Joe Williams' Blog
Enter: The Bad Cop
It didn't take long for EdIn08's bad cop. Marc Lampkin, to take the National Education Association to the woodshed for "squelching" the debate on merit pay after Sunday's Democratic presidential candidate debate. It's another strong piece from Lampkin filled with the kind of angst that matches the level of absudity in the national ed reform debates. (We blogged on that debate here.)
Meanwhile, in Romerville, the good cop is feeling nothing but good vibes. Hmmm.
Posted by Joe Williams on August 23, 2007 11:07 AM
NY Sen. Malcolm Smith On "The Charter Difference"
New York Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, who received a DFER "Education Warrior Award" in June for his work behind-the-scenes in lifting the cap on the number of new high performing public schools created through the state's charter school law, writes about the difference these new schools are making in the New York Post.
Note that he characterized the legislature's work in lifting the cap as "courageous." Says a lot about how screwed up things are in Albany, ainah?
Posted by Joe Williams on August 23, 2007 10:48 AM
August 21, 2007
Collegiality vs. Excellence, Or 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
I was going to blog about the Sunday debates between the Democratic presidential candidates, but it turns out the statement that the National Education Association (and its president Reg Weaver) put out afterward proved to be far more interesting than any of the carefully scripted/guarded comments that came out of the candidates' mouths.
Continue reading "Collegiality vs. Excellence, Or 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'"....
Posted by Joe Williams on August 21, 2007 8:13 AM
August 18, 2007
Mike Bloomberg to Pasta Lovers: Eat Me!
Q: How do you make sure NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg doesn't enter the presidential race as a spoiler and make all our favorite Democratic candidates for office look shockingly underwhelming on education reform?
A: Drop him into some boiling water, add a pinch of salt, and serve him up al dente!
(Via Slate.)
Posted by Joe Williams on August 18, 2007 2:21 PM
August 16, 2007
When Parents And Teachers Decide Enough Is Enough
Did you catch John Merrow's report last night on PBS on the revolution underway at Gompers and Keiller Middle Schools in San Diego? You can watch it here.
One of those rare examples where people took the pressure created by NCLB and ran with it.
I spent a great deal of time at these two schools in the last few years. You can read the dispatch here.
(Disclosure: Former San Diego Superintendent Alan Bersin, whose leadership team worked very hard behind the scenes to help the teachers and parents at the schools to understand their options, is a DFER board member.)
Posted by Joe Williams on August 16, 2007 1:37 PM
More Signs That The World Is Changing?
First the annual Labor Day parade had to be moved to a weekend after Labor Day because organized labor couldn't get people away from their beach houses. Now it is being scrapped in favor of a rally for adequate health care for 9/11 workers.
"We used to march in it every year, but nobody showed up," said sheet metal worker Bob Burgie, a member of Teamsters Local 137. "Now the union makes going to it mandatory."
Posted by Joe Williams on August 16, 2007 1:15 PM
DFER Reader Follow-Ups - Merit Pay and Unionization Elections
Regarding the back-and-forth with James Forman Jr. on merit pay (where I was pessimistic that dysfunctyional school systems could actually be trusted to handle merit pay) one other DFER friend from Milwaukee notes:
Continue reading "DFER Reader Follow-Ups - Merit Pay and Unionization Elections"....
Posted by Joe Williams on August 16, 2007 12:10 PM
