March 2011 Issue
Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers and Principals
With Harry Wong and Rosemary Wong
As schools struggle to raise student achievement while walking a budget tightrope, Dr. Harry Wong and his wife, Rosemary, join us and remind school leaders that teacher effectiveness is the single most important variable in determining student achievement. A district does not need Race to the Top funds to develop effective teachers and principals, either, the Wongs insist in this interview. Continue
Pathways to Prosperity: College Isn’t For Everyone
William Symonds, director of the Pathways to Prosperity program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, discusses a new report which contends that the U.S. places way too much emphasis on a single pathway to success for high school students: attending and graduating from a four-year college. Continue
March 2011 Article Summaries
Article summaries this month include "The Middle School Mess," from Education Next, which provides a critical look at middle schools, and “How to Manage Principals," from the American School Board Journal. Continue
Schools Boards in America: A Flawed Exercise in Democracy
Gene Maeroff, a senior fellow at Teachers College, Columbia University, provides the unique perspectives of both a scholar and a school board president, in his new book, which takes an inside look at the uniquely American institution: the school board. Continue
Using RTI To Improve Achievement For English Language Learners
Dr. Libia Gil, Senior Fellow and managing director of ELL programs for American Institutes for Research, discusses a new program that has achieved very positive results using Response to Intervention for English Language Learners in California. Continue
March 2011 Discussion Points
In our March 2011 Discussion Points, we look at three recent reports of interest: a look at community organizing, what states with effective professional development programs do well, and the shifting priorities of school boards around the country. Continue