April Fools' Day is just around the corner, but don’t let it distract you from Fordham’s serious takes on education this week. Here’s a brief rundown of what our bloggers were saying:
- “Families and schools in Wisconsin should demand integrity and accuracy from the supposedly professional head of their education department,” argued Adam Emerson on Choice Words, criticizing the spin from the chief of the Department of Public Instruction on school vouchers.
- “The appropriate reaction of Common Core supporters to the news that nearly three-fourths of teachers claim to be at least somewhat prepared to teach the new standards should be fear,” warned Kathleen Porter-Magee on Common Core Watch. “Because these results suggest that far too many teachers plan to make few, if any, changes to their instructional and curricular programs.”
- “Should local boards continue to control student access to instruction on the Internet?” Asked the Hoover Institution’s John E. Chubb on Board’s Eye View. “Or should the state exert its authority and govern Internet access itself?”
- “Maybe, just maybe, real school reform in Ohio can move forward in a bipartisan way,” observed Terry Ryan in reference to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s education proposal. “That would be a good thing for not only Cleveland but Ohio.”
- “Alfie Kohn isn’t evil, as some social conservatives have implied,” wrote Mike Petrilli on Flypaper. “He’s right that what passes for education in too many of our schools should be the cause of outrage and fundamental change. But he’s wrong that resisting “reform” is a clear path to a better future for our children."
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