Higher Ed and Common Core: The Greater Academic Alignment
In response to New America’s recent policy paper, Common Core Goes to College: Building Better Connections Between High School and Higher Education, Jacqueline King, director of higher education collaboration for the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, reflects on the engagement between higher education and K-12 to develop a “greater academic alignment.” “I see more reasons for […]
Read More →Talking to Parents Begins with Listening to Parents
By Paige Kowalski, Director, State Policy and Advocacy, Data Quality Campaign
In the current education space, there are suddenly numerous groups and spokespeople to “get the parent voice” out there in the debate. We have parent groups that want to see Common Core State Standards replaced, or student privacy better protected, or better teacher quality policies enacted. Parent voices are critical to listen to because they are voicing real concerns about their children education. But, as a parent myself, I wonder if it is truly possible for a single group’s voice to represent a body of such diverse individuals. After all, the only real thing that parents have in common is the single decision to become a parent in the first place. It is possible that the only parent voice that might be heard is simply the loudest and not the most representative of views. How can we better understand what parents really want? How can we make sure that we are using our communications opportunities to provide real, accurate, and clear information to parents about current education policies and practices?
Read More →The Core Truths of Mathematics Education
Get involved in the dialogue for mathematics learning of all students! Diane J. Briars, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, urges us all – especially parents and teachers – to “distinguish the Common Core State Standards Math facts from the fallacies” in her message, Core Truths.
Read More →Improving the Quality of Teachers and Principals
By The Hunt Team
“This is an excerpt from the overview of a five-part re:VISION special series on improving the effectiveness of the nation’s teachers and leaders. The Hunt Institute’s re:VISION focuses on critical issues in education policy – highlighting key research for policymakers and prompting discussion of solutions within states and across the nation. The ‘teacher effectiveness series’ is intended to provide state-level policymakers with a digest of existing research and current state efforts around teacher preparation, evaluation, compensation, and school leadership. Each of the briefs in this series will provide a deeper exploration of the challenges states are facing in the area of educator effectiveness reform and offer considerations for policymakers.”
A talented, well-trained, and committed workforce is the life-blood of any enterprise. Ask any successful business or military leader. The most successful companies spend considerable time, energy, and resources to identify, recruit, and hire the best and brightest; then they work at keeping them through optimal working conditions, incentives, and pay.
The military invests mightily in developing and honing the skills of its members; it pays for additional education and it invests in talent. The security of our country depends on it.
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