Will this be a \u201cBe careful what you wish for\u201d moment?<\/p>\n
Education employees, for good reason, disliked the George W. Bush administration\u2019s \u201cNo Child Left Behind.\u2019 \u00a0 It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
And did I mention the underfunding?<\/p>\n
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. \u00a0 The \u201cblueprint\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
Things that make you stroke your chin and go \u201chmmmm\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n 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\u2019s coming \u2013 the idea is to suggest \u201cYou need this product\/policy to address that need or problem.\u201d<\/p>\n So, let’s see what\u2019s been in the news lately”<\/p>\n Well, there was the March 6 Newsweek <\/em>which included the cover story: <\/em>Why We Must Fire Bad Teachers<\/a>.\u00a0 The same issue also included Blackboard Jungle – Freshly minted teachers have passed every test but one: how to control their classrooms<\/a>.<\/p>\n Like we said, stay tuned.<\/p>\n How you like me now?<\/strong><\/p>\n Finally, if you like excitement in your retro soul\/pop, we predict you will like this<\/a>.\u00a0 Suggestion: Turn it up to 11.<\/p>\n