January 26, 2005
Education Week, Vol. 24, Issue 20
Education
State of the States
Massachusetts
State of the States: Education highlights from latest governor's address before the legislature.
Education
A State Capitals Roundup
Va. Board Seeks Waivers From Provisions of NCLB
The Virginia state board of education is seeking waivers from the federal No Child Left Behind law to revise how it calculates adequate yearly progress and change the services it provides in schools not meeting that level.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Racism Explained to My White Daughter
In discussions about race, says education professor Patricia M. Cooper, we've got to be unsparingly honest about what's at stake for both parties.
Reading & Literacy
Opinion
The Scientific Teaching of Reading
Reading proficiency should be considered the most important goal in the early grades, write Michael L. Kamil and Herbert J. Walberg.
Curriculum
Opinion
Putting Arts Education Front and Center
As a nation, we must develop children who are productive and happy, not kids who can just pass a test and get through school, say Rod Paige and Mike Huckabee.
School & District Management
Calls for Revamping High Schools Intensify
From President Bush on down, the pressure is on to fix America’s high schools. But despite a broad consensus that something is seriously wrong with the institution, deep fault lines remain about the remedies.
Education
People in the News
Alfonso Thurman
Alfonso Thurman has been elected the new president of the Holmes Partnership, a national coalition of 96 educational organizations and universities that works on improving K-12 public schools.
Education
A National Roundup
Photo: Delivering the Ball
Soldiers from Texas' Fort Hood rappel in front of an American flag to deliver the game ball for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Jan. 15. The game featured top high school players from across the nation.
Education
People in the News
Caleb M. Schutz
Caleb M. Schutz became the president of the nonprofit JASON Foundation for Education this month.
Early Childhood
Teachers of Kindergartners Adapt to Full Days
The continuing move nationwide to full-day kindergarten gives teachers the opportunity
to develop pupils’ skills and a chance to delve deeper into topics, even as some observers voice concern over the academic tilt of such classes.
School Choice & Charters
New Texas Policy Cracks Down on Charters
Charter schools in Texas be warned: State officials are tracking you more closely than ever.
Student Well-Being
Healthy Choices
Employees in five Durham, N.C., schools hope to set an example for their colleagues across the state that will lead to healthier lifestyles and help curb rising health-care costs.
Education
A State Capitals Roundup
Calif. Regent Ward Connerly Closes Controversial Tenure
After 12 years on the University of California’s board of regents, Ward Connerly, who drew both praise and criticism for his views on race in education, attended his final meeting last week as his term expired.
Education
State of the States
New Mexico
State of the States: Education highlights from latest governor's address before the legislature.
Federal
Bush Plan Worries the Voc. Ed. Community
The Bush administration’s recent unveiling of its plan to extend accountability and other academic measures into the nation’s high schools has caused backers of vocational education to worry that the proposal may squeeze their programs out of the federal budget.
Federal
Federal File
Out of Bounds?
Lynn Swann, the former star wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is being flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct by several advocacy groups.
School & District Management
Senate Confirms Spellings as 8th Secretary of Education
Just hours after President Bush was sworn in last week for his second term, the Senate confirmed White House adviser Margaret Spellings by voice vote as the eighth U.S. secretary of education.
Federal
Inauguration Is Celebrated, From a Concert for Youth to Education-Themed Gala
While tens of thousands of people angled to get a glimpse of President Bush and first lady Laura Bush during Inauguration Day festivities that included the traditional parade and nine official inaugural balls, the next secretary of education was the star of one of the many private parties on Jan. 20.
Education
Chart: College Graduation Rates
The Education Trust has a database of some 1,400 higher education institutions that shows what proportion, by race and ethnicity, from the entering class of 1997 finished within six years.
School Choice & Charters
A Washington Roundup
GAO: Charter Funds Need Monitoring
The Department of Education should take steps to monitor whether federal money is getting disbursed to charter schools quickly and ensure that the funds are being used effectively, the Government Accountability Office recommends.
Education
A Washington Roundup
New USDA Boss
The Senate on Jan. 20 confirmed Gov. Mike Johanns of Nebraska as the next secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
Education
A Washington Roundup
Move to UNICEF
Ann M. Veneman, who served as agriculture secretary during President Bush’s first term, was tapped last week to head UNICEF, the United Nations’ children’s agency.
Education
A State Capitals Roundup
California Legislative Aid
California Business for Education, a coalition of business groups that pushes for improving the state’s schools, on Jan. 18 launched a new Web-based tool for state legislators that provides data on the performance and demographics of schools in all 120 Assembly and Senate districts.
Education
State of the States
Rhode Island
State of the States: Education highlights from latest governor's address before the legislature.