Post-Katrina, New Orleans schools excel

Ah, the status quo. It dogs education reformers in every state, and prefers failing systems to sweeping change. It's a given opponent in the battle for better schools, and so most of us whittle away at the "but this is the way it's always been!" mentality as much as we can each day. But what if there was no ... Read More...

Education spending not the same as student achievement

One of the biggest red herrings in public education is money. Consider this: The education establishment is pushing for a new $10 billion federal appropriation for teacher salaries. Simultaneously, President Obama is being criticized for Race to the Top, a program that has opened up unprecedented funding for states, with the caveat that the dollars awarded will go to innovative, ... Read More...

Missouri does not make Race to the Top threshhold

EdWeek just posted the 15 finalist states in the competition for Race to the Top grants. They are, in no particular order, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee (plus Washington, D.C.). The Final 16 beat out 25 other states and earned the highest scores ... Read More...

Missouri submits Race to the Top application today

From the press release: January 20, 2010 State Submits Ambitious, Multifaceted Proposal for “Race to the Top” Nicastro: “No time for half measures.” In a dramatic bid to grab an inside lane in the national competition for education-reform funding, Missouri officials have submitted an ambitious, multifaceted proposal that could bring almost $750 million to the state’s public schools over the next four ... Read More...

Michelle Rhee: Transforming the System

For those who haven't heard of Michelle Rhee, she has been shocking D.C. public schools with some radical - but effective - changes. Here's part of her story and her tactics to turn around a failing school system: Rhee will be at the DFER gathering on Wed. in DC: The Critical Need for School Reform and How to Achieve It. ... Read More...