0 A Test of Leadership

When the history of American higher education in the 21st century is written, I suspect the end of the first decade will be known for two resounding themes: the growing importance of community colleges,...

0 Updates on the Race: 12-21-2009

NATIONALCreative RttT Lawmaking (Politics K-12)RttT Hopefuls: Clear The Week of March 15, 2010 (Politics K-12)States Struggle With Pk-20 Data (Education Week)CALIFORNIAState senate passes RttT reform...

0 First, Do Your Homework

There's growing concern with higher education's affordability problem, as well there should be. It's hard to see how college will promote social mobility if a kid's ability to access it is increasingly...

0 Updates on the Race: 12-17-2009

UPDATED!NATIONALList of Contending States Grows (Education Week Politics K-12 blog)37 States to Apply in Round 1 (Education Week Politics K-12 blog)Will Local Teachers' Unions Sign Off On State RttT Plans?...

0 Boy Mystery: Update

Just a quick update -- The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has released the list of colleges and universities it plans to investigate for giving preference to men in admissions:Catholic University of...

0 Updates on the Race: 12-16-2009

NATIONALIs Race to Top an Urban Game? (Education Week Politics K-12 Blog)Some state officials have a sneaking suspicion that Race to the Top is an urban state's game and that has made some question whether...

0 Good Eatin'

Wisconsin is the prototypical 'good news' state. Denial of some stubborn realities has grossly limited impetus for education reform in recent years.However, here is some legitimate good news ("State improves...

0 Updates on the Race: 12-14-2009

NATIONAL:Who Would Have Guessed The Race Would Look Like This? (Democrats for Education Reform)36 States to Apply in Round 1 (Education Week Politics K-12 blog)CALIFORNIA:Campaign cash from charters driving...

0 Updates on the Race: 12-11-2009

NATIONAL:New Teacher-Evaluation Systems Face Obstacles (Education Week)ALABAMA: Governor touts charter schools (Andalusia Star-News)CALIFORNIA:Guvinator will 'veto' Assembly-passed RttT reform bill (San...

0 Updates on the Race: 12-08-2009

CALIFORNIA:State can't seem to put one foot in front of the other (Education Week)District officials wary of Race to the Top (The Press-Enterprise - San Bernardino)HAWAII: ED official pushes solution...

0 College Completion Rates: Up, Down, and Sideways

I love a good controversy about an important higher education topic. What better way to enjoy a Wisconsin snowstorm than to sit cozily inside, trading emails with knowledgeable folks who are trying to...

0 The So-Called Boy Mystery

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights recently announced that it would investigate whether some colleges are discriminating against women in an effort to generate a more gender-diverse student population....

0 Sad Day for UW Colleges

The Cap Times is reporting the summertime departure of UW Colleges and Extension leader David Wilson. My frank response: this sucks.Wilson is one of the good ones. Very bright, forward-thinking, not afraid...

0 Updates on the Race: 12-04-2009

NATIONAL:Eyeing stimulus money for education, states adopt reforms (Christian Science Monitor)States seek stimulus funds tied to education reforms (PBS NewsHour)CALIFORNIA:Parental involvement in Race...

0 Updates on the Race: 12-03-2009

Michele McNeil at Education Week has a really important story about a new Center on Education Policy report that questions whether states have the capacity to effectively implement proposed Race to the...

0 Rhode Island Targets Teacher Assignments

The latest edition of the National Council of Teacher Quality's newsletter highlights the efforts of Rhode Island Education Commissioner Deborah Gist to eliminate the practice of transferring teachers...

0 The Invisible Institution

Community colleges have been called many things-"junior," "second chance," "sub-baccalaureate," and one of my personal favorites: places of "continued...

0 Updates on the Race: 12-01-2009

ARIZONA: State could be in contentionCONNECTICUT: State to lift charter cap?MICHIGAN: Promise of federal funds forges bipartisan agreement [Update]MISSOURI: In the RaceNEW YORK: Gates and firewalls, Bloomberg,...

0 Knocked Up...and Knocked Out?

Maybe I'm just a little too sensitive these days. After all, women at the end of their third trimester can be like that. But when I read about a new campaign, one to prevent unplanned pregnancies among...

0 Updates on The Race: 11-23-2009

ARKANSAS: Listening tour a state RttT strategyDELAWARE: RttT fuels changes to teacher evaluation and school turnaroundsIOWA: More questions than answers?MICHIGAN: Governor Granholm touts RttTOHIO: State...

0 Study Demonstrates Link Between Hunger and Children’s Ability to Learn

On this Thanksgiving week, it is appropriate that we acknowledge the large numbers of America’s children who are too hungry to learn as indicated in a new public opinion survey commissioned by Share...

0 Resisting the End of Childhood

As I read the story in Friday's New York Times, my belly twisted with the sharp movements of the nearly 9-month-old fetus inside. My daughter's little...