Warning: Trying to access array offset on true in /home/shermand/www/www/wp-content/themes/hybrid/library/functions/styles.php on line 77

Belated thoughts on New York’s teacher evaluation agreements

Loads of writing has passed since last week’s agreement in New York on teacher evaluations. See the following for a very brief sample: The extent to which local bargaining would still determine evaluation specifics. Andrew Cuomo’s defense of 40% from test scores in comparison with other states. Carol Corbett Burris’s argument for why the formula […]

Data to explore implementation of federal graduation rate definition

Florida has released some data on high school graduation rates, using the new federal definition that requires high schools to be responsible for dropouts who immediately enroll in GED programs (previously, those dropouts were deleted from the state’s official longitudinal rate which had been following 9th graders through graduation or attrition). This data provide an […]

Are the large predators hanging around Florida charter schools reptiles or humans?

Over the past few months, reporter for weekly Broward/Palm Beach New Times Lisa Rab has been uncovering all sorts of unsavory details about charter schools run by Mavericks in Education, starting with a long feature at the end of December asking how Mavericks was profiting from poor children in South Florida and how Joe Biden’s […]

Education politics in Florida

A recent Tampa Bay Times ((That new name still feels so wrong.)) wonderful story on the politics of education in Florida somehow squeezed into a few column inches the various topics required: legislative arrogance, regional parochialism, the public interest in higher education, the jobs connections of legislators in higher ed, and the occasional twinges of regret (such […]

The politics of jerry-built accountability systems

Late last month, Matthew DiCarlo pointed out several irrationalities in Florida’s accountability scheme for schools. In response, earlier this week Matthew Ladner argued that Florida’s system pushed schools to educate poor children much better. Ladner essentially presents a “proof of the pudding is in the tasting” argument. Just a few observations before the next college […]