People in Washington rarely like to admit they’ve been surprised. “I heard that last week,” they will often say when some bombshell hits the newspaper.

Denizens of think tanks also don’t like surprises. After all, their job is to stay in close touch with what’s happening and what’s on the horizon.

Still, there were some surprises for our WashingContinue Reading »

Where ed chiefs aren’t elected, but appointed. Indiana’s outgoing ed chief Tony Bennett, who was defeated during the November elections, is seeking the top education spot in Florida. (Indianapolis Star)

Try before you pilot. The college scorecard, a proposed online tool meant to help students make smarter decisions about college, needs the input of actual users, not policymakers, argues Continue Reading »

Election night is over and most pundits agree that federal educational policy is unlikely to change dramatically in the next four years. In Washington, DC, this week at the Excellence in Action National Summit, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan promised to “stay the course,” emphasizing early childhood education, holding teachers to higher standards, recruiting more qualified teachers, improviContinue Reading »