Entries for April 2008

Michael Geisen, a seventh-grade science teacher at Crook County Middle School in Prineville, Ore., has been named the 2008 national teacher of the year. The 35-year-old teacher, who worked as a forester before he started teaching seven years ago, was recognized today at a White House Rose Garden ceremony hosted by President Bush.

Maybe the folks who run the teacher of the year program—the Council of Chief State School Officers—should think about renaming the award just for Geisen this year. We're thinking something along the lines of the "2008 Die Hard Teacher of the Year." Why? Consider what he wrote in his 13-page application: "I've done demos involving 14,000 volts and lived to explain them," he said. "I've totaled my vehicle in a 60-mph crash on the way to work but taught the whole day anyway. I have yet to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but I have my top students working on it. Most importantly, though, I've taught with the integrity, passion, and heart that inspire those around me to become better at what they do."

One of Geisen's recent students told the selection committee, "I think if he wanted to, he could make watching grass grow interesting." Sounds like next year's teacher applicants have a high standard to live up to. You too, Bruce Willis.

Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings must be breathing more easily now that a federal judge has dismissed the last of four claims in Connecticut's lawsuit challenging the federal No Child Left Behind law. Spellings got word of the judge's ruling late Monday and immediately issued a statement through a spokesperson: "Secretary Spellings is delighted with the judge's decision," which she called "a resounding victory for children and their families."

The lawsuit has been a thorn in Spellings's side since 2005, when Connecticut became the first state to challenge the law's testing requirements. The 2002 law requires students to meet annual proficiency targets in reading and math, and states that fall short can be penalized. Connecticut education officials argued that the law was unconstitutional because it didn't come with enough funds for the state to cover the costs of annual testing. But the judge who dismissed the lawsuit said the state had failed to show how the law placed an unfair financial burden on it.

With the lawsuit out of the way, Spellings can now focus on other matters, like building her own Facebook page. Her staff has been coy about addressing the rumor, which has been making its way through the blogosphere. But if it's true that the nation's top education official is harnessing the power of the popular social networking site, it could serve to counter some of her fiercest critics, some of whom are already there. (One group is called "Get Rid of Margaret Spellings.")

The Knowledge Is Power Program—KIPP—an open-enrollment schooling network that serves more than 14,000 children in 17 states and the District of Columbia recently released its fifth annual Report Card. (There is a registration requirement, but logging in is easy and free.)

The report results, based on information from each of KIPP's 55 charter schools and two district contract schools, show strong gains at most schools for the 2007-2008 academic year. The gains may be attributable in part to long hours: KIPP students spend about 60 percent more time in the classroom than typical public school students. A KIPP school day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with additional schooling scheduled every other Saturday, and for three weeks over the summer.

The Report Card gives two full pages to each school profiled. The first page deals with school information like enrollments and demographics, while the second looks at student achievement results. The report assesses performance on statewide exams, as well as on exams required of all KIPP students for grades one through eight.