This week in America: the big scramble
1. As I travel the country, I see evidence of thousands of districts, charter networks, and non-profits scrambling to mobilize for stimulus money—the great ARRA premobilization. Everyone knows Duncan’s four priorities; everyone is trying to figure out how this is going to play out; everyone is trying to…
Small Vindication?
An MDRC study released today told us what we've known for years--that replacing big bad schools with good small schools helps more low income kids graduate. Read about what they missed in the study.
iSchool in the middle
I spent a day with the NYC iSchool co-principals thinking about a middle school design. Not surprisingly, we decided it should look at lot like iSchool: engaging integrated projects with individualized online learning. Other design elements we discussed included: · A month long ‘welcome to middle school’…
Competition, Civil Rights, and Change Theory
Civil rights advocates are split on the competitive nature of $10 billion in grant programs from the US Department of Education. Some, like Education Equality Project, view it as an opportunity for states and districts with competent leadership to make important performance-promoting and gap-closing advances. Others, like the…
Labor Day Over, Serious About School
Here is a review of the important interviews and a video that we played prior to the Labor Day holiday.
Pershing Square Donates $25 Mil to Zuck Match Grant
A Barbara Martinez report on the Zuckerberg-Booker Alliance, with news that Pershing Square has donated US$25 million to the challenge grant started by Mark Zuckerberg's Startup: Education grant to Newark Public Schools.
Ed Professionals: "What is Personalized Learning?"
We asked education professionals, education entrepreneurs, and members of America's public education system to describe their vision of personalized learning. Here is one in a series of clips from those interviews.
Not Welcome Sign = No R&D
When states ban or limit the role of private enterprise in public education, they dampen investment in R&D and perpetuate the status quo. Instead, they should frame opportunities and invite investment partners.
Edmodo Listed as Essential Teacher Tool
Edmodo gets some link love at Socratech Seminars prior to an important learning conference.
Fix v Start
The education paradox—radically constrained and empowered with new tools.