) indicates that Dallas is no longer representing the CTU except relating to two committees he works on, and that she hopes the letter won't be circulated. 

I'm told that this kind of infighting happens, but rarely goes public.  However, there's not much that each can do against the other, besides making each other's lives miserable.  Unless someone tries to do some sort of recall, that is. 

To see comments and reactions from Chicago teachers, among others, click here.

Skimming The Blogs

 More on Romney and education from MM:   Romney on Math, Science, and the Economy.

The Wonks remind us that it's time for  Carnival-Carnival!

The substitutes thing in the AP story today is highlighted by Joanne Jacobs Substandard substitutes.

Working hard in South Carolina is Roy Romer:  Campaigning on ED in South Carolina

Urban success stories from Big Charlie:  Urban Schools Leaving NCLB Behind

Insideschools finds the early lunch I've ever heard of:  Early bird special to unlucky students

Don't forget classroom blogs, says the ASCD Blog:  Bluebird's Classroom

Jobs!

Interested in working in DC, or looking for a change of venue?  Check out the slew of education policy and PR jobs that are open in DC, courtesy of The Fritzwire. 

Wireless Internet School Buses

First there were cameras and phones on school buses.  Now, wireless. 

A district is offering wireless Internet on some of its school buses, and online courses for kids taking the bus (This Bus Is Plugged In - US News and World Report).

Old school, meet new school. 

[White] Kids Too Cool For Coats

The Today show did a segment the other day about kids not wearing coats (Why are kids too cool for coats?).  Indeed, kids in the video clip are walking around with coats, and say they don't have or use them. 

What I wonder is whether this is happening everywhere or just in white Chicago suburbs. 

I have no idea, though I have to say that none of the kids in my somewhat mixed Brooklyn neighborhood are going for the no-coat look.  North Face parkas are all the rage. 

However, it's nothing new.  NPR did it two years ago (Why Kids Hate to Wear Coats)

Big Stories Of The Day

Teacher Absences Are Hurting Learning AP
Schools' use of substitutes to plug full-time vacancies _ the teachers that kids are supposed to have all year _ is up dramatically.

Chief architect of NCLB act comes to Washington KOMOTV
The chief architect of "No Child Left Behind" is Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings who came to Washington knowing there's harsh criticism of the law.

Jeb Bush forms new education group to reward top teachers St. Petersburg Times
Former Gov. Jeb Bush announced the formation Tuesday of a second organization to advance his education policy goals, including school accountability, teacher merit pay and vouchers that allow children to attend private schools at public expense.

Would TFAers Man The Picket Lines, Or Teach The Kids?

Though it has nothing to do with education, per se, the writers' strike is still teaching us a lot about how collective bargaining works and how strike support ebbs and flows. 

Initially, it jumped out at me how much high-profile support there was for the writers, especially among celebrities and actors whose work could, eventually, be limited by the lack of scribbling. The actors refusing to show at the Golden Globes is very roughly akin to parents refusing to send their children to schools staffed by scabs, subs, or administrators (which some districts sometimes say they're going to do to break a strike).

Now I'm seeing how support for the strike is slowly being diminished and undercut, first by the special deal worked out with Letterman and now -- especially -- with the return of Colbert and Stewart on Comedy Central.  These two -- WGA members themselves -- could and should have refused to resume with the show if they couldn't make a deal with the WGA.  We who decide to watch the show are making the strike less painful for the producers who don't want to pay the writers Internet residuals.

Here's the connection.  Given all the altcert, noncareer folks who are now in the classroom -- Colbert and Stewart watchers who presumably aren't so "into" the whole union thing -- what would happen in a city like New York or Chicago if the union went on strike?  Would TFAers and NYC Teaching Fellows man the picket lines, or teach the kids? It's something that union leaders in cities with large altcert populations must wonder. 

Blog Roundup

A roundup of candidates' accountability plans features Romney, from EWA:  School accountability

A peek into a new teacher's classroom, courtesy of EdWize: The Verb Pipe

Something serious and something light from MM at EdWeek:  Discord Among Nevada Teachers Over Caucus Lawsuit, Listen Up Adults, the Kids Are Talking

Teaching is much more intense than office work, notes Kevin Carey, Teaching Isn't Selling Sporting Goods...Or Anything Else [though it isn't always all that intense, either]

One ed school tries to support grads with online offerings, notes Education PR (Teachers College launches After Ed TV

Tell your business manager or COO! Justices Rule in Securities Case Eyed by Teacher-Retirement Funds

Teacher Blogging ASCD Conference

Congrats to teacher Dina Strasser and to ASCD, which has asked Dina to be their official teacher blogger for ACDS' National Conference in New Orleans in March. It's pretty much a first step for ASCD to have a blog (though I've been mooching off their daily SmartBrief for years now). And they're going with a real teacher not a press flack or a wonk or an administrator.  Even before then, Dina wants to know what sessions she should attend and write about, so send her input and check out the blog while you're at it

Here Come The State Of The Union & The New Budget

It's just three two weeks until the (last) GW Bush state of the union and the rollout of the FY09 budget, but this year there won't be the usual line of folks waiting for their copies of the budget documents, says Fritz of the Fritzwire:  "For the first time, hard copy versions of the Administration’s budget proposal will not be available to the public, but will be accessible in a paperless “E-Budget” format online at www.budget.gov. The online version will be fully searchable and available for downloading."

Schools Upping The Ante With "No Trespassing" Signs

The creative folks in Joliet, Illinois figured out that they didn't need any new legislation to ramp up punishment for kids bringing pellet guns and other gun lookalikes to school (Simple sign helps concerned schools).  All they had to do was post special "no trespassing signs."  Doing so apparently turned pellet gun possession into a misdemeanor, as opposed to an internal school discipline issue.  Brilliant, or misguided?  You be the judge.  Either way, it's an interesting approach -- I'm surprised it isn't used more often or more widely. 

Big Stories Of The Day

U.S. Dominance in Science and Technology at Risk, Report Says NYT
The United States is still the world leader in scientific innovation, but its dominance is threatened by economic development elsewhere, the National Science Board reported today.

Using Title I Funds for RTI Will Be a Challenge Title I Online
The lack of a shared vocabulary is making it difficult to integrate Title I and “response to intervention,” a federally endorsed instructional technique to help struggling students and avoid over-identification of children as learning-disabled.

Scapegoating Home-Schoolers Wall Street Journal
A mother allegedly murders her four girls after social workers fail to protect them. An imaginative reporter finds someone to blame.

Education reform gets left behind in presidential campaign
We're still reeling from the unintended consequences of good intentions. These consequences cover a multitude of sin(ecure)s that makes it impossible to correct course.

Congress 2007: No Child Left Behind CQ Politics
Without GOP support, the bill was doomed in the Senate, where 60 votes are needed to advance contentious measures. Kennedy held hearings throughout the year but held back on introducing legislation, allowing his counterpart in the House to go first.

They Dig, You Decide

I read somewhere about this site, called Vote Gopher, which attempts to track candidates' position on key issues all in one place.  Its motto:  "We dig, you decide." 

Don't be fooled by the kiddie look of the page, however.  There are summaries, comparisons, video and quotes for each of the candidates on the education page.  If anyone knows a better place for a great one-stop voter guide, let us know.

"In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards. "

There's not been as much response as I'd imagined to Matthew Miller's proposal to get rid of school boards -- though this fellow wants to take it a step further:  First, Kill the Department of Education, THEN Kill all the School Boards).  The quote above is attributed to Mark Twain, of all people, which tells you (if it's accurate) just how long local control has been pissing people off. 

Best Of Today's Posts

The NEA is being bad again, says Big Swifty (Loading The Dice In Vegas).  An apt description for most of Charlie's posts these days.

The NEA in Arkansas blocked Huckabee's endorsement, says EIA (Arkansas Affiliate Helped Torpedo NEA Huckabee Endorsement).  Which would have killed his primary chances, right?

Will folks just stop blathering about the future of NCLB, laments Eduwonk (Wither Education?).  Especially if they're not him.  (Or me.)

Forget national politics when it comes to education, says Campaign K12 (Where the Education Action Really Is).  It's all about the states and districts.

Fictional newspaper editors (pictured) want strong narratives and readability, not "context" in their education stories, notes Pseudo-Intellectualism (Amorphous Putz).  Plus a post about killing turtles. Via Eduwonkette. 

Watchdogging Education News

Watch out, science and enviro reporters.  There's a new page at the Columbia Journalism Review focused on watchdogging science coverage (The Observatory).  It's described as a "full-time department dedicated to critiquing the press coverage of science and the environment."  Excellent. Until CJR starts one of these for education news, however, you're stuck with the likes of me and my part-time amateur-hour critiques and tirades.

Where In The World Is Margaret Spellings?

Secretary Spellings is headed West this week for a slew of Washington, Oregon, and California events, according to her press folks:

Wednesday, January 16: 8 a.m. PST Secretary Spellings and Governor Gregoire will host an education policy roundtable with, state legislators, educators and business leaders at Roosevelt Elementary School.  A media availability will follow. OPEN PRESS Olympia, Wash.

Thursday, January 17:  9 a.m. PST  Secretary Spellings will deliver remarks on No Child Left Behind before the Oregon State Board of Education at the Public Services Building.  A media availability will follow. OPEN PRESS  Salem, Ore. 10:45 a.m. PSTSecretary Spellings will visit Auburn Elementary School with Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo and tour classrooms, visit with students and teachers and deliver remarks at a school assembly.  A media availability will follow. OPEN PRESS Salem, Ore. 1:10 p.m. PST Secretary Spellings will host a Hispanic Roundtable with local Hispanic leaders at the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. OPEN PRESS Portland, Ore.

Friday, January 18: 10:30 a.m. PST Secretary Spellings and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will tour classrooms and visit with students and teachers at Otay Elementary School.  A media availability will follow. OPEN PRESS San Diego, Calif.

Salary Lessons From The World Of Law Firms

Education isn't the only industry that's trying to change the way it pays workers for what they do from something that's traditional but crude as a measure of productivity to something that's more efficient and flexible, according to this recent article from Slate (The Scourge of the Billable Hour).  In the world of law firms, clients apparently hate the billable hour for the way it inflates fees and gives them no real way of controlling costs.  Lawyers hate the billable hour because of the relentless pressure to bill more hours every year.  Big companies are pressuring law firms to cap costs and negotiate flat fees.   Are there any lessons here for school districts and teachers unions?

Advance Work > Policy Work

Don't let anyone tell you that policy folks are particularly important in political campaigns.  For better or worse, they're not. 

The people with the ideas come in a distant third behind communications people and  so-called "advance" people, campaign rock stars and grunts who plan and organize public events to within an inch of their lives. 

Here's an inside look from a former Clinton advance guy:  Rules of the Road.

Big Stories Of The Day

Tying Cash Awards to AP-Exam Scores Seen as Paying Off EdWeek
As money-for-achievement programs grow, the debate over whether remuneration works in education and what the trade-offs are sharpens.

OIG Tells ED to Strengthen Monitoring of Comparability Title I Monitor
One Arizona district used federally funded staff in its elementary school calculations, essentially violating the supplement not supplant provision in an attempt to comply with comparability.

Massive Funding Cuts to ‘Reading First’ Generate Worries EdWeek
The program gradually has been cut by 60 percent—from nearly $1 billion to $393 million each year—since it was rolled out in 2002.

Book Smarts Lacking On Gender Equality Washington Post
"The Daring Book for Girls" and "The Dangerous Book for Boys" -- companion volumes teaching old-fashioned games, skills and lore -- are flying out of bookstores, purchased by parents who no doubt worry that their children spend too much time playing video games and watching YouTube.

Op-Ed Contributor: The Early Bird Gets the Bad Grade NYT
Would children do better if school started later? [how about adults?]

Around The Blogs...

Because you've got better things to do than scan them all....

Half Nelson isn't the best film depiction of teaching, according to NYT teacher blogger Will Okun (None).  That award goes to "Chalk."  Looks funny and harsh.

Wanting to get paid more doesn't make teachers greedy and isn't necessarily a bad thing, says Kevin Carey (Breaking the Greed / Virtue Dichotomy).*

Pro-charter Obamaniac Whitney Tilson is actually not against unions, you might be surprised to read (The Conscience of a Liberal & my views on unions).  I certainly was.  But then again Diane Ravitch is pro-union, too.

The NEA's state-by-state endorsement strategy emphasizes flexibility at the expense of leverage, says EIA (NEA Finds 7 Democrats Acceptable).

Things are going well in Cincinnati, of all places -- but who gets credit is not so clear, according to the AFTies (A Cincinnati School Sensation).

There's trouble in the Williams marriage, reports Joe (How Leo Casey Nearly Ended My Marriage).  It sure wasn't those softball questions I tossed his way last week on the HotSeat. 

Will NCLB be reauthorized, asks the Core Knowledge Blog (The Edupundit).  Yes.  Can we move on from this one, please? 

*Kevin's thoughts about The Wire aren't as interesting as mine (see below), but he's catching up (The Wire, Season Five, Episode Two).

Early Childhood Education Lowers CO2 Emissions

No, not exactly.  But the early childhood industry in LA alone generates more than $1.9 billion to the local economy and employs 65,00 people, according to a new report from the California Endowment that's being released today. It will over the next few years be the sixth largest growth industry in the area.

People "don’t traditionally consider ECE from an economic standpoint or recognize it as a $2 billion per year industry," according to an email from the report authors.  Indeed, they don't.  But maybe they should. UPK -- it's a jobs program!

 

HBO Show Slams Journos' Motives Behind Coverage Of Schools

Last night's episode of The Wire included some biting commentary on journalism -- especially journalism that focuses on schools and poor communities (Unconfirmed Reports).

For starters, the fictional editor of the Baltimore Sun wants to do a big story on the school system -- something "Dickensian," he says -- but that doesn't get muddled up in all sorts of confusing contextual issues like poverty and other societal ills.  The effort's clearly aimed more at winning a prize than helping or fixing anything.  Less extreme, but I think much more common in real life, an ambitious reporter on the show goes out to try and find something interesting to write about opening day for the Baltimore Orioles baseball team but has such preconceived notions of what would make a good story -- ignoring what he finds along the way, and eventually (spoiler alert!) seeming to fabricate a particularly heart-wrenching character out of thin air.

To be honest, I think that editors who are Pulitzer hunting don't often pick education for these types of things, since there's so little surprise involved. But I do think that reporters in education are sometimes forced to look for characters that fit their story, rather than melding a story out of what the characters they meet have to say.  Of course, the show itself is taking liberties with the truth, and could be accused of being just as uselessly dramatic for commercial purposes (Is It Just Poverty Porn?).

PS:  If you want to catch up on the show, you can check out a four-minute video recap by clicking below -- it's hard to follow but will give you the basics and some of the backstory behind the various characters.

Big Stories Of The Day

Assessment to Rate Principal Leadership To Be Field-Tested EdWeek
Starting next month, 300 schools nationwide will take part in a field test of a new way to gauge principals’ effectiveness.

'Dashboards' Provide Data On Schools Washington Post
U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has unveiled a new tool to show the public a snapshot of how schools fare in reading and math achievement, graduation rates and participation in challenging Advanced Placement exams.

 Admissions Anxiety, With a Twist NYT
The high school class of 2008 is the largest in decades, and folks on both sides of the application process are praying for a miracle.

 Mexican government opens 13 schools for basic education Los Angeles Daily News
The 13 centers offer free classes, in person or through video and the Internet, to Mexican nationals living in the United States.

Wing and a prayer propel a young black pilot to aviation records CSM
Barrington Irving shunned the drugs and gangs of his Miami neighborhood for his dream of flying – now he helps other kids soar.

Best Of The Week (January 6-12)

Best Of The Week
First, Kill All The Policy Wonks
On The HotSeat: Pro-Charter PACster Joe Williams
Is It Just Poverty Porn?  Reconsidering "The Wire"

Campaign 2008
Pondering The Candidates' Backgrounds
Clinton Hates NCLB, Claims Real-World "Change" Record

Spellings & Bush
Bush Teaches Chicago Students How To Figure Out Volumes & Surface Areas
"A Profound And Uncomfortable Transition"
Happy Birthday, NCLB -- Love, The NEA
PLUS:  Was The NEA Right To Wait?

On The Hill
Crocodile Tears Over NCLB Reauth & Funding Levels

Foundation Follies
What's Your Dangerous Idea For Education?
New Entrepreneurship Group Wants Attention For Innovation

Teachers & Teaching
The Manatee Has Become The Mento
What Union Leaders Really Think?

Media Watch
Liberal Bias In EdWeek's Quality Counts?
Wonk Vs. Wonkette
Stodgy Trade Pub. Win Independent Media Award

School Life
More Bad News From International Comparisons
Student Crossing Guard
Will Smith's Classroom Of The Future