Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, April 19, 2010

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

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














VALERIE STRAUSS
A School Survival Guide for Parents (And Everyone Else)

Posted at 6:30 AM ET, 04/19/2010

New analysis of violence on campus

Colleges and universities should strategically review their threat assessment capacities because some of the conventional beliefs about these attacks are not accurate, a new report issued by the federal government says. For example, while much attention is given to the “traveling” attacker, such as the student who killed 32 students in a shooting spree at Virginia Tech in 2007, only 3 percent of the attackers acctually move from building to building.
Posted by Valerie Strauss | Permalink | Comments (0)
RECENT POSTS
JAY MATHEWS
What's Right and Wrong With Our Schools


Posted at 10:00 PM ET, 04/18/2010

Principal tells ninth graders to study, or leave

I was surprised when Charlie Thomas, principal of Crossland High School in Prince George’s County, began sending me emails. His school has been one of the worst in a low-performing district for a long time. But Thomas, who arrived in 2004, was trying to improve his school and was willing even to deal with a fault-finding columnist if it would help. Nearly 66 percent of his students were low-income, but he was not going to let that slow him down. I confess he has gotten my attention with some unusual moves.
Posted by Jay Mathews | Permalink | Comments (2)
RECENT POSTS

EducationNews.org - EducationNewsToday

EducationNews.org - EducationNewsToday

EducationNewsToday

image

Does D.C. School System Really Have A Surplus?

Washington D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee and the teachers union have reached agreement on a new contract after more than two years of wrangling. Rhee has acknowledged that she's known for more than a month that a $46 million budget deficit — the reason she laid off more than 200 ...
Full story

Teacher pay veto overshadowed other Florida education bills

While one of the most controversial education bills in memory went down with a veto, a number of other proposed changes could have a lasting impact on Florida schools...
Full story

Schools cut back pay for retirees

After 28 years of teaching special education at Eldorado High School, Sally Magnuson saw her income almost double to about ...
Full story

Rare auto shop class at Agoura High School provides top-notch, real-world, hands-on experience

Tucked in a corner of Agoura High School beyond the basketball gym and the baseball field is a real extracurricular gem in these days when car repair can cost thousands of dollars. ...
Full story

More Texas school districts look at whether to switch to online textbooks

Texas could help lead a textbook transformation if Gov. Rick Perry's recent proposal to abandon traditional texts takes hold. But the process won't happen with the click of a mouse, educators warn...
Full story

Court to hear arguments on campus Christian group

WASHINGTON — In a case that pits nondiscrimination policies against freedom of religion, the Supreme... ...
Full story

National Art Education Association and "Social Justice" Propaganda

4.19.10 - More inculcation and brain drain -- stealing our nation's youthful creativity to pound guilt, divisiveness, victimhood and racism into the cultural sewer. ...
Full story

Jay Mathews: Principal tells ninth graders to study, or leave

I was surprised when Charlie Thomas, principal of Crossland High School in Prince George’s County, began sending me emails. His school has been one of the worst in a low-performing district for a long time....
Full story

Small Vendors Left Out of Schools’ Book Purchasing

New York school officials say the new process will save the city $18 million this year, but local companies complain that it will put them out of business. ...
Full story

New program may prosecute S.F. teen truants

Older teens who are chronically truant from San Francisco public schools may be prosecuted if they don't... ...
Full story

Modified PSSA test in math offered for 1st time

Educators have complained for years that too many special education students are forced to take inappropriate state tests, resulting in frustration and results that don't reflect what they really can do....
Full story

DPS may have to cancel summer school

Detroit -- Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb announced today that a judge's ruling Friday keeping him out the district's academics has forced him to shut down ...
Full story

New teacher training programs lure candidates to transform Tennessee's schools

Since November, The New Teacher Project, a New York nonprofit that specializes in recruiting people to teach, has heard from 1,400 people ready to try Memphis classrooms. ...
Full story

Cleveland schools CEO says central office staff to get leaner, more efficient

Cleveland schools chief Eugene Sanders says a restructuring will make his central office more efficient. He says the staff of nearly 400 also will get leaner in the next few months, though it's too early to say how much. ...
Full story

Harry Potter tops list of decade's most banned/challenged books

The Harry Potter series of books were the most banned or challenged books in schools and libraries over the last decade. The list includes some literary classics. Here's the top 50. ...
Full story

Rise & Shine: Regents could soon empower alt cert programs | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: Regents could soon empower alt cert programs | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: Regents could soon empower alt cert programs

  • Chancellor Klein says seniority is the next frontier now that the rubber rooms are closing. (Daily News)
  • The Regents could vote this week to let alternative certification programs give master’s degrees. (Times)
  • The city’s new book-buying policy, intended to save money, cuts out small vendors. (Times)
  • A one-time rubber room occupant says he’ll believe the reforms when he sees them. (Daily News)
  • The city will shut East New York Preparatory Charter School in June. (GothamSchools, Post)
  • Girls at city private schools are joining the Girl Scouts in growing numbers. (Times)
  • East Harlemites like Nicholas Tishuk and his new Renaissance Innovation Charter High. (Daily News)
  • City students competed in a national robotics tournament in Atlanta this weekend. (NY1)
  • Some educators at Teachers College say cell phones can be constructive classroom tools. (NY1)
  • Students at Archimedes Academy in the Bronx compete against their teachers in boxing classes. (Times)
  • Andy Wolf: NY should skip Race to the Top because it undercuts local education authority. (Daily News)
  • The Daily News says that high demand for charter schools is proof the state should allow more of them.
  • One of the founders of Educators 4 Excellence explains why she opposes seniority-based layoffs. (Post)
  • Letter-writers weigh in on the rubber room agreement, with some questioning its wisdom. (Post)
  • A charter school in Massachusetts focuses on philosophy — for elementary-aged children. (Times)
  • A top D.C. principal at the front line of reform was found murdered in his home. (Washington Post)

This Week In Education USDE: Duncan's Weekly Schedule

This Week In Education

USDE: Duncan's Weekly Schedule

Duncanx-largeNothing earth-shattering on the Duncan media schedule this week - some speeches (HACU, Equity in Athletics, Congressional Black Caucus, NASSP), some travel (Peoria, Nashville).

PUBLIC SCHEDULE OF U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY ARNE DUNCAN
THE WEEK AHEAD: Monday-Sunday, April 19-25
MONDAY, APRIL 19
8:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m.
Secretary Duncan will give remarks at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities 15th Annual National Capitol Forum Welcoming Breakfast. The Madison Hotel, Dolly Madison Ballroom, 1177 15th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
TUESDAY, APRIL 20
1:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
Secretary Duncan will participate with Vice President Biden in a Title IX event, the Equity in Athletics guidance rollout.
White House
2:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Secretary Duncan will give discuss the Promise Neighborhoods program at the Congressional Black Caucus' Health Braintrust/National Minority Quality Forum Leadership Summit. The Ritz Carlton Hotel, 1150 22nd Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Secretary Duncan will participate in the Transforming Urban Education Symposium, hosted by Bradley University at the
Peoria Civic Center Grand Ballroom, 201 SW Jefferson Ave., Peoria, Ill.

Teacher layoff threat brews uncertainty at new Rancho Cordova school - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Teacher layoff threat brews uncertainty at new Rancho Cordova school - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Teacher layoff threat brews uncertainty at new Rancho Cordova school

Next school year, students returning to Sunrise Elementary School in Rancho Cordova may recognize only half their teachers.
The other half are targeted for layoffs and likely will be replaced by district teachers with more seniority.
Teachers at Elk Grove Unified's newest campus are trying to be upbeat for students, but there is an undeniable undercurrent of stress.
"It's very discouraging and disheartening to put this type of effort into this job and to have this kind of expectation for the future," said sixth-grade teacher Tim Martin. "It can make it difficult to keep up good morale."
Martin, 42, has received a pink slip each of his three years as a teacher. The first year, Elk Grove Unified drew on financial reserves to rescind layoff notices. In year two, the district used federal stimulus dollars and Martin was saved again.
But this time might be different. In the past three years, Elk Grove Unified has slashed $100

7W18PINKSLIP1.JPG

Autumn Cruz / acruz@sacbee.com

AUTUMN CRUZ acruz@sacbee.com Sixth-grade teacher Tim Martin helps Jessica Crocker, 11, with her math at Sunrise Elementary in Rancho Cordova. Fourteen of the school's 30 teachers, including Martin, received pink slips as Elk Grove Unified School District struggles with its third year of funding cuts.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/19/2688053/teacher-layoff-threat-brews-uncertainty.html#mi_rss=Education#ixzz0lY3NMMvK

Sun And Planets | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Sun And Planets | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Sun And Planets



(Here’s the link where you go on Wednesday to participate)
Oops! I’ve posted that I will be a guest on Classroom 2.0 LIVE with Steve Hargadon this Wednesday at 5:00 PM Pacific Time.
Actually, I’ll be his guest on his Future of Education series at the same time. I guess there’s often confusion between the two.

Talking With Students About Standardized Tests

We start state testing in two weeks, and I’ve just begun to have conversations with students about them (you can see my previous posts about these tests at My Best Posts On How To Prepare For Standardized Tests (And Why They’re Bad)).

Free Printable Books

I’ve just added the following resources to The Best Sources For Free & Accessible Printable Books, and updated

New Volcano Links

History Lessons � InterACT

History Lessons � InterACT

History Lessons

APRIL 19, 2010

AP season is in full swing at school. Walking the halls, you see backpacks laden with review books, flashcards stuffed in pockets, and a general look of exhaustion on many faces. The AP United States History exam is exactly three weeks away. As we continue to march through the curriculum, wrapping up our analysis of the Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan administrations , we are also going back to the beginning to start a review of what we studied throughout the year. This past week, that review included a reexamination of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and the formation of our democratic government after the Revolutionary War. As the students analyze the heated debates of our founders over issues of federalism, Congressional representation, checks and balances, individual liberties, and slavery, I am struck by certain similarities between those debates and our own discussions about educational reform.

The Founders agreed that the then-existing form of government needed improvement. The Articles of Confederation were not working. They failed to create a cohesive, workable nation. Likewise, most educators agree that our current education system needs fixing. With thousands of schools currently labeled as failing under one method of assessment or another, and 3.5 million students dropping out of school each year, there is clearly a lot of work to do. Combine that with 14 million children living in poverty, and the task appears overwhelming.