Education officials may scrap MCAS test Education news - Boston Globe - MCAS results - latest education news - Boston.com

Education news - Boston Globe - MCAS results - latest education news - Boston.com

GLOBE EDUCATION NEWS

Foreign language program saved at Silver Lake Regional Middle School

A parent and student grass-roots movement to save the Silver Lake Regional Middle School’s foreign language program has succeeded in keeping foreign language classes for eighth-graders — an outcome that shows democracy works, the campaign’s organizers said. (By Robert Knox, Globe Correspondent)

Students invite seniors to dance to ’40s tunes

World War II veterans from across the region can relive memories of youth and enjoy old-fashioned fun Saturday with a group of students 65 years their juniors. (By Johanna Kaiser, Globe Correspondent)

In Quincy, three Catholic schools close as one opens

Girls wearing red-and-green plaid jumpers and boys in khakis and white polo shirts are building rockets from two-liter soda bottles when the Rev. John W. O’Brien, the man with ultimate and complete authority over their school, drops in. (By Molly A.K. Connors, Globe Correspondent)

Concert to benefit slain student

James F. Alenson would have graduated from the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School this year, and the instrumental music department will be remembering its former trumpet player tonight with a concert. (By Amanda Fakhreddine, Globe Correspondent)

Education officials may scrap MCAS test

Massachusetts education officials are quietly putting together a proposal to scrap the controversial MCAS exams in English and math and replace them with new tests they are developing with about two dozen other states. (By James Vaznis, Globe Staff)

LATEST EDUCATION NEWS WIRE UPDATES

• Child tells first lady her mother lacks 'papers' (AP, 5/19/10)
• Texas board swamped with flak over curriculum plan(AP, 5/19/10)
• Mass. Cardinal: Catholic schools welcome all (AP, 5/19/10)
• Editorial Roundup: Excerpts From Recent Editorials (AP, 5/19/10)
• 2nd-grader asks first lady about immigration, mom (AP, 5/19/10)

LATEST K-12 EDUCATION NEWS

• Missouri governor plans $350M in cuts to budget (AP, 5/19/10)
• Judge appoints receiver for failing RI city (AP, 5/19/10)
• Reception mixed for W.Va. gov's education agenda (AP, 5/18/10)
• Feds: Virginia Tech violated law in 07 massacre (AP, 5/18/10)
• Parents of tween Gleeks keep hands on pause button(AP, 5/18/10)

U. of Cal. Seeks Savings by Centralizing Some Functions Quick Takes: May 20, 2010 - Inside Higher Ed

Quick Takes: May 20, 2010 - Inside Higher Ed

Science Research Bill Stumbles Again

Republicans in the House of Representatives on Wednesday once again rebuffed legislation (HR 5325) designed to strengthen federal support for academic research. For the second time in a week, an insufficient number of lawmakers voted in favor of legislation to renew the America COMPETES Act, the 2007 law that set out to double federal funding of the physical sciences. Republicans, who unanimously opposed the bill Wednesday, said they supported its goals but continued to believe it would authorize too much federal spending and create too many new programs. Democrats said that they were disappointed that the changes they had made in the legislation since last week were deemed insufficient, and that they would continue trying.

U. of Cal. Seeks Savings by Centralizing Some Functions

The University of California is seeking $500 million in savings by consolidation and coordination of administrative functions such as purchasing, the Los Angeles Times reported. University leaders said that the changes would represent a cultural shift for a system where campus independence has been highly valued, but they stressed that the push to centralization was on non-academic issues.

U. of Florida Clears Professor in Haiti Video

The University of Florida has cleared a professor of any wrongdoing in the case of two graduate students who filmed documentary work for their degrees in Haiti when the university had banned travel there by students, The Gainesville Sun reported. The university inquiry found that the students made the decision to go to Haiti on their own and that the faculty member didn't provide university resources. The university initially barred the students from using the material they shot in Haiti, but backed down amid criticism that the ban was a violation of academic freedom.

La. Lawmakers Shun Proposed Crackdown on Law Clinics

Members of a Louisiana legislative committee let drop proposed legislation that would have severely restricted the activities of law school clinics in the state, The Times-Picayune of New Orleans reported. The decision by a state senate panel, which came after two hours of debate, was a major (and unusual) setback for the state's powerful chemical industry, which had taken aim at an environmental law clinic at Tulane University that it viewed as hostile to its interests. Tulane's president, Scott Cowen, forcefully defended the clinic at Wednesday's hearing.

Canada Celebrates and Critiques Research Hiring Spree

Canadian academics and government leaders are analyzing the results of an effort to attract top research talent from other countries. As The Globe and Mail reported, the quality of international talent is considered high, leading many to say that the tactic of going after the best with generous offers was effective. A total of 19 researchers have committed to offers at Canadian universities. But as The Montreal Gazette reported, many female academics in Canada are asking why all 19 of those newly recruited faculty stars are men.

Texas to Reconsider Naming of Dorm for Klan Leader

A committee at the University of Texas will study whether the university should maintain the name of a former Ku Klux Klan leader (who also served on the university's law faculty and in the Confederate military) on a residence hall, The Austin American-Statesman reported. Some on the campus have argues that keeping the name shows insensitivity to minority students.

State Audit Cites Shortcomings at N.J. Student Aid Agency

New Jersey's student aid agency may have violated state ethics laws, misinterpreted executive orders on political contributions and other matters, and was governed by a board that was denied crucial information about its operations, according to a highly critical state audit released Tuesday. The state's inspector general's office said in its report on the audit that it had referred the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to the state ethics commission for a possible inquiry into the "solicitation of a donation from a vendor of the authority by an employee."

Another Faculty Unionizes in Wisconsin

Faculty members at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire have voted, 233 to 87, to unionize. The vote follows one last week at the univ

NJ school bus takes wrong students on field trip Education — San Francisco Bay Area Schools, Performance, Profiles, News — SFGate

Education — San Francisco Bay Area Schools, Performance, Profiles, News — SFGate

UC plans to cut $500 million in admin costs

It's what University of California students have been yelling about in campus protests since last fall...

• Photos

Judge backs CSU summer school fees

California State University can shift the cost of summer school to its students this year and preserve...

• NJ school bus takes wrong students on field trip 4:15 AM
• Kagan papers shed light on nominee's personality 4:00 AM
• Child tells first lady her mother lacks 'papers' 6:16 PM
• Texas board swamped with flak over curriculum plan 5:02 PM
• Frederick Douglass' church joins endangered list 3:00 PM

More AP Education Headlines »

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Maya Angelou Public Charter School

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Maya Angelou Public Charter School

Maya Angelou Public Charter School

by The Perimeter Primate

Student injured by chair-wielding sub (Washington Post, May 18, 2010)

A seventh grader at Maya Angelou Public Charter School suffered a fractured ankle last week when a substitute teacher allegedly threw a chair at him during PE class. Lucretia Murphy, executive director of the See Forever Foundation, which operates the school, confirmed the incident, first reported Monday evening by Fox 5 news.
"There was a definite incident in which a substitute teacher did shove a chair toward a child," Murphy said. "That's completely inappropriate, so the substitute has been banned from the building."
Murphy declined to release the name of the teacher, who she said had worked at the school before without incident. She said a police investigation was underway.

Nampa Classical Academy

by The Perimeter Primate

As you read through these three stories, try to add up the amount of time and money spent on the extensive state school commission and courtroom costs, not to mention the amount spent on wages for the lawyers, judges, clerks, and everyone else who had to process this mess. And never forget, this money was your tax dollars. 

New York City Charter High School for Architecture, Engineering and Construction Industries (AECI)

Cesar Chavez Academy

by The Perimeter Primate

CTU Election 5/21 � Edumacation Archive

CTU Election 5/21 � Edumacation Archive

CTU Election 5/21

by thatsrightnate

We’re down to the final two days before the Chicago teachers get to choose between business as usual union politics where we throw money at politicians and hope they save us and movement style union politics where we save ourselves. If you have been following my sporadic postings since October you know that I took Howard Zinn’s advice and joined up with a social movement. As a teacher, the thing that was most important to me was education and naturally that’s where I went. I can’t tell you how CORE has impressed me in this time. While the other caucuses seem exactly one person deep–maybe two—CORE has 20 or 30.

Schools Matter: Arne Duncan's Race Problem

Schools Matter: Arne Duncan's Race Problem

Arne Duncan's Race Problem

by Jim Horn

Duncan seems to think that he has earned a pass on race issues because his mom tutored poor kids in Chicago. I applaud his mom, but this says nothing about Arne Duncan, whose record on race runs head on with his rhetoric. The larger part of Arne's race problem has to do with the resegregation that he embraces with the apartheid charters that he loves so much that bribing state legislatures to change their charter laws has become a major policy initiative.

The other glaring piece of Arne's hypocritical oath on race deals with teacher hiring, where practice is exactly opposite of the rhetoric he espouses, as Julie Woestehoff points out:

A recent report out of New Orleans claims that that Ed Secretary Arne Duncan wants more black

Sacramento Press / Mayor Kevin Johnson proposes green initiative plan

Sacramento Press / Mayor Kevin Johnson proposes green initiative plan

Mayor Kevin Johnson proposes green initiative plan

by Sarah Kay Hannon

Mayor Kevin Johnson proposed his green initiative plans to the public during a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the California Museum. The long-term goal of the plan is to make Sacramento known as the national green leader in economic and environmentally friendly usages. His vision: to transform the region into "Emerald Valley."
"(California is) a state where dreams are made," Johnson said. "I strongly believe Sacramento can be the national leader in the green movement."
Around 300 attendees packed the conference room and were from all walks of life, varying from media to general public. The majority of those in attendance were supportive of the plan.
"I am a very economically cautious person," Sacramento resident Darcy Patterson, 29, said. "It's exciting to be able to be part of something that's going to make such a huge difference for generations to come."
There are four main focal points to the plan and five policy areas that will lead the initiative over the next eight months.
The focal points are fostering a regional green economy, creating green collar jobs, attracting and supporting green business through developing policies and practices, and increasing public awareness.

Local News | Growth forces Lake Washington School District to shuffle students | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News | Growth forces Lake Washington School District to shuffle students | Seattle Times Newspaper

Growth forces Lake Washington School District to shuffle students

The Lake Washington School District plans to change grade configurations and send some students from the crowded east side of the district to the less-crowded west side to cope with a rapidly growing enrollment.

By Katherine Long

Seattle Times Eastside reporter

Chip Kimball

Meeting tonight

Lake Washington Superintendent Chip Kimball will answer questions about the proposed changes to grade configurations and a new feeder-school pattern for junior highs at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at A.G. Bell Elementary, 11212 N.E. 112th St., Kirkland.

King County's birthrate is climbing, the number of new houses in Redmond is growing, and voters in the Lake Washington School District recently turned down a bond issue to build schools for all the new students.

So the district is planning a two-step approach to find seats for everyone. It plans to change school-grade configurations and to send students in the east side of the district to less-crowded schools on the west side.

The changes are not sitting well with some Kirkland-area parents, who say the district shut them out of the decision-making process. The changes would take place at the start of the 2012 school year.

Lake Washington, the sixth-largest district in the state and largest on the Eastside, estimates it will gain 425

The Course of Innovation � The Quick and the Ed

The Course of Innovation � The Quick and the Ed

The Course of Innovation

by Ben Miller

It’s rough out there for colleges these days. Budgets are down, enrollments are up, and the population they need to educate is increasingly composed of low-income or academically under-prepared students that struggle to earn a degree on time, if at all. For many schools, the response is to throw up their hands, blame the state, raise tuition, and then threaten to cut enrollment. At the department level, this can mean reducing offerings—a dangerous outcome for students who may already have trouble enough getting into the classes they need.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. For over a decade, the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT), a nonprofit group, has worked with colleges and universities across the country to redesign entire large introductory courses in such a way that they use technology to simultaneously reduce costs and improve student learning.
There’s a tendency when we hear the word technology in higher education to immediately associate it with

The Black Parallel School Board’s reflections on candidate forum � SCUSD Observer

The Black Parallel School Board’s reflections on candidate forum � SCUSD Observer

SCUSD Observer

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By Faye Kennedy

African Americans under the historical conditions of slavery, segregation and state-sanctioned discrimination had been summarily denied the right to read and write and formally educate themselves and their children. This predicament has had direct impact on every sphere of black existence. One of the most significant blows against this historical problem was the Brown versus the Board of Education decision in 1954, which ruled against segregation in public education. Consequently, America has come to face the fact that receiving a quality public education is a civil right and underpins the very core of our ideals as a nation and the principles and promise for which it stands. As of today, despite our previous efforts, receiving a quality education and closing the achievement gap is the biggest civil rights issue of this century. It goes without saying that as citizens, all, we want to live in a nation as good as its promise and wish to provide the most vulnerable populations with an education worthy of the name.

On May 1^st, 2010 an attempt to tackle this problem was made by twenty-two political candidates at Oak Park United Methodist Church. Among these were: Ryan Chin, Candidate for Sacramento City Council, District 7;

To read the entire Post Reflections article, please visit BPSB’s website at:http://www.blackparallelschoolboard.com