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Thursday, April 29, 2010

On Teacher Absenteeism � The Quick and the Ed

On Teacher Absenteeism � The Quick and the Ed

On Teacher Absenteeism

The Wall Street Journal has an article out today describing the problem of persistent absenteeism among some teachers in New York City’s public schools. According to the article:
One-fifth of New York City teachers missed work for more than two weeks last school year, with absenteeism most acute in some of the poorest districts, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis.
The reporter goes on to write that in Brownsville, 24.4% of teachers were absent more than ten days, while 22.1% of teachers more than exhausted their leave time in the South Bronx and 13.2% did so in the Upper East Side.
Most of us are familiar with what happens in classrooms when teachers are away. Too often students are given “busy work” assignments, shown films only tangentially related to academic content, or barraged with worksheets and crossword puzzles. The monetary and student achievement costs of teacher absenteeism are

QUICK Hits

Quick Hits
Quick Hits is a short compilation of question-raising news stories, blog posts, and video clips that Education Sector team members are reading and viewing each day. The content of these Hits is not necessarily endorsed by the organization or any particular team member.
Could the 10/20/30 Rule cure Death By Powerpoint? (h/t Lifehacker)
Do you spend waaaaay to much time online? “How I Met Your Motherboard” may be the blog for you. (How I Met Your Motherboard)
Who decides who takes Algebra 2? (Community College Spotlight)
How does Charlie Crist think he can win? (The Wall Street Journal)