January 6, 2010
Education Week, Vol. 29, Issue 16
Standards
Opinion
Incentivizing Educational Ingenuity
William G. Wraga calls for more emphasis on problem-solving in local settings, and less on universal approaches to school reform.
Curriculum
Opinion
Proficient Readers Need Good School Libraries
America won't reach its reading goals without strong school libraries, writes Gaby Chapman, and they won't exist without concerted efforts to save them.
Teaching
Opinion
The Education World in 2020
Joseph M. Cronin, a former chief state school officer in two states, "looks back" on the decade of 2010 and assesses the dramatic changes.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
The Future of Ed. Schools
Robert Maranto, Gary Ritter, and Arthur E. Levine write that those trying to improve education schools should study the history of business schools.
School & District Management
Focus on Instruction Turns Around Chicago Schools
Network gets results in five schools without drastic personnel steps by focusing on data, management, and instruction.
Federal
Spending Bill Gives Education Slight Hike
Highlights of the U.S. Department of Education’s appropriations for the budget year that began Oct. 1, 2009.
Education Funding
Stimulus Allows Hike in Education Subsidy
Pennsylvania earned the distinction in 2009 of being the state with the longest budget impasse.
States
New Governor Backs Charters, Vouchers
The Garden State begins 2010 with a new governor, Chris Christie, a Republican who ousted one-term Democratic incumbent Jon S. Corzine in November.
Education Funding
Queries Abound on RTT Process
As states consider which round of Race to the Top Fund grants to apply for, the U.S. Dept. of Education is emphasizing that they shouldn't worry about being first in line to win a piece of the $4 billion being awarded.
Education
News in Brief
Desegregation Hearing Postponed
A federal judge has postponed the dates for court hearings on whether two school districts in Arkansas have met their desegregation obligations.
Federal
States Change Policies With Eye to Winning Federal Grants
The 'Race to Top' competition is spurring policymakers to change rules so that states meet the criteria for the stimulus money.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Ohio Schools to Teach Safe Dating
Ohio schools must try to help stop violence in dating, under a bill signed by Gov. Ted Strickland, that requires school boards to adopt policies to prevent and address abusive student relationships.
Education
News in Brief
Mayor Eyes Schools
Robert J. Duffy, the mayor of Rochester, N.Y., is arguing for the school district to become part of the city government.
Education Funding
'Education Jobs Fund' Aimed at Averting Layoffs
A bill passed in the House would redirect federal money for job creation.
Education
News in Brief
Indiana to Cut School Funds
Schools will lose about 3.5 percent of current state funding in 2010, starting with their January payments.
IT Infrastructure & Management
States Struggle to Put Together Programs for Sharing K-20 Data
More states are taking strides to connect K-12 data systems with postsecondary institutions, but challenges remain.
Education
News in Brief
Chicago District Says Politician Owes System Rent, Back Taxes
A report from the Chicago public school system alleges that state Rep. Monique Davis owes the district nearly $500,000.
Education
News in Brief
During Court Fight, Idaho Charter Backs Down on Using Bible in Class
A public charter school suing Idaho officials for barring the Bible and other religious texts from the classroom has agreed to comply with the ban unless the courts rule otherwise.
Education
News in Brief
New York State Teachers Sign Up Before Change in Pension Plan
Prospective full-time teachers were scrambling to get into the state pension tier before a reform measure designed to save New York taxpayers billions of dollars took effect on Jan. 1.
Education
News in Brief
Tennessee Governor Drops Plan to Boost Some College Scholarships
Budget pressures have forced Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen to abandon plans to increase the lottery-scholarship awards for community college students.
Education
News in Brief
Detroit Teachers Approve Contract Calling for Interest-Free Loans
Detroit teachers have approved a three-year contract that includes $10,000 in interest-free loans from each educator to help the cash-strapped district save jobs.
Education
News in Brief
South Dakota Eyes Federal Money for School for Native Americans
Under South Dakota's proposal, partners would establish a year-round residential school, for grades 9-12 and two years of postsecondary education.
Education
News in Brief
Delaware Awards Contract to Write New Assessments for Grades 2-10
A Washington-based company has won a five-year, $24.6 million contract to develop Delaware's new assessment system for public school students.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Turnaround Movement Is Fertile Ground for Charters
To the Editor:
Regardless of which version of Education Sector’s “Growing Pains” report you read, the final text released in late November or the earlier June draft, the study makes one message abundantly clear: Scaling up charter schools is not an easy business (“Report Details Hurdles Facing Charter Groups,” Dec. 9, 2009).
Regardless of which version of Education Sector’s “Growing Pains” report you read, the final text released in late November or the earlier June draft, the study makes one message abundantly clear: Scaling up charter schools is not an easy business (“Report Details Hurdles Facing Charter Groups,” Dec. 9, 2009).
Education
Letter to the Editor
Give Incentive Awards to Whole Schools, Groups
To the Editor:
A letter to the editor in your Dec. 2, 2009, issue spoke to the “demeaning” nature of incentives as applied to the teaching profession. I disagree. Awards for teachers who serve in high-needs schools could help mitigate their movement away from such schools, as well as attract excellent teachers there.
A letter to the editor in your Dec. 2, 2009, issue spoke to the “demeaning” nature of incentives as applied to the teaching profession. I disagree. Awards for teachers who serve in high-needs schools could help mitigate their movement away from such schools, as well as attract excellent teachers there.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Questions for Secretary Duncan
To the Editor:
As teacher-educators at Teachers College, Columbia University, we want to thank U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for presenting his vision of teacher education in the 21st century, in a speech given at our school this fall (“Duncan Shares Concerns Over Teacher Prep,” Oct. 28, 2009).
As teacher-educators at Teachers College, Columbia University, we want to thank U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for presenting his vision of teacher education in the 21st century, in a speech given at our school this fall (“Duncan Shares Concerns Over Teacher Prep,” Oct. 28, 2009).
Education
Letter to the Editor
Nonprofit Group's Work Aids Baltimore Schools
To the Editor:
It’s encouraging to see the Baltimore city school system take flight (“On an Upward Swing,” In Perspective, Oct. 28, 2009). Chief Executive Officer Andrés A. Alonso’s crusade to aid underserved children, including those who are from low-income homes, have special needs, or are learning English as a second language, is commendable and strongly parallels the work of our organization.
It’s encouraging to see the Baltimore city school system take flight (“On an Upward Swing,” In Perspective, Oct. 28, 2009). Chief Executive Officer Andrés A. Alonso’s crusade to aid underserved children, including those who are from low-income homes, have special needs, or are learning English as a second language, is commendable and strongly parallels the work of our organization.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Preschool Study's Validity Trumps Money Implications
To the Editor:
A recent Inside School Research blog entry, excerpted in your Nov. 18, 2009, edition ("Betting on Head Start," Blogs of the Week), reports that the reanalysis of the data of the HighScope Perry Preschool study by James J. Heckman and colleagues found a return on investment of from 7 percent to 10 percent, "better than zero, but not nearly as exciting as [the previously estimated] 16 percent or 17 percent." Excitement about the findings of this study should come from its extraordinary validity, however, not from the necessarily imprecise estimates of its return on investment.
A recent Inside School Research blog entry, excerpted in your Nov. 18, 2009, edition ("Betting on Head Start," Blogs of the Week), reports that the reanalysis of the data of the HighScope Perry Preschool study by James J. Heckman and colleagues found a return on investment of from 7 percent to 10 percent, "better than zero, but not nearly as exciting as [the previously estimated] 16 percent or 17 percent." Excitement about the findings of this study should come from its extraordinary validity, however, not from the necessarily imprecise estimates of its return on investment.