Education in Denver
On the closing night of the convention last night, Senator Obama gave an inspired speech filled with specific policy proposals, something his critics, and even his supporters, had been looking for. As Keith Olbermann said on MSNBC over and over, he offered 29 specific policy proposals. Here are six related to education: 1. “invest in [...]
Steve Barnett’s Rebuttal to Reason’s Reasoning
The anti pre-k arguments Lisa Snell and Shikha Dalmia of the Reason foundation made in the Journal last Friday were based on a paper they published two years earlier. When the first paper came out Steve Barnett of the National Institute of Early Education Research at Rutgers rebutted both that paper and also one by [...]
Testing K-2 Children
The New York Times’ Elissa Gootman reports today on an unannounced initiative in NYC schools to assess children academically starting as early as kindergarten. Schools are not required to participate but the district is encouraging them to do so. Those who sign on can choose among five assessment options, including one in which children are [...]
Reason Reasoning
I missed last Friday’s Wall Street Journal op-ed piece by two policy analysts for the libertarian Reason Foundation that was headlined “Protect Our Kids from Preschool.” But it’s getting all sorts of attention in the blogosphere. (Sara Mead at Early Ed Watch hasn’t weighed in yet. Like the rest of the world, she must be [...]
Core Knowledge Gains Ground in a Balanced Literacy Stronghold
The New York Times reports that 10 NYC schools (Education Week says 11) will be trying the new literacy program developed by Core Knowledge Foundation, which was established by E.D. Hirsch Jr., the well-known proponent of the power of broad knowledge to facilitate learning. The early literacy program, which includes skills as well as information-rich [...]
Resistance to Pre-K From….School Districts
Winnie Hu’s story in the New York Times over the weekend highlighted a barrier to universal pre-kindergarten that’s not often discussed: reluctance of local school districts to participate. The front-page story reported that a third of the states nearly 700 school districts do not have programs and that only 38% of the state’s 4-year-olds are [...]
Presidential Politics and the Incomplete Education Agenda
(With convention approaching editorial writers want to hear more specifics on education) As the presidential nominating conventions approach, editorial writers and others are taking note and wondering why education is remaining so far in the background. Today’s Washington Post gave credit to Democrat Barack Obama for paying a bit more attention to the topic, including [...]
Efforts to Draw Pols Attention To Pre-K Gaining Steam
The pressure is on to draw attention to pre-kindergarten issues at upcoming conventions Looks like early childhood education — something advocates fear has not been on the radar for presidential candidates — may get some attention at the upcoming conventions after all. Congressional Quarterly is hosting an event on the topic at the Democratic convention [...]
In England, One U.S. Pre-Schooler Left Behind
(They may like the same snacks at U.S. children, but British kindergartens may be more prepared academically, reporter finds) Associated Press education reporter Nancy Zuckerbrod had to ask herself a very important question this month as she prepared to move her kindergarten age daughter to London, one that has implications for the way U.S. pre-schoolers [...]
Population Shifts Have Huge Implications for Pre-School Set
The Washington Post picked up on an important trend that journalists covering pre-kindergarten issues ought to be aware of and to follow closely. The growing Hispanic population will continue to change the nature of and makeup of schools.In three suburban counties outside of Washington D.C. the number of children ages 4 and younger who are [...]
