Posted by Kohlmoos on Jul 19, 2015 in The EDGEucator | Comments Off
Jane Best is a strategic partner at EDGE Consulting Partners. Previously she was the Chief Strategy Officer at McREL International, a private 501 (c) (3) education research and development corporation, where she led the government relations, institutional development, grant writing and strategic planning. She has also served as a senior policy associate for the Regional Education Laboratory (REL) Midwest, a federal contract to support state education agencies, funded by the U.S. Department of Education at Learning Point Associates...
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Posted by Kohlmoos on Feb 22, 2015 in The EDGEucator | Comments Off
Guest blogger @LukeKohlmoos has important things to say about observations in teach eval systems in this Flypaper posting:
Getting observations right
Luke Kohlmoos
February 19, 2015
Recent research has shown that it may be more difficult for teachers of students with certain background characteristics (i.e., low achieving, poor, minority) to score highly on teacher observations. However, Whitehurst, Chingos, and Lindquist’s conclusion in Education Next that we adjust teachers’ observation scores is a disservice to...
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Posted by Kohlmoos on Feb 18, 2015 in The EDGEucator | Comments Off
@LukeKohlmoos guest EDGEucator blogger and former director of teacher eval for state of Tennessee tells it like it is:
“Compared to what?” may be one of the most under-asked but most important questions in policy making and implementation. When you see surveys that indicate half of teachers think their evaluation process is helping to improve instruction in their schools there are a few different ways to react to that generally agreed upon fact:
“What an insanely terrible policy. Only half of teachers think this huge and...
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Posted by Kohlmoos on Feb 16, 2015 in The EDGEucator | Comments Off
Check out this list POTUS’ quotes about leadership from long ago to now (by Phillip Ross of International Business Times)
On leadership: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams, U.S. president from 1825 to 1829.
On facing challenges: “The harder the conflict, the greater the triumph.” ― George Washington, U.S. president from 1789 to 1797.
On reaching your goals: “Accomplishment will prove to be a journey, not a destination.” —...
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Posted by Kohlmoos on Sep 1, 2014 in The EDGEucator | 0 comments
Today I received this interesting (and inspiring) Silicon Valley venture capitalist which I thought I would share with you on this Labor Day:
“Thomas Edison failed a lot more than he succeeded. In developing a commercially viable light bulb, he went through over ten thousand prototypes before getting it right. But Edison saw things differently, remarking, ‘I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work.’ Innovations emerging from the Global Silicon...
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Posted by Kohlmoos on Aug 26, 2014 in The EDGEucator | 0 comments
With great interest the other day I read this terrific blog posting http://shankerblog.org/?p=10340 by Alan Daily and Kara Finnigan (an up and coming researcher team supported in part by the WT Grant Fdn). Their findings about the social context and relationships in teaching made me think about how this similarly applies to the process of educator preparation, particularly to the clinical experiences of teacher candidates . The social networks within which a teacher functions (eg learning communities, collaborations, every day...
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Posted by Kohlmoos on May 29, 2014 in The EDGEucator | 0 comments
I was deeply saddened by the passing of #MayaAngelou yesterday. Back in 1997 I shared a stage with her at a Families Alive conference in Utah. She gave this incredibly inspiring speech. Check it out here. I was in awe just to be in the same room with this love-inspiring poet-legend. Almost sheepishly I then delivered my remarks outlining the Clinton Administration’s education policy themes of the second term…Nope, not quite as inspiring as Angelou’s poetry. I will never forget her wonderfully gracious smile in the...
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Posted by Kohlmoos on May 22, 2014 in The EDGEucator | 0 comments
Check out this new blog from the TN Dept of Ed by Eva Boster, the dept’s teacher ambassador: Classroom Chronicles. And then read this note from EDGE co-founder Ruth Goltzer to Ms Boster: ” Wow..another impressive entry! Very clear, well-written and interesting. The teachers must really appreciate having an ambassador….someone from the Department whose sole mission if to listen to them, respect their input and strenuously work to present their viewpoints at the Department … I’m sure it will take time but your...
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Posted by Kohlmoos on May 6, 2014 in The EDGEucator | 0 comments
Today is #ThankATeacher Day. So I just want to thank Elaine Oldham my 6th grade teacher at Wildwood School in Piedmont, CA in 1960-61 for inspiring me to make education my passion and my vocation.
I happened to connect with her on Facebook a few years back and we shared a few thoughts about our class that year. In keeping with the standards of the time (yes, there were standards back then too … at least implicitly), she drilled us hard on neat penmanship, good spelling, perfect times tables, and fluent reading out loud. I was a...
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Posted by Kohlmoos on May 6, 2014 in The EDGEucator | 0 comments
It has been a very long and winding road since the original Elementary & Secondary Education Act was signed into law in 1965. I was in 10th grade then and certainly did not have a clue that ESEA would become such a major part of our education landscape (as well as a major fixture in my professional life). In the coming months no doubt there will be many articles written about the blessing and curse of ESEA as we approach its 50th anniversary. I will be sharing some thoughts in this space in the months ahead.
For now I just want to...
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