The Education Gadfly Show

Mike and Stafford tackle the edu-bailout — should the Administration’s pet projects be spared a haircut when everyone else has gotten clipped? — and cyber bullies. Amber gives us the final report on D.C.'s voucher program and Janie wants just one valedictorian.

Join us as we bid farewell to New Jersey's new Deputy Commissioner of Education, Andy Smarick. First, he and Mike discuss how to educate the severely disabled, then Andy gives us his final thoughts on Race to the Top, School Improvement Grants, and turnarounds. Amber's Minute is spent dissecting Diploma Counts 2010 and Rate that Reform gives law schools' grade inflation policies an F.

You won't want to miss this week's debate between Mike and Stafford about teachers cheating, corporate sponsorship in schools, and praise-worthy union leaders. Then Amber explains positive news about ProComp, while Janie sends BP a bill for lost tax-based school dollars.

This week, Stafford and Mike contemplate the impact of public school cuts on private school enrollments, paying students to attend Saturday tutoring, and the merits of celebrity high school graduation speakers. Then Amber tells us about a new evaluation of the Chicago performance-pay system, and Janie bans cell phones.

This week, Mike and Rick discuss whether we're getting $4 billion worth of education reform out of Race to the Top, the next big steps for the final Common Core Standards, and whether it's in the public's financial interest to reintegrate special education students into classrooms. Then Amber tells us about research on students' motivation for taking AP classes and Janie mourns the end of a unique college essay test at Oxford University.

Did you watch the “Lost” series finale? Don’t worry, Rick’s here to explain, before debating Mike on for-profit organizations, Representative Chu’s new “turnaround” plan, and the timeline snafu with RTT apps and the Common Core standards release date. Then Amber unpacks the new charter funding inequality study from Ball State and Janie takes Rate that Reform to Six Flags (by mistake!).

Andy and Mike discuss the resolution of Central Falls’ saga, if too many students are going to college, and whether it’s more likely that the Tooth Fairy will eat dinner at Mike’s house or Arne Duncan will return unused Race to the Top dollars to the Treasury. Then Amber tell us about new research that asks whether effective teachers are so in part because of a good fit with their school culture, and Janie fondly recalls a memorable high school science lesson.

This week, Mike and Stafford discuss education reform's newfound Wall Street heft, what to do about expensive teachers, and whether we really want China supplying our Chinese teachers. Then Amber gives us more evidence that nothing works (in gold-standard studies, at least) and Janie won't let Rate that Reform take a kiddie sabbatical—a.k.a., temporary homeschooling.

Fresh off the plane from AERA, Rick takes on Mike over The New York Times front page charter story, the new philanthropic overtures to the Department of Education, and the Arizona immigration law's implications for schools. Then Amber tells us about math teachers around the world and Rate that Reform hates on T.I.

Don't miss this week's edition, wherein Rick and Mike discuss Fordham's new charter autonomy study, Duncan's "stakeholder buy-in" mess, and the pending downfall of "last hired, first fired." Then Amber reports on twins and teacher effectiveness, and Stafford tells Big Brother to sign up for P.E.

This week, Mike and Andy discuss Charlie Crist's veto, Linda Darling-Hammond's charter school, and Race to the Test's quickly narrowing field. Then Amber tells us about a new PEPG study on teacher compensation, and Stafford eats a cold cheese sandwich—and loves it!

This week, Mike and Rick take bets on whether Crist will sign the pending Florida teacher evaluation legislation, debate the merits of the newly proposed D.C. teacher contract, and decide holding prom on a weeknight was the death of fun. Then Amber confirms that teacher turnover might not have the negative effects on student achievement we assume, and Rate that Reform de-friends you.

Rick skips town to attend the NCAA finals in Indianapolis. (It's ok to be jealous.) So this week bitter two-point rivals Mike and Andy discuss the RTTT winners, Minnesota's changes for charter authorizers, whether virtual schools are the next silver bullet, and whose forthcoming book will make the New York Times bestseller list. Then Research Intern Daniela sits in for Amber "I'm on jury duty" Winkler on the Research Minute; she reports on a new study from Northwestern that finds NCLB does affect achievement—when tied to high standards and rigorous accountability. And finally Rate that Reform throws a Tea Party for the elderly.

This week, it's all Rick all the time in his new Rick-only segment, "Bent Sideways with Rick Hess." Hear him read aloud the last ten 1500-word "Straight Up" blog posts, which feature the word "I" a mere ninety-three times, in under twenty minutes.

This week, Andy and Mike take on the draft K-12 Common Core standards, lament the school-based fight against childhood obesity, and wonder how many FOIA requests is too many. Then Amber tells us about the new Brown Center report's findings on school turnarounds and Rate that Reform, guest-featuring Research Assistant Janie, wants to send adolescent boys to Siberia.