Rock The Schoolhouse

Local committee ends Massachusetts' first virtual school

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:27:17 GMT

Massachusetts' one virtual school is being shuttered. Given its performance, that is not a surprise. What is a surprise is that it is not being shut down for that reason. Rather, the local school committee doesn't want to allow it to become a state virtual school and see it subjected to the kind of scrutiny we hope to see from the state.

Suicide and the stress from school

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 14:44:09 GMT

Are we stressing kids out with academic requirements and testing? The data suggests strongly that the anti-testing advocates are absolutely wrong. It further suggests an ugle racial undertone to what they are arguing.

Why do district superintendents oppose charter schools?

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 22:34:42 GMT

One superintendent's take on why superintendents as a whole oppose charters. Hint: It's a word that starts with M and has 5 letters. Ends in Y. Can we replaced with the symbols "$$$."

What to make of big early education proposals?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:01:23 GMT

Both the president and the governor have proposed big expansions in early education. Will we see all Massachusetts schools offering a year of school before kindergarten? What would the impact be? How can we make sure such expansions actually are making a difference for kids?

An easy vote for the Board of Education

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:55:11 GMT

There will be no controversy around the Board vote tomorrow on Phoenix Charter Academy's application to create a school in Springfield. Thankfully. It is a need in the community and could have huge impacts for the region.

Two new charter schools for City on a Hill

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:25:20 GMT

City on a Hill charter school has applied for two new schools -- in one Boston, and the other in New Bedford. They both deserve approval by the Board of Education next week.

Boston Kids Need Another Brooke Charter School

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 21:47:45 GMT

Edward Brooke Charter Schools have done an incredible job, leading the state in tested content areas and disproving the status quo mantra that poor minority kids cannot achieve great things. With 4,000 kids on their waiting lists, they deserve another 500-student school.

Give Brockton students a choice

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:45:21 GMT

The upcoming Board of Education vote on the International Charter School will determine the futures of hundreds of kids in Brockton. They deserve access to a great school -- and their parents deserve the power to choose.

Bureaucratic teacher evaluations bring no change

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 18:15:44 GMT

The teacher evaluation process, which was driven by the feds' Race to the Top program, is proving to be just another in the interminable list of federal game-changing reforms that results in... nothing but more paper.

How vocational technical schools are lowering dropout rates

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:19:21 GMT

Yes, there is some good news out there. Massachusetts vocational technical schools -- especially the autonomously run regional vocational technical schools -- are hitting it out of the park in lowering dropout rates!

Massachusetts aces international math and science tests

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:29:50 GMT

Massachusetts stands out among states in the US on the highest-quality international test of math and science (TIMSS). We still have a long way to go, but we are miles ahead of the next closest states as to be in a very different competition.

A new law expanding virtual schools?

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:00:05 GMT

A new bill passed the Massachusetts Senate and House to expand virtual schools in the Bay State. Up to 10 by 2020 is the yield, and they will serve a maximum of 19,000 students. What's the good, the bad and the ugly in the bill?

The perfect storm facing Jewish Day Schools

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:25:15 GMT

Declining enrollment in recent years has left Massachusetts Jewish day schools with significant excess capacity. Cost is becoming an issue -- here's what we can do about it.

Students in which states are climbing highest?

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 19:04:58 GMT

A little summary of the debate whether Massachusetts or Florida is "climbing the highest" and "making the climb the fastest."

Don't Count Your Chickens Before Elections: Tony Bennett's Defeat in Indiana

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:48:00 GMT

Indiana school superintendent Tony Bennett's defeat is not to be celebrated nor bemoaned. It's the natural give-and-take of elections, and Indiana's choice-based reforms will withstand the changes. Moreover, it's a lesson to state superintendents that Common Core is growing toxic.

Fallout from election 2012 on education

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 14:35:32 GMT

The fallout of the election on education policy is simple: No change in DC (more top-down stuff), big pro-charter expansion moves in GA and WA states, and Indiana's top education official gets shown the door for embracing national standards and tests.

Indiana's air ball on national education standards

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 06:31:18 GMT

Indiana State Superintendent of Schools Tony Bennett has advanced some great reforms, but he gambled big in adopting the national Common Core education standards in a state that had some of the best state standards in the country and is increasingly skeptical of big government in Washington DC.

Why is the state not implementing the MCAS for U.S. history?

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:23:19 GMT

High-quality standards, instruction, and tests on U.S. history were a key part of the 1993 Education Reform Act. The standards are there, the test has been ready to go for 3 years now. Why is the state not implementing the U.S. history MCAS test?

Obama-Romney education debate

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:00:17 GMT

A debate between two presidential campaign surrogates on education. Monday, October 15th, at 7 pm EST. Live webcast. Free.

John Silber and Immortality

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 22:12:32 GMT

John Silber is the exact opposite of the sentiment expressed in Milan Kundera's novel Immortality. He cared less about others' perceptions about who he was than what he was and what he did.

Huck, Jim and our interest in education

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 17:45:15 GMT

Probably about 95 percent of education policy discussions are actually totally devoid of any mention of the academic substance that is the real, central work of schooling. Here's one small fix for that!

Rahm says Chicago strikes, while Boston teachers settle

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 17:06:36 GMT

Our political and community leaders keep tacking toward the sirens song of in-district reform for no other reason than their own ambitions. The Boston Teachers Union did not settle. They won.

The Democrats' Platform on K-12 Education

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 13:00:03 GMT

The text of the Democrats' platform on K-12 education.

The GOP Platform on K-12 Education

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:00:48 GMT

The text of the GOP's platform on K-12 education.

Waiting for the candidates to debate education

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:15:20 GMT

A real debate on education would be so good for the country. Republicans used to drive the debate of education reform. But today Republicans are having trouble settling on a a clear course. The result? They are leaving the field of battle on the future of our schools to the Democrats.