When the Los Angeles Times announced it was releasing its analysis of how much value each one of 6,000 L.A. elementary school teachers had added to their classes, based on test scores, I knew how to test the validity of their project. I have spent much time in room 56 at Hobart Boulevard Elementary School in L.A., where fifth-grade teacher Rafe Esquith has proved himself to be, in my view, the best classroom teacher in the country — and certainly in his city.
Would the Times data back up Esquith’s exceptional quality, obvious to the thousands of people who have visited his classroom and to the audiences who see his ethnic Hispanic and Korean 10-year-olds produce and perform a Shakespeare play each year?
The Times released its ratings of all those teachers over the weekend.
The expansion represents a 50 per cent increase in the number of academies opened under Labour.
Teaching unions branded the reforms a “failure” and said most schools shunned the reforms.
Labour said it was a “further embarrassment” for the Coalition following claims that more than 1,000 schools had expressed an interest in the scheme.
But Michael Gove, the Schools Secretary, insisted the numbers were “very encouraging” and represented a sign that more schools would adopt academy freedoms.
“This Government believes that teachers and head teachers, not politicians and bureaucrats, should control schools and have more power over how they are run,” he said.
Mike
(Side note: First Bemidji news item since they joined the WCHA? You’ve made it, baby, in the smallest possible way.)
For the past couple of days, I was watching with raised eyebrows as Bemidji recruit Zach Franko was in attendance at the Kelowna Rockets tryout camp. Franko, a speedy forward out of Winnipeg, was a second round draft choice of the Rockets two years ago, and at one point, was gung-ho on playing for the Rockets, until he realized that at a generously-listed 5′10″, he was probably better off getting a college education before taking his shot at pro hockey and committed to Bemidji State.
Here are a few more answers to questions for the dean! Some are serious others are just plain silly, read on to learn more.
What weight does the SHC have with future employers and graduate schools? In short: a significant amount. Not only because of the excellent reputation of the Schreyer Honors College and Penn State, but also because of the rigor of the program. Employers and grad schools know that our students receive a tremendous education in their field and when you add to that the honors opportunities and the demonstration of your creative and research abilities through your thesis, the impact is significant.
What is your favorite chick flick?