** “People are beginning to see that the emperors of reform have no clothes. And, as recent polling shows, parents are seeing this, too. Decades of top-down edicts, mass school closures, privatization, and test fixation with sanctions instead of support haven’t moved the needle–not in the right direction, at least.” ~ Stephen Sawchuk, assistant editor, Education Week
** “The effects of poverty permeate all aspects of a child’s life, from health to development to, of course, academic achievement. Students who live in poverty are four times more likely to drop out of school, and they are at a much higher risk of developing behavioral and emotional problems, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Education has been cited as the means to lift oneself out of poverty, but in the rhetoric of education reform, poverty has been left out of the picture. Without addressing poverty as a root issue in student struggles, poor children are left behind in an aggressive whirlwind of impoverishment and barriers of academic challenge. For the future of our kids, it’s time to break the cycle.” ~ Isabelle Sun, blogger
** “While the conventional wisdom is that teacher-preparation programs have failed to improve, the real truth is quite different. Although differences in quality certainly exist, a number of forces have driven significant upgrades over the last decade. Most important is the work of national accreditation institutions that moved from assessing inputs to demanding evidence of outcomes.” ~ Jack Gillette, Lesley University
** “Teachers deserve better support and better training than teachers colleges provide.” Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education