It was quite a dry spell, wasn't it? Hopefully the holidays distracted you in your Gadfly-less state of depression. We're back and better than ever for 2009.
In the top spot, find Mike, Checker, and Rick's recommendations for an educated-related bailout. In short, there shouldn't be one. Why? Because it will simply encourage the bad habits to which education leaders are prone when it comes to spending big bucks. Next, read up on the curricular mush being advocated in the UK, the apparent death knell for cursive handwriting, and why 21st century skills are another "doomed pedagogical fad." Then, get the scoop on a new Aspen Institute report on Singapore, the 13th annual Quality Counts??with its special section on ELL students, and last month's NGA, Achieve, and CCSSO's Benchmarking for Success. Happy reading!