Is ‘Willful Defiance’ Still Grounds for Suspension?
By Edward Graham As more educators, administrators and educational experts around the country join the growing chorus of those questioning the effectiveness of suspensions, one school district has already decided to suspend the practice for minor infractions altogether. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the largest school district in California and the 2nd largest in the nation with 640
Why We Can’t All Get Along Over School Reform
Tension over school reform is ok, writes Larry Ferlazzo in The Washington Post. What isn’t is the unwillingness to compromise. “I have a suggestion for those who are calling for less tension in the name of helping children: The best thing you can do for those kids is to organize more people to create more tension so that those who are presently unwilling to come to the negotiating table feel compe
More Schools Use Cellphones as Learning Tools
Although schools have traditionally banned or limited cellphones in the classroom, 73% of Advanced Placement and National Writing Project teachers said their students use phones in the classroom or to complete assignments, according to a Pew Research Center study released in February. ”Teachers are starting to take advantage of the opportunities of cellphones in the classroom,” said George Fornero
YESTERDAY
Are Single-Sex Classes an Effective Way to Educate our Children?
In recent years, single-sex classes in public schools have become increasingly popular as a low-cost remedy for two issues that plague our country’s public school system: the efforts to encourage girls’ ambitions in traditionally “masculine” arenas such as science, technology, engineering and math, and to address the “boy crisis” in schools, the chronic underachievement of boys, especially in trad
AUG 12
Is Higher Education Propping Up White Privilege?
By Mary Ellen Flannery White racial privilege still exists in America—did you doubt it? The latest proof is an extensive study from Georgetown University that shows two college pathways in America: one for white students at the nation’s most selective colleges, the other for black and Hispanic students—even with the same 3.5 or better GPA—at two- or four-year, open-access colleges. Higher educatio
Jeb Bush’s Education Legacy Loses Luster
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has built his political career on a relentless drive to improve public schools – or, as he likes to put it, to help all children achieve their “God-given potential.” But in a startling turnabout, an education record that has looked to be an unvarnished plus for Bush may now be a liability. “Twenty-four months ago, most observers would have assumed that Jeb’s stance on
Educators Discover Benefits of Home Visits
Several Northern Kentucky school districts are sending teachers out of the classroom and into homes to get to know their students and their families. Experts say teacher home visits can result in increased attendance, decreased discipline problems, more parental involvement and – ultimately – higher test scores. Source: Cincinnati Enquirer Related posts: Home Visits Yield Hope and Cooperation Try
Obama Signs Student Loan Deal, Says Job Isn’t Done
President Barack Obama signed into law Friday a measure restoring lower interest rates for student loans, pledging the hard-fought compromise would be just the first step in a broader, concerted fight to rein in the costs of a college education. Encircled by lawmakers from both parties in the Oval Office, Obama praised Democrats and Republicans alike for agreeing—finally—on what he called a sensib