Are Colo. School Districts Really Doing Better on New Global Report Card?

by Eddie | 2:26 pm, December 12, 2012

When confronted with the question of how well our schools are doing, too often we lack the full context needed to compare and understand what knowledge and skills students are acquiring to be strong citizens, competent workers, and trailblazing entrepreneurs for the next generation. Last year I told you about the Global Report Card, which [...]

Don’t Ask to “Show Me” Why K-12 Education Needs Differential Teacher Pay

by Eddie | 2:44 pm, November 1, 2012

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you probably are well aware of the numerous flaws in the way our K-12 education system pays teachers. Most of the flaws emanate from the single salary schedule, which the vast majority of school districts use. Pay is differentiated almost exclusively by seniority and academic [...]

Colorado Initiative’s Early Success Raises the Math and Science Bar (Gulp)

by Eddie | 2:46 pm, October 26, 2012

I occasionally get accused of being some kind of verbal prodigy. Less often do I get asked about my math and science skills. And frankly, it’s fine with me not to go there. But I get the scope of the problem associated with not enough students qualified and ready for careers in science, math and [...]

Colorado Springs Early Colleges Student’s Heroic Actions Worth Bragging About

by Eddie | 3:02 pm, September 4, 2012

Not everything in the world of Colorado K-12 education is a serious statement about policy. Sometimes the more compelling story comes in the heat of a dramatic moment, when more is at stake than grades on a test. The Colorado Springs Gazette’s Matt Steiner reports on a high school freshman who, when confronted with a [...]

Harvard Study Puts Three States on Medal Stand for Boosting K-12 Achievement

by Eddie | 12:52 pm, July 26, 2012

The latest edition of the Olympic Games is almost here (who else do you know who gets to live through two different Summer Olympics at age 5?), so what better time to hand out some figurative medals to states for K-12 student learning success? A new Harvard study by Eric Hanushek, Paul Peterson, and Ludger [...]

Effective Math and Science Program Making Big Leap in Colorado High Schools

by Eddie | 11:55 am, December 13, 2011

Raise your hand if you agree with me that the USA — and Colorado in particular — can do a better job preparing enough students for success in the areas science, math and technology. Don’t worry about feeling self-conscious if you are in a room with other people. If you can’t overcome it, at least [...]

Wired Article: Khan Academy Is Boosting More Kids Into Advanced Math and Science

by Eddie | 4:28 pm, July 18, 2011

Don’t ask, because I don’t know what happened to all my time today. Rather than go in depth and expound on something profound, I will just direct you to this fascinating story in Wired magazine about “How Khan Academy is changing the rules of education”:

“This,” says Matthew Carpenter, “is my favorite exercise.” I peer over [...]

Want a Glimpse of the Education Future? Time to Get to Know Khan Academy

by Eddie | 11:33 am, March 21, 2011

A random Monday posting… First of all, let me clarify that this post has nothing to do with old Star Trek movies or even older Mongol hordes. If you are interested at all in the future of education but haven’t heard of Khan Academy yet, now is the time to start getting up to speed. [...]

A Glimpse at New Schools: West Denver Prep and DSST Add Campuses

by Eddie | 10:14 am, July 1, 2010

The faithful readers of Ed Is Watching (I love you, mom and dad!) know that during the past two summers I have dedicated many blog posts to introducing interesting new education options in Colorado. Links to all the posts are compiled on our A Glimpse at New Schools page.
This year, I’ve decided to get an [...]

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• PPC Training for Activists

  UPDATE: Something apparently got messed up with the PayPal buttons during this past weekend’s database glitch – fixed now. Yes, it’s that time again — PPC will be conducting training classes for center-right activists on Saturday, April 20 and Saturday, April 27, at Independence Institute in Denver. The tentative class schedule is as follows: Saturday, [...]

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