Quick Hits (1.5.12)

Happy Birthday, NCLB. Education Week collected commentaries from some of the top education experts, including lawmakers and analysts, on No Child Left Behind and posted them on this page in commemoration of the bill’s 10-year-anniversary next week. The page also includes a fun word cloud that includes the responses from people who were asked to describe NCLB. (Education Week)

The case for equity. When talking about top education systems around the globe, Finland usually finds its way into the conversation – teachers come from selective, competitive university programs; students aren’t given standardized tests; and the country consistently ranks among the top performers on the PISA survey. So why doesn’t the United States adopt their ways? Because our nation isn’t looking at the problem correctly, says this columnist. (The Atlantic)

Flipping the classroom on its head. A Pittsburgh math teacher says he’s become more of a “coach” of individualized instruction since he began “flipping” his classes – posting lectures in video format online for his students to view at home and reserving class time for what was formerly considered “homework.” “Flipped” classrooms have been gaining more media attention in recent months; Education Sector’s Bill Tucker explains more about them here. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

She’ll never turn in anything late again. A Massachusetts 5-year-old received an unpleasant visit from police officers, who were sent to retrieve two overdue library books. The little girl reportedly burst into tears and thought she would be arrested. (h/t Joanne Jacobs) (CBS Boston)