“Let Me See Your ID”: Now Coming to a Lecture Hall Near You. � Student Activism

“Let Me See Your ID”: Now Coming to a Lecture Hall Near You. � Student Activism

“Let Me See Your ID”: Now Coming to a Lecture Hall Near You.

by Angus Johnston

NPR is reporting that Northern Arizona University has installed ID card scanners at some lecture halls so that student attendance in large classes can be taken automatically. Apparently NAU is the first college in the country to do this.

I’m no opponent, in principle, of taking attendance in college, though I know many student activists are. In my view, class participation can be a legitimate component of a student’s grade, and you can’t participate if you’re not present. (Beyond that, I do think that it’s a professor’s prerogative to discourage absenteeism by taking attendance, even if it’s only to save some students from themselves.)

But I’ve got a few concerns about this scheme.

First, it seems to me that college attendance is nowhere less important than in huge lecture classes. A lecture

KC district sees a good start to its new era in education - KansasCity.com

KC district sees a good start to its new era in education - KansasCity.com

KC district sees a good start to its new era in education

By JOE ROBERTSON

The Kansas City Star

Day one of the reorganized Kansas City School District was off and running — not without some confusion in bus routes, or some parents arriving with their children at the wrong school.

Day one of the reorganized Kansas City School District was off and running — not without some confusion in bus routes, or some parents arriving with their children at the wrong school.

Some classrooms were low on students, while other places, like Southwest Early College Campus, seemed overwhelmed with them.

But volunteers at the doors and teachers in the halls had shepherded enough kids safely into schools — decorated, pristine and cool — to set off relieved cheers throughout most of the district Monday.

Superintendent John Covington, who has launched a year of dramatic changes, was seeing for himself, coffee cup in hand, as he walked by anxious parents and teachers in the halls at Carver Elementary.

“It’s going good!” a teacher called out from her doorway

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/30/2188726/kc-district-sees-a-good-start.html#ixzz0yBg1aELX

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan credits NY's 'breathtaking courage' in Race to the Top effort

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan credits NY's 'breathtaking courage' in Race to the Top effort

BY GLENN BLAIN
DAILY NEWS ALBANY BUREAU

Tuesday, August 31st 2010, 4:00 AM

Adams IV for News

U.S. Education Secretary Arnie Duncan praises New York school leaders and government for working together in the Race to the Top effort.

RELATED NEWS

• Charter school battle didn't affect school aid win
• Riley: How N.Y. kids can win the race

ALBANY - U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Monday it was New York's "breathtaking courage" that won it nearly $700 million in Race to the Top dollars.

Duncan praised government, school and union leaders for working together to create a plan with several reforms, including beefed-up teacher evaluations and more charter schools.

"This is something New York has absolutely earned," Duncan said at a press conference with Gov. Paterson and other officials.

"This is an investment of scarce taxpayer dollars in your ability, your collective

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/08/31/2010-08-31_ed_czar_gives_new_york_a_for_race_to_top_effort.html#ixzz0yBf3DtiJ

Newspaper's teacher ratings stir up controversy EducationNews.org

EducationNews.org

Newspaper's teacher ratings stir up controversy 8.31.10 - In a move that has many local educators seething, the Los Angeles Times has published an online database comparing more than 6,000 elementary school teachers based on a controversial statistical method that relies on test-score data to determine... UC retirement funds face a shortfall of more than $20 billion, report says 8.31.10 - A panel recommends increasing contributions by employees, raising the retirement age for new hires and reducing some benefits. Education secretary Arne Duncan: headmaster of US school reform 8.31.10 - As students head back to school, educators nationwide are implementing controversial school reform wrought by Arne Duncan. Pushing competitive market approaches and armed with unprecedented funding and support from the president, he is possibly the most powerful education secretary ever. ... The surprising thing teachers want from parents 8.31.10 - Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham asked teachers: "If you could magically make parents do ONE thing this coming school year to support their child, what would it be?" Here's the surprising answer. ... Who's 'Really Ready' for college? Retired Marquette dean gives advice 8.31.10 - Robert Neuman says he has seen "every student problem imaginable" in his 25 years as an associate dean of academic advising at Marquette University in Milwaukee. Now retired, he shares strategies to help middle school and high school students avoid common problems in Are You Really Ready for College? One secret, he tells USA TODAY's Mary Beth Marklein, is to start early....

Commentaries

The New and Old of Digital Learning 8.31.10 - Mark Bauerlein - What stands out in a rendition of recent digital breakthroughs in learning is that it relies on some of the most routine progressivist assumptions about learning. Barack Obama's $4.35 Billion "Race to the Trough": School year 2010-2011 8.31.10 - Beverly K. Eakman - California may be broke, and politicians in the nation's capital may be drowning in trillion-dollar deficits, but none of that has turned off the spending spigot in every level of government: county, city, state and federal.

CEA’s Capitol Connection blog The Daily Churn: Tuesday | EdNewsColorado

The Daily Churn: Tuesday | EdNewsColorado

The Daily Churn: Tuesday

by EdNews staff

What’s churning:

The Colorado Education Association is striking back at the state’s largest newspaper for slamming its lack of participation in Race to the Top. A Monday post on the CEA’s Capitol Connection blog says “the Denver Postresumed its unwarranted criticism of CEA for not signing on to the application” in an editorial on Aug. 25, the day after state leaders learned they’d lost their bid for $175 million in federal funds. “We believe it’s shameful for thePost to react as it did,” reads the unsigned entry, describing the editorial as “an unfounded rant.” Other factors

Rise & Shine: Lone first day of school escapes Yankees’ notice | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: Lone first day of school escapes Yankees’ notice | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: Lone first day of school escapes Yankees’ notice

by Philissa Cramer

• The Yankees briefly offered a back-to-school promotion for a game on the first day of school. (Post)
• Ed Sec Arne Duncan praised New York’s reforms in Albany. (GothamSchools, Daily News, Post, WNYC)
• Last night’s Panel for Educational Policy meeting reprised conflict over test scores. (NY1)
• An all-girls charter high school opened in Albany yesterday, the state’s first. (WNYC)
• New Orleans parents want to see more racial diversity now that there is more school choice. (NPR)
• Seattle and its teachers might have agreed about using test scores in evaluations. (Seattle Times)

2 Oakland schools extend school day to 9 hours

2 Oakland schools extend school day to 9 hours Jill Tucker, Chronicle Staff Writer Tuesday, August 31, 2010 Print E-mail Share Comments (1) Font | Size: 5 0 MORE NEWS Earl threatens US Coast after hitting Caribbean 08.31.10 MySpace users can now Sync up with Facebook 08.30.10 Iran distances itself from insult to Bruni-Sarkozy 08.31.10 School became a full-time job for sixth-graders at two Oakland middle schools where students clocked in on the first day of school Monday at 8 a.m. and headed home at 5 p.m., about three hours later than other students in the district. The new nine-hour school day might sound like an adolescent nightmare, but district officials hope that more time in class will help boost the test scores of students at United for Success Academy and Elmhurst

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/31/BAH41F5SAG.DTL&type=education#ixzz0yBbQ4nH4

As the school year begins, many districts in the Philadelphia region remain without teacher contracts | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/30/2010

As the school year begins, many districts in the Philadelphia region remain without teacher contracts | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/30/2010

As the school year begins, many districts in the Philadelphia region remain without teacher contracts

By Dan Hardy

Inquirer Staff Writer

As the 2010-11 school year begins in the Philadelphia area Monday with students in some schools starting classes, more than a third of the districts on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware remain without teacher contracts.

Even so, no strikes are likely in the area at the start of the school year, according to officials of the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers Pennsylvania.

The number of school strikes in Pennsylvania has dropped sharply in recent years, largely because of the economy. There were 14 in the 2005-06 school year; 18 in 2006-07; seven in 2007-08; eight in 2008-09; and eight in 2009-10, including one in North Penn.

In South Jersey, contracts remain unresolved in 28 districts in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties. In seven of those, tentative agreements have been reached but not ratified.

And the situations in seven districts are carryovers from the 2009-10 school year. There are 104 school districts in the three counties.

New Jersey teachers are barred

Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20100830_As_the_school_year_begins__many_districts_in_the_Philadelphia_region_remain_without_teacher_contracts.html#ixzz0yBah6lSR
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U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan credits NY's 'breathtaking courage' in Race to the Top effort

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan credits NY's 'breathtaking courage' in Race to the Top effort

BY GLENN BLAIN
DAILY NEWS ALBANY BUREAU

Tuesday, August 31st 2010, 4:00 AM

Adams IV for News

U.S. Education Secretary Arnie Duncan praises New York school leaders and government for working together in the Race to the Top effort.

RELATED NEWS

• Charter school battle didn't affect school aid win
• Riley: How N.Y. kids can win the race

ALBANY - U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Monday it was New York's "breathtaking courage" that won it nearly $700 million in Race to the Top dollars.

Duncan praised government, school and union leaders for working together to

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/08/31/2010-08-31_ed_czar_gives_new_york_a_for_race_to_top_effort.html?r=ny_local/education#ixzz0yBYgbbjp

Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Daily Education & Technology News for Schools 08/31/2010

Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Daily Education & Technology News for Schools 08/31/2010

Daily Education & Technology News for Schools 08/31/2010

by coolcatteacher@gmail.com (Victoria A Davis, Cool Cat Teacher)

• I am leaving Lynwood High School. - The BookJam - Annotated

  So many of the struggles of teaching are here in Alan's post saying goodbye to teaching for the year. Congratulations on his amazing improvements in writing scores! But certainly, his thoughts are understandable.
  
  Want to know why it is tough to keep good teachers in US publi

The Answer Sheet - Surviving back-to-school night

The Answer Sheet - Surviving back-to-school night

Surviving back-to-school night

Here's an updated version of the first piece I published on The Answer Sheet exactly a year ago today. This first anniversary finds me on vacation, but I'll keep posting new pieces each day until I return to full-time blogging next week. An administrator at a school in Montgomery County welcomed several hundred parents at back-to-school night by relating his extensive experience as an educator and as a soldier. Then he said, “So you can see I am very qualified. So, do I know more than you do about the curriculum? Yes I do. Do I know more about [student] placement? Yes I do. Do I want your opinion? No I don’t.” The crowd was effectively cowed. This, admittedly, is not the best way to start back- to-school night, but it points to two problems that can mar the evening when parents and teachers meet at the start of the

Schools Matter: Mindless Jay Mathews Declares DC Achievement Gap Mindless Measure

Schools Matter: Mindless Jay Mathews Declares DC Achievement Gap Mindless Measure

Mindless Jay Mathews Declares DC Achievement Gap Mindless Measure

by Jim Horn

Yesterday:

The D.C. mayoral race is deeply split on most issues, but everyone agrees on one thing: We must reduce the achievement gap between minority and white students. It is too bad, then, that that the gap is such a mindless measure of school progress.

Obviously, Jay has joined other bold reformers such as the recently-fired Bret Schundler of New Jersey whose efforts to remake New Jersey schools in the corporate image led him to denounce New Jersey Public Schools as a “wretched system” and the state’s #1 national rankings on the NAEP in both 4th and 8th grade reading and