Last Tuesday I told you about the need to focus on replicating great teaching rather than shrinking class sizes. The post basically did the following:

• Noted that, according to research by Mike Antonucci, Colorado has been an exception by not hiring faster than student enrollment growth
• Point readers to an Education Next podcast highlighting the research on effective teaching techniques by Doug Lemov and Steven Farr
• Connected Lemov’s and Farr’s ideas to Colorado’s statutory push to enhance educator effectiveness

So how surprised was I to read this new Colorado Daily piece by my Education Policy Center friend Ben DeGrow that well, basically makes the same points?

I’m not saying it’s plagiarism or anything. After all, Ben isn’t running for governor (at least I don’t think he is).

For now, I’m sticking with the theory that great minds think alike. (Though I’m not sure how great Ben’s is… for example, my Lego-building genius is light years ahead of his.) That, and it’s worth repeating. Because as difficult as the medicine might be to take in the short run, we need to look seriously at enhancing the productivity of our schools. And that very well could mean giving up some cherished ideas.

As Ben writes:

…[G]iven economic realities, slightly larger classes provide opportunities to place the dominant focus on enhancing school productivity without adding excessive burdens to teachers.

I’ll give him a break. It’s worth saying again.

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