Around The Blogs

NCLB might suffer from Ted Kennedy's Obama endorsement, notes MM from EdWeek (Clinton's Retribution?).  I like the way she thinks. 

Some Nevada school buses are getting pretty strict on language, notes MM colleage MAZ (English-Only On School Bus).  Que pena. 

There's a great article in Salon about Democratic liberalism and education, says Andywonk (Garrison Keilor On Reading).  Amazing.  How does that guy come up with all the best stuff before everyone else.

A link to the WAMU debate from yesterday and a summary of its contents (Talking NCLB) via the Core Knowledge Blog.  Will Greg Toppo arrive on time? That is the question.

NCLB hasn't been overturned just yet, notes Mark Walsh (Spellings to Appeal 6th Circuit's NCLB Ruling). And is unlikely to be done in any time soon, I'd add.

It all boils down to teachers and classrooms, says PBS's John Merrow (The Influence of Teachers).  Even in private schools. 

Kate Walsh tells the Ed Policy Blog that she's a Democrat who criticizes teacher certification, not a Republican who does (Kate Walsh of NCTQ Responds). 

Tom Toch emerges from behind the EdSector curtain to comment on AFT's response to his recent report (Cutting it at the Front of the Classroom). 

Measuring teachers' impact on student learning is a primitive technology, says The Kette (My Value-Added Bucket List).

There's an education policy club, says AFT Ed, and he's not in it (If Only I Was In The Club.... ).  Welcome to the non-club, Ed.  The vast majority of us aren't in it, either. 

Problems With Foundation-Funded Research

I've been delayed in responding to Dean Millot's thoughts about education research (Does Philanthropy Sink Contrary Research Too?) but have finally had the chance to check out his post.  He notes that serious evaluation of education efforts is recent, not so usual, and especially unusual for foundation funded efforts.  And that they're often early implementation studies, not replication-focused. 

Others may disagree, but Millot says:  "Most philanthropic due diligence is laughable...Once the foundation has made the grant, it is not a disinterested third party – it and the program officers who recommended the grant have a vested interest in success, and very little incentive to point out bad decisions."

What Impact (Or Benefit) From Surge Of Education Think Tanks?

You don't really have to have read this NYT article (Research Groups Boom in Washington) to know that think tanks and "research" organizations have proliferated over the past few years:  Just think about the Center On Education Policy.  The Alliance.  Achieve.  The New America Foundation.  The Ed Sector.  The Center On American Progress.  Meanwhile the old warhorses -- Brookings, AEI, have gotten bigger and bigger.   

The money keeps pouring in. It's a cheap way to go for funders, notes the article -- reports and panels compared to direct services -- and an easy source of policy ideas for lawmakers and candidates.  [It's also, I would add, a welcome haven for wonks detoxing from government service and academics who didn't get that tenure track position they thought they were going to get.]

But what about influence, not to speak of value? The article claims that it was AEI that "invented" the surge in Iraq as an example of think tanks' impact. But nothing that I can recall has happened like that on the education front perhaps since the Ed Trust practically wrote the achievement gap language NCLB in 2000. 

Maybe I'm forgetting something good, or am too self-loathing to see the value, but I can't think of many new or original ideas coming out of the education shops (many of which I've done research or writing for), much less real-world impact.  New America sometimes comes up with timely ideas and good notions for where to get money to pay for things.  [National testing wasn't one of them.] You could argue that Achieve has been at least a very good incubator for higher state standards and common assessments. CEP has become one of the primary sources of information on NCLB implementation.    The Ed Sector has put out one or two very helpful reports on the testing industry.  The Trust on the achievement gap. Fordham on state standards and WSF.

Rather than being about the hard work of making change, however, I feel like some of the education tanks and shops serve as platforms for ideas and resume-building.  I mean, Fordham and the Ed Sector and AEI, some of the most prominent, don't push legislation or do real legislative work to get things done.  They never support legislation, so they never win -- or lose (though they're quick to take credit).  It seems they measure their impact by media hits and publications more than anything else. 

Mo0st of all, think tanks like these are much more intellectual and ideological than they are political, in the sense of building coalitions and relationships to get real things done.   In that vacuum, the really big ideas (and big influences) are coming from other places -- Matthew Miller proposes getting rid of local school boards in a recent issue of The Atlantic, for example.  Jonathan Kozol fasts and pesters Ted Kennedy to break NCLB's back.  Steve Barr in LA creates a charter school model that includes a union contract. The President proposes Pell Grants for kids.

What do you think?  Am I totally wrong (as usual)?  Got any favorite think tanks, or think tank contributions to share?  I'd be happy to hear them, and am sure that others would as well. 

Previous Posts:
Think Tank Hires Republican Education Staffer With Cool Glasses
Needed: Better NCLB Politics -- Not More Policy
 All Of Bush's Worst Ideas (Except Perhaps NCLB) Came From AEI

Two More Top Universities Step Up On School Reform

The embarrassingly small list of elite private universities that are partnering with school districts to improve education is getting slightly larger, thanks to Washington University's decision to partner with KIPP and start five charter schools in the St. Louis area (here).  Along similar lines, Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles is going to partner with a large, troubled high school that has recently been given autonomy from the district -- but not charter status -- to revamp its offerings (here).

Big Stories Of The Day

Online Schooling Grows, Setting Off a Debate NYT
Half a million American children take classes online, and many are attending virtual public schools that are competing with local districts for millions in public dollars.

Louisiana Seeks Partners to Take Over Failing Schools EdWeek
State seeks operators to help with turnarounds beyond New Orleans.

 Record Number of Teachers Set to Retire NPR
Teachers are leaving their profession in record numbers, especially at the high-school level, according to study released Thursday.

PLUS:  High School Teaches Thoreau in the Woods

Around The Blogs

There's an Obama uprising in California, says EIA (Hillary's CTA Endorsement Sidetracked).  Trouble for Clinton?  Big Swify has a crush on The 'Kette, I think (The Imp Possible Dream).  They might already be dating.  Some people hate the Gates folks for being too prescriptive, but others like Instructivist dislike the Gates folks for being too soft (Gates wrecking ball).  Amazing.  Over at Teacher Leaders, folks have some things to get off their chests (Left a Child Behind? Three Confessions).  Meanwhile, some thoughts on the other ed tech conference from last week (Educon 2.0).    And some more thoughts about that Matt Miller article (“First, Kill All the School Boards”).  Meanwhile, in Oakland they're talking about something really old school: Bumping rights for teachers — a good idea?.

FY09 Budget Proposal Might Be Out A Little Early

There's rumors on the Interwebs that the USDE unintentionally revealed its proposed FY09 budget proposals a few days ahead of time, though I can't vouch for any of it. Click below to see what's rumored to be proposed on Monday.  Make of it what you will. Thanks to them who sent this. Fun!

UPDATE:  Here is the spreadsheet with the FY09 figures still "hidden" it, courtesy of the eagle-eyed Jason Sakran at the Committee On Education Funding.  Sakran apparently was first to spy the USDE's mistake and post the news on CEF's website and to its members last week, which is how it got spread around.  Smart guy that he is, Sakran kept a version of the old spreadsheet, which has the new numbers.  [Remember, though, that these are totally unofficial and unconfirmed.  Could be just a Spellings plot to make you waste time this weekend.] Note to self: join CEF.

Download department_of_ed_state_by_state_funding_with_an_unofficial_fy2009_estimate.xls

How Come Not Everyone Wants To Help Schools?

Imagine if every school wish list was -- suddenly -- filled, every query on DonorsChoose.org was already taken care of. 

That's precisely the dilemma facing those who want to give to Kiva, an international microloan effort:  Extra Helping (NYT).  They've stopped taking donations since they have too many already. 

Is it just easier to consider helping those abroad, or are domestic interventions just not as compelling to donors as the whole microloan thing?

"No One Knows If Turnarounds Work"

You hear this all the time from folks inside the reform machine, but rarely ever see it said out loud:

"No one knows if turnarounds work," said Andrew Calkins of the Mass Insight Education and Research Institute [which studied turnarounds with a grant from the Gates Foundation]. "We spent two years looking at turnarounds and could not find a single example of turnaround work that was successful and sustained and done on scale, not just one school."

From the Chicago Tribune:  Brave new world for Chicago schools

Not quite as good as the Garrison Keillor line from yesterday, but it will do.

In The End, Everything Goes Back To High School

From Slate, a mashup of Hillary clips and one of the campaign scenes from Election:

"We were struck by how well one of Reese Witherspoon's monologues from the film Election fits the narrative of Campaign 2008."

NCLB Now?

As you already know, a bunch of groups have gotten together to argue for an immediate reauthorization of NCLB, including the Aspen Institute's Commission on NCLB and the Center On American Progress.

Attached is a two-pager from the Commission about what gets lost and what gets gained from a timely NCLB revamp Cost_of_nclb_final.pdf.

In addition, here's some of what Cindy Brown from CAP has to say: "If we don't reauthorize the law now, we postpone the opportunity to address such important issues as low high school graduation rates and additional help for struggling schools. These changes are needed now and Congress must act this year."

Education Journo Scheduled On Local NPR Show

Be sure to call in and ask some questions during the NCLB debate that's being conducted on WAMU's Diane Rehm Show. 

Last I heard, USA Today's Greg Toppo (pictured, left) , someone from the Ed Trust, and someone from the NEA are going to be on. 

Accents and prank questions are especially appreciated: (1-800-433-8850 (drshow@wamu.org).

Big Stories Of The Day

Low-Income U.S. Children Less Likely to Have Access to Qualified Teachers EdNews
According to the study, nearly 40 percent of U.S. eighth graders do not have access to highly qualified teachers.

Final Year's Realities Push Big Ideas Into Background Washington Post... such as pumping $30 billion more into his anti-AIDS projects in Africa, reauthorizing his No Child Left Behind education program, extending $2 billion ...

PLUS: NEA lobbyist says 'No Child Left Behind' in peril IU News

HISD may keep details about bonuses secret Chronicle
Houston public school employees will receive about $23 million in bonuses today, but the district likely will fight to keep taxpayers from seeing exactly how it disbursed the money.

Criminals in school? Who knows? Elgin Courier News
The school district was not informed by law enforcement officials that Facio was a suspect in the sexual assault or attempted abduction until after the attack at Elgin High, according to Broncato.

Chicago Blog Recognized For Excellence

Before I forget, let me make sure you know that my Chicago blog District 299 has been named one of Chicago's best by, well, Chicago Magazine.

I am inordinately proud of the Chicago blog, where readers -- teachers, parents, reformers -- have created a lively and cantankerous place, suitable for a lively and cantankerous school system.  A couple of months ago, the site moved to Catalyst Magazine, an independent magazine that covers CPS. 

Check it out here: Nothing But Net: 171 Great Chicago Web Sites

School Finds Porn Everywhere

First a cop who works at a FLA middle school sets up a MySpace page -- with school approval -- to better interact with the kids he's working with.  Then, people freak out when it turns out that one of the cop's many MySpace friends links to a porn site.  Then -- best of all -- it turns out that the school district itself has unintentionally linked to porn sites as well. (Cop Gets Investigated Because MySpace Friend Links To Porn).

Around The Blogs, Wednesday

Too little, too late on NCLB, says the AFT (AFT President Ed McElroy's Statement on the State of the Union). Tell that to Ted Kennedy and George Miller, says I.

Another media-created "trend" is in the air, says Kevin Carey (The School Budget Crisis That Wasn't).  He sees bad journalism, everywhere. 

Best blog post headline of the day, so far, from KD-ed:  Dan Brown has been socially promoted.  Close second, from the CKB:  Pell Mell.

From a couple of days ago, but still worthy:    Timely Tidbits on Unintended Consequences.  What does that phrase really mean, asks The 'Kette.

Denver success story is being quashed, says JJ:  Let my school go its own way.  Sounds like what LA schools are doing.

If only Andwonk read other blogs, he'd know that I posted about this months ago (LinkEd).  Party on Friday, though.  See you there, perhaps.

Garrison Keillor: "Nice People Are Failing These Kids"

Forget Freedman (In the South Bronx, Robotics and Rebirth), the Wall Street Journal (Those Pell Vouchers), and Mathews (Bad Parents Don't Make Bad Schools).   That's because today's best opinion piece on education comes from Garrison Keillor in Salon (We're failing our kids).  An excerpt:

"Face it, the schools are not run by Republican oligarchs in top hats and spats but by perfectly nice, caring, sharing people, with a smattering of yoga/raga/tofu/mojo/mantra folks like my old confreres. Nice people are failing these kids, but when they are called on it, they get very huffy."

 

Spellings, Jessica Alba, & The Polar Bear From Golden Compass

I'm still looking for pics of EdSec Spellings at the SOTU for you check out, but in the meantime thanks to readers for sending in these close-but-not-quite submissions (interpretations?) of the Spellings outfit:

On the left, you have the polar bear from Golden Compass.  This one seems a little harsh.  Spellings looked scary that night, but not quite so ferocious.

On the right, that's starlet Jessica Alba at the Sundance Film Festival (I think). Again, not quite a fair comparison, though the high-necked design does have a resemblance to the Spellings outfit. 

Obama Education Plan Linked To School Closings & Teacher Firings

No one's looked very hard at the Obama teacher residency proposal, though there's going to be a big announcement in Chicago tomorrow that might finally get some media attention. 

The issue here is one of association.  The model for the Obama plan, run by a Chicago outfit called AUSL, has morphed into a school turnaround effort as much as anything else.  Specifically, AUSL has over the past couple of years been "given" a handful of distressed Chicago public schools -- an extremely controversial and uncertain turnaround strategy -- and folded into Mayor Daley's much-loathed "Renaissance 2010" plan (see CNN video here).

I wonder how Obama's supporters will like finding out that their guy is, in essence, supporting a school reform model that involves closing schools, firing teachers, and handing them over to an outside organization.  Four more schools are being closed and handed over to AUSL at the end of this year. See  two articles from the Chicago Tribune here: Brave new world for Chicago schools, Chicago Public Schools to fire hundreds at 8  under-performing schools.

Big Stories Of The Day

Housing Downturn Squeezing Schools Washington Post
The rapid cooling of the Washington area's real estate market has hit school systems with force, abruptly ending years of plenty and compelling superintendents to ask their teachers, bus drivers and custodians to do more with less.

Critics cite lack of data on struggling students Baltimore Sun
A record $3.3 billion in new local and state school spending during the past five years largely has gone toward the hiring of new teachers, raising salaries and lowering the ratio of students to teachers, according to a new report to the Maryland General Assembly.

PLUS: Two L.A. Unified schools take back control Los Angeles Times

15 States Want Tougher Penalties for Abusive Teachers AP
Heeding a steady drumbeat of sexual misconduct cases involving teachers, at least 15 states are considering stronger oversight and tougher punishment for educators who take advantage of their students.

PLUS: Tennessee to Overhaul Standards for Schools The Tennessean

Facts Of The Union 2008

Troubled still by the President's assertion that NCLB is working? The folks at FactCheck.org say that he's not all wrong:

"He was mostly correct in describing progress in test scores since his No Child Left Behind Act was passed, but he overlooked some recent backsliding in reading scores and the fact that some test scores were on an upward trend before the new law went into effect." 

Harsh.  Click here (Facts of the Union 2008) for more details.

UPDATE:  Over at NPR, Larry Ambramson has something to say that many of you will like hearing better:

"Many educators dispute the effectiveness of No Child Left Behind NCLB . Teachers in particular say they re being asked to meet unrealistic standards, and have demanded more flexibility.... [Bush] didn't mention that reading scores in those grades have stagnated, despite No Child Left Behind...What he did not say is that the achievement gap between whites and minorities remains very large."

Link: NPR: Bush Lauds Progress in Iraq, Economic Plan

EdWeek Blogger Quibbles About Latest Kennedy Bill Language

EdWeek's NCLB blogger David (The) Hoff  can't make up his mind between confirming and disputing my "exclusive" post from yesterday about the Kennedy effort to renew NCLB this year.  As you can tell from the headline (Russo Digs Up Old News, But Gets Story Right), he mostly ends up confirming what I wrote. 

Until yesterday, no one else had found and uploaded the latest Kennedy-Enzi language.  And no one else had specifically reported that the Kennedy legislative machine was gearing up for a new try at NCLB reauthorization. What part of "news" and "exclusive" have I missed?

By saying this, of course, I pretty much guarantee that I will make some sort of giant mistake soon -- and I'm sure David (The) Hoff and others will be eager to point it out.  But this wasn't such a one.  At least not that I know so far. 

Spellings At The SOTU: It Was A White-Out

Lost in all the hullabaloo of the Kennedy endorsement and the President's speech was the spectacle of EdSec Spellings decked out last night in what appeared to be an all-white cowl-necked outfit (sort of but not really like the one pictured here).  Either that, or she forgot to take her coat off after she got to her seat.  Does anyone have a picture of it?

Not to be unkind, but to me it looked like a scary polar bear getup.  I must have watched too many red carpet shows on E!  Condi Rice was also in winter white, albeit not as high-necked. What do you think (besides that I am a fat jerk for writing about this)?

Click below for her public schedule this week and some details about the budget rollout on Monday.
 

Awkward Turtle Ahead For The Senate Education Committee

Let's give an awkward turtle (right) for the next meeting of the Senate education committee, points out MM at EdWeek (Education Endorsement).  Clinton, Obama, and Kennedy all serve there together.

Wendy Kopp is named at 13 on Princeton's all time influential alumni list, notes the Core Knowledge blog (…And All I Got Was This Building).  Wow. 

Oh, no -- some good being done by charters, according to JJ: Charters keep families in Cleveland.  There's no good that can come of this.

Not to be done by exit exams, pay for performance schemes (for kids) are spreading fast, says TQATE: If You Pay Them They Will Pass.  What will parents do with all that allowance money they planned to give out?

Bush's efforts on NCLB renewal are too little, too late, says Eduwonk (No Child Counterfactual).  Though I'm not sure an all-out Bush effort on education would have helped, really.

Classroom teachers have blogs, too, apparently, and The 'Kette went out and found one of them to write something: The Misleading Specter of "Social Promotion".

Tuesday Morning News Roundup

Bush Call for ‘No Child’ Reauthorization Meets Skeptical Reaction CQ Politics
“It’s baffling that the president has finally gained a sense of urgency for the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind,” said Miller spokeswoman Rachel Racusen. “For the last year, our committee has been working hard to improve and reauthorize the law, and the president has had many opportunities to work with us, but he has refused.”

PLUS:  Grants Would Finance Private Schooling NYT

PLUS: State of the Union Excerpts AP

NEA lobbyist says 'No Child Left Behind' in peril IU Newsroom
"It's almost certain that there'll be more flexibility so that in addition to the statewide test you can look at how are students achieving based on a mix of state tests, local tests, maybe classroom level assessments, using portfolios and other ways," Packer said.

PLUS:  Unions Take Own Paths in Election EdWeek

McDonald’s to award diploma credits in Britain MSNBC
The government is giving the U.S. burger chain — along with a rail company and an airline — the right to award credits toward a high school diploma to employees who complete on-the-job training programs.

Bad Chemistry Teacher

What happens to a New Mexico chemistry teacher when he finds out that he doesn't have long to live but has some steep bills to pay?   Meth amphetamine production, for one thing.  Or at least, that's the preimise of Breaking Bad, the new Weeds-like show from AMC (TV Review).

New NCLB Language Out From Kennedy-Enzi

EXCLUSIVE?  Not content with "just" endorsing Obama, Chairman Kennedy is rumbling and mumbling about a renewed effort to revamp NCLB.  Or at least get something out of Committee.  To that end, he's circulating draft language and telling folks to get their ducks in order.  Thanks to a little birdie for passing this along:

Download title_i_ci_101207_kos07952_xml.pdf

Download title_ii_be_101207_aeg07798_xml.pdf

Download title_iii_1016.pdf

Download titles_iv_101207_aeg07799_xml.pdf

Download titles_vi_101207_aeg07805_xml.pdf

Download title_x_101207_kin07648_xml.pdf

Poor Hill staffers, they know that little is likely to come of this in the short term at least, but can't risk it actually going through. Plus which, whatever gets worked on is then part of the base bill for 2009.  So everyone's got to take this seriously, even though....it isn't serious.

ED, Obama, & The NCLB Killers

CAMPAIGN 2008:  The 'Kette makes a dreary Monday more bearable with her slightly off-color proposal for how to make education a big issue in the political campaign (A New Commercial).

Scott Elliott says that the campaign excitement isn't translating to education (As race heats up, education simmers down).  Not all is lost, however - Obama is apparently the first candidate to screen 2 Million Minutes, a collaboration between Bob Compton (pictured with Obama) and EDIN08.

MEDIA MISDEEDS: Too much is being made by the media of expelled preschoolers, says RLC (Parents Behaving Badly?). Ditto for the whole "hot-teacher-seduces-middle schooler" thing, says TQATE (Frightening Bad Media Trend Convergence).  Meanwhile:  Kindergartener handcuffed at Queens elementary school From InsideSchools.

NCLB NEWS:   Swift Biggie finds a fascinating story and tells us that testing's not all that bad as they say (Everybody Knows?). Subgroup figures for grad rates?  I love it. (One More Thing to Disaggregate?) From The Hoff. One more category for schools to fudge.

Last but not least, a heartfelt post from the AFTies about their role on NCLB (How the AFT "Killed" NCLB Reauthorization).  Not clear from the post are why the AFT disliked the law so much considering how many givebacks it included, and if and how campaign politics were involved in the decision.  Must learn more about this.

Surprise! Kids aren't really all that good at Google, says JJ (Seek and ye shall get confused).

Alliance Bingo

The Alliance for Excellent Education (no idea) is determined to make a week out of the President's State Of The Union speech tonight, first by demanding that education be a big part of his speech (it won't) and second by encouraging us to play SOTU Bingo (sure, why not?).

Click below for the Alliance's talking points.  Click here for the Bingo thing (via Fritzwire).

Extra points for anyone who can explain what the Alliance is, how it's different from all the other education groups in DC, and why we need it.

Mr. Russo Goes To Washington

Anything good going on in DC next week?  I'm planning on being there at least part of the week -- so far I've got a AEI and Fordham events on my list, but that's not exactly a balanced itinerary.  If there's anything else going on -- hearings, talks, conferences, cocktails, secret meetings --  let me know.

Monday -- Budget rollout
Tuesday -- ???
Wednesday - -Fordham open house/book launch
Thursday -- Rick Hess event

 

Big Stories Of The Day, Rewards & Clickers

Lawmakers crack down on abusive teachers MSNBC
Heeding a steady drumbeat of sexual misconduct cases involving teachers, at least 15 states are now considering stronger ove rsight and tougher punishment for educators who take advantage of their students.

Good grades pay off USA Today
Teachers have long said that success is its own reward. But these days, some students are finding that good grades can bring them cash and other gifts. 

Which student reward is best? Baltimore Sun
There are toys for perfect attendance, candies for good behavior and pizza parties for improved test scores. There are principals who agree to shave their heads and sleep on the roof, if only their

 Students Click, and a Quiz Becomes a Game NYT
A technology known as an audience response system is spreading to public and private schools across the country.

Big Stories Of The Day

Kennedy Chooses Obama, Spurning Bill Clinton Plea NYT
Both the Clintons and their allies had pressed Mr. Kennedy for weeks to remain neutral in the Democratic race, but Mr. Kennedy had become increasingly disenchanted with the tone of the Clinton campaign, aides said.

Bush's Spotlight for a Night AP
He will call for housing reform, better health care and veterans' care, alternative energy development and renewal of the No Child Left Behind education law.

Best Of The Week (January 21-27)

Best Of The Week
"You Want To Know What I Make?" A Teacher Responds

NCLB
Why NCLB Needs Changing - Now
Don't Forget NCLB, Says Spellings -- Off To Davos

Campaign 2008
Republican Candidates Have Education Folks, Too
If Only Liberals & Democrats Changed Their Minds, Too

Foundation Follies
Foundations Not Taking Over Yet, Says Me

Advocacy
It's Not Educators' Faults, Says Bracey
Advocates Posing As Experts:  FairTest, DFER, & The Andy Sector

School Life
School Administrator's Wife Gives Kid A Good Talking To
Security Cameras Vs. "Behavioral Support" Programs

Media Watch
The Case Against Statistical Significance
Paper Credits Blog For School Closing News
Blog Covering Oakland Schools
Forbes Magazine Tackles School Solutions

Site News
Going Down To FLA
What To Do At Conferences