The Education Gadfly Show

With Mike and Rick playing hooky, Andy and Stafford stage a coup of the podcast. They discuss Obama's solidarity speech to the NAACP, the end of privately-paid-for teacher aides in New York City, and a stimulus funding snafu that's left Arizona $250 million in the red. With Amber on vacation, we then skip to Mickey's Rate that Mascot and the reemergence of the summertime Gentleman's C.

This week, Mike and Rick discuss the ascent of Representative Kline to ranking minority leader on the House Committee on Education and Labor, Detroit Public Schools' dance with bankruptcy, and Duncan's emphasis on structural reforms. Amber breaks down a new study on old NAEP data that looks at black-white achievement gaps and Rate that Reform talks guns in schools.

Andy Smarick, filling in for beach-bound Mike, and Rick discuss Arne Duncan's speech to the NEA, Deval Patrick's latest plan to turn around Massachusetts schools, and emphasizing more math in preschool. Then Amber tells us about an AIR report that compares the achievement of Massachusetts and Hong Kong and Rate that Reform talks weddings--between teacher and student! Finally, we say goodbye to Christina "NPR-voice" Hentges, who moderates Pardon the Gadfly for the very last time.

In this week's very special 4th of July episode, Mike and Rick tackle a trio of recent education-related Supreme Court decisions, including ones on strip searching, special education and English language learners. Then, Amber dissects Rick's recent report on college graduation rates (but she doesn't go soft on him!). And Stafford isn't afraid to express how she really feels about people who speed past unloading school buses in Rate That Reform.

This week, the dynamic duo pledge a pact of eternal twin-nery (with bracelets!), while they discuss Philly's passing pressure, the new "Broader, Bolder" brief, and the demise of 400 Maryland Avenue's little red NCLB schoolhouses. Then, Amber gives CREDO's charter school achievement report a hard shake and Rate That Reform debates classroom video surveillance.

This week, Rick is back with Mike to discuss national testing, student tracking and the opening of a Hebrew-language charter school in Brooklyn. Amber is out of the studio on her research beat, so we move right to Stafford, who takes on segregated pep rallies on Rate That Reform.

This week, Mike and guest host Andy Smarick discuss test scores in New York state, New York City's "learn and earn" program and a 90-year-old woman who just received her high school diploma. Then, Amber tells us about the sham that is teacher evaluations and Stafford takes on high school valedictorians on Rate That Reform.

This week, Mike and Rick discuss the 46-state pledge for national standards, Andrew Coulson's proposal that DC pick up the tab for its dying voucher program, and the place of texting and cell phones in schools. Then, Amber tells us about a depressing new report on teacher self-sorting by student demographics and Stafford cuts the College Board some slack on Rate That Reform.