- Forget Pokemon, Hello Kitty, and Kung Fu. A new trend is coming out of Asia: In Hong Kong, “celebrity” tutors are emerging—regular folks who have branded themselves as teen icons (complete with the clothes, hair, and rockstar demeanor) to shore up large chunks of Hong Kong's $60 million tutoring market.
- A great article out of Baltimore makes a point applicable nationwide: Serious school-reform efforts are heading to the suburbs. In Maryland, for example, all districts are being asked to implement a new teacher-evaluation system linking educators to student achievement. The jury is still out on whether this is one-size-fits-all at its worst or a thoughtful approach to “systemic” reform.
- Don’t just call it “school choice” in D.C. anymore—with a growing number of parents looking to homeschool their young ones, “education choice” might be more fitting.
- Stefan Pryer, co-founder of New Haven’s Amistad Academy and deputy mayor in Newark, will be trading yellow Garden State plates for blue ones from the Constitution State: He was just named CT’s new education chief. ConnCAN, hopefully your job just got a bit easier.
- NAEP junkies, look alive: Earlier this week, Duncan announced five new appointees to the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), including Baltimore supe Andres Alonso. (Two current members have been reappointed, rounding out the seven-member team.)
- Aftershocks from Wisconsin's collective-bargaining fray are still being felt in the Badger State. Nearly 5,000 teachers have thus far retired in 2011, according to an Associated Press analysis—about double the number that retired in either 2010 or 2009.
- If Mickey Muldoon’s guest posts at Flypaper don't sate you, fret not. He's now got his own blog, www.reformreform.net.
