May 9, 2007
Education Week, Vol. 26, Issue 36
Education Funding
Washington State Lawmakers Make Education a Top Priority
Lawmakers increased school funding and modified graduation requirement.
Education Funding
Iowa Teachers to Get Historic Pay Increase
The measure would increase average pay—currently $42,900 annually—by $5,000 over the next two school years.
States
Maine Lawmakers Wrestle With Consolidation Plan
Various approaches to governor's original plan all aim to streamline school administrations.
Federal
Scholars: Equity, Competitiveness Agendas Can Be at Odds
Given the choice between policies promoting economic competitiveness or educational equity, politicians will almost always choose the former.
Federal
NCLB Seen a Damper on Bilingual Programs
Some states and districts say testing requirements discourage bilingual efforts.
Federal
Lack of Research, Data Hurts Dropout Efforts, Experts Say
Research doesn’t offer much in the way of proven methods of addressing the dropout problem, experts say.
School Climate & Safety
Loud Complaints Over Noise Rules
Portable classrooms brought in to alleviate overcrowding at a Connecticut school don't meet noise standards under a new state law.
Special Education
A State Capitals Roundup
Georgia Voucher Bill Awaiting Signature
The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act would provide roughly $9,000 to parents whose children already have been diagnosed with certain disabilities.
Education Funding
New School Funding Formula Approved by N.D. Legislators
A comprehensive rewrite of North Dakota’s K-12 funding legislation will avert a legal battle.
Assessment
School Subtracts Math Texts to Add E-Lessons, Tests
Educators hope to get a better read on what their students know and what they should target in planning their classroom instruction.
Federal
Teachers of the Year Call for Changes to NCLB Law
Fifty of the nation’s 56 state teachers of the year for 2007 have come up with a list of 10 changes they would like to see in the law.
Teaching Profession
Justices Decline Case on Buffalo, N.Y., Wage Freeze
For school employees, including teachers, the freeze meant that a negotiated 2 percent pay increase did not take effect as planned.
School & District Management
A National Roundup
Vallas Named Chief of State-Run Schools in New Orleans
Paul G. Vallas, the chief executive officer of the Philadelphia schools, has been tapped to lead the state-run district that operates most of the schools in New Orleans.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
Chat Wrap-Up: Student Mental Health
Readers discussed schools’ role in student mental health with our guests.
Education
Correction
Correction
The color key for a chart accompanying a story in the May 2, 2007, issue of Education Week on formative assessment was incorrect. A corrected version of the chart is now available in the story's online version.
Equity & Diversity
Seattle Defends ‘White Privilege’ Conference Trip
Did the Seattle school district err when it used federal money to send 20 high school students to a “white privilege” conference in Colorado last month?
Federal
A Washington Roundup
House Backs Reauthorization of Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation supports science and mathematics education programs.
Federal
A Washington Roundup
Miller Seeks E-Mails on Reading First
The request is part of a probe into allegations of mismanagement and bias in the $1 billion-a-year reading initiative.
Federal
Federal File
Hillary Clinton on NCLB
The 2008 Democratic presidential candidate criticizes the law for its effects on school testing and curriculum.
College & Workforce Readiness
Rigorous Courses, Fresh Enrollment
A multistate effort to draw nontraditional students into Advanced Placement starts to pay off.
School Choice & Charters
Calif. Charter Group to Certify Schools
The program recognizing schools that have achieved excellence in academic outcomes for their students and in their operations.
School & District Management
Consulting Firm Hires Big Names
High-profile current and former urban superintendents peddle their expertise to district leaders and state education officials.
Education
Report Roundup
Southern States
College-admission test scores in member states of the Southern Regional Education Board have, on average, increased over the past 10 years, according to a study by that Atlanta-based organization.
Federal
Opinion
Why the No Child Left Behind Act Is Unsalvageable
Despite good intentions, the No Child Left Behind law has fatal flaws inherent in its unrealistic goals, which ultimately sets schools up to fail, Eric Schaps says.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
A Swastika Moment
Facing a future "full-blown hater" in a 7th grade classroom.
Federal
A National Roundup
Teacher Magazine Ceases Publication
Editorial Projects in Education, the publisher of Education Week and Teacher Magazine, announced last week that it was ceasing publication of the magazine with the May/June issue.
Federal
House OKs Reauthorization of Head Start
The bipartisan measure would suspend controversial federal assessments.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Noting Conflict Between IDEA and ‘No Child’ Law
The idea that schools should provide supports and modifications so students with disabilities can achieve the same levels of proficiency as their peers is fundamental to the concept of standards-based education.
Education
Letter to the Editor
‘It’s Being Done’ Schools Should Serve as Models
Karin Chenoweth’s Commentary describes an amazing array of schools and students who are beating the odds.