Media Advisories | U.S. Department of Education

Media Advisories | U.S. Department of Education

JUNE 08, 2010

First Lady, Federal Agencies to Announce Administration-wide Summer Initiative to Target Youth

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will join Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, to launch the United We Serve: Let’s Read. Let’s Move. summer initiative on a conference call on Tuesday, June 8 at 10 a.m. ET. Dial In: 888-946-3811; Passcode: VOLUNTEER.

Media Advisories

JUNE 09, 2010

U.S. Education Secretary to Address 96th Annual Hampton University Ministers' Conference

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will address the 96th Annual Hampton University Ministers' Conference Wednesday in Hampton, Va. Secretary Duncan will focus on President Obama's agenda for school reform and the important role that ministers and other community leaders play in promoting educational excellence.

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JUNE 09, 2010

Department Official to Discuss Innovations in Education at Venture Capital in Education Summit in New York

Jim Shelton, assistant deputy secretary for the Office of Innovation and Improvement, will participate in the opening panel discussion titled, “Why Education is the New New Market” at the 2010 Venture Capital in Education Summit in New York on Wednesday, June 9.

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• Media Advisories

JUNE 09, 2010

Education Under Secretary Kanter to Address Pennsylvania Governor's Conference on Higher Education

U.S. Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter will address the Leadership Dinner of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Conference on Higher Education in Lancaster, Pa., at the Lancaster County Convention Center on Wednesday, June 9, at 6:30 p.m. ET.

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• Media Advisories

JUNE 08, 2010

First Lady, Federal Agencies to Announce Administration-wide Summer Initiative to Target Youth

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will join Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, to launch the United We Serve: Let’s Read. Let’s Move. summer initiative on a conference call on Tuesday, June 8 at 10 a.m. ET. Dial In: 888-946-3811; Passcode: VOLUNTEER.

Gov. Chris Christie backs off plans to push N.J. teachers to retire early | - NJ.com

Gov. Chris Christie backs off plans to push N.J. teachers to retire early | - NJ.com

Gov. Chris Christie backs off plans to push N.J. teachers to retire early

By Claire Heininger/Statehouse Bureau

June 07, 2010, 9:45PM

Amanda Brown/The Star-LedgerGov. Chris Christie at the Statehouse in Trenton in this March 2010 file photo.
TRENTON — The Christie administration today backed off plans to prompt public school teachers to retire early, saying it will not pursue further pension and benefits changes for those who do not leave by Aug. 1.

Spokesmen for the governor’s office and Department of Education said the administration will not immediately propose reforms affecting current teachers other than Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed 33-bill "toolkit" to help schools and towns cut costs.

Previously, Education Commissioner Bret Schundler said the state would make more changes but exempt veteran teachers who retired before Aug. 1 — leading to forecasts of mass retirements far beyond the 4,500 teachers

Mass. teacher finds 1792 document in classroom - Boston.com

Mass. teacher finds 1792 document in classroom - Boston.com

LATEST EDUCATION NEWS WIRE UPDATES

• Mass. teacher finds 1792 document in classroom (AP, 9:30 a.m.)
• CAPITAL CULTURE: Marshall's legacy takes stage (AP, 9:10 a.m.)
• Ohio tornado survivors finding hope amid rubble (AP, 9:09 a.m.)
• Mass. teacher finds nearly 220-year-old document (AP, 8:58 a.m.)
• School: NJ terror suspect was dangerous as student(AP, 7:20 a.m.)

LATEST K-12 EDUCATION NEWS

• High court turns down No Child Left Behind case (AP, 6/7/10)
• As schools cut back, parents open wallets (Boston Globe, 6/6/10)
• Search for Ore. boy who vanished from school grows(AP, 6/6/10)
• Search for Ore. boy who vanished from school grows(AP, 6/6/10)
• Helen Thomas high school speech canceled over flap(AP, 6/6/10)

LATEST HIGHER EDUCATION NEWS

• Hispanic college success: It's all in the family (AP, 6/7/10)
• UMass-Lowell breaks ground on new building (AP, 6/6/10)
• Hispanic college success: It's all in the family (AP, 6/6/10)
• Tufts president is personal with kids who drink (AP, 6/6/10)
• NH school in worldwide network (AP, 6/6/10)

Learn Chinese & Become A Communist ?! - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

Learn Chinese & Become A Communist ?! - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.:

Learn Chinese & Become A Communist ?!

Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart:

Socialism Studies

Aasif Mandvi from "The Daily Show" visits Cedarlane Middle School in Hacienda Heights, California, with camera crew to get the real story behind the Confucius Classroom. His crew captured segments from the district school board meeting in progress plus interviews with the

Eduflack: Private Dollars and Public Education

Eduflack: Private Dollars and Public Education

Private Dollars and Public Education

by Eduflack

For years now, we have heard how school districts simply don't have the necessary funds to operate as we expect. Just in recent weeks, we've had education advocates lobby for $23 billion in federal funding to help pay teacher salaries, asking for outside assistance to avoid major cuts to their payrolls and their educator forces. And while this $23 billion for edujobs has gotten stymied in Congress, it hasn't been because folks feel it is inappropriate for anyone other than the school district to pay for teacher salaries.

So why the double standard when it comes to the District of Columbia Public Schools and Chancellor Michelle Rhee's plans for financial incentives and pay raises for teachers who excel in the classroom? Over in today's Washington Post, Bill Turque offers up another strong piece on the evolution of teaching in our nation's capital, this time focusing on efforts by the DC Office of Campaign Finance to investigate charges that the philanthropic support behind the new teacher pay pact somehow violates the law.

Let's pause to take a look at the basic facts. Rhee has pushed for nearly three years to enact her vision to boost student acheivement and teacher quality in DC Schools, offering up a new approach to scrap traditional teacher tenure and reward educators based on performance. To accomplish this, she secured $64.5 million from private foundations, including Broad, Walton, Robertson, and Arnold. Knowing the politics of our little city by the swamp, these generour philanthropic donors included language in their agreements that they could pull back the

Notes from the news, June 8 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, June 8 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, June 8

by Erika Owens

Parents says it's too cruel at school for their kids Daily News
Parents are so exasperated by lack of response from the District about abusive incidents their children encountered in kindergarten classrooms that they called theDaily News and allowed their children's names to be published.
See also: Mother says teacher torments her autistic kindergartner Daily News
One little boy's tale of school bathroom terror Daily News
A call for help Daily News
Kindergarteners Attacked Metropolis
Elmer Smith: School needs grown-up participation Daily News
Comparing the West Philly saga to the BP oil spill, Smith said calls and emails he's received make it clear that the situation at West Philly is not settled.
Education funding: State deserves to receive Race to the Top money Patriot-News (opinion)
Calls for the Dept. of Ed. to disperse more Race to the Top money this time. The board points out that the Philly school district alone has nearly as many students as Delaware, which was one of the two states that won funds in the first round of RttT.
Program connects city youths with college The Inquirer
The White-Williams Scholars' College Connection program helps low-income, high-achieving students get to and graduate from college.
Chess Helps Gives Some Philly Students a Ticket to College KYW
Five students who play chess in the Philadelphia Youth Chess Challenge, run by After School Activities Partnership, received scholarships to local colleges.
See also: 5 area students win scholarships for chess prowess The Inquirer
School buses collide in Southwest Philadelphia 6 ABC
What's the Point of Homework? A Very Public Education blog
School Choice Influenced by… the Movies? Philly School Search
Please email us if we missed anything today or if you have any suggestions of publications, email lists, or other places for us to check for news.
Click here to get Notes from the news in your inbox every day.
Notes from the news

Black Child Removed From School, White Teacher Allergic to Afro

Black Child Removed From School, White Teacher Allergic to Afro

SATURDAY, 05 JUNE 2010 19:10

In Seattle, Wash., a white male teacher had an 8-year-old African American girl removed from the classroom. In most cases, children are removed for behavioral and disciplinary issues, which is clearly understandable and acceptable; however, this wasn’t the case here.

The teacher removed the girl, claiming her Afro was making him sick. Naturally, the father of the child, Charles Mudede, was extremely concerned after the incident, and, as a result, the girl, who was the only black child in the advanced-placement class, has missed two weeks of school.

The incident, which occurred at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, was featured on KIRO-TV. The segment showed the hair product the girl used, Organic Root Stimulator's Olive Oil Moisturizing Hair Lotion, as well as interviews with her mother and lawyer.

While the girl was eventually relocated to another class down the hall, the fact remains that such a decision could be made by a teacher alone, without the school contacting the parents directly — especially given the implications on the surface of a white teacher picking on a single black child as being the origin of his allergy. The NAACP stated that it will file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.

The fact that a teacher would engage in such behavior is troublesome — especially in front of other students. If America is in a post racial period, it appears that “post” and “pre” may be synonymous. Teresa Wippel, school district representative, said, “We're certainly concerned about the incident and are looking into it. … Our goal is to make sure the student returns to school. The parents have, so far, not wanted to put her back in school. They

This Week In Education: Media: Atlantic Magazine Does Familiar Education Ideas

This Week In Education: Media: Atlantic Magazine Does Familiar Education Ideas

Media: Atlantic Magazine Does Familiar Education Ideas

by Alexander Russo

The latest issue of Atlantic magazine includes a(nother) praise-filled profile of School of One (The Littlest Schoolhouse) plus some (more) commentary from David Brooks on teachers and political power (Teachers Are Fair Game).


From Brooks: "The battle is not over, not by a long shot. Although the environment for change is more fertile

"What the Hell, Dude?" Team Players and Edu-Reform :: Frederick M. Hess

"What the Hell, Dude?" Team Players and Edu-Reform :: Frederick M. Hess

Frederick M. Hess's Blog

"What the Hell, Dude?" Team Players and Edu-Reform

by Frederick M. Hess • Jun 8, 2010 at 9:57 am
Cross-posted from Education Week

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I've now had the experience several times in the past few months of having one or another friend of longstanding ask me something along the lines of, "What the hell?"

The "what" in question is me being critical of or asking questions about proposals and programs that "reformers" are supposed to support. If you've been reading this blog, you're aware that I've expressed concerns about Race to the Top, i3, Florida Senate Bill 6, overly enthusiastic claims for the power of value-added teacher evaluation, and so on. Now, don't get me wrong. As I've said in this space multiple times, I think these ideas are good ones and I support them in principle--even when I've grave concerns about program design and implementation.

But, for many of my friends, it seems that such measured support is insufficient. To paraphrase W., "You're either with us, or you're against us." If you're on the team then you pipe down, express any doubts quietly and through back channels, and sing from the group hymnal. And you certainly don't harp on messy details like

Remarks by the President at Kalamazoo Central High School Commencement | The White House

Remarks by the President at Kalamazoo Central High School Commencement | The White House

Remarks by the President at Kalamazoo Central High School Commencement

Western Michigan University Arena
Kalamazoo, Michigan

7:42 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Please be seated. Hello, Giants. (Applause.) It is good -- it is good to be here, and congratulations Class of 2010. (Applause.) I am honored to be part of this special occasion.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you!

THE PRESIDENT: And I love you back. (Applause.) Let me acknowledge your extraordinary governor, Jennifer Granholm. (Applause.) Superintendent Rice, thank you for your inspiring words. (Applause.) Your mayor, Bobby Hopewell, who I understand is a proud Kalamazoo graduate himself. (Applause.)

Thanks to Principal Washington for -- (applause) -- not just for the warm introduction, but for his enthusiasm and his energy and his leadership and his nice singing voice. (Laughter.) Thank you. To all the trustees, to the alumni, to the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins -- everybody who’s been a part of this extraordinary place. (Applause.)

And I want to recognize our student speakers. Cindy, who embodies the best of our traditions in this country -- arrived three or four years ago and graduates as the valedictorian -- this is what is continually replenishing the energy and the dynamism and the innovation of this country, and we could not be prouder of you. Thank you. (Applause.) And to Simon, I’m glad that, according to the Constitution, you can’t run till you’re 35. (Laughter and applause.) So I’ll be long gone by then. (Laughter.) But it gives me great confidence to know that we’ve got such incredible young leaders who are going to be remaking the world in so many different ways.

Now, recently, an article from your local paper, the Kalamazoo Gazette -- (applause) -- was brought to my attention. And it ran just after this school had been chosen as one of the six finalists in our Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. And for those who aren’t aware of it, this is a contest to highlight schools that

This Week In Education: RTTT: Testing Companies "Streamline" Scoring, Oversight

This Week In Education: RTTT: Testing Companies "Streamline" Scoring, Oversight

RTTT: Testing Companies "Streamline" Scoring, Oversight

by Alexander Russo

Monday was a big day in standardized testing, although it probably wasn’t the sort of big day the testing industry wants you to hear about as we scurry from NCLB to RTTT.
First, the NY Post told of an “outraged Brooklyn teacher” who turned whistle blower after being hired to score open-ended student responses on the New York state math test (NY passes students who get wrong answers on tests). That teacher was aghast to discover students were being given credit for partial or incorrect answers. In other words, wrong answers were being credited for being sorta’ right. Those scores were recorded and counted towards the students’ final test results.

Pictures: Boy Disappears After Science Project

by Alexander Russo

The last time anyone saw 7 year-old Kyron Horman, he was walking down the hall of his Portland, Oregon

AM News: Graduation Day

by Alexander Russo

Education" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/us/politics/08obama.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(34, 68, 187); ">Obama Gives Students a Principle to Guide Them NYT: Speaking at Kalamazoo Central High School, President Obama offered a theme of personal responsibility... Harry Reid lays out huge Senate agenda Politico: Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) laid out an daunting summer agenda for the Senate on Monday afternoon... Pushing a Liberal Agenda, With Democrats as Target NYT: Liberals say the president has prematurely encouraged the Democratic deficit hawks in Congress by his own anti-deficit rhetoric... 32 Detroit schools expected to close this year AP: The financial manager for Detroit's public schools says he will close 32 schools this year as part of his plan to address declining enrollment and reduce the district's deficit... The gowns are green — at least philosophically LA Times: Animo Venice Charter High School is among a number of campuses that are adopting environmentally friendly graduation garb made from either renewable wood fibers or recycled plastic bottles.

Schools Matter: Mr. White Hat, David Brennan, Refuses to Testify

Schools Matter: Mr. White Hat, David Brennan, Refuses to Testify

Mr. White Hat, David Brennan, Refuses to Testify

by Jim Horn

White Hat Management's David Brennan has built an corporate welfare empire in Ohio by putting $1.5 million into the pockets of Republican politicians since 2000. Now he is being sued by 10 of the charter schools' Boards that he owns, which would seem to raise some red flags for politicians who, thus far, have looked the other way, even as White Hat has preyed on the poorest kids in Ohio. FromCincinatti.com:

NorthJersey.com: Aide to N.J. Gov. Christie defends retaining stadium, Izod, PNC boxes

NorthJersey.com: Aide to N.J. Gov. Christie defends retaining stadium, Izod, PNC boxes

Aide to N.J. Gov. Christie defends retaining stadium, Izod, PNC boxes

Monday, June 7, 2010
LAST UPDATED: MONDAY JUNE 7, 2010, 6:57 PM

BY JOHN BRENNAN

THE RECORD

STAFF WRITER

Governor Christie’s spokesman vigorously defended the administration’s intention Monday to maintain an option to entertain guests in a free, 24-seat luxury suite at the new Meadowlands football stadium.

KEVIN R. WEXLER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

That’s even though last week, Christie ordered the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to stop selling its collection of “house seat” tickets for state sports and entertainment facilities at face value to political insiders.
“The boxes provide entertainment, but serve legitimate business, government and political functions as well,” Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said. “Dignitaries, promoters and vendors, political figures — including political opponents — and others would be expected to use the boxes.”
The state’s deal with the Jets and Giants for the $1.6 billion stadium, signed in 2005 by Governor Codey, maintains an arrangement similar to one the Governor’s Office had at Giants Stadium. The Governor’s Office and the sports authority board each