• Yesterday, Colorado’s U.S. Congressman Jared Polis put his name to some Ed News Colorado commentary celebrating School Choice Week, aptly concluding “Empowering all families with school choice should be honored every week in word and deed, not just this week”
• Daily Caller columnist Caroline May reports on the legendary and beloved comedian Bill Cosby’s passionate pleas for more school choice and great classroom teachers, as well as his clear statement to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan that more K-12 system funding is not the answer to our nation’s education shortcomings
• Last but not least, my Education Policy Center friend Ben DeGrow helped to celebrate School Choice Week with a couple radio show appearances, including a discussion of choice and reform with the Mike Rosen Show’s large audience and a Northern Colorado conversation on the Amy Oliver Show

Time to run, but what else can I say? SWISH!!!… Nothing but net!

Here in Colorado the legislature kicks off School Choice Week with the introduction of House Bill 1149, a lighter version of last year’s Parent Trigger bill by Rep. Don Beezley. This latest version allows parents from schools that have spent two consecutive years under one of the state’s two lowest accountability ratings (aka “priority improvement” or “turnaround”) to petition to change the school’s management structure and/or convert it to a charter.

Because Parent Trigger II offers a slower process than in last year’s proposed legislation, it may win over more support. In the meantime, while I let the special School Choice Week moment sink in, here are some other related happenings and odds & ends that may interest you:

• A couple of stalwart California education reformers, Larry Sand and Alan Bonsteel, explain in the Los Angeles Daily News why school choice is more important now than ever
• Writing for the Fordham Institute’s new “Choice Words” blog, Adam Emerson is trying to get readers to graduate to a new conversation about parental choice, and wants your (and my) thoughtful participation
• It’s not brand new, but I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the week than to point your attention to a great video by the Foundation for Excellence in Education about the not-so-supermarket that offers a narrow selection of milk like some states offer a narrow selection of educational options

You know what, on second thought, I’ve thought of a better way. You can watch the 1-minute video right here, right now:

Have I got your school choice juices flowing yet? Yes, it’s Monday, but it’s no excuse not to wake up and get informed….

The second annual National School Choice Week is coming up soon. It’s almost time to stop gearing up and to start getting into action. For most of my fellow Coloradans, there aren’t any good excuses to not be able to attend even of the numerous events going on during the week of January 22-28:

• On Thursday evening, January 26, you can watch the movie Kids Aren’t Cars at the Independence Institute’s new Freedom Embassy, with a brief talk afterwards by my Education Policy Center friends
• On Tuesday evening, January 24, you can attend the Restoring American Exceptionalism Denver Townhall with guest speakers Hugh Hewitt and Dick Morris at the Douglas County Events Center
• Or the night before — Monday, January 23 — you can check in at the Colorado Springs edition of the Restoring American Exceptionalism townhall with featured speaker Michelle Malkin
• Want to celebrate School Choice Week with an educational experience where you never have to leave the comforts of your own home? Online education parents, school leaders and supporters can sign up for a January 25 Advocacy Academy Webinar through the Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families
• On January 28, teachers can “enjoy a Saturday morning breakfast and spend some time finding ideas and projects at the Resource Area for Teachers (RAFT),” compliments of the Professional Association of Colorado Educators
• On Friday afternoon, January 27, big people can find the School Choice Happy Hour in Denver
• What better time than School Choice Week to visit a school that is doing something different? You can arrange a visit to the TR Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge, a Fort Collins charter school, on either Tuesday or Wednesday

There may be more National School Choice Week events coming up in Colorado, but these are the ones I’m aware of. Show your support by showing up to one or more of these great events! And don’t forget to tell a friend….

Some are better known than others, which the list helps to sort out. To build out his index, Hess used Google Scholar ratings, book and article contributions, mentions in the education press and newspaper, and even mention in blogs (!) to lay out the rankings. Many — for good or ill — have graced the postings of Ed Is Watching (listed in rank order):

• 2. Diane Ravitch (NYU)
• 3. Eric Hanushek (Stanford)
• 6. Terry Moe (Stanford)
• 7. Paul Peterson (Harvard)
• 12. Caroline Hoxby (Stanford)
• 21. Jay Greene (Arkansas)
• 33. Daniel Willingham (Virginia)
• 36. David Figlio (Northwestern)
• 38. Thomas Kane (Harvard)
• 44. Paul Hill (Washington)
• 48. Patrick Wolf (Arkansas)
• 52. Kevin Welner (Colorado)
• 62. James Guthrie (SMU)
• 64. Michael Podgursky (Missouri)
• 71. John Witte (Wisconsin)
• 73. Robert Maranto (Arkansas) — He even co-authored an issue paper for my Education Policy Center friends!
• 77. Robin Lake (Washington)
• 80. Paul Teske (CU-Denver)
• 88. Martin West (Harvard)
• 94. Marguerite Roza (Washington)
• 114. Joshua Dunn (CU-Colorado Springs)

Look at that. Click on any of those links above to become educated about important research and commentary in the areas of school choice, digital learning, teacher evaluation and pay, school finance, teacher unionism, collective bargaining or more. It’s my pleasure to share some of this with my readers here.

Interestingly, 12 of the 21 names listed above were cited in Ed is Watching posts during 2011. So I am left to wonder just how much this little 5-year-old helped propel some academics higher in the Edu-Scholar Public Presence rankings? Ok, to be honest, probably not a lot. But maybe a few of them would be willing to share just a tiny bit of the credit.

Guess you could say I’m the most indirectly influential kid on the block! Enough about me, now go follow one or more of the links and get into the debate, and/or leave a comment about which edu-scholars have been overrated, underrated, etc….

It’s getting too near to Christmas for me to write any more. Rather than get antsy and bother you with some rambling commentary, here are links to my posts last year from National School Choice Week:

• Hey, It’s National School Choice Week!
• Perfect for School Choice Week: Dr. Jay Greene’s Education Reform Agenda
• Wrapping Up School Choice Week: Andrew Coulson Touts Tax Credits… And More!

I understand that Colorado has some big things in store for the second edition of National School Choice Week. Stay tuned…

Pretty much nobody is in school today, as we all gear up for the big turkey feast tomorrow. As my parents constantly remind me, the fourth Thursday in November is about more than food and football. Yes, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks. While I could gratefully mention the standard fare — family, friends (like those big people in the Education Policy Center), freedom, our big screen TV, and my growing (ahem!) Legos collection — more fitting for the blog are seven things to be thankful for in Colorado K-12 education:

1. While nobody asked Colorado teacher union members before taking political contributions from their paychecks, at least they can ask for the money back by December 15;
2. While the state senate president hasn’t given up his attacks on the online education option for parents, at least his attempt to push a selective audit was defeated;
3. While a number of pro-reform school board candidates lost and many inside the “education bubble” were distraught at the crushing defeat of the Prop 103 tax hike, at least the opportunity for truly creative innovation lies ahead with a number of new pro-reform board members ready to step up;
4. While a Denver judge went out of his way to shut down the Douglas County Choice Scholarship Program, at least the rays of hope for a successful appeal on behalf of students and parents are growing brighter;
5. While a lot of hard work remains to be done, at least the State Board of Education has continued to push for a top-notch educator evaluation system through the rule-making process;
6. While the open enrollment process is less than perfect and opportunities could be expanded, at least Colorado still has one of the strongest laws and Denver Public Schools is making it easier for parents to exercise their options; and
7. While we still have a long way to go in ensuring the best in public school financial transparency, at least some more districts and other K-12 agencies are making progress to comply with the 2010 law.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I will be back on Monday, with my turkey sandwich and leftovers.

It’s not this precocious little 5-year-old who’s dumping broccoli on the birthday cake. It’s Andrew Biggs and Jason Richwine, from a couple of Washington think tanks, who a couple weeks ago released the report Assessing the Compensation of Public School Teachers. Sounds pretty innocent, doesn’t it? Just wait. They released the report at an event called “Are Public School Teachers Overpaid?”

Now look. I could only begin to start explaining the research methods and the finer points of the debate. As a provocative way to bring attention to the topic of K-12 employee compensation, asking “Are Public School Teachers Overpaid?” is an effective way to bring attention to your work. And it definitely brought attention. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan responded directly in a Huffington Post column. Duncan comes across as unnecessarily snippy and personal — declaring that the study “insults teachers and demeans the profession.” (See my parents’ point about breaking up parties?)

Really? That sounds a little too dramatic. But the Secretary also makes a valid point that the provocative question isn’t the best way to frame the issue. Meanwhile, his own attempt to reframe the issue — saying that the authors “exaggerated the value of teacher compensation by comparing the retirement benefits of the small minority of teachers who stay in the classroom for 30 years, rather than comparing the pension benefits for the typical teacher to their peers in other professions” — was a bit hyperbolic. It is interesting to note that many of those on Duncan’s side prefer to focus on salary and ignore some of the key benefits.

Anyway, all this to say you really ought to read the follow-up by Rick Hess on his Education Week blog. Like my friends in the Education Policy Center, Hess believes some teachers are underpaid, and others indeed are overpaid. The problem is the system is out of whack and rewards far too many things that don’t matter:

As school systems wrestle with tough fiscal decisions, it’s vital to understand that one-size-fits-all pay is insensitive to questions of productivity. Although the term “productivity” is typically regarded as a four-letter word in K-12 conversations, teacher productivity means nothing more than how much good a given teacher can do. If one teacher is regarded by colleagues as a far more valued mentor than another, or helps students master skills much more rapidly than another, it’s axiomatic that one teacher is more productive than the other. Yet, step-and-lane pay makes no allowance for such differences.

Yikes, “productivity” is a four-letter word when talking about K-12? Just looking at a few of my more recent writings that use the word (see here, here and here) probably would mean it’s about time to wash out my mouth with soap. Which probably would rule out going to any parties to see if asking the provocative question about teacher pay really is as bad an idea as some people say it is. Then again, mom and dad aren’t “edu-crats.”

So let’s keep fixing how teachers and other professional educators are paid. Anyone who needs some ideas might want to start by reading Pioneering Teacher Compensation Reform: K-12 Educator Pay Innovation in Colorado.

• 77% of survey respondents do not support increased federal spending on education at the expense of increased regulations in their respective states…
• 78% of survey respondents agree with a law in Oklahoma that provides a tax credit to individuals and corporations that donate to organizations providing “Opportunity Scholarships.”…
• 75% of teachers agree with a Utah law guaranteeing high school students access to online courses….
• 85% of AAE members support Teach for America and its mission to place recent top-tier college graduates into high-need classrooms after intense training…
• 78% of survey respondents assert that collective bargaining has little to no effect on their ability to teach effectively and just 28% of teachers believe collective bargaining equates to a better compensated workforce….

Now who said teacher opinion was monolithic? That’s why it’s a great thing teachers here in Colorado have membership options, including the union and including the AAE’s state chapter: the Professional Association of Colorado Educators. A great thought to take into a fun weekend!

A database compiled by the state Department of Education shows schools districts have adopted a mixture of criteria, giving teachers points for everything from student attendance to graduation rates and writing assessments.

The result: A laboratory of pay-for-performance methods in a state that has long debated whether teacher pay should be tied to things like student test scores.

At least 29 school districts statewide have since developed merit pay plans based, at least partly, on parental involvement.

Twenty-nine school districts: An impressive number. But how effective will the reform laboratory be? All in all, it sounds like a report published earlier this year by my Education Policy Center friends, a look at local Colorado K-12 educator pay innovations titled Pioneering Teacher Compensation Reform. There aren’t 29 districts in our state moving the ball on this issue yet, mainly because there was no state law like in Idaho to activate them. But my guess is the deep and thoughtful work districts like Harrison 2 and Eagle County have done could be a guide for our friends in the Northwest.

An interesting aspect not touched on a lot in my friend’s report or in the two districts I cited, the emphasis in the AP story is on Idaho’s requirement that plans factor in teachers’ engagement with parents. No doubt an important factor in improving learning, but one that can be difficult to measure the quality and effectiveness to use in a pay system. Still, you have to credit Idaho for trying.

The Challis School District’s idea of requiring teachers to initiate at least two contacts with parents every three months seems like an eminently reasonable policy, one that some teachers surely already exceed. On the other hand, Gooding’s plan of counting parent attendance at three school conferences for 25 percent of teacher bonuses seems like it could have some unintended consequences — depending on what sort of safeguards are built in. But maybe these are just the sort of answers the reform laboratory will end up sharing.

So I kind of gave up on my original thought about sharing a spooky education story with you on Halloween. But thinking about Idaho education reform and yummy tater tots has given me another thought. Maybe I could dump my Buzz Lightyear costume for another Toy Story 3 character: Mr. Potato Head. Nah. Better yet, maybe I could get my mom or dad to wear a Potato Head costume when we go out for candy tonight. It’s probably too late, but it would be fun….

Earlier this week the Pennsylvania state senate voted 27-22 to approve a plan that “provides vouchers to low-income students attending the bottom 5 percent of the state’s worst performing school districts in achievement tests,” reports the American Federation for Children. The legislation also would expand the state’s large and highly successful tuition tax credit program.

Writing for the Daily Caller, Andrew Campanella explains how the momentum behind this legislative proposal shows how school choice has risen above traditional political barriers to find increasing support in “blue states”:

Led by a Democrat and a Republican, a school voucher bill — yes, a voucher bill — passed out of the State Senate with bipartisan support, just one day after the legislation (Senate Bill 1) was approved in the Senate Education Committee.

This all happened in the Keystone State, a state that voted for President Obama in 2008 by more than 10 percentage points. In fact, the last time the state voted for a Republican for president, there was still a superpower called the Soviet Union and the sitcom “Full House” was in its first season.

I have to admit that TV show is before my time, though when I mentioned it to my parents and my Education Policy Center friends it brought out some chuckles. Apparently the show starred a little girl (yuck!) who always said “You got it, dude,” when she liked what someone else had to say, and predictably played the conscience of the big people on the show with the line: “You’re in big trouble, Mister!”

The bipartisan plan that passed the state senate is supported by Governor Tom Corbett — whom RiShawn Biddle notes is stepping up this time around to take a stand for school choice and parent power. That leaves the state house as the big X factor to determine the fate of a program designed to offer an educational rescue to many of Pennsylvania’s most disadvantaged students.

As much as it pains me to do so, let me conclude by giving both the Pennsylvania state senate and Mr. Campanella a big “You got it, dude.” And if they end up killing this school choice bill, you can bet I’ll be telling off the Pennsylvania state house: “You’re in big trouble, Mister!” Hey, I’m twice as cute as that little girl (girls?) was. Not to mention less bratty and more successful in using my adorable precociousness in support of a terrific cause!