Will this be a “Be careful what you wish for” moment?
Education employees, for good reason, disliked the George W. Bush administration’s “No Child Left Behind.’ It’s a long list as to why: Too much emphasis on standardized testing, it unrealistically expected all students to be able to learn at the same pace, it was punitive, etc.
And did I mention the underfunding?
Well, NCLB will, fairly soon, be a thing of the past, replaced by a new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), pushed by President Obama and Education Secretary Duncan. The “blueprint” for the new ESEA will be delivered to Congress on Monday and some of the details are expected to become available over the weekend. Stay tuned.
Things that make you stroke your chin and go “hmmmm”
Having spent some time in corporate PR, we are aware that, sometimes, when a big event with potential for controversy (an important new product, a major policy shift) is about to be introduced, the announcement is preceded by news stories that attempt to set the stage for the product/argument that’s coming – the idea is to suggest “You need this product/policy to address that need or problem.”
So, let’s see what’s been in the news lately”
Well, there was the March 6 Newsweek which included the cover story: Why We Must Fire Bad Teachers. The same issue also included Blackboard Jungle – Freshly minted teachers have passed every test but one: how to control their classrooms.
Like we said, stay tuned.
How you like me now?
Finally, if you like excitement in your retro soul/pop, we predict you will like this. Suggestion: Turn it up to 11.
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