Come join us at EdSource
TOP-Ed will continue with a different focus
Dear TOP-Ed subscriber,
In the event you’ve been on vacation or wondering what happened to your daily posts from Thoughts on Public Education, let me again invite you to follow and subscribe to Kathy Baron and me at EdSource, where we joined forces with the organization’s talented writers, on July 1, following an enjoyable three years at the Silicon Valley Education Foundation.
I am now the editor and Kathy is the senior writer of EdSource Today, a new EdSource website that features K-12 education policy news, analyses, and commentaries. We’ll be reporting in the tradition of TOP-Ed, covering critical issues like the implementation of the Common Core standards, the fiscal crisis facing K-12 schools and community colleges, the new transitional kindergarten program and efforts to find consensus on teacher and administrator evaluations.
Thoughts on Public Education continue with a new format, focusing on a deeper analysis of education issues, especially as they relate to STEM. You’ll be hearing more about TOP-Ed developments from SVEF in coming weeks.
Meanwhile, I encourage you to sign up for daily posts of EdSource Today and to let me know what you think of the site.
Thanks for your support over the years.
John Fensterwald
jfensterwald@edsource.org
Thanks John and Kathryn. Congratulations on the promotion. You guys have earned it. Take care.
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Hopefully your daily news service will have a RSS feed. Get daily emails will not be as user friendly to keep up with your writings. EdSouce already has my email address so making a RSS feed available will be more convenient.
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Congrats on the move to Edsource! I look forward to your continued coverage of all the important educational policy issues. I must tell you that I always refer community members who want to learn more about education in California to your blog! Keep up the good work, and thank you.
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and I second Mike’s request for an RSS feed…
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Thanks, all, for your kind words. EdSource does have an RSS feed, I’m happy to report.
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I have very much appreciated your writings at TOP-Ed and look forward to the future offerings here and at EdSource.
I agree that this blog has been blessed with unusually high quality comments, and I appreciate that you listen to and interact with us, and enjoy the insights I’ve picked up from other commenters who are dealing with different school systems all over the state. It has been wonderful to have such an excellent source of California education policy news.
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Congrats to you both! I have really enjoyed reading TOP-Ed for three years now and am looking forward to EdSource Today!
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I, too, have enjoyed your work at TOP-Ed and am very glad to hear you will be continuing at EdSource. I’ll follow you there for sure!
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Congrats, John and Kathy! As a newcomer to education pursuing my newfound passion, I have benefited immensely from TOP-Ed’s postings and comment dialogues. While I have minimally commented, since I was overwhelmed as a first-year mathematics teacher, I so appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts on occasion both as comments and on my own blog. Best wishes to you both and I hope we still have the chance for coffee once in a while.
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John and Kathy – my thanks to you both for the energy and (thoughtful) effort you have both invested in TOP-ed and congratulations on the new endeavor.
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I join other well-wishers and those thanking you for years of educated, worthwhile news and commentary. I’ve also enjoyed reading everyone’s comments after your postings, too, so hope that format will continue in your new home. I look forward to your EdSource postings, and think this is a natural fit for them. Mazel tov.
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So happy that Barb forwarded this valedictory blog to me. All kinds of good luck and fulfillment at your new post. Didi joins me in sending much love, virtual hugs, and many good wishes.
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Glad to hear that you will be continuing your work at EdSource! I will miss the daily interactions that your work here at TOP-Ed provided. Thank you for all the hard work and thoughtful discussion.
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Again, thanks to all for the good wishes (hugs back, Cousin David).
Paul: We’ll continue the dialogue at EdSource. We’ll have a WordPress format that fosters good conversation. You’ll see.
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John and Kathy: Congratulations to the both of you!
Thanks to help at the library, I will receive emails from EdSource. (I had trouble reading the security code words.)
John, I was hoping to meet you some day.
I am still looking for some group to do a PILOT STUDY on my favorite beginning reading teacher’s method. http://www.OnlineReadingTeacher.com. Mary Pecci sent me an email in the past ( 2009 ?) stating that a teacher in Mexico was using her pre-primers to teach his students how to read. He was thrilled because his students were learning to speak English at the same time. Since 2009, she has finished her reading series, Primer and 1-1 Reader.
If the State of California Education Department would look into this web site, they would save MONEY, MONEY, and more MONEY in many ways and reach greater success with primary students. Her three pre-primers start in kindergarten.
Marian Devincenzi
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Mazel tov!
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Marian,
Thanks for your vote of confidence.
For the record, in my book “At Last! A Reading Method for EVERY Child!”, I disclose the fact that there are three TRAPS in our current reading methods that children can get caught in, which must be removed if we are ever going to end the reading crisis in our schools:
1. Difficulty making the transition from “decodable” text, which CAN be sounded out letter-by-letter (Ex. Pat cat ran and sat) and “real English” text, which CAN’T be sounded out letter -by-letter (Ex. Once upon a time there were three little bears).
2. Difficulty handling the numerous sounds and exceptions for many of the letters and letter-combinations. (Ex. “a” as in cat, want, father, away; “ea” as in neat, head, great, heart, learn; “ai” as in paid, said, plaid, captain, aisle; ”ch” as in chin, school, machine, etc., etc., etc.
3. Difficulty handling the constant influx of “Sight” words (words that CAN’T be sounded out).
Therefore, many children either can’t memorize the mountainous information or they are caught in the dilemma, “What SOUND does this have this time – or – is it a SIGHT word?” Consequently they are frozen by indecision or they can’t read at all.
The real mystery is that some children actually DO learn to read with these methods.
Yet, there is an easy easy way to avoid all three of these reading TRAPS, which is detailed in my book, “At Last! A Reading Method for EVERY Child.” What Marian is referring to is the Pecci Beginning Reading Series, which begins in Kindergarten and is completed in Grade 1. Directions for how to introduce very word in each reader with intensive phonics is in the back of each reader. These beginning readers provide a COMPASS for independent decoding. From that point on, teachers can use any readers of their choice, but just continue using the COMPASS to introduce all new words. Believe it or not, sometimes there ARE simple solutions to supposedly impossible problems.
For testimonials, check out http://www.OnlineReadingTeacher.com/about.html.
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Looking forward to following your work at your new home. And hoping many of the TOP Ed faithful will be engaging there as well.
Thank you for the work you’ve done and the work you’re undertaking.
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I join Bea in her message. Looking forward to your EdSource period.
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Just FYI, if you guys have something up at EdSource today, I couldn’t find it.
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el:
We’ll be up at http://www.edsource.org/today later today. We had to double check some details with the new site.
Looking forward to your suggestions on moving forward.
John
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We have rarely gone a day without reading Educated Guess — and, more often than not, quoting you on California’s Children. You have the gift of writing about — to the lay person — arcane – details of budgeting and policy and legislation with wit, warmth, and accessibility. Our readership of teachers, social workers, health care workers, child care professionals, probation officers, etc. has been enlightened, informed and — frequently — entertained by the quotes and links to your work. Thank you for your passion on these issues; we look forward to following you daily on EdSource.
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