RJ Carreon

We see our home planet as a whole, lit up in spectacular blues and browns. A green aurora even lights up the atmosphere. That's us, together, watching as our astronauts make their journey to the Moon.

@rickhess99 Someone once told me “you can’t legislate excellence.” I’ve seen jt to be true time and again. A system of carrots and sticks is often the right approach, and even that depends on a nuanced understanding of what gets results across contexts.

The failure of Reading First in the Bush years wasn’t just a matter of program design or technical acumen. It reflected a more fundamental challenge. Policy can make people do things, but it can’t make them do them well. That’s why policy works reasonably well if the task is issuing Social Security checks. It’s much shakier when the action is more nuanced, like changes in instruction, curriculum, or classroom culture. The failure to appreciate this has tripped up a slew of seemingly sensible K-12 reforms, from teacher evaluation to school turnarounds. In education, bets on policy are safest when dealing with “musts” and “must nots,” as with things like compulsory attendance, annual assessments, class size limits, and graduation requirements. These tend to be clear-cut and quantifiable. If you want to require that high schools offer career apprenticeships, there’s no substitute for policy. Policy is far less reliable when it aims for complex endeavors concerned more with how things are done than whether they are. Compulsory attendance doesn’t mean students will learn anything. High schools can “offer” apprenticeship programs without providing meaningful placements or supervision. So, what it’ll take for “science of reading” to deliver in would-be Mississippis?

@ChadAldeman is it weird that I am extra-excited about this post because I recognize the formatting of the data table in the image from #txed?

{new} Data > vibes The data suggest a strengthening teacher labor market: chadaldeman.com/p/trust-the-da…

@stellerarts Did you see the flame colored tanager in McAllen??

Appreciate this thorough look at the systems-thinking and student-centered design employed by prounitas.org in developing solutions that make a big difference in the lives of children and families. @TFAHouston @TeachForAmerica #txed

@jeremybmazur @marylynnpruneda Soon: fifthfloorkitchen.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/foo….

@marylynnpruneda Legit.

It finally gets below 100. My brain: Okay so it's winter and now let's have soup for dinner for the next 3 days.

@GladysPorterZoo Well, I do have this.

@rjcarreon It is! But this one is behind the scenes.

Who’s that Pokémon?! Take a wild guess 🥚 Hint: This endangered species will live to be over 100. 📸 : Ashley Ortega, Associate Curator of Herpetology #GPZoo

Help send @teachplus to #SXSWEDU 2024! Head to panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/144154 to vote for our teacher leadership session and hopefully see our Teacher Fellows grace the #SXSW EDU stage in March! #PanelPicker #teachertwitter #edutwitter

Thanks for coming to join us @BorderMayor and your long time support of @TFA_RGV.

@citizenstewart Texas politics generally does not conform to usual left-right explanations, or really any other either-or approaches.

This complicates the idea that the battle for accountability-free, quality-blind vouchers is mainly a contest between parents who support choice and influential teachers' unions who don't. In fact, it's a battle between Wa$hington think tanks versus local people of all stripes.

@edwonkkimmy I am not holding my breath.

@rjcarreon Which would probably be a good call if CSHB 100 was going anywhere. I guess we still have a few hours.

Just a question for the better informed: If SB 9 is gone, will teachers get any protections, benefits out of this session? Does that make the work of the interim committee meaningless? Was anything attached elsewhere? #txlege #txed

@RVAReid Stubbs Sweet Heat in moderation.

@laloalcaraz Me olvidio tomar un foto. #TeamRojo

FELIZ FRIJOL FRIDAY! #fff Christmas Edition

@RGVFOCUS We are clearly on the rebound at key milestones of 3rd Grade Reading and 8th Grade Math, and I have confidence that we will surpass our prior levels of outcomes given the progress we’ve seen in the past 10 years.

Has it really been 10 years @RGVFOCUS? Congrats on your work to steward our education, non- profit and workforce communities towards improvements for all Valley learners. Eager to hear where we are today in the new scorecard. #txed

@SohrabAhmari Hold fast. Soon the young will ask to listen to something else that you know is a direct result of your influence and it will all be worth it.

“Paw Patrol Live.” Deep breath. Just need to get through the next 90 minutes. Prosecco helps. Deep breath.

@DeLunaEva If anyone can help us make sense of this, it's you.

Who doesn't love formulas in #txlege bills? #HB100 #txed

If you're a teacher ready to make a difference in education policy without leaving the classroom, then our Policy Fellowship is right for you. Read more and apply: teachplus.org/regional_progr…