T1 Should Support College/Career Goal
National Journal asks whether, as the president suggested, that Title 1 should be contingent upon state adoption of college/career ready standards. Â I think the answer is yes. Title 1 is an effort to promote equitable educational outcomes. The most important equity goal is that every student should graduate…
Skip a Year or Two of High School
Sports, socializing, and selective colleges are the primary reason for 4 years of high school. Most kids can and should spend less time in high school and more time in career programs or high education.  Several reporters came to similar conclusions in the last few days.  Walter Kirn, NYT Magazine, suggests…
Technology is Missing From Nation's Education Narrative
Tom Vander Ark of Revolution Learning and I were speaking recently around corporate interests in education. One bright spot to this corporate interest in social movements is the Pepsi Refresh Project, which presents a broad list of categories to urge consumers / social media savvy constituents to choose where…
Coming to Certainty
I enjoy spending time with entrepreneurs that have synthesized the world, spotted an opportunity, and are pursuing it with mission-focused passion. Â Their level of certainty creates the persistence necessary to introduce a new solution. Â It makes me smile (and sometimes cringe) to listen to excited pitches of young people with…
House R's Could Learn From Jeb
House Republicans launched these four focus grouped principles: local control, empowering parents, letting teachers teach, and protecting taxpayers. The ‘platform’ has no aspirations, it doesn’t solve problems, it simply seeks to avoid offense. Â It’s clear ESEA isn’t happening this year. Hill Republicans would do well to spend an…
Quality Counts Tidbits
I’ve been carrying EdWeek’s Quality Counts issue around with me for a month and finally used a two hour plane ride to read it cover to cover. I was reminded of the great work that David Driscoll (with lots of help from folks like Tom Payzant) did in…
Merryl Tisch: More Innovation, Less Political Bullying
I will post a longer article based on my interview with Merryl Tisch, Chancellor, New York State Education Board, Board of Regents in a few days. Here are some of her quotes: Q: What is your vision for online education and technology innovation within mainstream education in the next…
DC Updates: Tony, Supts, Dog With Bone, Talent
Deputy Secretary Tony Miller got a rowdy but appreciative reception at the Education Industry Association last night.  Education service providers asked Tony why education is the only department that shuns private sector involvement  (e.g., Energy investments).  The answers–you can work for districts and it’s historical–didn’t satisfy the…
3 Pivot Points to a Performance-Based Education System
In education, there’s a lot up in the air right now: standards, testing, employment practices, budgets, student technology, online learning, and federal policy. It’s conceivable that if we took advantage of the uncertainty, a few places could emerge with a better and cheaper education system.  Here’s three pivot points that…
Bad Proxies for Good Teachers
Read Rotherham’s Atlantic article on Teach For America (TFA) and what it takes to be a good teacher. It’s a great summary of what the field, TFA in particular, has learned recently about the attributes of good teachers. However, it’s frustrating that we remain so unsophisticated about the predictive…