• “The Common Core Standards are much better than the state standards they replace because they focus on analysis, understanding, concepts, and skills more than specific content. A great deal of thought has gone into formulating them. They are championed by business leaders, politicians, foundations, and educators. If a majority of American youngsters were to graduate from school with the knowledge and skills embodied in these standards, they and the larger society would benefit enormously. But that would require a miracle.” ~ Ronald A. Wolk, founder and former editor of Education Week
  • “Starting next year, 20,000 public school kids in the U.S. will spend an extra hour and a half each day in school to boost achievement. There are several names for that. Some administrators call it a bad idea. Some students call it tiring. If I were forced to remain in school after hours, I would call it detention. It’s three years’ worth of detention because that’s how long the pilot program is supposed to last. Children don’t seem to mind staying behind after dismissal for team sports and other fun extracurricular activities such as band practice, chorus, and art club. But the idea of keeping them late for more of the same instruction? If it’s not working now, how will it be better if they’re tired? There are many grown-ups and kids alike who would call that punishment.” ~ Pauline Liu, Times Herald Record
  • “There is no single way to make sure that students have the proverbial right tool (information) at the right time. Some of this is teacher instinct; some of it is a matter of serendipity. But the juxtaposition between overwhelming information sources and the critical nature of information timing can cause some teachers to pare down data sources for the students or to improve the quality of research results by adding their own sources. ‘These three websites, these two books, these four essays.’ Reducing ‘information noise’ for students is near the top of the list of responsibilities for the 21st century teacher. But teaching students to do this for themselves–so that they have a far greater likelihood of finding the right information at the right time–just might be responsibility number one.” ~ Terry Heick, author