Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Asking more of preschool 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

Educator honored for teaching language, confidence

Takuto Kimura, 13, remembers his first day in an American classroom three years ago. He did not speak a word of English. (By June Q. Wu, Globe Correspondent)

Asking more of preschool

Once considered just places to play, preschools now sandwich science and math lessons in between naps and recess. To help teachers meet the new academic rigor and to reduce socioeconomic achievement gaps that start before kindergarten, the state wants more teachers to earn bachelor’s degrees. (By James Vaznis, Globe Staff)

Quincy to lay off 75 teachers if budget is approved in vote

As the city’s School Committee finalized a budget last night that would lay off about 118 people, including approximately 75 teachers, Mayor Thomas P. Koch said residents could be hit with an incremental tax increase next year. (By Molly A.K. Connors, Globe Correspondent)

Walpole students petition homeowner flying Confederate flag

A group of Walpole High School students have been gathering the signatures of their fellow classmates, hoping to use them to persuade the homeowner who displays the Confederate flag next to the field where they play football games that it’s time to take it down. (By Michele Morgan Bolton, Globe Correspondent)

College program for Randolph high school students offers credits, low fees

Just a few years ago, Randolph was considered a town in decline: School programs were being cut, MCAS scores were low, political controversies plagued Town Hall, and a series of homicides made the headlines. (By Wendy Chow, Globe Staff)

LATEST EDUCATION NEWS WIRE UPDATES

LATEST K-12 EDUCATION NEWS

Schools Matter: Massachusetts to Deny 2,933 Students Diplomas: 69% Are Special Ed, 12% ELL

Schools Matter: Massachusetts to Deny 2,933 Students Diplomas: 69% Are Special Ed, 12% ELL

Massachusetts to Deny 2,933 Students Diplomas: 69% Are Special Ed, 12% ELL

The final test numbers are in for graduation, and four percent of Massachusetts seniors will not get diplomas this year because they did not pass a high school science exam. Despite the cruel reality that would indicate otherwise, Commissioner Mitchell Chester has declared that he is "not going to give up on these students." Let's see what the Commissioner has in mind besides re-testing and re-testing and re-testing again. Does that make the no excuses and high standards idiots sleep better at night?

So remember boys and girls, if you have a learning disability or mental impairment, that's no excuse when it comes to the MCAS or the exit exams. And if you are just learning English, that's not an excuse, either. And if your schools don't have science labs or textbooks or a real science teacher, same deal--no excuses. Tell me


Good Reporting on Whiteboards at WaPo: A Model for Education Writers

Anyone interested in whiteboards? Anyone? Do you know what whiteboards are? Anyone, anyone? Well, Stephanie McCrummen at WaPo does because she's done her homework. She not only visits a classroom where a whiteboard is in use, but she interviews industry spokesmen, classroom teachers, vendors, and even four or five education professors.

My question is this: If WaPo reporters can do such a fine job reporting on a technology issue, why can't, or why

EdSec: Four Days Of "Closed Press Meetings" This Week In Education

This Week In Education

EdSec: Four Days Of "Closed Press Meetings"

4283_1157872667549_1249737466_417751_6663569_nAfter a Monday afternoon meeting with the State Legislators Conference, the Education Secretary doesn't have much on his public media calendar until Friday. But -- in a new development -- his calendar lists four straight days of "closed press meetings." Not sure what that means -- the Department has for the last year or so declined to provide information about the Secretary's non-media calendar but perhaps this is a start. Maybe in another year or two we'll get some actual specifics.
PUBLIC SCHEDULE OF U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY ARNE DUNCAN
THE WEEK AHEAD: Monday-Sunday, June 14-20, 2010

MONDAY, JUNE 14
2 p.m.
The Education Department's senior staff will host a State Legislators Conference. This conference will enable state lawmakers to interact with senior staff members, share their education vision, and highlight what they are working on in their local communities.

Pay cuts won't solve city schools' woes Education - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Education - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Viewpoints: Pay cuts won't solve city schools' woes

Published: Saturday, Jun. 12, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 11A
We teachers wear many hats. As front-line educators, counselors and managers, we put in long hours constantly conceptualizing, planning and implementing better ways to do what we love most – teaching children skills and strategies to think and create, to produce quality work that exceeds their expectations and meets state standards.
But at the Sacramento City Unified School District headquarters, the message is clear: Reducing employee compensation is a top priority.
Now there's a sure-fire method to attract and retain the best and the brightest!

As a 19-year veteran of SCUSD, a mentor and Best Practices demonstration teacher and a certified Gifted and Talented Education practitioner, I am disheartened at the direction in which my district is heading.
A battered economy and education deficits will lead even the most measured of leaders into panic mode. But this time, the Sacramento City Teachers Association, comprising nearly 3,000 dedicated teachers, counselors, librarians, psychologists, speech therapists and nurses, is being pushed into an acrimonious abyss that is dangerously eroding employee morale, and that's not good for anyone.
Our new superintendent, Jonathan Raymond – former lawyer, politician, CEO and chief of


Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/12/2816935/pay-cuts-wont-solve-city-schools.html#ixzz0qePg2sVt


The president of Jesuit High School informed board members and parents Thursday he will step down as head of the all-boys Catholic high school next year.

6M12ACADEMY
Students in the Sports Health Academy at Grant High School are learning that they don't have to be a professional athlete in order to have a sports career.
The Sacramento City Unified School District and the Sacramento City Teachers Association are expected to announce a two-year agreement Monday that preserves class sizes and saves pink-slipped teachers and counselors.
The Sacramento City Unified School District and the Sacramento City Teachers Association are expected to announce a two-year agreement Monday that preserves class sizes and saves pink slipped teachers and counselors.
The president of Jesuit High School informed board members and parents Thursday that he is stepping down as head of the all-boys Catholic high school in Sacramento.


Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/education/#ixzz0qePvg0FQ

Tualatin Elementary students harvest produce from school garden, serve it in salads for lunch Education | Tualatin News - OregonLive.com

Education | Tualatin News - OregonLive.com


By Special to The Oregonian

June 12, 2010, 6:00AM
Proceeds from the tournament will be used by the foundation for educational enrichment by funding programs to advance student achievement and success. Full story »

Retiring Tualatin High School Principal Jeff Smith leaves a legacy of change

jeff_smith.JPG

By Colleen Stewart, The Oregonian

June 12, 2010, 4:00AM
Smith has worked to increase technology education and to decrease the achievement gap between minority and other students. Full story »
Inappropriate post? Alert us.

Multi-sport athlete wins athletic club's scholarship

nathan.jpg

By Special to The Oregonian

June 05, 2010, 6:00AM
A total of 27 metro-area sophomores were chosen by Multnomah Athletlic Club as scholarship recipients Full story »

Tualatin High valedictorian Corey Cushing pays good deeds forward

corey_cushing.JPG

By Melissa Navas, The Oregonian

June 05, 2010, 12:02AM
Cushing, who helped start a service-based club to aid community groups and has organized fundraisers for cancer research, plans to study accounting and finance. Full story »

Cancer-fighting kids relay for $4,600 at Hopkins' Mini-Relay for Life

By Special to The Oregonian

May 22, 2010, 6:00AM
The event is designed to raise funds and awareness of cancer and to help the American Cancer Society Full story »

Arabic Class Becomes a Popular Choice Education News - The New York Times

Education News - The New York Times

The language course at Friends Seminary, a school in the East Village, is influencing students before and after graduation.
CHEAT SHEET
Karren Bailey, center, and Joan Anderson, right, Norfolk, Va., school officials, discuss an inquiry.

Under Pressure, Teachers Tamper With Tests

Experts say cases of teachers altering test scores have risen along with the stakes involved in testing.

Students to Protest Possible End of Free Rides

The event will come one day after Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the start of a task force to combat absenteeism and truancy.

Scoring Low, More Pupils Face School This Summer

Under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s policy, students at the lowest level on state English and math tests must take summer courses or be held back.

Wal-Mart Finds Ally in Education

American Public Education, which operates two Web-based universities, got a big boost in profile and share price after agreeing to a deal with Wal-Mart.

Leader Abruptly Leaves a For-Profit Prep School

A message sent to parents of Claremont Preparatory School did not say why the headmaster would not be returning.
NATIONAL BRIEFING | NEW ENGLAND

Massachusetts: Fraud Trail Grows

A Delaware man charged with lying about his credentials to get into Harvard and to secure financial aid and prizes, was later admitted to Stanford, prosecutors said in court documents released Wednesday.
President Obama congratulated a student from Kalamazoo Central High School in Michigan on Monday after delivering the commencement address.

Obama Conveys Principle to Students

Speaking at Kalamazoo Central High School, President Obama offered a theme of personal responsibility.
CITY ROOM

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CORE TEAM WINS BIG IN CTU ELECTION

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CORE TEAM WINS BIG IN CTU ELECTION

CORE TEAM WINS BIG IN CTU ELECTION

Congratulations to new Chicago Teachers Union president, Karen Lewis and the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE) team for their remarkable landslide victory in yesterday's union election. CORE's victory represents much more than just a win over the United Progressive Caucus (UPC) and the six-year CTU president Marilyn Stewart. It is a sign that rank-and-file teachers are fed-up with the business-as-usual politics

Climate managers fired, deputy superintendent hired | Philadelphia Inquirer | 06/11/2010

Climate managers fired, deputy superintendent hired | Philadelphia Inquirer | 06/11/2010

Climate managers fired, deputy superintendent hired

In a cost-cutting move, the Philadelphia School District this week laid off 33 managers whose primary responsibility was keeping order in schools and maintaining safety, eliciting criticism from teachers and union leaders.
The district also cut 17 nonteaching assistants who help maintain order and 11 other community-relations positions at schools throughout the city.
The climate managers, a relatively new response to persistent violence and disruption in the district, vary in effectiveness, and officials within the administration don't agree on the need to have them.
The cuts were made in the same week that Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman announced a new management position in naming Leroy Nunery to be her deputy superintendent. Nunery is paid $180,000 as the district's chief of institutional advancement and strategic partnerships; Ackerman said it had not been discussed whether his salary would change.
"I find it difficult to reconcile the hiring of a deputy superintendent at a time when 33 managers whose primary purpose in the schools was to establish a safe climate for the students and staff are being laid off," said Michael Lerner, president of the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators, the union that represents the managers and principals.
Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, also blasted the cuts.
"Kids need more adult attention and supervision now than ever," he said. "You're not going to be as successful in getting children to improve academically."
The climate manager position was established in 2006 under former schools chief Paul Vallas as a way to keep order in schools and help principals with other noninstructional concerns.
Of the 60, 33 were funded through the district's central budget; the other 27 were paid for through individual school


Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20100611_Climate_managers_fired__deputy_superintendent_hired.html#ixzz0qeNcpK8J
Play fantasy sports and win cash prizes instantly. Philly.com's Instant Fantasy Sports Games

Graduating seniors face challenging job market - San Jose Mercury News

Graduating seniors face challenging job market - San Jose Mercury News

Education Research Report: Study: Seasoned profs prepare students for advanced learning


Study: Seasoned profs prepare students for advanced learning

Ω

But students' evaluations reward immediate gratification


Highly credentialed and experienced professors are better at preparing students for long-term academic success than their less-experienced counterparts, but that ability isn't necessarily reflected in their students' teaching evaluations. That's according to research by a pair of economists published in this month's Journal of Political Economy.

The study's authors, Scott Carrell of U.C. Davis and James West of the U.S. Air Force Academy, say their