The “Continuous Narrowing” of ESEA
In September 2009, when reauthorization of ESEA seemed imminent, Secretary Duncan said, “Let us build a law that discourages a narrowing of curriculum and promotes a well-rounded education that draws...
View ArticleHakim on National Science Framework: Not Visionary, Not Exciting
“The average person’s body contains about 100 trillion cells, but only maybe one in 10 is human.” That sentence made the front page of the October 11th Washington Post. And, yes, most of your cells and...
View ArticleNAEP: Proof of Education Insanity
I challenge anyone to think of a nation that works as hard as we do to find silver linings in its educational failures. On Tuesday morning NAEP reported that, in the course of two years, our nation’s...
View ArticleDumping History in the Home of Washington and Jefferson
Earlier this week the Virginia Senate passed a bill that would end state history and science testing in 3rd grade. The reasons? You can guess—money. Dumping the tests would apparently save 920k in...
View ArticleCalifornia’s Governor Cuts Arts, Foreign Language—Now Science. What’s Next?
California Governor Jerry Brown is proposing to cut the state’s already minimal high school graduation requirement for science in half. Currently California students must complete two courses – one in...
View ArticleMathematician Finds P21’s New Math Skills Map “Does Nothing to Help Teachers”
Readers of this blog are familiar with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21), a collaborative of technology and education companies that aggressively advocates for reorienting K-12 education...
View Article*UPDATE* California Dumps Arts, Foreign Language—Now Science
Governor Jerry Brown is at it again. In a move that spells disaster for California’s students, Brown’s recently revised state budget retains a proposal he made in February that would reduce the...
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I Can’t Read My Watch! Algebra Is to Blame.
I visited a Swatch store last week. I was at a train station, heading home from a trip, looking for gifts for my children. I decided it was a good time to buy my two toddlers their first watches....
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Common Core Mathematics in New York
Earlier this month Common Core conducted its first professional development workshop in mathematics. Our math team traveled to Albany, New York where we engaged more than 300 educators in a discussion...
View ArticleLiterature Anyone? Sure—Just Look in the CCSS
In yesterday’s Washington Post CC board member and NCTE past president Carol Jago swiftly fell the unfounded claim that the CCSS will strip high school English classes of literature. Jago was a member...
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