Quick Hits

AFT Chief Vows to Revise Teacher-Dismissal Process: The president of the American Federation Teachers is putting the sensitive issue of due process on the education reform table, with a pledge to work with districts to streamline the often-cumbersome procedures for dismissing teachers who fail to improve their performance after receiving help and support. She has also commissioned an independent expert to help revise due process for those teachers accused of misconduct. “We recognize that too often due process can become glacial process,” Ms. Weingarten said this morning here at the National Press Club. “We intend to change that.” (Education Week)

Two obstacles to RTT funding in Ohio - Local Unions and Charter Schools: Most school districts in Greater Cincinnati passed on a chance to snag part of the $4 billion federal “Race to The Top” package, according to the Ohio Department of Education. Only 16 of 49 school systems in the four-county region met a Friday deadline to join the state’s effort to receive part of the money, to be awarded in a competitive process in April by the Obama administration. (Enquirer)

Texas Braces for Fight Over Social Studies Lessons: ...Much of the conversation ahead of the hearing has turned to how much emphasis will be given to the religious beliefs of the nation's founding fathers, with some activists lobbying to promote and highlight their Christianity. Others who promote the separation of church and state are prepared for battle. "Some board members and the non-expert ideologues they appointed to a review panel have made it clear that they want students to learn that the founding fathers intended America to be an explicitly Christian nation with laws based on their own narrow interpretations of the Bible," said Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network... (ABC News)

Indianapolis cites poor performance as 22 pulled from teaching: Indianapolis Public Schools has removed 22 of its weakest teachers from their classrooms, the beginning of an effort to shore up teaching in the state's largest district. That group includes teachers who failed to control the students in their classrooms and others who had not mastered the material they were teaching, the district said. (IndyStar)

School infuses arts, technology into curriculum: A Philadelphia high school offers a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum with an arts focus and is part of a nearly decade-long push to increase school choice in the district. The Arts Academy at Rush High School infuses art into core subjects -- while also emphasizing technology and 21st-century skills -- and is drawing students from throughout the district. The academy serves 300 ninth- and 10th-graders and plans to add a class each year. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Houston considers firing teachers for not improving test scores: The Houston school board is expected to vote Thursday to allow teachers to be fired if they fail to improve student test scores over several years using a value-added measuring method -- a plan proposed by Superintendent Terry Grier. However, a local teachers union president is questioning whether the proposal is legal, saying a Dallas teacher who was fired over low student achievement was rehired in 2008 after it was determined that factors other than teaching contributed to her students' performance. (Houston Chronicle and Here)

Research supports full-day kindergarten with summer help: Education Week reporter Debra Viadero ponders whether full- or half-day kindergarten is better in this blog post. A study shows poorer students who attended full-day kindergarten lost ground over the summer when compared with their half-day counterparts in a wealthier district. While the findings support the creation of summer programs to help students maintain gains heading into first grade, they are still better off for having completed full-day programs, Viadero writes. (The Answer Sheet)

Educators, parents weigh in on adoption of student-tracking system: Parents, teachers and administrators in Maryland's Baltimore County asked school board members to consider their input on a controversial student-tracking system that may be used in the county's schools. District officials ordered educators to use the Articulated Instruction Module system in December but retracted their decision after complaints that the system -- which tracks student progress in roughly 100 specific skills for each subject -- was time-consuming and redundant. (The Sun)

Alabama lawmakers to consider allowing charter schools: Alabama state lawmakers are set to consider a proposal to allow charter schools. The state is one of 11 that prohibits them. The proposal is being supported by Gov. Bob Riley, who is hoping to make changes to the state's education system that will help secure up to $200 million in federal Race to the Top funds. The state teachers union, however, is concerned that charter schools would drain resources from cash-strapped public schools. (Montgomery Advertiser)

Some schools offer dual enrollment as AP alternative: More high schools are offering dual-enrollment courses as an alternative to Advanced Placement courses, saying it is a more cost-effective way to offer students college credit and challenge them in their senior year. However, some are concerned that school rankings determined by AP enrollment could drop, and students say the dual-enrollment courses are often viewed as less rigorous than AP and that the college credits they earn are not always accepted at top schools. (The New York Times)

Principal's collaborative culture is credited for school's success: Principal Greg Alexander is credited with changing the culture of Idaho's Sacajawea Elementary School from established protocol to collaboration and outside-the-box thinking. The formerly struggling school was named one of three Idaho Distinguished Schools in 2009. "He has virtually eliminated the achievement gap," the district's superintendent said. "He's exceptionally good at building meaningful relationships with people, and that's the foundation of leadership." (The Idaho Statesman)