Parent Cortical Mass

PCM's Top Articles of the Week

This week the bombings in Boston occupy our attention. Articles here provide useful advice on how to talk to your children about these events. ● Other topics explored this week are girls and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math,) coding in schools, and the two parent education movements of ‘opting-out’ of and the ‘parent trigger.’ ● Dana Goldstein’s article on the history of philanthropy in education will increase your cortical mass about philanthrocapital. ● Washington Post’s education reporter, John Morrow, wrote an unexpected and sticky article, "Michelle Rhee's Reign of Error," about the investigations about possible cheating on high-stakes tests. ● Find articles on the importance of talking to your child, the interplay between IQ and the hours invested to gain expertise. ● Data on college acceptance rates this year will surprise you.

Parenting

How Parents Are Explaining The Boston Tragedy To Children - Joy Resmovits, Huff Post Parents

Cooperation After a Tragedy - Melanie Tannenbaum, Scientific American

How Teenagers Spend Money - Derek Thompson, The Atlantic

How Parents Around the World Describe Their Children, in Charts - Olga Khazan, The Atlantic

Four Myths About the Millennial Generation - Chelsea Clinton, TIME

Can Building Toys for Girls Improve Math and Tech Skills? - Diana Kapp, Wall Street Journal

Why Your 8-Year-Old Should Be Coding - Jolie O'Dell, VentureBeat

Learning

The Power of Talking to Your Baby - Tina Rosenberg, New York Times

What Are The Habits Of Mind? - TeachThought

The 'Reading Brain' Science of Paper versus Screens - Ferris Jabr, Scientific American

How to Stimulate Curiosity - Annie Murphy Paul, The Creativity Post

Power Can Overcome Negative Stereotypes - Rick Nauert, PsychCentral

Learning Strategies Beat IQ in Predicting Achievement - Scott Barry Kaufman, Scientific American

Education

From Carnegie to Gates - Dana Goldstein, Smithsonian Magazine

Your College Major Is a Minor Issue, Employers Say - Melissa Korn, WSJ

Michelle Rhee’s Reign of Error - John Merrow, Washington Post

To Attract More Girls to STEM, Bring Storytelling to Science - A. Kuchment, Scientific American

At Last! A Computer Science Course for All Kids - Julia Steiny, Education News

Policy Focus on Standardized Tests Leads to Opt-Out Parent Movement - Lyndsey Layton, WP

Parents Choose Unique School Takeover Model in ‘Trigger’ Vote - N. Lindstrom, Hechinger Rpt

Education Leaders Weigh In On Parent Engagement, Privacy Issues - Michele Molnar, Ed Week

With Police in Schools, More Children in Court - Erik Eckholm, New York Times

Resources

Spring 2013 Parents' Choice Awards: Audio, TV, Apps, Small Screen - Parents' Choice Awards

Colleges Report 2013 Acceptance Rates - Tanya Abrams, New York Times

8 Great Twitter Accounts for Students to Follow - Laura Bates, Fractus Learning

A New Way To Find The Best Educational Apps For Kids - Sarah Perez, TechCrunch

10 Must-Have Photo-Editing Apps for Smartphones and Tablets - The Online Mom

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