What is your reform "Superman"?

My favorite shirt-sighting at the LA Times protest. 

Emerson students got back to school this week and the nation is abuzz about public education.

On Tuesday, here in LA, several Emerson teachers joined UTLA at the LA Times to protest their education series which published teacher rankings based on student test scores.  In DC, many blame school chancellor Michelle Rhee for the election loss of Mayor Fenty and hope this result might change the tide for "reform" education policy.  And in Philadelphia, President Obama addressed students with a message about the importance of education in pursuing their dreams. 

But the buzz that is growing in our national media and about to swarm around us is the upcoming release of the movie Waiting for Superman.  This documentary from the director of An Inconvenient Truth is garnering lots of national attention for taking a pro-charter, anti-teacher stance on the education "reform" debate.  Ed. Secretary Arne Duncan even called it his, "Rosa Parks moment" and he's getting all kinds of grief for that.  Prepare to hear lots about this documentary on an NBC education panel and on Oprah. 

Doesn't look like many parent or teacher voices will be heard as this conversation about education reform goes national, but here at Emerson Advocates, we want to know what you think.

What reforms would you like to see at your public school to improve the quality of education for our students?

A Conversation to Follow

Keeping up with Educational Reform news can be a full time job. As a teacher, I follow numerous ed blogs and groups (not all ones that I agree with) on Twitter and FaceBook. I read the LA Times, Huffington Post, Washington Post, CNN and any other articles that make their digital way to me. Summer allows me to stay up late. When I finally close my laptop, I can still pick up my novel and read into the wee hours of the new day. My kids don't need to be anywhere at any particular time. We don't have homework or a need to pack lunches. There is always time in the morning to wash the dishes or do a load of laundry. There is even time to ramble on in a blog.

For those of you interested in news on National Education Reform and interested in 8 hours of sleep, take a peek at Bridging Differences, an Education Week blog by Diane Ravitch and Deborah Meier. Both women are highly regarded in the education world and often at odds on education policy. Their conversations on this blog will give you insight into the policy discussions happening now. If you want even more information, follow Education Week or check out the subject specific links on the website.

Do you have a topic or article for discussion? Post it on the Emerson Advocates. If you have questions about policies and how they will affect your child's education, share them here. Conversations move us forward. Michele