Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, April 8, 2010

EducationNews.org - EducationNewsToday

EducationNews.org - EducationNewsToday

EducationNewsToday

Gist: R.I. must keep momentum

PROVIDENCE — Although the state recently lost its bid for millions in federal money to reform its schools, “No one should see this as a defeat,” Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist told lawmakers at the State House Wednesday.
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Graduation goals yet to be achieved

At least 10 Rhode Island school districts have fallen behind in their efforts to make high school more rigorous — including several high-performing suburban districts. The lag places the schools at risk of not being allowed to issue diplomas to the Class of 2012....
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Sebelius calls for a wider role for city schools

More than 1,100 school administrators, health-care personnel, parents and community members gathered in Center City Wednesday to rally around Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius' call to utilize city school buildings as safe havens for families, even after the school bell rings. ...
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City controller cites charter-school profiteering

City Controller Alan Butkovitz's investigation of 13 Philadelphia charter schools found repeated examples of complex real estate arrangements in which charters leased or rented facilities from related nonprofit organizations. ...
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Pittsburgh, suburban public schools listed high in quality study

The Pittsburgh area ranks No. 7 in the nation for its public schools among cities with populations above 300,000, according to GreatSchools, a nonprofit organization that compiles school data nationwide....
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CMU says it needs $20 million to defray costs for needy students

Keeping a needy student enrolled in an elite college no doubt is hard for families who have lost income in the recession. It can be rough on campuses, too....
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Struggling school replacing principal, half of staff

In its attempt to win millions of dollars in federal money, the Clark County School District has to show it is serious in its effort to make dramatic changes at its most beleaguered campuses....
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Charter schools feel weight of down economy

In their hope to find the best education for their children, some parents turn to charter schools — campuses that rely on public funding but which, governed by a state-approved charter, operate more independently than mainstream public schools. ...
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Foundations Would Help Fund D.C. Teacher Contract

In what is believed to be a first of its kind arrangement, four foundations have committed nearly $65 million for performance pay. ...
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Districts Report Grim Outlook as Stimulus Fades

Layoffs, program cuts, and other drastic steps loom as economic-stimulus aid dries up, a survey of school administators finds....
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We Need An Educational Revolution!

Why do we need an educational revolution in the United States? Many students receive the necessary tools to overcome struggles in public education by the support of parents, teachers and interventions...
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Virginia governor: Is it so wrong to love the Old South?

4.8.10 - After living through a decade of attacks against the Confederate battle flag and school administrators suspending students who wear Dixie regalia, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) is, like a true Johnny Reb, fighting back. ...
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Expanded reading, writing classes lead to gains in all subjects, educators say

An assembly of ponytails, pink sweatshirts, jerseys and athletic shorts, the eighth-graders sat quietly, heads down, their rulers clinking as they graphed a mathematical equation. ...
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Teenager files Facebook complaint against his mom

The mother of a 16-year-old boy said she was only being a good mom when she locked him out of his Facebook....
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Web sites take aim at Phoebe Prince’s alleged bullies

SOUTH HADLEY - Four teenage girls accused of hounding young Phoebe Prince to her tragic death are now the targets of anonymous cyber-vigilantes who have put up bogus Web sites... ...
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Jay Mathews: Why I ignore some great schools

Cedric Sheridan, a Prince George’s County parent, worries about the high school where his son is a senior and his daughter is a junior. He told me “I fear that it started on a downward slide a few years ago.” ...
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McPherson on slavery and Virginia's governor

Civil War expert James McPherson says that Virginia Gov. McDonnell had it wrong when he indicated that slavery was not “most significant” for Virginia as an issue during the Civil War period....
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The case for civic engagement in schools

Last year, the Texas State Board of Education approved changes to the K-12 science curriculum standards, known as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS. The revisions go into effect for the 2010–11 ...
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"Dixie"

4.8.10 - Although best known as the song adopted by the Confederacy, "Dixie" was also Abraham Lincoln's favorite song, and it was played at his inauguration....
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A Confederacy of Dunces

4.8.10 - GAIL COLLINS - It’s been a tough time lately for those of us who take social studies seriously. Just look at what’s going on in Virginia and Texas and elsewhere....
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