Joe Williams' Blog
August 15, 2008
Generational Split: You Saw This One Coming
From this morning's Washington Post story on the action behind the current teacher contract offer, which would pay teachers a boat load of money in exchange for giving up job security, comes this very important line which will continue to play out across the country:
The split in the teaching corps largely, but not exclusively, is occurring along generational lines, with younger teachers more willing to accept the risks and older ones often questioning the proposal.
Posted by Joe Williams on August 15, 2008 10:55 AM
DFER Fellow Claire Lowenstein on Rethinking Summer School
With the summer drawing to a close, the idea of summer school keeps surfacing in my head. Summer school is somewhat controversial because the summer is a time for students to take a reprieve from traditional learning. However, the responsibility of providing kids with opportunities to explore new ways of learning in the summer months falls on parents. For some moms and dads that is a welcomed experience because they are financially secure and have the liberty and time to create experiences that will entertain their children. However, what happens to the families who do not have extra money to send their kids to summer camp, sport's camp, art classes, or even opportunities to go to the pool or park? Many of those kids end up staying home cooped up in warm apartments in a trance from watching so much television or playing video games.
Continue reading "DFER Fellow Claire Lowenstein on Rethinking Summer School"....
Posted by Joe Williams on August 15, 2008 8:31 AM
August 14, 2008
Sol Stern's Marshall Plan for Reading
I'm a sucker for Marshall Plans in general. I have supported NYC's Marshall Plans to get rid of rats, Marshall Plans to fight childhood obesity, Marshall Plans to ensure clean air and water, etc.
So, I'm inclined to like Sol Stern's new Marshall Plan for Reading.
A lot of people have wondered when it was that Sol went south on Mayor Bloomberg's school reforms, and he is clearly telegraphing the moment (the selection of the city's reading curriculum) when he left the reservation.
Sol's kicker paragraph is most interesting, though, because he is setting up reading as an issue for the next round of mayoral candidates. If this is a signal that people like Sol are approaching the 2009 NYC mayor's race/mayoral control of schools issue with an eye toward the future rather than being stuck in the past, this could be productive. (Hint: Sol doesn't seem to like the idea of leaving reading curriculum ideas up to community groups, anonymous pedagogues, or parent veto. He seems to think a strong mayor, acting with some room to make controversial decisions, should lead the charge.)
Posted by Joe Williams on August 14, 2008 9:33 AM
August 13, 2008
Polis Wins Dem Primary in Colorado's 2nd Congressional District
Congratulations to Jared Polis for his big win last night in the hotly-contested race to fill the seat vacated by Mark Udall. I'd have to check the record-books, but I think this makes Polis the first likely member of Congress to have started several charter schools. ('Likely' because he still has to win the general election, but come on, it's Boulder folks!)
Posted by Joe Williams on August 13, 2008 12:59 AM
August 12, 2008
Should We Laugh Or Should We Cry?
UPDATE: I removed the link to the original story so that you, dear reader, would be forced to click through Alexander Russo's blog to get the goodies you seek.
Via Alexander Russo's bachelor blog-pad, this education story out of Las Vegas is simply stunning. It's a journalistic orgasm, to be sure.
Consider all the wacky ingredients in this one:
-- A state school board member sucking-face with his 20-year-old bride during board meetings.
-- Accusations from collaegues that his behavior is "shocking and deplorable."
-- Seeing in the same sentence the dude's wife and the phrase "while strapped to a motorized wheelchair."
-- Seeing in the same sentence the dude's wife and the phrase "$2 million in a trust fund from a medical malpractice lawsuit."
-- Seeing in the same sentence the dude's wife and the phrase "left her Jewish family to join the International Church of Las Vegas."
-- Seeing the dude quoted blaming his falling asleep during board meetings on "too much partying and rock and roll."
-- Seeing the dude quoted saying "bite me" to the board's attorney.
-- The Elvis sunglasses.
-- Wearing the same clothes two days in a row.
-- Etc.
The story pretty much writes itself!
Posted by Joe Williams on August 12, 2008 9:49 PM
August 11, 2008
Democrats and Charter Schools: From 'Supporters' to 'Promoters'
For those of you who get your kicks watching the "public opinion" needle move on education reform, let me point to this shift which can be documented within the Democratic Party:
The 2008 draft Democratic Party platform, which was released last week and is available here, says that Democrats should "promote public charter schools which are accountable."
This is a tiny bit more love than the somewhat begrudging "support public school choice, including charter schools and magnet schools that meet the same high standards as other schools" that we saw back in the dark days of the 2004 presidential race.
Progress. Catching up with the voters at long last.
Posted by Joe Williams on August 11, 2008 10:11 AM
August 6, 2008
Welcome Back, One-L
In case you may have forgotten, AFT spelled backward is still TFA. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. And for those of you keeping score at home, the former AFT Michele, who underwent a major medical procedure/intense counseling which reversed all of her chromosomes and turned her into TFA Michele, is one of the guest bloggers at Eduwonk while Rotherham is out collecting photos for the 2009 Fish Porn Calendar.
And it only took a few posts before she snuck in a Husker Du reference. I love that.
Posted by Joe Williams on August 6, 2008 10:47 AM
