Kibitzing mayoral control
I hope that my friends in New York will forgive this intrusion, but after Randi Weingarten’s op-ed this morning, which I suspect will break the legislative logjam on mayoral control in NYC, I have a few perspectives for denizens of New York or any other entity considering mayoral control: Any governance system requires an independent […]
GAO report on child restraint, abuse, and death
Anyone who has children or has worked in schools should be sobered by this week’s GAO report on the use of restraint tactics with children with behavior problems, especially children receiving special education services. There are summaries of the report in articles appearing in USA Today and the Palm Beach Post, and Charles Barone is […]
A blogger to USDOE?
Peter Orszag is being joined by Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, the newly-announced assistant secretary of education nominee, who has maintained a blog while running the Pomona school district.
Worst-governed state?
A few thoughts on the budget catastrophe that California is facing: Before voters imposed a supermajority requirement for crafting a budget several years ago, California’s political system was broken. Voters approved Prop. 98 to guarantee a slice of general revenues going to K-12 and community colleges for a reason, even if the rigidity was not […]
A day in the life of a summer course
Third class of the summer session this morning, first one where students were supposed to have finished readings. This is an undergraduate social-foundations class, and the readings for this week include Gary Becker on human capital, Sam Bowles on social reproduction, and either the start of Paul Tough’s Whatever It Takes or Joe Williams’s Cheating […]