EdNext Podcast

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Ep. 119 - April 11, 2018: A Lost Decade for U.S. Education? Apr 11, 2018

Show notes

The results of the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress have just been released and the news is not good. National trends are mostly flat, and as Mike Petrilli notes, it’s now been almost a decade since we’ve seen strong growth in either reading or math, with the slight exception of eighth grade reading. Mike Petrilli joins Marty West to take a close look at the results and to consider what lessons we can draw from them. Education Next has published a series of blog entries analyzing the 2017 NAEP results here: http://educationnext.org/interpreting-2017-naep-reading-math-results/

Ep. 118 - April 4, 2018: One University Enters Innovative New Territory in Online Learning Apr 04, 2018

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Georgia Tech already offered a highly regarded master's degree in computer science. In 2014, the school added a fully online version of the degree. In this episode, Josh Goodman joins Marty West to discuss the impact of the program. Goodman, an associate professor of public policy at Harvard University, writes about the new degree program in “An Elite Grad-School Degree Goes Online,” co-written with Julia Melkers and Amanda Pallais. http://educationnext.org/elite-grad-school-degree-goes-online-georgia-tech-virtual-masters-increase-access-education/

Ep. 117 - March 28, 2018: How Charter Schools Are Changing Teacher Retirement Mar 28, 2018

Show notes

Michael Podgursky, professor of economics at the University of Missouri–Columbia, joins EdNext Editor-in-chief Marty West to discuss how charter schools are developing their own retirement plans for teachers. Podgursky, along with Susan Aud Pendergrass and Kevin Hesla, is the author of "Pensions Under Pressure" from the Spring 2018 issue of EdNext. http://educationnext.org/pensions-under-pressure-charter-innovation-teacher-retirement-benefits/

Ep. 116 - March 21, 2018: Is Voice Activation Coming to the Classroom? Mar 21, 2018

Show notes

As the use of smart speakers like Google Home and Amazon Echo becomes widespread in homes, some wonder whether voice-activated technology technology could prove useful in the classroom. Michael Horn joins Marty West to discuss how this might work and what the challenges might be. Michael Horn is the author of "Hey Alexa, Can You Help Kids Learn More? The next technology that could disrupt the classroom," available at http://educationnext.org/hey-alexa-could-voice-activation-help-kids-learn-technology-disrupt-classroom/

Ep. 115 - March 14, 2018: A Reformer's Legacy in New Mexico Mar 13, 2018

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"As public education secretary of New Mexico, Hanna Skandera dug in fast, set an ambitious agenda, and broke a lot of china." So writes Michael McShane in a new article for Education Next about Skandera's seven years of leadership. Michael McShane joins Marty West to discuss the lessons education reformers can learn from Skandera's successes and challenges. Read the full article, "The New Mexico Reform Story: Will Hanna Skandera's legacy last?" from the Spring 2018 issue of EdNext, here: http://educationnext.org/new-mexico-reform-story-hanna-skandera-legacy/

Ep. 114 - March 7, 2018: 50 Year Old Curriculum Still Works Mar 07, 2018

Show notes

A new meta-analysis documents a half-century of “strong positive results” for Direct Instruction. In this episode, Robert Pondiscio of the Fordham Institute joins Marty West to talk about Direct Instruction, which he calls "the Rodney Dangerfield of education. It gets no respect." Pondiscio is the author of "Meta-Analysis Confirms Effectiveness of an Old School Approach: Direct Instruction," available at: http://educationnext.org/meta-analysis-confirms-effectiveness-old-school-approach-direct-instruction

Ep. 113 - Feb. 26, 2018: Oral Arguments Heard by Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME Feb 26, 2018

Show notes

Josh Dunn, an associate professor of political science at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, joins EdNext Editor-in-chief Marty West to discuss oral arguments heard by the Supreme Court Monday, February 26, in Janus v. AFSCME. The case “could overturn decades-old precedent and deal a potentially crippling blow to public sector unions.” The case was brought by Mark Janus, an Illinois government employee. He argues that he should not be required to pay a fee to the public sector union he has chosen not to join. He sees the required agency fee as a violation of his First amendment rights since the union takes positions he opposes, positions which he views as political.

Ep. 112 - Feb. 21, 2018: Charter School Growth was Booming. What Happened? Feb 21, 2018

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There's been a decline in the number of new charter schools opening and a slowing of growth in overall enrollment in charter schools. Robin Lake joins Marty West to discuss her research into some possible reasons for the decline, focusing on the San Francisco area. Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, is co-author of "Why Is Charter Growth Slowing? Lessons from the Bay Area" with Trey Cobb, Roohi Sharma and Alice Opalka, available at http://educationnext.org/why-is-charter-school-growth-slowing-lessons-from-bay-area/

Ep. 111 - Feb. 14, 2018: Getting Tough on Screen Time Feb 14, 2018

Show notes

We don't yet know what the long-term effects are of kids spending so many hours in front of screens. Many parents struggle to set reasonable boundaries around screen time, and some seem to have given up the fight. In this episode, Marty West talks with Naomi Schaefer Riley, the author of a new book, Be the Parent, Please: Stop Banning Seesaws and Start Banning Snapchat, about the challenges of limiting screen time for our kids and why parents might want to try harder. Read an excerpt of the book here: http://educationnext.org/educating-independent-children-technologically-dependent-world-be-the-parent-please-riley-excerpt/ ... And a review of her book here: http://educationnext.org/parenting-in-the-iphone-age-book-review-art-of-screen-time-kaentz-be-the-parent-please-riley/

Ep. 110 - Feb. 7, 2018: Charter Schools in the Real Wild West Feb 06, 2018

Show notes

In many western states, charter schools operate with little regulation or oversight. Matt Ladner joins Marty West on the podcast to defend this approach to charter school policy. Ladner, a senior research fellow at the Charles Koch Institute, is the author of “In Defense of Education’s ‘Wild West." Read the full article here: http://educationnext.org/in-defense-educations-wild-west-charter-schools-thrive-four-corners-states/

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