My Blog

Category: Education

  • How America Will Fail

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ-4gnNz0vc?rel=0]

  • Tale of Two Missions

    Absolutely amazing piece of work about Chicago’s failing schools. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmnFQkD0Eg0] I have considerable new found respect for Mr. Williams after seeing this.  I always thought we was railroaded out of NPR unfairly.  But I also thought he was a little light intellectually.  Whatever his faults (and we all have faults) it’s clear he cares…

  • Chicago Teachers’ Union Closer to Strike

    Both sides have agreed to the appointment of a fact-finding panel that has 75 days to issue a report recommending terms for settlement of the labor contract. Once that report is issued in the middle of July, the parties have 15 days to accept or reject the panel’s recommendation. If its rejected, the fact-finding panel…

  • ‘Why Didn’t White Folks Keep Them for Themselves?’

    The Chicago Teachers Union, and school employee unions in general, are pulling out all the stops to slow down a school choice and education reform movement that is bowling them over in numerous states and cities. Bold reform efforts are being pushed by the likes of Republicans like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and New Jersey…

  • Fostering Creativity in Education

    CNN has a few articles about improving education: Blue School is on The Next List because it’s an institution championing creativity and curiosity by bringing together the best minds to encourage educational reform. In the process it’s celebrating the famous adage “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Blue School’s founders, Matt…

  • Chicago Teachers Union Wants to Strike

    The Chicago Teachers Union says internal polling shows there is support for a strike if contract talks with Chicago Public Schools break down. A new state law requires the union to get approval from 75 percent of its members before a strike, leading many to question if the union could muster support for a walkout.…

  • How to Make More ‘Makers’

    Joey Hudy, a young “maker” from Phoenix went to the White House this week to show off his project, the “Extreme Marshmallow Cannon.” When President Obama saw it, he told Joey: “Let’s try it.” Joey set up the air cannon, which uses a bicycle pump to build up air pressure, and put a marshmallow down…

  • Illinois Teachers’ Pension Troubles

    It’s important to note that this fund do NOT include CPS teachers. Illinois public school teachers and retirees could have reason to worry about the kinds of pension checks they will be getting down the line.  … The Springfield State-Journal register reported over the weekend that pension director Dick Ingram sent a memo to his…

  • WI Billboard: Truth to Power on Teachers’ Unions

    This is an idea I’ve discussed with CTU reps at a meeting one time.  CTU cannot represent “the children.”  The truth is that CTU, WEAC, and all other teacher’s unions have a fiduciary duty to the union members.  The union cannot do anything which would advance the interests of non-members (i.e. children) to the detriment of the…

  • CPS Teacher’s Union Fights Everything

    Having absolutely no logic to defend their position: With a 90-day deadline on negotiations with the teachers union having passed, Chicago Public Schools can implement a teacher evaluation system that will see student performance count for 25 percent of an elementary school teacher’s assessment, a figure that will rise to 40 percent in five years.…