Quick Hits (10.20.11)

ESEA continues. A number of amendments have been approved – and ditched – during today’s Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee meeting. At the time we posted this, senators continued to push through the stack of amendments still pending. An official count hasn’t been confirmed, although Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., did acknowledge that he cut his offers down to “seven or eight more” after he had already introduced two amendments this morning. He previously had submitted 74 of the 144 amendments, so that will save some time. We hope you’ve been following @EducationSector and #ESEA. We’ve also posted periodic updates here on The Quick and The Ed. Stay tuned. Committee Chairman Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, plans to continue Friday morning, Senate schedule permitting.

Tweet-crazy on #ESEA. At one point, tweeters said #ESEA was trending. We didn’t see it, but there were certainly plenty of folks following along in the Hart Senate Office Building or via webcast online. Here’s some funnies:

Goflyajib: Listening to Rand Paul discuss education policy makes me want to bang my head against my desk! #esea

DFER_News: Sen Paul offers tiny amendment – repeal NCLB #ESEA

newmanj12 :Sen Paul moves to repeal NCLB, says he thinks 90% of teachers and 37% of states would support him. 75% of Rand Pauls make up poll #s #ESEA

benjaminjriley: I’ve been taking a drink every time someone decries “a national school board.” In a related story, I’m wasted drunk. #ESEA #flasknearempty

politicsk12: Sen. Alexander, a former Secretary of Education, noted that there have been “some questionable” characters who’ve had the gig

BillDeBaun: Wow. The Hagan amendment made it anyway, despite no senator, including Hagan herself, being able to convincingly explain it. #esea

Teachers grumble about new teacher evals. Now, Tennessee educators say, it’s hard to be recognized as a stand-out teacher; many have received average marks, which will not make them eligible for tenure, under new evaluations as part of the Race to the Top program. Education Sector’s Susan Headden spent considerable time talking with educators and administrators, checking in on IMPACT, the evaluation system in D.C. public schools that also judges teachers on stricter standards. See her analysis here. (NPR)

Talking ‘honestly about bad teachers’. In his TIME column, Andy Rotherham calls to attention the importance of properly assessing teachers, beyond just evaluating them. “Over the long run, better pay, improved working conditions, better training and professional development, and greater respect is politically conditional on creating a professional culture more in line with other fields.” (TIME)