Looking back on 2009 in the education world, I’ve gained a new appreciation of the virtues of our largely decentralized education system.  In the past year, the bad news is that federal policies have been mostly underwhelming, with a focus on charter schools and merit pay for teachers, which some are calling a “Bush III” agenda.  By contrast, good news comes from a few local districts that have taken important steps on their own to address what research suggests matters most in education – reducing the separation of rich and poor children. Continue to the blog