Westerly Tea Party

by Justin Katz
Anchor Rising

In a recent article, John Kostrzewa describes a study (partially funded by RI’s Poverty Institute) by Jeffrey Thompson, Assistant Research Professor at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. As it happens, circumstances lately have put me in a position to agree with some of the professor’s conclusions, particularly [...]

Who’s teaching L.A.’s kids?
Los Angeles Times

A Times analysis, using data largely ignored by LAUSD, looks at which educators help students learn, and which hold them back.

The fifth-graders at Broadous Elementary School come from the same world — the poorest corner of the San Fernando Valley, a Pacoima neighborhood framed by two freeways where some have [...]

Education Secretary Deborah Gist welcomed news yesterday that Rhode Island was one of 19 finalists for federal Race to the Top funds, saying it reflected the “bold steps” the state has taken toward education reform.

“I am very pleased that the U.S. Department of Education has recognized not only our outstanding Race [...]

Will Michelle Rhee fix D.C.’s notoriously dysfunctional school system? by David Harsanyi

Though I’ve seen evidence to the contrary, experts assure me that children are the nation’s most precious natural resource.  Logic, then, says that teaching is the most important profession in the country. And by extension, firing teachers who consistently fail to do their job [...]

Economic Scene
By DAVID LEONHARDT

Economists have generally thought that the answer was not much. Great teachers and early childhood programs can have a big short-term effect. But the impact tends to fade. By junior high and high school, children who had excellent early schooling do little better on tests than similar children who did not — [...]

The school board had wanted details about the consolidation plan before the council proposed putting the question to voters.

By EMILY DUPUIS

Sun Staff Writer

WESTERLY — School Committee members say their council counterparts jumped the gun with a proposal to ask voters this fall if they support more town and school mergers.

Their concern comes two days after [...]

School’s in session for Roy Seitsinger, Westerly’s new superintendent

By EMILY DUPUIS
Sun Staff Writer

WESTERLY – Roy M. Seitsinger hit the ground running on his first day on the job with an 8:30 a.m. sit-down with Westerly Education Endowment Fund board members – the first of several meetings scheduled that day.

Sitting in his temporary office at Westerly [...]

CAJ note 7/8/2010: In January we posted this article, Charter Schools: Why Can’t Republicans Make This Issue A Winner?

ReasonTV
7/7/2010

Before hurricane Katrina ravaged the city in 2005, New Orleans had one of the worst performing public school districts in the nation. Katrina forced nearly a million people to leave their homes and caused almost $100 billion [...]