OpEducation
OpEducation was a roundtable opinion blog featuring the views of a wide variety of education thought leaders on timely questions related to K-12 learning practices and concepts. The blog invited readers to reflect on the opinions they find here and to respond with their own, building a conversation on the most-important education questions of the day. This blog is no longer being updated.
Science
Opinion
Are 'Qualified' Science Teachers Culturally Competent?
High-quality academic and classroom preparation are not the only skills well-trained science teachers need to teach all students, writes Christopher Emdin.
Science
Opinion
Bridging the Gender Gap in STEM Education
Though female students have equal or higher aptitude in STEM fields as male students, educators must spark their interest and confidence for science skills, writes Jill Anderson, the executive vice president of the New York Power Authority.
Science
Opinion
Laying the Foundation for Successful Science Learning
Developing learners need accuracy and understanding from science teachers to build up their skills, writes Charles S. Dumais.
Science
Opinion
How Technology Can Personalize Science Learning
The use of technology in the classroom can personalize science learning for students, writes Vikas Gupta.
Science
Opinion
Science Teachers Must Learn the Science of Racial Equity
Schools of education should train science teachers how to teach effectively in diverse classrooms, writes Shaun R. Harper.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
For Charter Schools, Look Back to Look Ahead
The past 25 years of the charter movement has produced both successes and failures, writes Greg Richmond of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. Here are three principles to ensuring every charter is a great school.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Quality Charter Schools Require Transparent Funding
Policymakers haven't created the conditions necessary for charters to serve as the originally envisioned "laboratories of innovation," write Aaron Smith, but transparency, choice, and portable funding could change that.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Charter Schools: The Stepchildren of Public Education
If charter schools and districts were better coordinated, we would create an environment where every child has a place to thrive, writes Great School Choices founder Dirk Tillotson.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
VAM 2.0: More Advanced, Agile, and Sensitive
The shift in focus of teacher evaluations from how well teachers teach to how much students learn is a profound change, writes Arthur Levine, but as with any new innovation, student-outcome-based assessments still need improvement.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Examining the Added Value of Value-Added Models
Have advocates oversold the capacity of value-added modeling in teacher assessments to help improve a school's teaching corps? Lehigh University's Craig Hochbein and Abby Mahone explore.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
An Antidote for Standardized Testing in Teacher Evaluations
To evaluate a teacher's effectiveness, supervisors should use a model rooted in a prioritization of student understanding, writes Hamilton Central School District Superintendent of Schools Anael Alston.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Common Sense Suggestions for Evaluating Teachers
Teacher evaluation has in the past suffered from two fundamental issues: lack of consensus about standards and insufficient staffing to allow effective evaluation, writes retired school principal Linda Murdock. How can we solve those fundamental problems?
Federal
Opinion
Under ESSA, Will Education Research Still Gather Dust?
The passing of ESSA is an opportunity for educators to promote teaching that is guided by research and relationships instead of standardized testing, writes doctoral student Sarah Cashdollar.
Federal
Opinion
Can U.S. Students Claim ESSA as a Victory?
We can only implement the state accountability system ESSA calls for if we continue to advocate for our children, writes special education teacher Rich Johnson.