#16for16: A Policy Agenda for the Next President (Whoever That Is)
This election season has been long on drama and vitriol and woefully short on substantive policy ideas. And K-12 education might win the “Most Ignored Major Policy Issue” superlative in the yearbook of...
View ArticleNew Juvenile Justice Law Does a Lot for Students, But Not Enough
JJDPA is the Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Act. After sitting for more than a decade without authorization, it passed the House last week and now moves on to the Senate. Originating in...
View ArticleDonald Trump, Public Education, and the Rise of the (New) New Federalists
Many of you might have woken up on November 9 (and perhaps each day thereafter) thinking to yourself “but Donald Trump can’t actually do that, can he?” As far as education goes, the answer is mostly...
View ArticleElection Reflections
Plenty is being said about what the presidential election means and what it says about America’s values. At Bellwether, we deeply value inclusion, equity, and tolerance alongside other democratic...
View ArticleAn Expanded Federal Role in School Choice? No Thanks.
In yet another illustration of his selective embrace of conservative precepts, President-Elect Trump has proposed an expanded federal role in school choice. His nomination of Betsy DeVos for Secretary...
View ArticleState ESSA Plans Are in the Eye of the (Viewpoint) Holder
There has been a lot of discussion of state ESSA plans since the remaining 34 states submitted their plans earlier this fall, with various efforts assessing state plans against a set of common metrics....
View ArticleAre You a Presidential Candidate With a Child Care Proposal? Pay Attention.
As candidates put forward their visions for 2020, potential Democratic frontrunner Elizabeth Warren has chosen to make childcare a centerpiece of her campaign to rebuild the middle class. Warren’s...
View ArticleWhy Is There a Disconnect Between Research and Practice and What Can Be Done...
What characteristics of teacher candidates predict whether they’ll do well in the classroom? Do elementary school students benefit from accelerated math coursework? What does educational research tell...
View ArticleWhy Some Educators Are Skeptical of Engaging in Rigorous Research — And What...
In my previous post, I talked about the importance of rigorous research and the need for researchers to engage directly with education stakeholders. Yet some educators remain skeptical about the value...
View Article3 Things Head Start Programs Can Do Right Now to Improve Their Practice
Research tells us that, overall, Head Start has positive effects on children’s health, education, and economic outcomes. But there is wide variability in quality from program to program — and, as a...
View Article5 Ways the US Department of Education Can Clean Up the NCLB Waiver Mess
In the coming days, Secretary Duncan is expected to release guidelines for states seeking to renew their NCLB waivers. To date, waivers have offered states temporary relief from NCLB, in exchange for...
View ArticleNCLB Reauthorization Lies Through the Center, But Can It Hold?
Like clockwork, every two years, Congress decides it’s time to debate a reauthorization of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). And the alarm is set to go off again, with NCLB at the top of the legislative...
View ArticleIn Defense of Standardized Testing
According to a Gallup poll last fall, one in eight teachers thinks that the worst thing about the Common Core is testing. On the surface, that’s hardly newsworthy. We know states are changing their...
View ArticleOptimistic Predictions Notwithstanding, Common Core Faces Brutal 2015
Lots of edu-commentators have lots of edu-predictions for 2015. I’ve tried my hand at the forecasting business (relentlessly in some cases), so far be it from me to nitpick all this crystal-balling....
View ArticleLet’s Talk about Tests: Four Questions to Ask
If you follow education news, politics, and social media, it’s clear that testing is having a moment. I was surprised it wasn’t listed alongside Taylor Swift as a nominee for Time magazine’s 2014...
View ArticleD.C. is Missing the Mark on Rural Ed
Rural education issues aren’t a priority in D.C. – and even when they are, policymakers have trouble understanding what those issues are. That’s not just a hunch – now there are data, too. In a new...
View ArticleThe “Soft Bigotry of ‘It’s Optional’”–and What it Reveals about ESEA...
No matter the final outcome, one things is for certain: the new Congress has energized the debate over ESEA reauthorization. In the span of a weekend, numerous organizations articulated key principles...
View ArticleWhy Patty Murray is the Key to an ESEA Deal
Yesterday, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) released his hotly awaited discussion draft for a reauthorization of ESEA: the Every Child Ready for College or Career Act of 2015. But given that the 114th...
View ArticleAlexander’s ESEA Draft: A Plan Isn’t a Good Plan
We already know just how little has changed in Senator Alexander’s new ESEA reauthorization proposal since his last stab at rewriting the federal law in 2013. But it’s worth elaborating on just how far...
View ArticleGrade-Span Accountability Is A Bad Idea: Just Ask CAP and the AFT
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Center for American Progress (CAP) have released a joint set of principles for ESEA reauthorization. They call for preserving statewide annual testing...
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