There’s some good conversations happening out there in the blogosphere that are worth checking into.  Here’s a few of them:

Over at his blog, Jay Greene comments on the new set of uniform national education standards proposed by a panel of “experts.”  If you think a one-size-fits-all approach is a good idea, why not see if your favorite novel made the recommended reading list?

Strangely,  Max Brantley over at the Arkansas Blog thinks he likes the national standards approach.  I am pretty sure Max has voiced his opposition to NCLB numerous times, yet now he says he likes the idea of national standards?  I thnk this illustrates the confusion people have with the abstract and the actual.  In the abstract, of course national standards sound good.  But when they are actually articulated it’s another story.

I don’t care at all to get into the debate about Diane whats-her-name’s opinion about school choice and NCLB.  The whole story, for the most part, lacks any substance.  It’s really more of a story of political alliances and betrayals and personal motivations and feelings. If I wanted that I’d be better served following the Tiger Woods saga.  That said, I have to give credit to Rick Hess for bringing some actual substance to the conversation over at his blog on EdWeek.

Locally, Jonah over at the Iconoclast blog is skewering Fayetteville’s Advertising and Promotion Commission over a lack of transparency.  Why does it matter?  Well, check out Ozark’s Unbound for a breakdown of how much money is being doled out, and who is receiving it.