August 12, 2009
Education Week, Vol. 28, Issue 37
Early Childhood
Proposed College-Loan Savings Would Aid Early Ed.
Savings from a bill undergoing consideration in Congress would funnel $8 billion into state early-childhood education programs.
School & District Management
Hurdles Loom for Launch of Innovation Fund
Eligibility and a flood of applications will be among the challenges in doling out $650 million to schools and districts.
Federal
Guidance Issued for Technology Funds in Stimulus
Focus on competitive grants could spur innovation in using technology in schools, experts say.
Federal
Stimulus Seeks Enriched Tests
Race to the Top money could serve as a down payment for scaling up tests that would better measure critical thinking, experts say.
Federal
School-Turnaround Call Points Up Challenges
The U.S. secretary of education’s call to “turn around” the nation’s 5,000 worst-performing schools has sparked debate about how—and whether—such an enormous leadership and management challenge can be accomplished.
Federal
K-12 Budget Bills Eye Modest Funding Rise
After a major windfall in the federal economic-stimulus law, K-12 education would see just a modest boost in funding in fiscal 2010.
Federal
Openness of Common-Standards Process at Issue
Some observers are arguing for more input, but the groups guiding the effort say there will be plenty of opportunities down the road.
Standards & Accountability
News in Brief
Group's Study Offers Positive Take On Washington State Assessments
The Washington Assessment of Student Learning has contributed to student achievement and has helped teachers focus on state education goals.
Education
News in Brief
N.M. Governor Launches New Effort to Combat State's Dropout Problem
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson launched a statewide effort aimed at getting 10,000 dropouts to return to high school by the end of his term.
Education
News in Brief
Optional STD Testing to Be Offered to All Students in D.C. High Schools
All District of Columbia high school students will have the option of getting tested at school for sexually transmitted diseases.
School Choice & Charters
News in Brief
Mass. Charter School Proponents Push Ballot Measure to Lift Cap
Charter school supporters in Massachusetts filed proposed ballot initiatives to end restrictions on the number of such schools allowed in the state.
Education
News in Brief
N.C. Education Official Gives Up Post in Wrangle Over Constitutionality
Gov. Beverly Perdue's choice to unify the state education bureaucracy is stepping down, in the wake of a ruling that his role is unconstitutional.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Hunter College Dean to Take Reins Of N.Y. State Education Department
The New York state board of regents has chosen David Milton Steiner to take over the state education department.
School Choice & Charters
News in Brief
Foundation Grants Aim to Bolster Oversight of Charter Schools
A national organization leading efforts to improve charter school quality has received $9.4 million.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Detroit Official Soothes Bankruptcy Speculation
The Detroit public school system's emergency financial manager moved last week to cool concerns that the district may be rapidly headed toward bankruptcy.
Education
News in Brief
CDC Eyes Balance on Flu Closings
Closures are only needed if large numbers of high-risk students are infected or if absences make staying open impractical, new federal guidelines say.
Curriculum
Letter to the Editor
Cuts in Gifted Programs Are Shortsighted, Ill-Advised
To the Editor:
Your article "Challenging Programs Cater to the Profoundly Gifted" (June 10, 2009) highlighted an exemplary gifted-education experience for students ready to begin college in their early teens. But we must not forget that for other advanced students languishing in classrooms across the country, effective gifted programs and services are limited or unavailable.
Your article "Challenging Programs Cater to the Profoundly Gifted" (June 10, 2009) highlighted an exemplary gifted-education experience for students ready to begin college in their early teens. But we must not forget that for other advanced students languishing in classrooms across the country, effective gifted programs and services are limited or unavailable.
Special Education
Federal Center Aids Proven Ideas
A federal center is working with states that have invested substantially in evidence-based practices to improve special education.
Federal
California 'Fire Wall' Becomes Hot Issue
Some officials argue a law limiting use of teacher data shouldn't put the state out of the running for Race to the Top Fund money.
Federal
Opinion
Replacing No Child Left Behind
"There's more to good education than math and reading scores," writes Richard Rothstein.
Standards & Accountability
Letter to the Editor
'Common Standards' Panels Will Lack Important Voices
To the Editor:
As higher education faculty members in English and literature departments, we read with concern the list of participants chosen to draft “college ready” standards for the English language arts as part of the common-standards effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers ("Expert Panels Named in Common-Standards Push," July 1, 2009).
As higher education faculty members in English and literature departments, we read with concern the list of participants chosen to draft “college ready” standards for the English language arts as part of the common-standards effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers ("Expert Panels Named in Common-Standards Push," July 1, 2009).
Federal
Opinion
The Dumb Class
Susan B. Neuman asks, "Could it be that all this intelligence buzz measures only a weak correlate of ability?"
Education
Letter to the Editor
'Longer Year' Commentary Misses After-School Angle
To the Editor:
Mike Schmoker raises some interesting points in his online Commentary "Do We Really Need a Longer School Year?" (July 7, 2009). He is correct that we must make the current school day and year more engaging, challenging, and relevant, but his framework is much too narrow.
Mike Schmoker raises some interesting points in his online Commentary "Do We Really Need a Longer School Year?" (July 7, 2009). He is correct that we must make the current school day and year more engaging, challenging, and relevant, but his framework is much too narrow.
Education Funding
Letter to the Editor
School Finance Remedies Must Also Include Reform
To the Editor:
Michael A. Rebell and Bruce D. Baker’s online Commentary "Assessing 'Success' in School Finance Litigations" (July 8, 2009) grasps at straws to justify unsuccessful court interventions of the past.
Michael A. Rebell and Bruce D. Baker’s online Commentary "Assessing 'Success' in School Finance Litigations" (July 8, 2009) grasps at straws to justify unsuccessful court interventions of the past.
Education Funding
Opinion
What Ever Happened to Grade Skipping?
"Nurturing gifted students and saving money don't have to be at odds," write Laura Vanderkam and Richard Whitmire.
Teaching Profession
Letter to the Editor
'Outrageous' Teaching Drains Teachers' Energy
To the Editor:
Stanley Pogrow deserves praise for seeking new instructional strategies to engage students in high-poverty urban middle and high schools, such as those he outlines in his online Commentary "Boredom in Class? Try 'Outrageous' Instruction" (July 13, 2009). But it’s unlikely that the kind of lessons he describes could be repeated in the typical five-classes-a-day schedule that exists in most public schools in this country. That’s because the energy required to do so would be overwhelming.
Stanley Pogrow deserves praise for seeking new instructional strategies to engage students in high-poverty urban middle and high schools, such as those he outlines in his online Commentary "Boredom in Class? Try 'Outrageous' Instruction" (July 13, 2009). But it’s unlikely that the kind of lessons he describes could be repeated in the typical five-classes-a-day schedule that exists in most public schools in this country. That’s because the energy required to do so would be overwhelming.
Special Education
Letter to the Editor
Few Teachers Know Enough About Learning Disabilities
To the Editor:
As a parent of a special education student, I have my own wish list of what I’d like to see done with the aid recently made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ("Stimulus Tensions Simmer," July 15, 2009).
As a parent of a special education student, I have my own wish list of what I’d like to see done with the aid recently made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ("Stimulus Tensions Simmer," July 15, 2009).
Special Education
Letter to the Editor
After Stimulus Funding, Whither Early Spec. Ed.?
To the Editor:
A quick infusion of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will allow many states to continue programs for toddlers and children with disabilities, but the fate of these services beyond next year remains uncertain ("Infant-Toddler Spec. Ed. Program Gets New Life From Stimulus," July 15, 2009).
A quick infusion of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will allow many states to continue programs for toddlers and children with disabilities, but the fate of these services beyond next year remains uncertain ("Infant-Toddler Spec. Ed. Program Gets New Life From Stimulus," July 15, 2009).
School & District Management
Letter to the Editor
In Building Character, Public Schools Also Excel
To the Editor:
Patrick F. Bassett, Paul D. Houston, and Rushworth M. Kidder's Commentary "Building Character in Crisis" (July 15, 2009) describes 10 "schools of integrity," independent schools identified for their success in teaching ethics and character. The Character Education Partnership supports the findings outlined by the authors and congratulates these schools for their commitment and leadership.
Patrick F. Bassett, Paul D. Houston, and Rushworth M. Kidder's Commentary "Building Character in Crisis" (July 15, 2009) describes 10 "schools of integrity," independent schools identified for their success in teaching ethics and character. The Character Education Partnership supports the findings outlined by the authors and congratulates these schools for their commitment and leadership.
