K-12 Greatest Hits:The Best Ideas in Education

Are proposed national, common core standards developmentally appropriate at the kindergarten level? Class, wealth, social status, and implementation may all be factors. In this two-part series Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, defends the program to critics who argue that national standards are neither needed nor helpful.

Phonics has been a controversial practice in the educational field for decades and opinion about the appropriate role of phonics has evolved. So here in the 21st century, what should educators be thinking about in terms of what constitutes effective and appropriate phonics instruction? Tune in and get up to date on the latest thinking on the subject of phonics.

Some students are visual learners, some students are auditory learners, and others are kinesthetic learners. Right? Well, maybe not; at least the answer is not quite that simple. Our guests discuss recent research showing that commonly accepted notions about learning styles are wrong. Looks like it may be time to update your understanding of learning modalities.

The power shift in Congress may mean significant changes for the education community. Funding priorities and the disposition of many popular and unpopular programs are up in the air. There is tremendous uncertainty about what lies ahead for teachers, students and classrooms. In search of clues, we talked with six informed education observers, to get their view of what's coming next. Consensus: The future looks a lot like the past.

It is generally accepted wisdom that small classes produce better student outcomes than larger classes and there is data that supports this. There is also data that contradicts this notion, asserts that other factors have more impact on student outcomes and that the significance of class size is largely over rated. Tune in and join this discussion.

School culture is critical argues Anthony Muhammad. Anthony believes that without a healthy school culture, no amount of structural change will produce positive results. In this segment we talk about the how principals can transform a toxic school culture.

Education insiders say "Waiting for Superman," a heart-rending documentary/movie about the struggles five children face in pursuit of a good public school education, is grossly distorted, even dangerous. The movie has received high ratings from the public, but those inside education see a different picture. In this segment former U.S Assistant Secretary of Education, Diane Ravitch, and four education reporters aim to separate fact from fiction.

Today's children are exposed to more sexual images and sexual messages than any other generation in history. They are consuming sexual messages on television, the radio, movies, billboards and on line at increasingly younger ages. What is the impact? How will this affect their sexual lives and ability to experience intimacy as they grow up? Many parents are deeply concerned. But do they really need to be?

A recent survey of American views of public education paints a mixed and confusing picture. From grading performance to federal involvement, Americans appear uncertain about the state of public education and what's needed.

The notion of offering incentives, including cash rewards, to motivate students to excel academically has arrested the imagination of educators eager to close the achievement gap. Are gold stars, Pizza or cold cash appropriate and effective ways to drive academic performance? Expert opinion and the data are mixed. Tune in and draw your own conclusions.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan talks with NAESP's executive director Gail Connelly on the role of principals in education reform. Duncan shares his thoughts on principal evaluations, managing with limited resources and amending No Child Left Behind. testing?

Are American students falling behind in their ability to think and solve problems creatively? Is the focus on standardized testing and high stakes accountability obscuring our ability to truly prepare students for work and life in the 21st century? Are testing and developing creativity mutually exclusive? What can teachers do to encourage creativity in a climate where the emphasis is on standardized testing?

With the new administration we have a new blueprint for education. But our guest says that the new plan is even more unrealistic than the old plan. His comment on the plan's proposal to replace principals at under performing schools is particularly troublesome. Listen in as Rothstein makes a compelling case for rethinking the new one.

Dolly Parton's Literacy initiative is called the Imagination Library project. The program gives a book a month to over 600,000 children from zero until their fifth birthday. Beginning in Tennessee, the program now reaches over 1200 communities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Tune in and discover how this program is promoting literacy in the 21st century.

Increasingly early childhood professionals are being confronted with inappropriate sexual behaviors by the children in their care. We're seeing young children mimicking sexual acts, touching each other's body parts and displaying sexual curiosity far beyond their age. What is normal? What is not? What is developmentally appropriate? How should parents and early childhood professionals best handle these behaviors?