Forget that cliché that Vermonters are independent, resourceful, and people who value the consensus of town meetings. Like the lemmings in other states, Vermonters just let Bill Gates take charge of education policy and practice in our state. With barely a whimper.

This radical deformation of Vermont education policy, which...

Doug, a longtime science teacher in Alaska, makes this observation:

"It is really interesting to me that President Obama can let BP take the lead in cleaning up the disaster in the Gulf, and yet teachers have got hedge fund managers, mayors, think tank policy wonks, billionaire vulture capitalists,...

The Burlington Free Press reported ("Dinner at 1600," Feb. 23) that as President Barack Obama was offering a toast before a four-course dinner at the White House, he acknowledged a tuxedo-clad Vermont Governor Jim Douglas as "an extraordinary partner with this White House." Obama was referring to the work...

Every time you hear Obama/Duncan talk about improving teacher quality, think about Obama's defense of banker bonuses in this interview with Business Week reported by Bloomberg:

President Barack Obama said he doesn't "begrudge" the $17 million bonus awarded to JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer...

A recent column I wrote for the Washington Post received such positive comment that I decided to expand one of the brief anecdotes to give a broader picture of how children learn. Honoring how children learn is a messy endeavor, something no longer allowed in our...

Stephen Krashen, noted educator and Professor Emeritus, University of Southern California, has conducted an intensive investigation of new legislation pending in both chambers of Congress (Senate Bill 2740, House Bill 4037). Introduced by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the LEARN (sic) Act picks up where the widely denounced Reading First legislation...

In October, 2009, former Marine officer Matthew Hoh resigned his senior Foreign Service post in Afghanistan because he feels the war is pointless and not worth dying for. He said, American families "must be reassured their dead have sacrificed for a purpose worthy of futures lost, love...

Back in 1986, in a column titled "Internal Combustion Prose," New York Times columnist Russell Baker noted the defeat of a proposal to emblazon Wisconsin license plates with the slogan "Eat Cheese or Die." It looks like Arne Duncan has taken up where the folks in Wisconsin left off, traveling...

Found in my In-Box, 11/4/2009
Dear Susan,
Experts agree that pre-kindergarten education helps young children become more successful students, who become more responsible adults, who create stronger communities. But, pre-k opponents are trying to block billions in federal funding for these vital programs. Please join me now in...

For the past few years this space was Jerry's. We thank HuffPost for allowing us to end his stay here with a tribute.

When news started circulating that Gerald Bracey had passed away early Oct. 20 at his home in Port Townsend, WA, an outpouring of grief filled the...