Put Reading (not Teaching Reading) First

by David Safier I wrote earlier about the $6 billion dollars the Feds wasted on its phonics-based, drill-and-kill Reading First program. The Department of Ed’s own study concluded that students in classrooms using the Reading First materials showed no more reading improvement than those who learned reading without the benefit of the $6 billion boondoggle. … Read more

State Testing That Makes Sense

by David Safier I’m no fan of Arizona’s AIMS testing or the whole No Child Left Behind emphasis on standardized testing. But I ran across an article about state testing of high school students who are taking vocational courses, and that’s standardized testing I can support. You’ve probably read that Arizona is working to revitalize … Read more

Volunteer Math & Science Teachers

by David Safier (TASL) Arizona’s Department of Ed has come up with a wonderful way to solve the math/science teacher shortage: volunteer teachers. There’s really only one problem with the wonderful new plan. It won’t work. Here’s how it’s supposed to work. Scientists and engineers will volunteer (that’s right, no pay) to teach one math … Read more

Horne Should Love Tucson’s Raza Studies

by David Safier Tom Horne does not like TUSD’s Ethnic Studies program, and he especially hates the Mexican-American/Raza Studies part of it. But it looks like Raza has succeeded where most other school programs have failed by raising students’ AIMS scores and increasing their graduation rates. And if there’s anything our Ed Supe loves, it’s … Read more

The McCain Ranch: As the Sun Sinks Slowly . . .

by David Safier The meetings at Rancho McCain are over, the visiting cowpokes have returned to their own spreads, and it’s time for McCain to hit the trail once again — the campaign trail, that is. I had an unpleasant thought a few minutes ago as I was preparing to wrap up this McCain Ranch … Read more