The LA Times' New, Hybrid Education Blog

I just came across School Me, the new education blog at the LA Times started just this month, which at first glance looks like a compelling variation on the education blogs we've seen so far.

What makes School Me different from the other MSM-run education blogs is that its author, Bob Sipchen, is neither relatively green nor not "just" a reporter. He's [also] an established, award-winning columnist who, like Jay Mathews did a few years ago with his weekly online column, is now turning his attention to education issues. Point being, Sipchen gets to comment more than the others.

What makes School Me different from the organization-based education blogs is that it isn't putting out what -- no matter how many disclosures you put in there -- amounts to an organizational or political party line. Unlike the organization and think tank blogs and newsletters, Sipchen's got no stake in a particular outcome or obvious conflicts of interest.