10 Ways Faith Congregations Can Improve Edu
Peter Groff, the Director of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships for the Department of Education, will be headlining a Teachers College conference on the role of faith congregations in education.  This afternoon, I’ll be outlining these 10 specific ways that congregations can make a difference: 1.  Youth/Family Services: Communities…
Yale SOM Education Leaders Conference
A leading business school hosting an education conference? Â Ten years ago it was unimaginable. Now it happens annually in New Haven. Â The students organize a great conference, get edu-superstars to attend, and turn out in droves. Jon Schnur kicked off the Racing to the Top conference with a review…
Flat Lining Schools; Tinkering Won’t Work
This week the “The Nation’s Report Card” showed no progress. That’s really quite disturbing given aggressive federal policy (NCLB), a handful of cities like New York making real progress, states like Louisiana and Florida pushing hard, and national foundation efforts. It suggests that tinkering won’t come close to…
Memphis, 1951
If you’re in/near NYC this year, go see Memphis, the musical.  It’s a fantastic show and powerful story.  From the playbill: TURN UP THAT DIAL! From the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee,…comes a hot new Broadway musical – inspired by actual events – with heart, soul…
Mobile Learning Maturing (Slowly)
Article worth reading in EdWeek on mobile learning. Â I particularly like what Seth Weinberger at Innovations for Learning is doing with the $100 TeacherMate, a cool primary reading and math handheld game pad. See feature in next months Fast Company. Getting close to the device and price point…
Fixing No Child Left Behind
The WSJ, published an editorial that both praises and is critical of the President’s Blueprint. Â I thought it was worth a full read: The Obama Administration wants to revise the No Child Left Behind education law, which is understandable because the law has flaws. But it’s too…
For Instructional Management See CMOs
Kalman R. Hettleman writes in EdWeek, “It’s the Classroom, Stupid.” She’s right, instructional management is a big deal and often poorly managed. Â Here’s her three reasons: First, predisposition. The personal temperament of educators and their professional culture of insularity predispose them to be weak managers.
Most RttT Finalist Have Lame Online Plans
Most of 16 Race to the Top finalist have lame online learning plans–and this is the best of the bunch.  iNACOL posted a useful review. FL is the best of a bad lot and they’re just coasting on Jeb’s leadership and still protect district enrollments by stopping the Internet at…
Elks, Immigrants, Imagination, Innovation
When I made my annual appearance at the Elks lodge to honor the top 40 students in my district, I was glad they didn’t make the superintendent try to pronounce the names–more than half were from immigrant families.  Most of the native born white kids were Mormon.  The ceremony was an…