News
Appropriately Compensating Teachers
ERS Director Regis Shields responds to a recent article in the New York Times, “New York City Abandons Teacher Bonus Program”
Budget Brainstorms
The federal government is trying to solve their budget issues, and a resolution seems unlikely before the 11th hour. One solution that has gained favor is changing how the federal government calculates the cost of living adjustment (COLA), a tactic that school districts might be wise to consider.
Book Review: Math Curse
Justin Burniske lets out his inner child, reviewing the children’s book “Math Curse” by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith.
Chief State School Officers Consider Trade-offs in Tough Times
ERS’ Principal Associate Kristen Ferris gives a recap of the 2011 Summer Institute held by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
What happens to the kids left behind?
ERS Principal Associate Funmi Haastrup shares her views on school choice and how both her personal and work experiences influence her decisions.
Changing Perspective on Class Size
People who argue over class size assume a classroom with one teacher and a group of students, the same model that has been in place since the founding of our country. But what if we’ve got the assumptions all wrong?
School Turnaround – is “Transformation” enough?
Last week we brought together some of the leading thinkers and practitioners in the area of school turnaround at the ERS summit, “Sustaining Turnaround at Scale”. Included in this group were almost a dozen principals who are succeeding in turning around chronically low performing schools, and are boosting the achievement of their districts’ highest need…
1,000 schools vs. 1,000 school districts
If the evidence is clear that Extended Learning Time improves student achievement and closes the achievement gap, why do we not see it happening as a district-side strategy?
State Roles in Transforming the Teaching Job
ERS Associate David Bloom shares some thoughts from the CCSSO “Moving Forward” conference held in Phoenix, AZ.
Get the Latest on the Turnaround Summit Brief #1 and Hold’em
The March News Blast highlights the first Turnaround Summit Brief, an update on school boards that are playing Hold’Em, and more.
School Boards Play Hold’em
A recent school board retreat and ERS’ new game School Budget Hold’em are helping the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) turn a 10% gap in the budget into an opportunity to do more with less. Rather than resign itself to deep and debilitating cuts, the CMSD leadership team is actively investigating alternatives with Hold’em, an…
Karen Hawley Miles Presents to School Finance Course
ERS Executive Director Karen Hawley Miles was the guest speaker Friday morning for a school finance course session offered at the University of Tennessee in conjunction with the District of Knoxville
Department of Education Targets Districts for Race to the Top Phase 2—ERS District Tools Can Help
In the newly announced Race to the Top 2012 competition, the Department of Education (DOE) is emphasizing the pivotal role that districts play in closing the achievement gap and transforming instruction for every student. ERS’ tools can help your application.