A full week

Earlier this week I talked about the exciting events ED in '08 had going on this week and wanted to let everyone know how they went.

Benchmarking for Success

When people ask me about education, they often want to talk about No Child Left Behind or a related issue of standardized testing. I always love a good education discussion, but a New York Times editorial on Monday pointed out how this debate misses the point—we need tests and accountability, but we need to be sure the results mean something and show us where we need to improve:

Congress hoped that if it required the states to give annual tests in return for federal education aid, state politicians would be encouraged — or at least embarrassed — into improving dismal schools and closing the achievement gap between rich and poor children.

Taking the Time (to Support our Students)

A few months back we congratulated New York City schools on winning the Broad Prize in education. Since then they've continued to try new reforms by working on a performance-pay plan for schools and teachers. Now, the issue of education reform is getting on the state's agenda.

No time for leftovers, on to the next events!

I just got back from Thanksgiving break the morning, and I haven't even had time to catch up with my staff about how everyone spent the holiday since so many of them are already out at our next events!

Only Five More Days to Submit YouTube Questions About Ed!

I'm headed back to Colorado to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with my family. I'll be back in Washington next week, and am looking forward to our upcoming ED in '08 campaign events in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Presidential Frontrunners Look to ED

Presidential candidates continue to release their K-12 education plans, building on the recent momentum that has been growing around education as a heavyweight campaign issue. Just last week, we saw the first education-focused candidate television ads launch in New Hampshire, in addition to a lengthy discussion on performance pay for teachers during the Democratic debate in Las Vegas.

ED in 08 and MTV: First-time Voters Discuss Education in New Hampshire!

ED in 08 and MTV News Correspondent John Norris held a roundtable discussion yesterday with Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand and 60 students from Manchester Central High School. The students related how they are affected by the nation's drop-out epidemic and shared ideas about what the next president can do to raise student achievement and why candidates should be making education more of a priority.

Building the Movement, Texas Style

I've written a lot this week about the different ways around the country that innovative districts have developed teacher performance pay plans to improve classroom effectiveness, and the kind of leadership that a president could provide to support these reforms. I'd like to highlight one more story for you, this one from Dallas, Texas.

What a President Can Do on Teacher Incentives

Earlier this week, I wrote about an innovative take on performance pay in Guilford County, North Carolina. We know that an effective teacher is the single most important factor in a student's education, and the successful results of that program have got me thinking about how a national leader might encourage similar reforms in the way we attract and support our teachers.

Mission Possible: Lessons from North Carolina

Last week, some of my colleagues attended the ED Trust's annual conference, and came back with some interesting ideas and news about education reforms and practices that are taking place across the country. One session that they told me about stands out in particular, a discussion led by Terry Grier, who is superintendent of Guilford County NC, and the 2008 North Carolina Superintendent of the Year.

In Memory: Dr. Donda West

We at ED in '08 were deeply saddened yesterday to learn of the death of Dr. Donda West, the mother of the rapper Kanye West, who has served as a spokesman for the ED in '08 campaign. Dr. West was a committed educator. She worked in higher education for 31 years and was formerly the chair of the Chicago State University English department. She was also head of the Kanye West Foundation, which sponsors education initiatives around the country to combat the dropout rate.

Candidates on Board, and Shouting Out to ED in ‘08

This week I asked my staff to tape for me Charlie Rose's program on PBS, as his presidential candidate series was on. This winter he is hosting several front-runners from both parties on his show to talk about their priorities and plans. Charlie Rose led his domestic policy questions with a good 10-12 minutes of discussion about education. Naturally, I was interested, and was even more so when the candidate who was that evening's guest started talking about the ED in '08 campaign pillars.

New Pew Study and America's Priorities

Last week, the Pew Research Center, an independent opinion research group, released a new report detailing major national opinion trends heading into the 2008 election season. Naturally, I was very pleased to find that education remains within the overall top four issues of importance to voters, along with the economy, Iraq, and healthcare. In fact, 75% of registered voters reported that education was "very important" to their vote.

NPR, University of Northern Iowa, and ED in '08 - Recent Happenings on the Campaign

There's been a lot of exciting things going on here at ED in '08. I don't always get a chance to tell you about all of the events we have going on around the country, but I'd like to take this opportunity to fill you in about on some news from over the weekend.

USA Today Calls for Rigorous American Standards

Some of you may have seen the editorial this week in USA Today calling for American education standards