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It’s great to be back

Posted in Blog info

Thanks for stopping by for the christening of  this blog. In popping your  virtual Champagne, a  few of you may be experiencing deja vu.

This is the second time I have launched The Educated Guess. About two years ago, while doing this blog at the Mercury News, I put Educated Guess in dry dock after an eight-month run. (The archives are available; some remain relevant and make a good read.)  Staff cutbacks at the Merc, where I worked for 11 years as an opinion writer,  made it hard to continue the blog. But now, through a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, I can recommit time and energy to it. And the timing is right for a blog on education policy in California, for three reasons:

  • Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s Race to the Top competition for $5 billion in grants and the debate over the renewal of No Child Left Behind — or its successor — have renewed serious interest in education reform. (Read more and comment on this post)

Comments on It’s great to be back

Glad your back! I missed reading your blogs.
- Paul Muench
Glad you are back John. I'm moving from France to China (Beijing) in two weeks and hope to provide some ...
- Patrick Mattimore
John, I'm thrilled to have you back writing Educated Guess, a must-read for California education stakeholders. Your insight has been ...
- Linda Galliher
Congratulations Jon on launch of this new site .. much needed in California .. especially at a time of such ...
- Louis Freedberg
 
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About The Educated Guess

The Educated Guess is a forum on education policies in California and Silicon Valley. It is funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and sponsored by the Silicon Valley E
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About John

John Fensterwald is a journalist at the Silicon Valley Education Foundation,
which he joined in September 2009. For 11 years before that, he wrote editorials at the Mercury News in San Jose, with a focus on education.
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  • Bridging Differences Diane Ravitch and Deborah Meyer, opposites on some issue, share an insightful dialogue.
  • California Progress Report Check out author and retired newspaper editor Peter Schrag’s column every Monday.
  • California Teachers Association The teachers union’s perspective on ed reform and issues affecting teachers
  • EdSource Prime site for facts and research on education in California.
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  • Edutopia “What works in public education. Funded by The George Lucas Educational Foundation
  • Eduwonk Blog by Andrew Rotherham, co-founder and Publisher of Education Sector, keeps sharp eye on national scene.
  • EdVoice Small advocacy group that’s a power behind the scenes in Sacramento.
  • Enterprise Blog Andrew Smarick keeps a close eye on federal spending. He writes for the conservative American Enterprise Institute.
  • Getting Down To Facts studies 20 studies on school governance and finance; published in 2007. Encyclopedic and relevant.
  • Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence 2007 report with recommendations the governor shouldn’t have ignored.
  • Joanne Jacobs Former colleage at the Mercury News challenges assumptions with incisive writing.
  • Learning Matters John Merrow, PBS’ education correspondent
  • The College Puzzle Stanford Professor Emeritus of Education and Business Administration Michael Kirst explores policy issues relating to the preparation for and success in college.