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A Popular Principal, Wounded by Government’s Good Intentions By MICHAEL WINERIP

BURLINGTON, Vt. — It’s hard to find anyone here who believes that Joyce Irvine should have been removed as principal of Wheeler Elementary School. John Mudasigana, one of many recent African refugees whose children attend the high-poverty school, says he is grateful for how Ms. Irvine and her teachers have helped his five children. “Everything… Read more »

Radio Show Today at 11:00 am

1240 WRTA

Will the “right teachers” improve our schools? By Anthony Cody

President Obama last week made a major speech before the National Urban League in which he defended Race to the Top and his education reform agenda. It is rather remarkable that such a defense should be necessary. After all, should not the constituency of a progressive president embrace improvement of schools for children in poverty?… Read more »

Obama’s Race to the Top Will Not Improve Education by Diane Ravitch

President Obama spoke to the National Urban League this week and defended his “Race to the Top” program, which has become increasingly controversial. Mr. Obama insisted that it was the most important thing he had done in office, and that critics were merely clinging to the status quo. Mr. Obama was unfazed by the scathing… Read more »

Radio Show Today

Tune in at 11:00 am today. http://socialstreamingplayer.crystalmedianetworks.com/radio/wrta?from=external

The Importance of Affect in the Classroom By Walt Gardner

The New York Times published a front-page story about the delayed impact the best kindergarten teachers have on their students (“The Case for $320,000 Kindergarten Teachers”) on the same day I wrote about the benefit in delaying evaluation of teachers until years after their students graduate (“Who’s a Good Teacher”). Raj Chetty, who conducted the… Read more »

What Would Real School Reform Look Like? By James Farwell

Public school reform seems to boil down to closing schools; sending students to higher-achieving schools; converting a “failing” school to a charter school; replacing the principal, reforming instruction, and increasing learning time; and giving teachers monetary incentives to do better. Such “reform” seems as off the mark and ineffective as placing a Band-Aid on a… Read more »

Study: Error rates high when student test scores used to evaluate teachers

Study: Error rates high when student test scores used to evaluate teachers Valeria Strauss – Washington Post I don’t actually understand all of a new statistical study about error rates when “value-added” student test scores are used to evaluate teachers, but I do get this: The rates high enough to give even supporters of such… Read more »

Who’s a Good Teacher? Walt Gardner

Who’s a Good Teacher?By Walt Gardner on July 28, 2010 8:10 AM When Chancellor Michelle Rhee fired 241 teachers in Washington D.C. on July 23, the news was heralded as evidence that true accountability was finally a reality because the evaluation system used is considered one of the most rigorous in the nation. But like… Read more »

The Audacity of Arne Duncan

By Jim Horn Posted: 2010-07-25 On 7/24/10, this was posted on EPATA, a discussion list of people who care about education. Arne Duncan stood before the NAACP convention last week to repeat his claim that “education is the civil rights issue of our generation.” He also declared “the only way to equality in society is… Read more »