Tale of Two Students (from the Wall Street Journal)

Wall Street Journal had this great article on Saturday, May 30, 2010.

...This fall, Ivan will enter the University of Oklahoma, armed with a prestigious scholarship. "I want to be the first Hispanic governor of Oklahoma," declares the clean-cut 18-year-old, standing on the steps of Santa Fe South High School, the charter school in the heart of this city's Hispanic enclave that he says put him on a new path.

Laura, who is 17, rose to senior class president at Capitol Hill High School, a large public school in the same neighborhood. But after scraping together enough credits to graduate, Laura isn't sure where she's headed. She never took college entrance exams. ...more...

Link to the full article: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748704717004575268752238805736-lMyQjAxMTAwMDAwMTEwNDEyWj.html (Valid for 7 days for non-subscribers)

From WSJ - The Case for Saturday School

This is a great article to keep in your library for future reference. Mr. Finn writes about the US lag behind other countries and suggests that maybe this is happening because we spend 30% less time in school. However, he also makes a strong point that we waste a lot of instructional time getting prepped, going to recess, enforcing classroom rules, (you teachers know what he means!).

The Wall Street Journal only allows these links for seven days to non-subscribers.
The Case for Saturday School

From the WSJ: Tweet for Your Biz or Use a Firm

WSJ has a great article with examples of companies who tackled Tweets and social networking by themselves and some who used an agency. This article lists some of the monthly retainers paid and a list of firms who do this type of work. I found it very insightful especially since I have a few clients who are considering a jump into the social networking world--in a big way.

I find that many companies have just established a presence and let it sit. They feel that simply posting information will draw an audience to you. It takes much more effort than that. While the upfront investment in time can be substantial, there eventually comes a time when the process becomes automatic. Some of the new social media press release sites allow you to set up the Tweet message so anyone who views your press release can easily circulate it many ways: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, del.icio.us, etc.)

I recommend reading two recent articles from the Wall Street Journal: the one posted here: Firms Get a Hand with Twitter, Facebook and A Start-ups Tale: Tweet by Tweet . Remember, these links are only valid for seven days so download now.

My other advice, subscribe to the Wall Street Journal!

Charter Schools Pass Key Test in Study

From the Wall Street Journal... I like this researcher's thinking. If someone criticizes research, go back and rework it so it addresses the very faults they raised!

Charter Schools Pass Key Test in Study
By JOHN HECHINGER and IANTHE JEANNE DUGAN
Wall Street Journal
September 22, 2009

An excerpt from the article:

Critics of charter schools have long argued that any higher test scores were not necessarily attributable to anything the schools were doing, but to the students themselves, on the premise that only the most motivated students and families elected charters. Ms. Hoxby's study sought to address that argument by comparing students who attend charters directly with similarly motivated students -- those who sought to attend charters but were denied a seat through a random lottery. She concluded the charters did have a positive effect.

Link to article (only live for 7 days) http://online.wsj.com/wsjgate?subURI=%2Farticle%2FSB125358513141729871-email.html&nonsubURI=%2Farticle_email%2FSB125358513141729871-lMyQjAxMDI5NTIzMzUyODM1Wj.html

WSJ Article - An Apple for Your Teacher (Really about tech funding)

Don't be misled by the title. This article explains the complexities in funding that are hobbling some districts. EETT funds are back but some districts are getting new tech (that is great) but still losing critical things like TEACHERS!

These WSJ links are only live for 7 days but if you want a copy of the article past that time, email me and I'll forward a pdf.

http://online.wsj.com/wsjgate?subURI=%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052970204900904574304140278264598-email.html&nonsubURI=%2Farticle_email%2FSB10001424052970204900904574304140278264598-lMyQjAxMDA5MDIwMzEyNDMyWj.html

Wall Street Journal, July 22, 2009

By ANNE MARIE CHAKER

It’s shaping up to be a grim year for the Spokane Public School district in Washington state. Like so many others, it is making deep cuts in everything from teaching staff to school supplies this coming school year. But there’s one bright spot for the district: The amount of federal dollars to incorporate technology in the classroom—and to train teachers to use it—is expected to double to about $160,000 from the previous year.

At the same time school districts around the nation are bracing for a round of severe belt-tightening as a result of strained state and local budgets, they’re also getting a significant bump in federal funding to make their classrooms more tech-savvy, which they hope will help improve student performance.

WSJ Article Data-Driven Schools See Rising Scores

From the Wall Street Journal
Data-Driven Schools See Rising Scores

By JOHN HECHINGER

BETHESDA, Md. -- Last fall, high-school senior Duane Wilson started getting D's on assignments in his Advanced Placement history, psychology and literature classes. Like a smoke detector sensing fire, a school computer sounded an alarm.

The Edline system used by the Montgomery County, Md., Public Schools emailed each poor grade to his mother as soon as teachers logged it in. Coretta Brunton, Duane's mother, sat her son down for a stern talk. Duane hit the books and began earning B's. He is headed to Atlanta's Morehouse College in the fall.

Remainder of article at http://online.wsj.com/wsjgate?subURI=%2Farticle%2FSB124475338699707579-email.html&nonsubURI=%2Farticle_email%2FSB124475338699707579-lMyQjAxMDI5NDE0MjcxNTIzWj.html

Non-subscribers can read the article for seven more days:

WSJ Article - Bernanke Goes on the PR Offensive

Being that PR is my passion (after my kids, of course) and finance is my husband's passion (after our kids, of course), this article in yesterday's WSJ was just...exciting. Finally something that combined our interests.

If you are interested in PR, I suggest you read it because it is a short course on why transparency is critical. I have a few clients that grapple with how much information to make available. One in particular has a gadfly who is a retired lawyer (bad for us, good for her copious writing) and challenges every step we take. Her presence forces us to consider every word and regard every email message as fodder for her angst. It has also pushed us to take extra steps in making information available.

While these extra steps may be cumbersome and expensive, the organization is taking the right steps: making more information available to its constituents as they have never would have before. From a PR perspective, we realize that much criticism directed at organizations (public and private) is due to their constituents feeling that they are being left in the dark. These "impressions": sap the constituency's confidence and suggest that shady back-room deals are going on even when they aren't. I suspect that this issue of impression is much of the problem in our economy; We are suspicious. We fear that a privileged few are getting special deals and we don't fully understand how the whole system works.

Isn't that the cardinal rule in investing?? Know what you are getting into? Do your research? By not knowing what the government and the Central Bank are doing we are reluctant to reinvest in the "system" -- the "establishment".

Bernanke is taking an unprecedented step in lifting the veil. I think it will work but I would encourage him to do more. Start producing documents the public can read, that they can sink their teeth into. Let us LEARN how it works. Produce a television show. Produce videos for YouTube. Use our fabulous Web 2.0 to get the word out in the great open forum we now have. My industrious, idea-charged mind is bursting with ideas!

WSJ Article - Tech Giants Help Clients tap Stimulus Funds

An excerpt from the article re education:

"...Over the last four weeks, Microsoft has trained its U.S. education sales staff to help customers identify eligible stimulus funds and apply for them, said Anthony Salcito, general manager of U.S. education business at the Redmond, Wash., software maker. Oracle, of Redwood Shores, Calif., this month will hold an event for customers offering advice on how to tap stimulus funds, according to its Web site. ..."

WSJ Article - Experts Wonder How Education Goals Will Be Met - Feb. 25, 2009

I appreciated this article from the Wall Street Journal with insight about potential education funding in the new administration. http://online.wsj.com/wsjgate?subURI=%2Farticle%2FSB123561145508077643-email.html&nonsubURI=%2Farticle_email%2FSB123561145508077643-lMyQjAxMDI5MzI1NjYyMTYxWj.html

This link will be valid for only seven days unless you are a subscriber to the WSJ so download it now.

WSJ Article - Marketing in a Web 2.0 World

I have to admit that I am a Wall Street Journal junkie! Today they confirmed that my manic devotion to their journalistic quality is valid. A special section on marketing includes a great article: The Secrets of Marketing in a Web 2.0 World. If you haven't read it, be sure to save it from the recycle bin. Here is the link (it will only be valid for seven days):

http://online.wsj.com/wsjgate?subURI=%2Farticle%2FSB122884677205091919-email.html&nonsubURI=%2Farticle_email%2FSB122884677205091919-lMyQjAxMDI4MjE4NTgxNDU2Wj.html