Monthly Archives: September 2012

Denver’s 2012 SPF: Watch the Spin

Posted on September 24, 2012 by axooms

Denver Public Schools has released its 2012 School Performance Framework (SPF) (although it’s not yet on the website). There is a lot of data, but I find there is a useful shorthand to compare progress. For when you look at … Continue reading →

Posted in District Performance | 7 Comments

Chicago’s other problem: Pensions

Posted on September 24, 2012 by axooms

The deep sigh of relief to have resolution in the CTU teacher strike may be short-lived, as this article in the New York Times points out: The Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund has about $10 billion in assets, but is paying out more than … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiscal & Economic | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Talking Dog of Denver’s ProComp

Posted on September 21, 2012 by axooms

The CTU strike has renewed a conversation about teacher compensation, and the issue of performance pay (which did not survive the windy city negotiations).  Unfortunately most of the discussion lumps all changes to the standard salary ladder of traditional districts … Continue reading →

Posted in Innovation, Teacher Compensation, Teacher Unions | Tagged | 1 Comment

CTU Strike is Not The World’s End

Posted on September 12, 2012 by axooms

The primary media narrative concerning the CTU strike seems to be that it is a MegaBattle which could decide the future of unions, the structure of schools, the influence of ed reform policy wonks, and the very soul of K-12 … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Teacher Unions | Tagged | Leave a comment

Student drinking and debting

Posted on September 9, 2012 by axooms

Among the many paradoxes that face seniors finishing high school is this: you can sign student loan papers for tens of thousands of dollars in debt for you and your family — debt that is virtually impossible to discharge — … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiscal & Economic, Higher Education | Tagged | Leave a comment

Charters, Unions, and the Chicago Teachers Strike

Posted on September 7, 2012 by axooms

9/10 Update: CPS strike is now on, however there are 116 public schools still in session, and 10 of them have independent unions. Read more below. Original Post: Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is facing a rancorous and divisive teacher’s strike, … Continue reading →

Posted in Charter Schools, Innovation, Teacher Unions | 1 Comment

I Have Met Finland and It Is Not U.S.

Posted on September 6, 2012 by axooms

I’ve always been amused by the comparisons of the US Educational system with that of Finland. For starters, Finland has about 5.5 million people, about the same as Cook County IL — and a glance at Wikipedia notes that Finland … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiscal & Economic, Poverty, School Performance, Whimsy | Leave a comment