In Education, Make Peace With Uncertainty

by David Safier This is a longer follow-up to yesterday’s short, “I needed to get this off my chest,” post, For the Record. That whole post read: 1.Teaching is tough; 2.Teaching children who grow up in poverty is tougher; 3.Test scores are not a reliable indicator of whether a teacher or a school is effective; … Read more

For the Record

by David Safier Teaching is tough. Teaching children who grow up in poverty is tougher. Test scores are not a reliable indicator of whether a teacher or a school is effective. Anyone who claims to know the “answers” to our school’s problems is a damn liar or a damn fool. There. It needed to be … Read more

Should the State Take Over a “Failing” School District?

by David Safier This is a tough one for me. Three Phoenix Democrats in the House have introduced a bill to have the State Board of Education take over Phoenix’s Roosevelt School District for 3 years. Half of the district’s 21 schools are failing, according to the state’s report card. Will the State Board do … Read more

Fine Napolitano Over ELL Funding?

by David Safier Fine the Governor if the Arizona legislature doesn’t meet the April 15 ELL funding deadline? That sounds grossly unfair. And yet . . . The attorney for the parents suing over ELL funding says Napolitano could do more to move this thing forward, even though the actual funding is the responsibility of … Read more

McCain Uses “Throw Money at Education” Line

by David Safier (TASL) I hold this truth to be self-evident. Anyone who uses the phrase, “government can’t just throw money at public education” is not in favor of increasing educational spending. Arizona’s own John McCain is the only presidential candidate left standing who uses the phrase. In a recent speech, he said, “Government can’t … Read more