A great debate on unions and improving our schools

For those of you who need a smart debate about the role of unions in advancing better student outcomes in our schools, there is a pretty smart debate occurring at the Flypaper blog. Mike Petrilli of the Fordham Institute started off this string, and it has attracted thoughtful contributions and some sharp elbows.

It all started with a post of mine that argued that Diane Ravitch is wrong to say that Massachusetts’s situation proves teachers unions to be a non-factor in education reform. After Ravitch responded with a rebuttal post, Jay Greene added a follow-up that challenged her to “point to a rigorous piece of social science research that supports her argument.” Sol Stern then joined the discussion to add his take on what Greene said.

And it continues. Great food for hungry intellects on the topic.