I’m Baaacck….and Ready To Blog

I took a break. I had a book to write, after all, and there’s only so much writing one can do in a day.  Just last week, I turned in my manuscript–all 90,000 words of it.  So, that’s what I’ve been working on for the last six months, and during the next few weeks, [...]

The Tragicomedy of the Mindless Quest For That College Degree

Notice I said mindless.  See, that’s the big issue.  Too many students who are not prepared for college–and for whom it might not be the best option–are going into debt to pursue that golden bachelor’s degree.   
Marty Nemko is my new best friend.  Well, we’ve never met, but I like what he has to say. 
Marty wrote a great [...]

Time To Treat Teachers As Rock Stars? High Pay Offered At NYC Charter School ExcitesTeachers

I’ve written before about the idea that paying superstar teachers top salaries and skimping on the frills might be the very best way to get kids learning and teachers grinning.
This article in the New York Times shares the story of a former Teach for America participant who is starting a charter school in NYC for [...]

High School Teachers On Hidden (Cell Phone) Cameras

I’m all in favor of using cell phones as learning devices (there are cool ways to do this) but that’s not all they’re being used for in high school classrooms.
 Over at Dangerously Irrelevant, you can ( if you have the stomach for it) watch seven student-filmed YouTube videos of teachers losing it in class. Of course, [...]

Finnish Kids Are Smarter, More Self-Reliant, and Have Less Angst

What’s the deal with Finland? 
We know it has one of the best education systems in the world, and while some of the Finnish school success may be difficult to duplicate in other, less homogenous places, it’s quite remarkable to see how Finnish kids are educated compared to say, US kids.
Here’s a fascinating article in the [...]

Is College Relevant? That Depends…..

Patrick Riccards over at Eduflack serves up a great post here about the relevance of a college education. 
He points to an article in yesterday’s USA Today in which Mary Beth Marklein wrote of a new Association of American Colleges and Universities study of 301 business leaders.  http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-01-22-graduate-assessment_N.htm 
According to her piece, the majority of employers believe that [...]

Ed in ‘08 Promotes Two Million Minutes on YouTube

I checked in with Bob Compton a few days ago to see how things are going with Two Million Minutes, the education documentary he produced. 
Bob told me that now that he has partnered with Ed in ‘08 (a nonpartisan project promoting Strong American Schools–watch the short video on the home page!) to promote 2MM, he and the [...]

A New/Old Kind Of Blending: Districts Consider Combined Middle/High Schools

According to this article in The Examiner, some districts are implementing a twist on the old one-room school house:  combining middle school and high school in one building.
The 6-12 model has its pluses and minuses.  The pluses for urban schools facing high drop-out rates:  getting kids in the same building as high schoolers means more time [...]

US, Japan Give Least To Global Education: PLEASE READ THIS

I don’t know about you, but it makes me a little cranky when I read headlines about our country being stingy about things I think are important. 
Cranky and okay, kind of fired up.  I’d like to say something. 
As you know, I’m writing a book on education.  It’s aimed squarely at parents and their kids in [...]

Top Ten Global Trends That Force Us To Rethink Education

I’m a fan of John Moravec and the rest of the gang over at Education Futures.  I mean, it’s one thing for me to blah-blah on this blog, but hearing the experts say the same things is, well, validating.  And exciting.
 You see, John is among a group of innovative thinkers who are calling for a critical shift in the way [...]