Friday, May 28, 2010

D.C. special ed chief apologizes Education - Everything you need to know about the world of education.

Education- Everything you need to know about the world of education.

D.C. special ed chief apologizes


Effort to relocate special ed students from private facilities upsets parents
MORE ON EDUCATION


Today's college students less empathetic -- study

Are college students as nice as they used to be? Apparently, no, and modern technology may be partly to blame. A new University of Michigan study shows that today’s college students are not as empathetic as they used to be.

Technology may help poor schools by starting with rich ones

For the first time I realized that the education reforms I write about, raising achievement in the inner city, are as Paul E. Peterson puts it turning standard marketing strategies upside down. Maybe they will work better, he suggests, if we let their 21st century promoters try them out in affluent schools, seeing what works best before moving to kids who really need something better than what they've got.

Here's the ballot


ballot.JPG
Click to enlarge
In case you were curious, this is the paper version of the ballot Washington Teachers' Union members are using to vote on the proposed contract. This one, with the rather vehement looking "X," is obviously a thumbs down. WTU president George Parker said this week that he is optimistic that teachers will vote to ratify the deal, which calls for a five-year, 21.6 percent pay hike, more serious professional development and an optional performance pay program.
"I get the sense that we're going to get it approved," Parker said, adding that he was working to deflect what he called "a lot of misinformation" about the pact. His office has been cranking out Q&As and answering queries.
Balloting, which is also taking place by phone and online, will continue
D.C. School Chancellor Michelle Rhee. (Benjamin J. Myers)
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