I'm a couple of weeks behind on my national news....so some of these stories will have a little dust on them. Let's get caught up.
Debate over Facebook in schools continues in Mo.: Lawmakers
in Missouri continue to debate the boundaries of online communication
between students and teachers. The state Senate has passed legislation
that requires districts to develop policies. That bill is under
consideration by the House. However, the uncertainty has some students
and teachers questioning whether they will be able to continue online
communication regarding schoolwork and academic topics. The Missourian
Broad Prize: How Charlotte-Mecklenburg narrowed achievement gap: Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Schools in North Carolina on Tuesday received this year's Broad Prize
for Urban Education to recognize the district's efforts to improve
student achievement and narrow the income- and minority-based
achievement gap. The district was commended for several strategic
practices, including placing top principals and teachers in struggling
schools and basing layoffs on performance, as well as seniority. The
prestigious prize comes with $550,000 in scholarships for the district's
high-school seniors. The Christian Science Monitor, The Charlotte Observer
Some Chicago schools are preparing for longer days: Teachers
and administrators at six Chicago schools are preparing to add 90
minutes of instructional time beginning next Monday. Some schools will
use the additional time for core subjects, while others are planning to
increase enrichment activities such as art. Thirteen schools so far have
agreed to the longer days under a plan by district and city officials
to boost student achievement. The plan has created divisiveness by
offering financial incentives directly to teachers and schools and
bypassing the Chicago Teachers Union. Chicago Tribune
Strike continues in Tacoma, Wash., as teachers face sanctions: A
teacher strike in Tacoma, Wash., continued for a sixth day on Tuesday
with schools expected to remain closed again today for about 28,700
students. Roughly 1,900 teachers who defied a court order to return to
work are expected to receive contempt-of-court notices this week, and
many could face sanctions. Meanwhile, contract negotiations are
continuing daily with teachers at odds with the district over
reassignment policies, class sizes and salaries. Reuters
Facebook donation to Newark, N.J., schools to go to teachers: A
portion of a $100 million gift from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to
Newark, N.J., schools will go directly to public classroom teachers,
under a new plan set to be announced today. Under the two-year, $600,000
plan, teachers or groups of teachers could receive $10,000 grants to
pay for innovative programs in the classroom. A group of city and state
education officials will review other grants being funded by
Zuckerberg's gift, which has been used primarily to open new schools,
lengthen school days and recruit new teachers. The Wall Street Journal
Schools are eager for cash included in Obama's jobs plan: Officials
in some school districts say they are eager to receive a portion of the
$55 billion for K-12 education included in President Barack Obama's
jobs plan, in part to repair facilities and avoid teacher layoffs and
cuts to programs. However, some say the money will do little to make a
dent in the estimated $270 billion backlog of maintenance projects at
schools nationwide. "Most places will burn through it quickly, simply
getting their schools up to safety standards," said Michael Griffith,
senior school finance analyst for the Education Commission of the
States. Education Week
Online schools grow in popularity for young students: A
small but increasing number of elementary-school students are enrolled
in online public schools, which can provide a more individualized
curriculum or offer curriculum options that have been cut because of
tight budgets at many traditional schools. "More kids are getting used
to the idea of going to school online," said Ron Packard, founder and
CEO of education software company K12. "States are beginning to see 20%
more kids each year [going online]; still, only a fraction of [students]
are doing it." CNBC
Are top students losing ground as they move through school?: A
study released today shows that many top students are losing ground as
they transition from elementary to middle school and middle to high
school. Researchers with the Thomas B. Fordham Institute said the
findings raise questions about whether federal education policies aimed
at helping low-performing students are harming those who are high
achievers. "We've been making good progress for kids at the bottom and
for poor and minority kids -- that's important," said Michael J.
Petrilli, executive vice president. "It just can't be the only thing
that we do." Education Week
Boston schools, charters agree to cooperate on raising achievement: Boston
school officials voted to approve an accord to increase cooperation
between city schools and independent charters in an effort to improve
education. The agreement calls for sharing innovative practices that
have been shown to boost student achievement and encourages the district
to lease vacant facilities to charters, drawing some concern over
whether that would allow rapid charter expansion. Similar agreements are
being signed today in Central Falls, R.I., and Sacramento, Calif., as
part of a campaign by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is
offering to help fund the cooperative efforts. The Boston Globe
Students, teachers see social media and free speech differently: As
more teens use social media tools such as Facebook and Tumblr, more
also are appreciating their rights to free speech, a new study by the
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation shows. The study, which
considered interviews with 12,000 students and 900 high-school teachers,
found that many students who regularly use social media support First
Amendment rights for expressing unpopular opinions online, while many
teachers supported limiting those rights for students. FastCompany.com
S.D. speech pathologists use iPads to supplement therapy: A
South Dakota school district is using iPads to reinforce traditional
speech therapy for its students with special needs. Apps such as
Proloquo2Go are used to improve communication among students with
autism, while therapists also use other apps to help students improve
articulation and other skills. Aberdeen American News
Fla. considers stricter standards for state's preschools: State
education officials in Florida are set to vote Tuesday on tougher
standards for the state's Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program. The change
would remove a cap on the number of providers that could receive a
"low-performing" label from the state, and would require at least 60% of
students to pass a kindergarten-readiness test for providers to receive
a passing rating. Some say the new standards would create an unfair
burden, because they come at a time when state funding for pre-K has
been cut. Orlando Sentinel
Is merit pay losing steam?: Some
states and districts have begun to alter their plans to implement
performance pay for teachers, citing inconclusive research on its
effectiveness and a lack of funds. Funding for merit pay in Texas --
which had the largest program in the country -- has been depleted, while
New York City eliminated its $56 million program after merit pay was
found to not impact student achievement. Some districts continue to tie
teachers' pay to students' test scores -- in part, because of federal
grant funding -- but some experts say the future of merit-pay programs
is uncertain. Education Week
Mass. to overhaul ELL training for teachers amid criticism: Massachusetts
education officials are overhauling training for teachers who work with
English-language learners after a recent U.S. Justice Department
investigation found that 45,000 teachers in 275 districts lack adequate
ELL training. Richard Stutman, president of Boston's teachers union,
said the union supports new training for teachers. "Children come to
school with different needs -- English-language learners in particular
-- and we feel it's our obligation and role as teachers to make the road
as smooth as possible in closing the achievement gap," he said. The Boston Globe
Little Rock, Ark., districts back in court over desegregation: A
federal appeals court will hear arguments today over whether Arkansas
must continue payments to three Little Rock school districts to
desegregate their schools. The districts say they cannot afford to
continue their desegregation efforts without the $70 million in state
funding, but the state argues that the districts are delaying
desegregation while using the money to fund other programs. The payments
were the result of a 1989 settlement of a desegregation lawsuit. ABC News/The Associated Press
Federal initiative aims to improve classroom technology: The
U.S. Department of Education will oversee a new research center
dedicated to improving the availability and quality of educational
technology. The Obama administration announced the venture Friday, known
as "Digital Promise," and financial supporters include the Education
Department, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the William and Flora
Hewlett Foundation and the National Science Foundation. The initiative
will include a "League of Innovative Schools" that will test new
technology in the classroom and keep costs low by purchasing the devices
together. USA TODAY, Digital Education blog, The Hill/Hillicon Valley blog
Wyo. lawmakers consider opting out of common core: Wyoming
lawmakers are considering reversing an earlier decision by the state
school board to sign on to the Common Core State Standards, saying there
might be too many strings attached. The school board agreed to
implement the standards in 2010, and the state was to formally adopt
them in November. Lawmakers say the issue needs to be further reviewed
before a decision is made to introduce legislation that would strike
down the common core. Most states have adopted the standards, and some
Wyoming districts have begun transitioning their curriculum. Star-Tribune
Survey shows the impact of state cuts on Pa. classrooms: About
70% of school districts in Pennsylvania have larger classes this year,
while 44% have fewer electives and 35% have reduced tutoring services,
according to a new survey on the effect of state budget cuts. The
survey, which considered responses from 59% of the state's 500
districts, also showed that many districts drained their reserve funds
to balance the 2011-12 budgets. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Philadelphia schools ease zero-tolerance discipline policy: The
Philadelphia school system has modified its zero-tolerance discipline
policy, allowing more discretion over whether students should be
expelled. Under the new policy, a committee will review
student-discipline cases and make recommendations on whether expulsion
is the right course of action. While some say the district should
maintain its zero-tolerance policy, others have criticized it for
allowing students to be criminalized at a young age. The Philadelphia Inquirer
A school board member's experience with bullying: Dana
Smith, a school board member from Waddington, N.Y., writes in this blog
post about her experiences being bullied as a student. Realizing how
childhood bullying affected her own self-esteem and how prevalent it is
in today's schools, Smith reminds educators and school leaders that they
must intervene and strive to end the practice, even in its most subtle
forms. The Washington Post/The Answer Sheet blog
Average SAT scores dip nationwide: Average
SAT scores declined this year, primarily because more students are
taking the college-entrance exam -- some of whom are unprepared or are
not fluent in English, according to the College Board. Among 1.65
million graduating seniors, average scores declined by 3 points in
critical reading, 2 points in writing and 1 point in math. The College
Board also for the first time released an SAT College and Career
Readiness Benchmark that found 43% of students had a good chance of
achieving at least a B- average in their first year of college. Education Week, The Washington Post
Managing project-based lessons: Education
consultant Andrew Miller offers 20 tips on managing project-based
learning for students. Among other things, educators should take
advantage of social media tools to manage projects, continuously reflect
on the project's driving question, and carefully group students to
build the most successful teams, he writes. Edutopia.org/Andrew Miller's blog
Fla. teachers union files lawsuit over merit-pay law: A
lawsuit was filed Wednesday against Florida by the state's teachers
union, claiming the state did not negotiate with teachers before
approving a merit-pay law -- a violation of collective bargaining
rights. Under the law, passed this year, teachers' evaluations are now
tied to students' test scores and those evaluations are used in salary
and hiring decisions. Tenure was also eliminated for new teachers. A
union attorney said the union is not suing over the merit-pay law
itself, but rather the way in which it was passed. Orlando Sentinel
N.J. schools deal with new requirements under anti-bullying law: New
Jersey's new anti-bullying law is expected to help students who
previously may have been afraid to go to school, but some school
officials are wary of the law's costs, as well as new reporting
requirements for schools and teachers. "I think all our educators want
to address bullying, but this law is so intricate and detailed and
creates so much responsibility for teachers," said Marcus Rayner,
executive director of the New Jersey Lawsuit Reform Alliance. "There are
so many ways they can make inadvertent or honest mistakes while trying
to do the right thing." Education Week
Republican senators unveil proposals to revise portions of NCLB: A
group of Republican senators on Wednesday unveiled a package of four
bills aimed at revamping portions of the No Child Left Behind Act. The
group is led by Sen. Lamar Alexander, a former education secretary, who
is also expected to introduce a bill that would aim to clarify Education
Secretary Arne Duncan's authority to issue waivers on NCLB. The bills
introduced Wednesday target changes to the Title I program and the law's
"highly qualified teacher" requirements, among other provisions. Other
leading senators said they support comprehensive reform of NCLB, rather
than doing it piecemeal. Education Week
Charter-expansion bill clears House with bipartisan support: A
bill supporting the expansion of charter schools nationwide cleared the
House Tuesday with rare bipartisan support. The bill is part of a
Republican effort to rewrite portions of the federal No Child Left
Behind Act. "This is an important first step in our efforts to improve
current elementary and secondary education law," said Rep. John Kline, a
Republican who heads the House education committee. Meanwhile,
Democrats in the Senate continue to work on a comprehensive rewrite of
the law, though no specifics have been released. The New York Times
Students take ownership of education at NYC charter school: A
new charter middle school in New York City encourages students to take
ownership of their schooling and allows students to move through the
curriculum at their own pace according to their own academic goals. The
school, Innovate Manhattan, is based on a Swedish model focusing on the
idea that all students learn differently. "It helps them learn why they
can want an education and how to have control over an education," the
school's principal Eileen Coppola said. NY1
Opinion: Why Congress should support school repair: Congress
should embrace President Barack Obama's jobs bill that would help boost
the economy by repairing 35,000 schools across the country, write Steve
English, co-director of the nonprofit Advancement Project, and Mary
Filardo, executive director of the 21st Century School Fund. They
contend that the proposal has the potential to reverse some of the
neglect to school facilities brought on by ongoing budget cuts, increase
job opportunities now and ensure a more educated workforce for the
future. Los Angeles Times
School reforms meet challenges in New Haven, Conn.: New
Haven, Conn., schools are beginning the third year of a plan to improve
struggling schools, an effort that has had mixed success. Some teachers
have been given raises for teaching in struggling schools, and a new
evaluation system has removed some teachers who consistently had poor
performance ratings. However, removing struggling teachers from the
classroom can be a lengthy process, and student achievement is not
improving as quickly as had been hoped. "School reform is about fixing
the system, and that takes time and patience," teachers union President
David Cicarella said. The Wall Street Journal
Is another congressional hearing on NCLB necessary?: Education
blogger Valerie Strauss questions the necessity of a congressional
hearing being held today on the value of the school accountability
system under No Child Left Behind. Many hearings and reports over
several years have revealed that the Adequate Yearly Progress system --
which requires all students to meet proficiency targets on standardized
tests by 2014 -- is flawed and should be fixed or replaced without
further delay, she writes. The Washington Post/The Answer Sheet blog
Duncan supports peer-review over traditional teacher evaluations: Education
Secretary Arne Duncan on Wednesday visited Toledo, Ohio, where he said
the district's peer-review system should be used to evaluate teachers
instead of traditional methods. Under the method, new teachers are known
as intern teachers and assigned mentors. The mentors evaluate the
intern teachers, and the evaluations are reviewed by a panel that
includes teachers and administrators. The program is popular among
Toledo teachers, but some critics say minority teachers are more likely
to be fired through the system and it does not address struggling
veteran teachers. The Blade
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