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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
I was determined to make Mrs. Hall’s list. Our tough fourth-grade math teacher was infamous for her sharp comments — “You look like a lost ball in high weeds” — as well as her annual prize to the few students she deemed worthy of A’s: a trip to the movies. The previous year, my older sister had gone to see “Godzilla,” which frightened her to tears, thereby giving her a taste of what the rest of Mrs. Hall’s students endured over the course of the year. Born with a fiercely competitive streak and accustomed to doing well in school, I knew that I would make Mrs. Hall’s A list. (Washington Post)
The fact that teachers with master’s degrees are no more effective in the classroom, on average, than their colleagues without advanced degrees is one of the most consistent findings in education research. In a study published in 2011, Paul Peterson and I confirmed this finding by comparing the student achievement of the same teachers before and after they earned master’s degrees, and found no impact. (Brookings)
New Jersey
Conference includes key session on collaborative, multi-discipline approach described as pivotal part of new standards. (NJ Spotlight)
North Carolina
With all the angst and alarm over the General Assembly’s approach to K-12 education, hearing Bryan Hassel talk about how to create more effective schools is like listening to a symphony. He has a solution. It’s simple and harmonious and won’t cost more than we should be spending anyway. (News & Observer)
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania soon may be able to dismiss its more senior teachers in favor of its most qualified. House Bill 1722 proposes amending state law to protect excellent educators in the classroom. The House Education Committee this week OK’d the measure by 16-8 vote. (PA Independent)