posted on
Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
Whether you think the end game of the current “mixed economy” of district and charter schools should be an all-charter system (as in New Orleans) or a dual model (as in Washington D.C.), for the foreseeable future most cities are likely to continue with a blend of these two sectors. So we wanted to know: Can they peacefully co-exist? Can they do better than that? Can they actually collaborate in the service of students, families and the public interest? (Thomas B. Fordham Institute)
Curious about the Common Core tests that have generated so much debate and so many low scores in recent months? Now you can check them out yourself. (The Washington Post)
“How come Garrett does not want to talk to me?” Grover, the blue-haired Muppet, asks Garrett’s big sister, Angelina. The 4-year-old Garrett and his twin AJ have autism and are more interested in their snacks and Lego bricks than in joining a discussion with the shaggy Muppet and their sister. Later, their mom explains that Garrett is paying attention in his own way, even though he is nonverbal. Their family, the mom says, is just like other families: “We have our challenges, but we have a lot of fun as a family together.” (The Atlantic)
Put this in the you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff category. When the U.S. Department of Education last month handed out $157 million in charter school grants, many in the education world couldn’t understand the largest award on the list. It went to the Ohio Department of Education — $32.6 million for the first year, with a recommended multi-year total of $71 million. Why, the question was asked, did the Obama administration give so much money for charter schools in Ohio when the state’s $1 billion charter sector is as scandal-ridden as any in the country? (The Washington Post)
Voters in Mississippi have rejected a citizen-led constitutional amendment that would have increased funding for public education. The public schools in the poorest state in the nation have been underfunded and underperforming for years. (NPR)