Morning Shots

Michelle Rhee’s new book has us thinking about the term “radical.” (Especially after learning the book was originally titled “DARE TO DREAM: My Fight for Better Schools and a Brighter Future” )

Kudos to Michelle for her bold work in DC and in her thought leadership around the country. We need her voice and her muscle behind many efforts. But what is radical? Is it radical to have some level of performance pay in once city, or in many cities? Is it radical to have school choice for 2,000 or 20,000?

Bill Gates was in my spam. He shouldn’t have been. His letter is powerful, his message is powerful, and unlike way too many funders, he actually knows that we are all in this for the long haul!

The Gates Foundation was forward thinking enough to fund the Center’s bold media outreach work, and the Media Bullpen to help improve the discourse in the media and the grassroots, particularly in our target states of FL, GA, NC, TN and PA. Detractors think the Gates Fdn is part of some conspiracy to undo public education. Actually, they funded what we wanted to do, and they had nothing to do with creating it! Gates is putting his money where his mouth is — and the operative word here is “his”. America allows us to prosper, paves the way for many, and gives those that succeed incentives to spread their wealth. What a great innovation.

Read his letter here, join the conversation at #billsletter and think about measurement the next time you want to launch a career in ed reform!

by Jeanne Allen

January 28, 2013

Who knew Edith Wharton might lose her place in history because of the Common Core? In yet another article about how state standards are being negatively affected by the new wave of national standards, this pioneering piece from the Pioneer Institute makes clear that there’s more at stake than meets the eye.

Seems that there’s no shortage of issues with content and approach bubbling to the surface in the multi-million effort, so much so that the Foundation For Educational Excellence, Jeb Bush’s group, has taken to debunking what they are calling Common Core myths on a regular basis. Myth or reality, the point is that things are going missing. Perhaps we need to dig deeper before going all in.