Sunday, December 9, 2012
Tony Bryk, of the Univ. of Chicago. Overview his research on how schools can improve.
http://www.epi.org/blog/lessons-chicago-takes-cake-disadvantaged/
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Update on EAA legislation
From Steve Norton of Michigan Parents for Schools:
Neither the Senate nor House Education committees acted on the EAA bills (HB 6004/SB 1358) in their meetings today. Negotiations to find changes that will attract a majority are ongoing, but a number of Republican legislators are really digging their heels in on this one, despite great pressure from their leadership. The $64K question now is if the bills will continue to sit in committee or be discharged straight to the floor. In either case, by the time a vote takes place, the die will be cast. (They won't bring it to a public vote unless they know they have the votes.) This is why keeping the pressure on now is so important.
What's critical right now is that those legislators who are resisting the huge pressure to vote for some kind of EAA bill get our thanks. Republican members have been told that they should never bother defending public schools because the "education people" will never give them credit or thanks.
Strong, community governed public schools don't have to be a partisan issue - they didn't use to be. Even if you disagree with your legislator on other issues, when they do the right thing on education you should let them know that you noticed it and appreciate it. (Likewise, when they don't do right by our schools, you should let them know that you saw that, too, and will remember.) That goes for members of either party. This kind of stuff matters more than you might expect.
Neither the Senate nor House Education committees acted on the EAA bills (HB 6004/SB 1358) in their meetings today. Negotiations to find changes that will attract a majority are ongoing, but a number of Republican legislators are really digging their heels in on this one, despite great pressure from their leadership. The $64K question now is if the bills will continue to sit in committee or be discharged straight to the floor. In either case, by the time a vote takes place, the die will be cast. (They won't bring it to a public vote unless they know they have the votes.) This is why keeping the pressure on now is so important.
What's critical right now is that those legislators who are resisting the huge pressure to vote for some kind of EAA bill get our thanks. Republican members have been told that they should never bother defending public schools because the "education people" will never give them credit or thanks.
Strong, community governed public schools don't have to be a partisan issue - they didn't use to be. Even if you disagree with your legislator on other issues, when they do the right thing on education you should let them know that you noticed it and appreciate it. (Likewise, when they don't do right by our schools, you should let them know that you saw that, too, and will remember.) That goes for members of either party. This kind of stuff matters more than you might expect.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
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