Hot Items Worth Checking Out

UPDATE:

Flattening the Great Education Myth
Over at Susan Ohanian's place, David Sirota goes after Tom Friedman's happy talk about a flat earth - or is it a flat economy - or is it a flat tire?
Sirota points out that there will be no jobs even if the the achievement gap is closed. And Friedman and the ed reform gang know that. Which leads us to KIPP and training kids to snap to when Walmart comes a-call'n.

Russo's TWIE has a piece on TFA. All is not glitter in the land of gold.

Titans Seek New York Mayor in Bloomberg's Mold
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/nyregion/07mayor.html?ref=nyregion&pagewanted=all

Leonie Haimson comments:

The business community is apparently looking for another corporate type to succeed Bloomberg – while claiming that the administration has been nonpolitical, which is entirely mistaken. His regime has politicized education like never before – spending a huge amount on PR, for example, while running it like a fiefdom.

The Bloomberg administration is considered an ally to many corporations, especially developers. Rezoning projects under his watch have opened large swaths of the city to new construction. And Mr. Bloomberg, especially, travels in the same orbit as many of the city's elite; he goes to their functions and they to his; he gives to their causes and they reciprocate.

Clearly, they want someone who will run the city according to their interests – and since they don't send their kids to NYC public schools, they have no interest in promoting the candidacy who will work to actually improve classroom conditions.

Followed by Diane Ravitch:

Leonie,

You don't understand. If the mayor acts on behalf of developers and major corporations, that is "non-political." If he acts on behalf of unions or ordinary parents, that's political.