edLeaders

Almost every state has been sued for not investing enough in education, especially in poorer districts. But localities may be more to blame.by Mary Ellen McIntireWhat’s the right amount to spend on schools to get the best outcomes?The average spending per student in school districts around the country decreased in 2011 — the latest year that data is available — and began years of declining expenditures, according to an April report on K-12 funding by State Policy Reports.Read the rest of the story on Governing.

by Tracy Seipel

by Allie Bidwell

The Senate’s overhaul of No Child Left Behind offers flexibility but retains heavy standardized testing that limits true teaching.

by Maureen SullivanSenator Marco Rubio of Florida today becomes the third freshman senator to enter the field for the Republican presidential nomination. Over the past few years he has opposed Common Core curriculum standards and advocated for educational vouchers, a federal corporate income tax credit and an overhaul of the college student loan industry.Speaking at Miami’s Freedom Tower, he said, “All parents deserve to choose the education that’s right for their children.” These are some of his other views:College Degrees:Not everyone should be forced to get a four-year degree in order to find a job. There are millions of good-paying jobs out there and we should allow people to have access to skills they need in a cost-effective way. In the 21st century some of the best jobs require more than high school–traditional high school–but less than four years of college.Read the rest of the story on Forbes.com.

BATs Congratulate Hillary ClintonThe Badass Teachers Association would like to congratulate you on your recent announcement to run for president.  The Badass Teachers Association is an education activist organization that is nationwide. Currently, we are 55,000 strong with chapters in every state.  We are organizing on the ground to change the conversation back to what public education should be, about children and their future.  We have far reaching capability on Twitter, via our website, our blog, and Pinterest.Our organization was founded in June of 2013.  We fight for strong public education for all children and for teacher autonomy in the classroom. We are a group that refuses to take the blame for our government’s inability to address child poverty and its impact on how children perform in school. We fight, on a daily basis, the efforts of big money to privatize our schools and use our children as market capital.We have been reviewing the history of your educational platform with interest in anticipation of your announcement.   Read the rest of the letter at Badass Teachers Association

by Daniel Goleman

Richard Gerver, former educator and principal from England, shines a bright light on educational leadership and vision. I first met Richard after I had interviewed his mentor, Sir Ken Robinson, on Facebook. I was immediately surprised at his giving nature to someone he had yet to meet. We Skyped and shared email conversations about our visions for education.en.

I had the opportunity to spend time with NEA president Lily Eskelsen Garcia. We spent almost an hour talking about everything from her roots in education to the upcoming election cycle and the opportunity education has to inform future directives.