February 2008 - Posts

• A lesson for Presidents' Day

  The war is coming to a close. There are deep divisions in the US between hawks and doves, between blacks and whites, between those who want the firm hand of a central government and those who believe in the autonomy of the states, between those who support the President and those in opposition. It is 1865. In Washington, DC, March 4 of that year is gray and blustery... not exactly the kind of day Abraham Lincoln had in mind for his second inauguration. Still, with the Civil War drawing to an end, there is hope and joy among the enormous crowds -- made up of wealthy Northern businessmen, a huge contingent of the Union Army, the entire US Government... the victors. Soon, they will have triumphed... Posted Feb 18 2008, 08:41 AM by KTrapani with 2 comment(s) Filed under: human rights, faith, values, the media, service, racism, civil rights, Presidents' Day

• Why can't Johnny read? Why can't Sally teach?

  Margot Carmichael Lester is an amazing educator, deeply involved with public school disctricts all across the US. As we approach a reassessment of "No Child Left Behind" I asked Margot to write a blog post for us on improving teaching outcomes. Margot will be a regular contributor to this space... I hope you enjoy her first post: "We know that all schools are not created equal. Some clearly benefit from better buildings, more books, more computers, and the like. But from my work as a consultant in schools across the country, I can tell you that the connection between resources and results isn’t as clear as we think. Consider an urban school district that serves primarily students... Posted Feb 05 2008, 12:32 PM by KTrapani with 6 comment(s) Filed under: education, No Child Left Behind, public policy