by Carol A. Josel | Jan 14, 2013 | Articles
“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...
by Carol A. Josel | Jan 11, 2013 | Articles
372 districts applied, 61 were chosen as finalists, and now 16 have been named winners of the latest, open-to-districts Race to the Top competition (RTTT); each will receive between $5 million and $40 million. In this latest RTTT district competition, as little as one...
by Carol A. Josel | Jan 10, 2013 | Articles
Yes, Teacher Appreciation Week is months away–May 6 to the 10th, to be exact—but what better time than right now as the new year unfolds to thank and support our teachers? These under-appreciated folks show up every day to work with our kids and then grade their...
by Carol A. Josel | Jan 10, 2013 | Making Education News
Last year, nearly 50% of our schools failed to make Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act. Standardized testing regimens cost states $1.7 billion a year–or .25% of total K-12 spending. A recent Gates Foundation report of more than...
by Carol A. Josel | Jan 9, 2013 | Quotable Quotes
“Although many progressive educators decry what they call ‘drill and kill’ (kill students’ love of learning, that is), rapid mental retrieval of basic facts is a prerequisite for doing more complex and more interesting kinds of math. The only...
