How many teachers should be rated “unsatisfactory”? Matt DiCarlo looks at “the ineffective rating fetish” and how it could hurt efforts to implement new teacher evaluation systems. (Shanker Blog)

Long-term benefits of preschool. A study of New Jersey’s universal pre-K programs shows learning gains through fifth grade, debunking some beliefs that preschool gains aren’t maintaiContinue Reading »

Last week Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell called for a two percent raise for Virginia teachers in exchange for lengthening the probation period for tenure from three years to five, adding incompetence (defined as receiving “one or more unsatisfactory performance evaluations”) as cause for termination, and streamlining the grievance process. McDonnell put forward a similar proposal a year ago thContinue Reading »

That other election. Four states (Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota) will select new education chiefs next month. (Education Week)

If you want another opinion. Here’s a collection of edu-experts’ thoughts on the presidential candidates’ education plans. (Los Angeles Times)

Looking ahead to ‘13. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will push for higher teacher salaries and a yearlContinue Reading »

The future of ed tech. Nearly 65 percent of today’s students will end up at jobs that haven’t been invented yet, according to this infographic. (TFE Research)

Teacher pay. Bryan Hassel and Emily Ayscue Hassel show there are ways to pay teachers more within current school system budgets—and without increasing class size. The Hassels also contributed to Education Sector’s recent compilatioContinue Reading »

Two reports released yesterday look at very different educational issues. The Center for American Progress released a study showing that schools aren’t challenging students. Education Sector released a comprehensive survey of teachers on issues like union membership and working conditions.

But if you read the two reports side by side, the solution to the problems laid out in the first reContinue Reading »

His reasoning is even better. A New Hampshire lawmaker claims he found the culprit of high crime rates in his local community: kindergarten. (Yahoo News)

Cashing in on a historic home run. A Connecticut mother is auctioning off a baseball hit by Lou Gehrig during the 1928 World Series in order to pay off her son’s student loans. (Los Angeles Times)

Priceless. What is a good teacheContinue Reading »

Most educators are currently paid based on their experience and credentials – work more years, get more money. But some districts, like Harrison School District 2 in Colorado Springs, Colo., are considering differentiated pay systems that reward teachers who take on tough assignments, like working in inner-city, low-income schools, or whose students show big academic gains. Are teachers on boarContinue Reading »

Decency counts too. Joanne Jacobs uses a tale of a superintendent-teacher interaction gone awry to illustrate why being right isn’t always enough. (JoanneJacobs.com)

Extra luck. This New York City school gives additional “chances” to needy children in its admissions lottery. (SchoolBook/New York Times)

Next up: cows for cash (literally). Educators in central Asia are receiving theContinue Reading »

ADHD Can Get You Into Harvard. Imagine faking Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder in order to get more time on tests, including the SAT, and reportedly better chances at top schools. (The Daily Beast)

Rural America. Four rural school teachers talk about the challenges they face in their classrooms, from a lack of technology to high turnover rates. (h/t Education Week) (Homeroom)

Credit: National Education Association

A year and a half ago, Dennis Van Roekel, president of the 3.2-million-member National Education Association, asked an independent panel of highly accomplished teachers to create a bold, new vision for their profession and then recommend what the NEA should do to make that vision a reality.

Van Roekel got just what aContinue Reading »