MAY 2013

• The Coalition on Gonski: Abbott says there isn't a problem, Pyne hedges his bets - now Joe Hockey declares...."I don't know what Gonski looks like, what the whole education plan looks like" ABC Insiders May 20.
• Michelle Grattan summarises the political scene around Gonski. The Convo, May 19
• 'Why Australia hates thinkers' Alecia Simmonds in Daily Life, May 15. 
• Trevor Cobbold shows how the Senate education committee has rebuffed the accepted political wisdon on school autonomy. Also, I notice that the Committee's report on Teaching and Learning actually doesn't have much at all to say about ....learning!  
• Gonski problem funding will be 'kept to a trickle' and schools will be on 'drip feed'  (SMH May 15) - also shown in graph form in Business Insider. This won't fuel the creative rethink about teaching and learning we need. But there is hope: to find the cash Labor has scuttled a range of the stupid "reforms" it has long trumpeted: teacher bonuses, reward funding - and the funding for autonomy.
• 'Experts agree: school funding reform important and necessary' Age May 11
• 'Parents turn NAPLAN into bestseller' SMH May 9. What a surprise! ....along with 'NAPLAN results used as entry criteria for private schools' SMH May 13. As Trevor Cobbold reminds us, the tests are not compulsory. Some evidence of a revolt....but of course My School data has long shown that most parents in Steiner schools withdraw their kids. The SMH editorialises on NAPLAN (May 15) and Alan Stokes pokes heaps of fun at NAPLAN.
• The Coalition continues to talk down the likelihood of getting Gonski. But the money will just trickle out at best. SMH May 8. And the ACT shows that planned provision of new schools, another Gonski recommendation, isn't going to happen - Canberra Times May 8.More details on May 13.

APRIL 2013

• Not many say it better than Ken Davidson: 'How privilege rules over school funding' The Age April 29
• 'NSW leads the way' SMH April 24. Looks like Barry O'Farrell has put the cat amongst the conservative canaries by signing up to Gonski. The Conversation (April 23) tells more.
• Now that Gonski has been written off by Abbott let's continue to stuff up public education? So 'More state schools may cater for gifted students' in Victoria. The Age April 23.
• Jo Tovey reports on how schools could spend Gonski funds (The Age, April 21)...but Tony Abbott declares it isn't going to happen because there isn't a problem (SMH April 22)....and cops a belting from the SMH....and again on April 24. Meanwhile, Bill Scales, another Gonski panel member has come out urging adoption of its recommendations.  I think that leaves only one panel member staying silent - you work it out!
• And then the inevitable....'COAG fails to strike Gonski school funding deal' ABC News April 20. John Menadue proposes a way out.
• More analyais of the Gonski (?) developments. A good start is Margaret Clark's blogsite. Richard Teese addresses the Western Australian situation. The Conversation April 18.   'A fairer Australia? Gonski and Labor's class war' The Conversation April 15. Also from Richard Teese (The Age April 15). Also Geoffrey Robinson 'Why Labor has failed to sell Gonski' The Convo, April 16. Trevor Cobbold states the economic case for Gonski in Dissent. You have to subscribe - well worth the price. Nicholas Reece (in The Age April 19) says 'One shot at boosting our schools: it's now or never'
• 'Schools seeking Gonski cash will need improvement plan' SMH April 17. Probably tick and flick nonsense, except for personalised learning. 
• April 16: Pyne ducks, weaves and hedges his Gonski bets: 'Coalition says all states, territories must agree' SMH. But the initial strong support for Gonski is also back with us.....the SMH editorialises, Tim Colebatch (The Age) lends a hand, and principals talk about it being an investment, not a cost.
• April 15: and here we are, all (well, some) revealed but the fun and games continue: 'Premiers baulk at $14b school funding plans' (SMH). They are joined by the university chiefs who are part-funding Gonski, including Fred Hilmer (The Age) .  
• How much more evidence do we need that we have a serious problem? Bernie Shepherd gives us the first take on what My School data is telling us - see 'Student achievement: frozen by inequity' Inside Story April 10. Then Barbara Preston's updated research on the social make-up of schools, reported on April 11 in The Age, The SMH, Adelaide Now, The Canberra Times. It throws a spotlight on the dishonest sideshows launched by some in the Independent school sector...though it does reveal differences between independent school lobbies in NSW and Victoria.
• As expected, Gonski is continuing to fall victim to politics, The Age April 9.  For background read Dean Ashenden 'End of the education revolution' Eureka Street, April 7
• 'Teachers bonus hoax' screamed News Limited on April 7. Not a hoax at all, just an unproven silly idea that was going nowhere: electioneered in 2010, reviewed in 2011, dumped in 2013. Fiona Millar in the Ed Guardian (April 8) tells why 'Performance-related pay for teachers gives the wrong results for schools'. While on thought bubble policy....Victoria is suggesting that 'Parents could sack principals' (The Age, April 7)
• 'Time to evaluate high-stakes test' says Leila Morsy in the SMH (April 7). Keep the test but do away with the stakes. Trevor Cobbold gathers together the various reports coming out of the USA on 'The standardised testing racket'. (April 9) .... and follows up with his excellent piece in the SMH, April 10.
• COAG is meeting on Gonski later this month and media reports will increasingly focus back on schools. 'State schools face $390m hole' The Age (April 3) reports on Jim McMorrow's analysis of the loss of National Partnerships funding.    

MARCH 2013

• Trevor Cobbold argues that the 'New funding model should include big loadings for disadvantaged students' - but the loadings at the top end are better protected: ''Overfunded' schools get reprieve from PM' (SMH March 20)
• March 21: Remember how the last ALP leadership circus appeared just after Gonski was released? It's back...
• The annual release of Schools Australia by the ABS has created a few headlines: The West Australian has discovered 'A big surge in demand for state schools' and The Age reports 'Fewer schools teaching more students' (March 21)  
• March 16: A novel approach, appealing - Dean Ashenden outlines the 'Rules of engagement to survive schools debate' The Oz. Another link to it here.
• March 14-20. My School 4.0 is out, once again showing that kids are probably smater than the media. There is the usual rushed and half-baked media stories: e.g. in the West Australian and the SMH.  Emma Macdonald (CT) tells us that 'Independent schools dominate rankings' (really? that must be new/s). The SMH (March 16) also has something more interesting on the geography of disadvantage....while the deepest the Daily Tele can go is about who is paying school fees. Apparently My School shows that 'South Australia's super schools are underperforming' (Adelaide Now March 13).... and that similar schools are 'neck and neck' (SMH March 18). Really?   New data on capital expenditure excites some interest (Sun-Herald March 17)  Gillard uses My School for her own purposes (March 14).   
• 'Can we simultaneously fix and flee public schools?'  While this little item is about Georgia USA the issues are much wider. It might take a could more decades but we'll eventually realise we can't do both.
• Now we have (sort of) competing plans to shape up teachers. Reported in the SMH March 12. Jane comments in The Drum and I comment in New Matilda. Welcome comments from a tertiary perspective by Field Rickards (The Conversation) and Robyn Ewing (SMH).
• 'Australia lags developed world on preschool enrolment' SMH March 8. An important issue and big thanks to Trevor Cobbold.
• 'Teaching bar raised...'  The SMH reports (March 8) on the Great teaching, inspired learning project in NSW. Many good features but too timid and too narrow a focus.
• Valeria Strauss outlines her concerns about common core standards - Washington Post, March 4
• The SMH (March 2) reports on the hearings on the Gonski legislation.
• More from England on schools admissions. Jonathan Clifton in Ed Guardian, March 1. Also from oversas, 'Educaton reform: are charter schools or public schools the best choice?' policymic

FEBRUARY 2013

• Interesting read which might put the cat among the feathered ones: 'Class sizes and the dead hand of history' from Dean Ashenden in Inside Story. Margaret Clark responds.
• Bit late: 'Gillard ups the ante on schools' The Age, Feb 27.
• The lack of leadership on Gonski has emboldened those who don't get it and don't want it. 'Going, going, Gonski' reports the SMH (Feb 20). ABC news reports on the funding row with the states. They suddenly have better ideas than Gonski. Trevor Cobbold tells what it really means. Meanwhile Catholic Ed's Brian Croke has joined the doubters - and Gillard is off on some frolic about reading. Jack Waterford comments.  Pyne wants to take us back - perhaps to slate tablets? High farce - but the stakes are very high as Trevor Cobbold reminds us: it's 'Make or break time for Gonski' Feb 26.
• 'Equity and Excellence Commission report warns of failure to right unfair US schools' Huffington Post April 10. The history and the structure is different, but this US report has echoes in Australia.
• So many religious schools, so little religion!  One suggestion in 'School choice is not just keeping the faith' SMH Feb 18.
• 'Lift school performance and the economy will benefit' writes Trevor Cobbold in The Australian Financial Review (Feb 18). Full copy will be on the SOS website.
• Schools results tell the story too well: the funding model has failed' Ken Boston in The Australian, Feb 16. Only ruined by a meandering piece of nonsense by Kevin Donnelly on the same page.
• 'New schools on hold due to funding uncertainty' The Age Feb 16 - Stephen Elder's little contribution to undermining Gonski. Not much uncertainty in England though: 'Secret Memo shows Michael Gove's plan for privatisation of academies' The Independent Feb 10.
• 'Schools caught cheating on NAPLAN' The Age Feb 17. And more on inspired policy from Labor: 'Just 14 recruits in push for teachers' Feb 14 The Age. 
• 'Public schools' charity case' Dean Ashenden flags cautions on philanthropic funding.
• Adam Smith in The Conversation (Feb 7) suggests 'Schools will come second to politics in 2013'
• A refreshing read from Leila Morsy in the SMH (Feb 7) on corporate sponsorship of schools: 'The business of learning is not just a numbers game'
• 'Voters back more funding for public education' - report in the Fairfax press on a commissioned survey. Someone needs to pay attention:  'Low socio-economic schools pay high price for cuts' The Age Feb 3.

JANUARY 2013

• The school year starts with renewed threats to equity and public education: 'State school sell-off to build more private schools' (The Age Jan 27), 'Newman government open to for-profit schools' (Bris Times, Jan 28), 'Schools set to suffer as budget cuts hit hard' (The Age Jan 30)
• 'Private fees mount as education costs soar' SMH Jan 24
• Trever Cobbold shows how 'Competition and choice fail to produce better student results'
• And yet another underwhelming report into autonomous schools, this time on academies in England. Estelle Morris comments in Ed Guardian. Trevor Cobbold draws the parallels with our plans in Australia (Jan 31)
• The Age (Jan 21) reports on the money consequences of not implementing Gonski   
• 'Young adults still fare badly in earning and learning' SMH, Jan 25 ....and it seems that students value school, although some more than others.
• There is a common thread running through these articles: 'For-profit schools to cash in' Sunday Tele, Jan 20, 'Schools cut loose in IPS shake-up' DT, Jan 19, 'Neo-liberals' economic policy just a get-rich-quicker fraud' George Monbiot in the SMH Jan 21
• The Age (Jan 21) editorialises on the need for quality teachers
• David Marr comments on Gillard's anti-discrimination Bill. Josephine Tovet (Jan 25) report on how 'Gay teachers in Catholic schools hide sexuality'
• A real link between guns and schools? Read John Hirst's article in The Age (Jan 2)

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