DFER News Roundup 5.25.12

Blogs, Letters & Testimonials

May 25, 2012

It’s been a busy few weeks at DFER…

DFER Seen & Heard:

  • If you’ve been living on another planet for the last four years, Romney’s ed speech might seem pretty good, says DFER’s Barone (Education Week)
  • School reform groups urge no strike for Chicago Teachers Union for the sake of kids and families (WGN Chicago)
  • DFER releases statement on Romney’s ed speech delivered at the Latino Coalition (Also, check out Huff Po article)
  • Coalition of reform groups in WA filed initiative to put charter schools on November ballot (Seattle Times & Seattle Post Intelligencer)
  • There’s a split among Democrats in CA on how to improve schools (LA Times)
  • DFER’s Joe Williams releases statement on speech delivered by NYC Chancellor Walcott on his efforts to weed out teachers who “don’t deserve to teach.”
  • I guess rules are meant to be broken: EducationNext reports on Fight Club – a group of education advocacy organizations changing the politics of education
  • Group of reformers – DFER included – filed litigation against current CA teacher tenure law that makes it virtually impossible to fire or lay off ineffective teachers (LA Times: here & here; LA Weekly)
  • News Flash: We’re Democrats – DFER requests a retraction and apology to candidates and voters from LA Democratic Party Chair

From DFER’s Blog:

  • NY education commissioner calls out the Buffalo teachers union over the hold up of School Improvement Grant (SIG) negotiations reports DFER’s Elizabeth Ling (DFER’s Blog)
  • Joe Williams gives three quick notes to start off the week (DFER’s Blog)
  • Policy Analyst Omar Lopez discusses promising research presented at The American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference in Vancouver (DFER’s Blog)

Recent DFER Policy Briefs: