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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Education Research Report: Voters Want Federal Action on High School Reform, According to New National Poll

Education Research Report: Voters Want Federal Action on High School Reform, According to New National Poll

Voters Want Federal Action on High School Reform, According to New National Poll

by Jonathan Kantrowitz
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Improving the quality of public high schools through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is a voting issue for over eight in ten voters, according to a new national poll released today by theAlliance for Excellent Education. Additionally, over half of voters say that their decision to vote for a current elected official in the 2010 congressional elections will be affected if Congress takes no action to reform the law currently known as the No Child Left Behind Act.

"The Alliance commissioned this bipartisan poll to gain insight into Americans' views of the public education system," said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia. "The overwhelming takeaway from the poll is that Americans are concerned about the growing problems with the nation's high schools and they want President Obama and the Congress to act—this year—to improve them."

According to the poll, voters see a clear connection between the nation's ability to educate its students and its ability to compete, but believe that the nation's public high schools currently do a poor job of preparing students for success. For example, two thirds of voters believe that a high dropout rate has a lot of impact on the nation's
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Notebook blogger and students win "Let Freedom Ring" competition | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notebook blogger and students win "Let Freedom Ring" competition | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notebook blogger and students win "Let Freedom Ring" competition

by Jamie Raver
Led by teacher and Notebook blogger Samuel Reed, 6th graders at Beeber Middle School fused civic studies and artistic expression in the "Let Freedom Ring" program sponsored by the Philadelphia Arts and Education Partnership (PAEP) and National Liberty Museum. Reed's class worked together to design and create their own interpretation of the Liberty Bell, which was voted the "Best Concept" Liberty Bell.
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School Tech Connect: A Specific Thing You Can Do To Make Schools Better

School Tech Connect: A Specific Thing You Can Do To Make Schools Better

A Specific Thing You Can Do To Make Schools Better

by effacethefacade@yahoo.com (Tim)
Last night's meeting with Representative Judy Chu and Diane Ravitch left me feeling pretty morose, I have to admit. Ravitch is right-- there's a stunning array of forces lined up behind the test and privatize movement in education that it seems like a lost cause.

Nevertheless, I think there's a tremendously important opportunity sitting right in front of us. It's Judy Chu's proposed change to the School Improvement Grant process.

The fact of the matter is that education policy exists on paper: it's called the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The most odious and destructive parts of that act were written in under the informal name No Child Left Behind.

No Child Left Behind added this bit of planned chaos: if your school doesn't make AYP for the same reasons for
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The latest from Perry and White on education | THE EDUCATION FRONT Blog | dallasnews.com

The latest from Perry and White on education | THE EDUCATION FRONT Blog | dallasnews.com

The latest from Perry and White on education

by William McKenzie/ Editorial Columnist
Texas' gubernatorial candidates have weighed in on education issues the last few days.
Let's look first at Gov. Rick Perry's most recent proposal.
Perry proposed yesterday that businesses be given a tax credit if they allow workers 18 or older that haven't graduated from high school or earned a GED to pursue such. According to Perry's office, employers would receive the credit if they let such workers take off two hours a week to pursue either their high school degree or a GED. Once the worker finishes the degree or gets the GED, the governor's office says, the employer would earn $1,500 in credit towards their sales tax liability.
Basically, this is a good idea. It gives an incentive to employers to see that their workers get at least the basics. It gives the state another way to fight its dropout problem. And Perry's office predicts the credit would only cost
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School Tech Connect: Blog-o on Blago

School Tech Connect: Blog-o on Blago

Blog-o on Blago

by effacethefacade@yahoo.com (Tim)
Spent yesterday at the Blagoevich trial at the Dirksen Federal Building, which I had never been in before. There's a whole subculture of retired people who spend their time going to trials-- today I joined them with my friend Mimi for a taste of Blago.

Mimi suggested we get there at 7 in order to get tickets-- yes, they give out 30 tickets for the courtroom. We weren't the first people in line. Retired people wake up early. Fortunately, we glommed onto a retired Water Department guy, Jim, who knew just about every atom of Chicago arcana. He was a Blago trial veteran and a walking museum. Evidently, his first encounter with Blago was back in the day when Blago was a shoe-shine boy. Apparently, you don't forget hair like Blago's, even over a lifetime.

First of all, it was thrilling to walk into the courtroom behind Defendant Blago and his wife, the charming and pure-as-snow Patty. When you're a political junkie, this is like a free carnival. The judge, James Zagel, is straight out of central casting. He's a soft-
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This Week In Education: Boards: Ed Reporters Serving On School Boards

This Week In Education: Boards: Ed Reporters Serving On School Boards

Boards: Ed Reporters Serving On School Boards

by Alexander Russo
340xNews from longtime Baltimore Sun reporter Mike Bowler is that he's been appointedby the governor of Maryland to the Baltimore County school board. He gets sworn in on Friday. Bowler covered education for many years, and then worked for the USDE
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Duncan Calls for Greater Community Input in Turning Around Low-Performing Schools in Remarks To NAACP | U.S. Department of Education

Duncan Calls for Greater Community Input in Turning Around Low-Performing Schools in Remarks To NAACP | U.S. Department of Education

Duncan Calls for Greater Community Input in Turning Around Low-Performing Schools in Remarks To NAACP

JULY 14, 2010

Contact:
Justin Hamilton, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov


KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Parent and community input and engagement will be a required step as school districts implement models to reform and improve low-performing schools, according to the Obama administration's plans for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
In remarks to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Kansas City, Mo., U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan credited members of the civil rights community for proposing the idea to strengthen community involvement and engagement in school reform during a series of meetings at the White House and the department.
Duncan singled out NAACP President Ben Jealous for his leadership on education issues saying, "Thanks to you and your colleagues in the civil rights movement we are increasingly focused on what we need to do at the federal level to advance equity through education reform."
"Based on your input and the very productive engagement we have had around the school improvement grant program, we will revise our ESEA reauthorization plans to require parent and community input in our school turnaround program," Duncan said.
In recent weeks, administration officials have been deeply engaged with the civil rights community over the Obama administration's plans for ESEA reauthorization and other school reform programs. The School Improvement Program (SIG), which provides $4 billion to states and districts to turn around the lowest-performing schools many of which are in low-income and minority communities, was a key topic of discussion in the meetings.
In his keynote address to the NAACP, which is celebrating its 101st anniversary, Duncan outlined the administration's education reform agenda and called on the civil rights community to, "Make education reform, not just a goal, but a movement -- by placing education at the very core of the NAACP's agenda and to raise your voices for reform in your communities."
Duncan also outlined other steps his department is taking to advance educational equity, including rejuvenating the Office for Civil Rights, investing heavily in Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as other minority-serving institutions, and boosting Pell grant funding for low-income students attending college.
Duncan hinted at further plans to revise and modify the No Child Left Behind Act as a result of ongoing meetings with civil rights groups and other stakeholders, emphasizing, "Equity is woven through our entire agenda from critical formula programs like Title I to bold new grant programs that are driving local and state-level reforms."
Duncan closed by saying, "Opportunity, not poverty, shapes and molds the destiny of our nation's children. For 101 years, no one has understood this more than the NAACP and I know that no matter how hard this work and no matter how long this journey toward educational equity, you will always be setting the pace, lighting the path, and leading the march. I am proud and honored to march with you."

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No permission slips for deadly field trip, investigators find | GothamSchools

No permission slips for deadly field trip, investigators find | GothamSchools

No permission slips for deadly field trip, investigators find

by Maura Walz
Nicole Suriel and her classmates did not have permission slips for the field trip that ended in the 12-year-old student’s death, according to a report released today by the school system’s investigator.
Investigators compiled a detailed narrative of the June 22 field trip to an unpatrolled Long Island beach taken by Suriel’s sixth grade class at the Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science and Engineering. They interviewed the school’s principal, Jose Maldonado-Rivera, as well as the assistant principal, local government and law enforcement officials, eight students on the trip and a college intern who chaperoned. The full report is below.
Parents had signed “universal” permission slips for short field trips nearby the school and for swimming in the school’s pool, and the school’s assistant principal emailed parents about the trip to the beach the day before.
But there was no specific permission form given for the trip to Long Island, investigators found. And the teacher
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Political wrangling stalls N.J. school voucher bill | NJ.com

Political wrangling stalls N.J. school voucher bill | NJ.com

Political wrangling stalls N.J. school voucher bill

Published: Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 1:14 PM Updated: Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 1:16 PM
The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk
senate.president.stephen.sweeney.jpgTony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerSenate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) during a press conference in this file photo
TRENTON — Political wrangling has stalled passage of a bill that wouldprovide New Jersey’s first school vouchers program, according to a report on NJSpotlight.com.
The Opportunity Scholarship Act, co-sponsored by Sens. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) and Thomas Kean Jr. (R-Union) would make vouchers of $6,000 to $9,000 available to 20,000 low-income students in low-performing schools so they can attend other schools of their choice, the report said.
Senate Democrats, led by Senate President Stephen Sweeney, oppose the bill, which they claim does too little, according to the report.
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Today's Big Education Ape Posts on Parents 4 democratic Schools #education #edu

Parents 4 democratic Schools

Today's Big Education Ape Posts on Parents 4 democratic Schools

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