District Dossier: Tackling Bullying Based on Sexual Identity

District Dossier: Tackling Bullying Based on Sexual Identity:

"School bullying is a serious issue almost everywhere. But there's a growing concern about bullying targeting a particular population of students.

Students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (or who other students assume are) experience not only taunting and ridicule, but physical violence from some of their peers.

A new research brief, published by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, found many 'GLBT-identifying' middle school students were reporting harassment and hearing homophobic epithets at school on a regular basis."

Read Brief here: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12223279/THE-EXPERIENCES-OF-LESBIAN-GAY-BISEXUAL-AND-TRANSGENDER-MIDDLE-SCHOOLSTUDENTS-FINDINGS-FROM-THE-2007-NATIONAL-SCHOOL-CLIMATE-SURVEY

Read the full report here: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/11567105/2007-National-School-Climate-Survey-GLSEN-the-Gay-Lesbian-and-Straight-Education-Network

Inside School Research: Post Editorial Says Study 'Demolishes' Anti-Charter Debates

Inside School Research: Post Editorial Says Study 'Demolishes' Anti-Charter Debates:

"That kind of enthusiam might be a little premature. New York is just one city—and one that charter school experts tell me is known for the quality of its authorizing system for charter schools. What's more, the promising practices that the report identifies were merely linked to higher student achievement. Even study author Caroline M. Hoxby points out that her findings don't suggest that things like longer school days, performance pay, or strict classroom management caused the charter school students to outperform their peers in traditional schools."

Education Week: Management Guru Says 'Student Load' Key to Achievement

Education Week: Management Guru Says 'Student Load' Key to Achievement:

"Mr. Ouchi lays out that message in a new book, The Secret of TSL, published this month by Simon & Schuster of New York City. The letters stand for “total student load,” which Mr. Ouchi defines as the number of students that teachers come in contact with each academic term and the number of papers they grade.

In a not-yet-published study of 442 schools in eight large urban districts that have devolved power to local principals, Mr. Ouchi finds that schools that have reduced TSL in measurable ways also tend to have higher passing rates on state exams."

Schools becoming more 'tolerant' as 'zero tolerance' rules end | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | News: Education

Schools becoming more 'tolerant' as 'zero tolerance' rules end News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News News: Education:

"That's welcome news for Robert Hess, whose son Taylor was briefly expelled from L.D. Bell High School in Hurst after a bread knife fell out of a 20-year-old cutlery set bound for Goodwill, and was found in his truck bed on campus.

'That certainly would have saved us an awful lot of trouble,' said Hess, who holds no ill will toward school administrators over the 2002 incident. 'They were bound by their own rules that they had written to dole out this ridiculous punishment, which was one year in alternative education.'"

Despite Test Scores, Shaw Is on the Right Track - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education

Despite Test Scores, Shaw Is on the Right Track - Class Struggle - Jay Mathews on Education:

"Now her poster boy for reform appears to be in trouble, bringing I-told-you-so blog posts from many people who don’t like Rhee, her ideas or her brash style.

How bad was Shaw’s first year? It depends a bit on how you read the data. According to the State Superintendent of Education’s web site, Shaw dropped from 38.7 to 30.5 in the percent of students scoring at least proficient in reading, and from 32.7 to 29.2 in math.
But those were not the numbers Rhee read to Betts over the phone."

Religion remains sticky in social studies debate | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Religion remains sticky in social studies debate Houston & Texas News Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"“It is absolutely right to suggest that Puritans who settled New England came here with a vision for a Christian commonwealth,” Hughes said. “It is absolutely wrong to suggest that America's founders had that same vision. They simply didn't.”

Many of the Founding Fathers were connected with churches and many were not, he said. Letters written by Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, indicated he held the Christian church in utter contempt, the religion professor said. Jefferson viewed Jesus as a moral teacher, but believed that churches had corrupted those teachings, Hughes said."

The Perimeter Primate: Introducing "The Broad Report"

The Perimeter Primate: Introducing "The Broad Report"

I’m not the only one who is bothered by what Eli Broad has been up to over the last several years. Since I started this blog in February 2008, I’ve been contacted by other people via private emails and blog comments. As it turns out, there are many other public school parents, public school teachers, and a variety of people all across the U.S. who are greatly disturbed by things that are happening to the public school systems where they live, courtesy of Eli Broad's "philanthropy." We certainly don’t feel like our communities, or our kids, are benefiting from his largess.

Because the dissatisfaction is definitely out there, I thought it was time to create a place where people could come come together and share what they know. The result is a website I put together over this past weekend called The Broad Report.

Fourth Annual National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week Is Oct. 4 - 10,

Fourth Annual National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week Is Oct. 4 - 10,:

"As part of PACER Center's fourth annual National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week, Oct. 4-10, 2009, children, teens, adults, schools, and communities across the country are encouraged to partner with PACER to prevent bullying. The movement is being given a boost with the launch of PACERTeensAgainstBullying.org -- a relevant, edgy Web site created by and for teens. In addition to videos, stories, blogs, and social networking, the site features a toolbox of things teens and schools can do to address bullying -- from creating their own videos to performing role plays for younger students.

Every day, more than 160,000 children nationwide stay home from school to avoid bullying. Up to one-third of the nation's students are bullied during the academic year, and more than 60 percent witness bullying daily. The results of bullying can be devastating -- or even tragic."

The American Spectator : Running from Reform

The American Spectator : Running from Reform:

"In August, Fenty's integrity took a hit after the mayor -- who makes much of chauffeuring himself around town -- got into a fender-bender. It turns out that Fenty may have violated the spirit (if not the letter) or city regulations by allowing a friend and campaign donor, Keith Lomax, to tool around in city-owned Lincoln Navigators and Smart Cars. Lomax's landscaping firm, by the way, garnered $11 million in city contracts since Fenty took office."

Editorial - Mr. Duncan and That $4.3 Billion - NYTimes.com

Editorial - Mr. Duncan and That $4.3 Billion - NYTimes.com:

"His power to press for reforms was dramatically enhanced earlier this year when Congress gave him control of $4.3 billion in grant money — the Race to the Top fund — that is to be disbursed to the states on a competitive basis. Mr. Duncan will need to resist political pressure and special pleadings and reward only the states that are committed to effective and clearly measurable reform."

Faculty Walkout Teaches an Important Lesson - Daily Nexus

Faculty Walkout Teaches an Important Lesson - Daily Nexus:

"These cuts will have a severely negative impact on all aspects of University operations: Employees will be forced to accept involuntary work reductions (furloughs) and many will even be laid off. There will be much less support for lecturers and TAs, as courses will be cut and many others reduced in size. With fewer classes being taught and less room in the remaining classes, it will take you longer to finish your degrees. The quality of the instruction you receive, indeed, your educational experience as a whole, will also suffer"

Five reasons N.J.'s property tax system is failing you | thedailyjournal.com | The Daily Journal

Five reasons N.J.'s property tax system is failing you thedailyjournal.com The Daily Journal:

"New Jersey's heavy reliance on property taxes as the main source of education funding creates extreme disparities in school funding that the state repeatedly has tried to address.It also pits communities against each other, with residents of suburban districts complaining that too many of the state's resources have been funneled to underperforming urban schools.The state constitution requires local school districts to provide children with a 'thorough and efficient' education from kindergarten through high school, and establishes rules and regulations governing everything from core curriculum to teacher training to class sizes."

WE ARE FAMILY - California's Family Day

WE ARE FAMILY - California's Family Day:

"Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children™ is a national movement launched by The Naitonal Center on Addiction Substance Abuse (CASA) in 2001 based on their research that has consistently found that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use drugs."

Top News - Comcast, Discovery team up to extend learning

Top News - Comcast, Discovery team up to extend learning:

"In a move that could help extend students' learning after school hours, the state of Indiana, Comcast Corp., and Discovery Education have teamed up to provide students with free on-demand digital resources that are aligned with state standards.

Discovery Education On Demand By Comcast is a first-in-the-nation service that will give Indiana families instant, at-home access to educational video clips, hands-on activities, interactive content, subject guides, puzzles, and homework help tools. Content is available at no additional cost to local Comcast Digital Cable customers on their cable TV service and to all Indiana parents and students online. (With free registration, persons outside of Indiana may access the content as well.)"

The Importance Of The Arts In Education - The Philadelphia Bulletin

The Importance Of The Arts In Education - The Philadelphia Bulletin:

"The arts play a significant role in education for their intrinsic value as well as for the enrichment of the learning experience they provide. Study of the various arts sharpens cognitive as well as social skills and plays a part in improving achievement in grades and standardized tests."

Other Views: California schools need a shakeup | schools, california, state - Editorials - Appeal-Democrat

Other Views: California schools need a shakeup schools, california, state - Editorials - Appeal-Democrat:

"The Legislature should start by giving local districts more power to make decisions, instead of setting policy from Sacramento. The state needs to streamline an overgrown education code that puts more emphasis on administrative paperwork than good education practices.

The state also needs to change an education financing system that dispenses money without regard to needs, costs or educational goals. And the Legislature should give districts more flexibility to use school money to meet local needs, instead of dictating spending priorities from the state Capitol."

California's budget should hold up until winter, analysts say — but plenty of pain still in store - San Jose Mercury News

California's budget should hold up until winter, analysts say — but plenty of pain still in store - San Jose Mercury News:

"A funny thing has happened on the way to California's next regularly scheduled fiscal doomsday: a glimmer of good economic news.

Of course, those glad tidings may just be a temporary respite. But for now, buoyed by a resurgent stock market and other signs the recession is on its way out, the state's fragile revenue and spending projections ought to hold up until at least mid-January — and maybe even beyond, analysts and economists say.

If true, it would mark the longest stretch in more than a year when deficit-slashing wasn't the topic du jour in Sacramento."

Michigan Schools: education reform would provide home owners for empty metro Detroit homes | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Michigan Schools: education reform would provide home owners for empty metro Detroit homes detnews.com The Detroit News:

"Metro Detroit has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation and is littered with empty homes. It needs a strategic plan to address its growing home abandonment crisis. What few community leaders and activists have considered as a solution: education reform.

That should change. As a new report shows, there is perhaps no other strategy that would tackle the area's housing problem as effectively."

School choice would reshape U.S. education | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/28/2009

School choice would reshape U.S. education Philadelphia Inquirer 09/28/2009:

"Tomorrow in Philadelphia, two of politics' most interesting personalities - the Rev. Al Sharpton and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich - are expected to join Education Secretary Arne Duncan in kicking off a tour of America's urban public schools. Sharpton and Gingrich have said they intend to draw attention to persistent problems and promising remedies in education."

Education gap is leading to a 'Great He-pression' -- chicagotribune.com

Education gap is leading to a 'Great He-pression' -- chicagotribune.com:

"For years now, women have been earning the most college degrees. That trend is accelerating, leaving experts to wonder if men are somehow missing the latest economic wake-up call.

Given a knowledge-based economy and a sluggish outlook for skilled trades, men are facing the economic recovery with significantly bleaker career prospects than the opposite sex."