Last week, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) released a new paper focused on the “teacher evaluation binge” that has swept the country. The paper, authored by Sara Meade, Andrew Rotherham, and Rachael Brown, argues that “there are pitfalls in states’ rush to legislate new systems, and there are real tensions Read more
Andrew Rotherham weighed in on this question last week. Although polls show that 67% of voters in swing states said education was “extremely important” to them, President Obama and Mr. Romney haven’t talked much about education. Why? Rotherham believes it is because “education reform doesn’t fit well with the overall Read more
In his most recent blog post for Time, Andrew Rotherham discusses five things he believes teachers could learn from the US Marine Corps. He begins the article with a reflection on the fighting in Fallujah: “19- and 20-year-old Marines were trusted to make extraordinary split-second decisions in an environment more Read more
Last week the GE Foundation, the charity associated with General Electric, announced they intend to donate $18 million to support the implementation of the Common Core. Though some critics are expected to be up in arms over a private corporation getting involved in education reform, Time’s Andrew Rotherham believes the Read more
In a recent article, Time blogger Andrew Rotherham argues that not only should parents take care when picking their child’s school, but they should be able to go so far as to pick their child’s teacher as well. He argues that even in good schools, teacher effectiveness is so variable Read more
Time Magazine has named its picks for the top education activists to watch in 2012. So who are some of these potential movers and shakers (in no particular order)? 1. Catharine Bellinger and Alexis Morin: Two students who founded Students for Education Reform (SFER) in 2009, with the goal of Read more
In this week’s School of Thought blog, Andrew Rotherham discusses the disparities in public education across the country. If the goal of the Occupy movement is to improve social mobility, then there is “no better example of how the system is rigged against millions of Americans than the education our Read more
Education writer Andrew Rotherham speculated in Time this week about the current data analysis “trend” that is sweeping the education reform movement. He reflects on Michael Lewis’ 2003 book Moneyball, which “traces the rise of new methods that the Oakland A’s used to identify undervalued baseball players so the team Read more
Last week, Time’s Andrew Rotherham addressed a growing movement led by young teachers: taking action against traditional teachers’ unions. “These renegade groups…are trying to accomplish what a generation of education reformers, activists and think tanks have not: forcing the unions to genuinely mend their ways.” Rotherham nicknames the three most-talked Read more
In a recent article for Time, Andrew Rotherham explored the tenure system in higher education. Critics claim that the tenure system is outdated and no longer necessary; while proponents claim that tenure ensures a continued culture of intellectual independence and inquiry. Rotherham begins with an examination of the complaints against Read more
It seems that it’s becoming fashionable to poo-poo college education. After all, can’t you get all the information you’ll ever need for free on the Internet? Why pay tuition? In a recent Time magazine article, Andrew Rotherham explores the real value of a college education related to standard of living. Read more
The announcement of regulatory flexibility for No Child Left Behind from Washington has caused quite a stir. Bipartisan critisims of the Duncan plan and critique from education reformers and special interest groups abound. Some object to the Department of Education infringing on law-making responsibilities that belong to Congress, others object Read more
Time Magazine’s Andrew Rotherham has compiled a list of the top 11 education activists to watch in 2011. Follow the links below for more on these influential individuals. Michael Bennet: The Senator Steven Brill: The Writer Jeb Bush: The Adviser David Coleman: The Architect John Deasy: The Superintendent Jonah Edelman: Read more