The Failure of American Schools

Tax cap will hurt public schools

May 26, 2011

 

I am dismayed and deeply disappointed at the State Assembly's proposal for a property tax cap ["Deal on property tax cap 2%," News, May 25].

Last week, voters in the Longwood community passed a budget that reflected a 3.95 percent increase in the…

Recently, Justin Hamilton, @EdPressSec on Twitter, asked folks to state what they believe regarding education policy.  No, that’s not quite right – what he actually said was this:

Specifically, he, after being a little bit mistreated by some folks who don’t understand civil dialogue, asked folks to share what they’re for, education policy-wise, as they were…

Reject the Tax Cap

NY Times Editorial - May 26, 2011

CEOs and School Leaders:

The Good Ones are More Alike than Different

 The Dim Bulb

The Occasional Musings of an Educator

by Michael Keany…

Whose Failing Grade Is It?

By LISA BELKIN

NY Times

SINCE the subject today is schooling, let’s start with a quiz:

1. A third grader in Florida is often late for class. She tends to forget her homework and is unprepared for tests. The teacher would like to talk to her…

Bixhorn: LI voted to protect its schools

 Newsday

May 19, 2011 by GARY D. BIXHORN Gary D. Bixhorn is the chief operating officer of Eastern Suffolk BOCES.

Long Islanders have again stared down tough economic conditions and voted to increase their already excessive property tax burden to…

COMMENTARY

Principal Preparation: Moving Beyond Assessment

By Ann Hassenpflug

Increasingly, principal-preparation programs are getting the national scrutiny that has been focused on teacher education for some time.

Today, many principal-training programs run by public and private higher education institutions have been modified to align them with national standards from the Educational Leadership Constituent Council, or ELCC. To receive…

Editorial: 40% for tests adds up right

Originally published: May 17, 2011 6:27 PM

Updated: May 17, 2011 8:15 PM

Newsday

Something shocking happened among New York's custodians of public education on Monday. For a fleeting moment, common sense prevailed.

Under intense pressure from Gov. …

Tilles: Don't grade teachers on test scores

May 16, 2011 by ROGER TILLES /Newsday

Roger Tilles is Long Island's representative on the New York State Board of Regents.

Last summer, legislation based on the federal Race to the Top program was passed in Albany to create an accurate system of evaluating teachers and principals. Yesterday, the question before the Board of Regents was whether the proposed system would actually achieve that goal. I…

In Praise of Principals (in Hard Times)

By Elena Aguilar

TLN

For the last few years, I have worked as a school leadership coach in Oakland, Calif. Primarily, I support principals to develop their capacities—work that gives me a wide-angle view on the daily lives of our public school leaders. I have long recognized that principals’ jobs are challenging, but this year I have seen Oakland’s principals rise to tackle a new array of difficulties. As 2011…

Teaching Secrets: The Last Day of School

It's that time of year again—the last few weeks of school. Many of us work hard at plans to keep students engaged during this time but, at least in my experience, far fewer have a well-considered plan for the last day of school.

This final day together can be an important time for both the students and the teacher. It's a time to reflect, to celebrate, to…

Cheating and Other Deceptions About Students’ Learning

We’re learning that there are many ways to cheat.

The …

Active Learning Means Using the Body

by Ben Johnson

Edutopia

COMMENTARY

More Argument, Fewer Standards

By Mike Schmoker and Gerald Graff

If we want record numbers of students to succeed in postsecondary studies and careers, an ancient, accessible concept needs to be restored to its rightful place at the center of schooling: argument. In its various forms, it includes the ability to analyze and assess our facts and evidence, support our solutions, and defend our interpretations and…