Hysteria Around Turnarounds
The NYTimes ran a story with this misleading headline and byline A Vote to Fire All Teachers at a Failing High School CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. — A plan to dismiss the entire faculty and staff of the only public high school in this small city…
Advance Innovative Education Finalist for Prize
February 24th marks the date that Advance Innovative Education will compete with 10 other social entrepreneurial enterprises for recognition and a statewide competition focused on promoting innovative and entrepreneurial solutions to some of Louisiana’s greatest challenges including low performing schools, basic health and nutrition, and poverty. This is the culmination…
One Solution to Middle School: Eliminate Them
National Journal is exploring the ‘forgotten middle’ grades this week. I’m not a fan of middle schools and find the growing urban trend toward K-8 or 6-12 configurations to be promising. K-12 charter networks like Aspire confirm this trend by creating paired elementary and secondary schools. Giant urban…
Are Edupreneurs Born or Developed?
Fred Wilson’s Friday post explores whether entrepreneurs are born with requisite attributes or whether at least some of can be developed: I also believe that there are “unique and defining characteristics of entrepreneurs.” Here are some of the ones I observe most frequently: 1) A stubborn…
The Weight 2
On a sunset walk after a spectacular day on Poverty Bay with blue sky and fresh snow on the Olympics, I thought of three personal stories that illustrate the weight of leadership. 1. The afternoon I was appointed superintendent, I had coffee at the mall and watched hundreds of…
The Weight of Leadership
Winston Churchill took office the day the Germans invaded the low countries of Europe. Perhaps born a warrior and an idealist, Churchill in some ways relished the epic nature of conflict but never took it lightly. A recent HBO film, Into the Storm, explored Churchill’s leadership and life during…
Online Com/Tech College Enrollments Grow
This story about increased online community college enrollment in Louisiana is interesting for a couple reasons: 1. Online Community and Technical College enrollment jumped 43%-a combination of more courses and worse economy. 2. Students and colleges saved money learning online. 3. Increased ability to take CC…
In Case You Wanted a Rebuttal
EdWeek ran a ridiculous op-ed by David Marshak, of Eastern Washington University. Here’s the brief response: Marshak’s logic is flawed, his data is bad, and his history revised. Over 1200 new schools were funded through dozens of networks with strong design principals including the emergence of CMOS-the…
World Language (and a Head Bob)
HYDERABAD. I’ve come to understand what Wikipedia calls a world language, “a language spoken internationally, which is learned by many people as a second language.” But it’s not quite as crisp as a ‘language spoken internationally,’ it is more a way of understanding. After a month of careening around…
Gentlemen, Start Your Hearings (But Let the Race Run)
Here we go. McNeil outlines House plans to begin ESEA reauthorization hearings starting with charter schools (great place to start). Miller and Kline are thoughtful and could actually put together a decent bipartisan draft. No word from the Senate where it’s harder to imagine anything thoughtful happening.