Looking for a Friday afternoon read? We're here to please. This week's Gadfly features an editorial by Fordham Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Andy Smarick. When and which personal experiences matter, he asks, when it comes to elected officials? The Obama Administration has made much of Sotomayor's, but will she rely on them, specifically her many years at Cardinal Spellman (Catholic) High School in the Bronx, when faced with voucher- and faith-based-schools-related decisions on the bench? Find out why she should here. Next up is a semestral of Recommended Readings on everything from the possible inflation of NYC's math scores and the burgeoning number of portfolio-tested students in VA to the good ideas of Tony Bennett (no, not THAT Tony Bennett, state supt. of Indiana--though he's no less dashing!) and the NY Post's over-active analytical trigger finger on NYC's student-pay plan. You'll also find a trifecta of Short Reviews. Learn more about Carnegie's latest report on math and science, EdWeek's Diploma Counts 2009, and the rotten side of Bloomberg and Klein's Big Apple. Finally, don't miss the podcast, featuring guest co-host Andy Smarick (he's everywhere this week!), where we learn that Mike simply hates old people. ("What?!" you say... well, you'll have to go listen to find out more...)
Don't forget: We're still on the hunt for a new Research Assistant. Find out more and apply here.
Image from Flickr user dhammza.