Parent Cortical Mass

PCM's Top Articles of the Week

This week the disturbing incident of bullying the bus monitor got our attention. What do parents need to know? The incident made us ask about civility and the task of instilling it in our kids. How does “spoiling” fit in? And if all that isn’t complicated enough, let’s consider if parents should use or ignore the technology for monitoring kids online. Find out how mental shortcuts make smart people stupid and how promoting the idea of “specialness” goes counter to improving metacognition skills. Don’t miss Joy Resmovits’ brilliant article on the achievement gap and the two ideologies vying for policy dominance. Smart education leaders debate value-add teacher evaluations and national standards. Check out the amazing resources for improving Google skills this summer.

Parenting

Why Are American Kids So Spoiled - Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker

The Benefits of Spoiling Kids - Lisa Belkin, Huff Post Parents

Bus Monitor Video: Why Kids Don't Fear Consequences - Bonnie Rochman, Time

Psychology of the Middle School Kids Bullying the Bus Monitor - John Grohol, PsychCentral

Teaching Civility in an F-word Society - Marilyn Price-Mitchell, Psychology Today

'Big Brother'? No, It's Parents - Somini Sengupta, NYT

Learning

Why Smart People Are Stupid - Jonah Lehrer, The New Yorker

On Metacognition and Being Special or Not - Annie Murphy Paul, Time

Confusion Helps Us Learn - Christie Nicholson, Scientific American

How Thinking in 3D Can Improve Math and Science Skills - Annie Murphy Paul, Mind/Shift

Boomlet in TV for Preschoolers - Emily Yahr, Washington Post

Education

Do Schools Begin Too Early? - Finley Edwards, Education Next

Achievement Gap Persists, Competing Ideas Vie for Influence - Joy Resmovits, Huff Post

Should Student Test Scores Be Used to Evaluate Teachers? - Kane, Darling-Hammond, WSJ

Should Students Meet a Single Set of National Standards? - Finn, Greene, WSJ

Resources

Why It's Important to Understand Google Ranking - Tasha Bergson-Michel, Mind/Shift

Google a Day Puzzle - Ken Denmead, GeekDad

Become a Google Power Searcher, Join the MOOC -Google Blog

What is the 'Parent Trigger'?

Parent Trigger describes state legislation that gives parents more power to change poorly performing schools. To pull the trigger, more than 50% of the parents in the school must sign a petition to initiate the process. Once the shot is fired, parents can implement one of 4 options:

    1) shut down the school,

    2) fire the principal,

    3) fire teachers, or

    4) hire a charter organization to take over the school.

Seven states have passed laws with versions of the parent trigger. But Florida, in March 2012, voted down parent trigger legislation in a hard fought battle between activists on both sides. As many as 20 more states are considering legislation. Why? One reason is that it improves states’ chances of being waived from certain accountability requirements in No Child Left Behind.

Here are 14 articles to help you get informed. 

Reference Articles

Hopes and Fears for Parent Trigger Laws - Room for Debate, The Opinion Pages, NYT

Five Minute Primer: Parent Trigger Laws - Donna Krache, Schools of Thought, CNN

Parent Trigger Laws in the States - National Conference of State Legislatures

Roundup of Leading Thinkers on Parent Trigger - Nick Pandolfo, HechingerEd

Opinions

Can Parents Take Over Schools? - Andrew Rotherham, Time

Putting Parents in Charge - Peg Tyre, New York Times

The Trouble With the Parent Trigger - Diane Ravitch, Education Week

Not Your Mother's PTA - Bruno V. Manno, Education Next

Support Parent Power - Gloria Romero, Los Angeles Times

No Magic Bullet for Schools - Editorial, Los Angeles Times

Why Florida's Parent Trigger Bill Failed in State Senate - Valerie Strauss, Washington Post

Michelle Rhee Interview About the Parent Trigger - Jeff Solochek, Tampa Bay Times

US Mayors Back Parent Trigger Legislation - Stephanie Simon, Reuters

Mayors Gone Mad - Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch's Blog

What is the 'Parent Trigger'?

Parent Trigger describes state legislation that gives parents more power to change poorly performing schools. To pull the trigger, more than 50% of the parents in the school must sign a petition to initiate the process. Once the shot is fired, parents can implement one of 4 options:

    1) shut down the school,

    2) fire the principal,

    3) fire teachers, or

    4) hire a charter organization to take over the school.

Seven states have passed laws with versions of the parent trigger. But Florida, in March 2012, voted down parent trigger legislation in a hard fought battle between activists on both sides. As many as 20 more states are considering legislation. Why? One reason is that it improves states’ chances of being waived from certain accountability requirements in No Child Left Behind.

Here are 14 articles to help you get informed. 

Reference Articles

Hopes and Fears for Parent Trigger Laws - Room for Debate, The Opinion Pages, NYT

Five Minute Primer: Parent Trigger Laws - Donna Krache, Schools of Thought, CNN

Parent Trigger Laws in the States - National Conference of State Legislatures

Roundup of Leading Thinkers on Parent Trigger - Nick Pandolfo, HechingerEd

Opinions

Can Parents Take Over Schools? - Andrew Rotherham, Time

Putting Parents in Charge - Peg Tyre, New York Times

The Trouble With the Parent Trigger - Diane Ravitch, Education Week

Not Your Mother's PTA - Bruno V. Manno, Education Next

Support Parent Power - Gloria Romero, Los Angeles Times

No Magic Bullet for Schools - Editorial, Los Angeles Times

Why Florida's Parent Trigger Bill Failed in State Senate - Valerie Strauss, Washington Post

Michelle Rhee Interview About the Parent Trigger - Jeff Solochek, Tampa Bay Times

US Mayors Back Parent Trigger Legislation - Stephanie Simon, Reuters

Mayors Gone Mad - Diane Ravitch, Diane Ravitch's Blog