Education Commissioner Steve Bowen at public forum in Camden

Commissioner Bowen explains how local Maine schools are doing away with traditional grade levels.

Brown needs to pull California out of Race to the Top

This explains the costs of adopting the Common Core State Standards, etc.

How are our high schools doing?

This is a follow up to the Timesrecord article on AYP. In just 5 years, Brunswick and Morse have widened the proficiency gap by 20+% across every subject. How can we close this gap?

Missouri parent tells of "insanity" in reform classroom

The Pros and Cons of Teacher Performance Pay Part 2

Mr. LePage goes to Washington (and discusses education)

Excerpt:

On education, LePage said he was encouraged by his meeting with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, but remained wary of the revived No Child Left Behind, the education reform law passed by the Bush administration.

"They did say they are going to work very hard at raising the standard of education and that was welcome news because that's what we feel, that in Maine, the education has been dumbed down quite a bit," LePage said. There's some talk about bringing back No Child Left Behind, a new version and that scared me. Because in Maine, I haven't heard any educator tell me that No Child Left Behind was good for a rural state. I think it's more of a large, metro, inner-city type program."

What performance pay for teachers can't accomplish

Ravitch answers Gates

Duncan: Stop Paying Teachers Like 'Interchangeable Widgets'

"THE NEW NORMAL: DOING MORE WITH LESS" Remarks of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan 11.17.10

Goodbye Grade Levels

Read the comments on this one. George & Nancy do a good job explaining some of the challenges of standards-based grading.

Coffee, designers, and U.S. education reform

Teachers are being scapegoated even as their autonomy is further stripped away. Those who have the most contact with children - parents, teachers, and principals - are largely pushed out of the conversation....

Your Child Left Behind

Dec 2010 - Atlantic Magazine

Massachusetts used to "lag behind" states like Maine & Connecticut. Now they just "lag behind" other countries.

Today, Maine's largest demographic ranks approximately 38th in 4th/8th grade math....Massachusetts ranks #1 (regardless of demographic).

Why Lou Gerstner Is Wrong

Lou Gerstner is influencing education policy. He's on record as saying that he'd like to abolish local school boards and all local school districts. Is it really necessary to eliminate the nations local school boards? While some of his ideas might work, this one is concerning....