This week is all about education. It’s also been a rough week for education reformers. First, civil rights activists filed complaints in three cities. School closings, they say, disproportionately affect African American neighborhoods. They called the policies “the new Jim Crow.” Second, new research on teacher evaluations using value-add measures was published. Researchers believe many of the measures “actually aren't very good quality” and recommend postponing their use. Third, another study exposed a significant bias in teacher evaluations using classroom observation. “It is harder for a teacher who doesn’t have top students to get a top rating,” said researchers. On top of that, Ta-Nehisi Coates, a respected writer, called out an "anti-democratic streak" in reformers. “If you begin with the premise that you cannot convince parents, then I doubt the wisdom of your entire plan for their children,” he said. Also this week, Brown vs. Board of Education marked its 60th anniversary. Have we fixed segregation? Articles by Influencers Arne Duncan, Diane Ravitch, Randi Weingarten, and others, convey a range of views. What do you think?
Parenting
Data Mining Your Children - Stephanie Simon, Politico
Common Core Isn't Mining Nearly as Much Student Data a Private Sector - Arit John, The Wire
Report: U.S. Children Read, But Not Well or Often - Andrew M. Seaman, Reuters
When Kids Would Rather Play Computer Games Than Code Them - KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times
5 Best and Worst States for Working Moms - Matt Vasilogambros, The Atlantic
Learning
No Such Thing As a 'Universal' IQ Test: Cultural Differences Matter - ScienceDaily
Exercising the Mind to Treat Attention Deficits - Daniel Goleman, New York Times
Reading Experience May Change Brains of Dyslexic Students - Annie Murphy Paul, NYT
Study: Lectures Aren't Just boring, They're Ineffective, Too - A. Bajak, Science Magazine
To Remember a Lecture Better, Take Notes by Hand - Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic
Education
When School Reform and Democracy Meet - Ta-Nehisi, Coates, The Atlantic
Progress and Challenges 60 Yrs After Brown v. Board - Sec. Arne Duncan, HuffPost
60 Yrs After Brown v Board, Will Congress Revive a Dual School System? - Diane Ravitch, HP
Reclaim the Promise of Brown v. Board - Randi Weingarten, HuffPost
Fulfilling the Promise of Brown v. Board - Angelia Dickens, StudentsFirst
Segregation is Back - Peg Tyre, Politico Magazine
Why American Schools are Becoming Segregated Once Again - Jamelle Bouie, Slate
5 Myths About Brown v Board of Education - Imani Perry, Washington Post
Are School Closings the 'New Jim Crow'? - Lyndsey Layton, Washington Post
Report: Weak Link Between Value Add Measures and Teacher Instruction - Allie Bidwell, US News
New Research: Are Teachers Judged on Who They Teach, Not How They Teach? - M. Downey, AJC
US Students from Educated Families Lag in Int'l Tests - Hanushek, Peterson, Woessmann, Education Next
Resources
10 Tips on How to Raise a Reader - Regan McMahon, Common Sense Media
24 Awesome Short Stories for Middle Schoolers - TeachThought
22 DIY Tricks to Make Parenting a Little Easier - Brian Koerber, Mashable
5 Tips to Protect Your Child's Online Reputation - Cynthia Lieberman, A Platform for Good
Why Kids Love Scratch? It Lets Them Fail in Ways Their Parents Don't - Jenn Choi, Quartz
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