April 6, 2011

Education Week, Vol. 30, Issue 27
John Tedesco is one of four conservative-leaning candidates elected to the Wake County, N.C., school board in 2009. The new members led in the dismantling of an integration policy based on socioeconomic factors.
John Tedesco is one of four conservative-leaning candidates elected to the Wake County, N.C., school board in 2009. The new members led in the dismantling of an integration policy based on socioeconomic factors.
Corey Lowenstein/The News & Observer/AP-File
School & District Management Tea Partiers Seen as a Force in Some School Board Races
The conservative forces that transformed the national political landscape are figuring in some school board races 'downticket.'
Christina A. Samuels, April 6, 2011
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6 min read
Principal Marie Stratton checks up on students in the cafeteria of Osceola Elementary School in Volusia County, Fla., after they were relocated from a portable classroom because of a tornado warning. Because of budget constraints, Stratton oversees two schools.
Principal Marie Stratton checks up on students in the cafeteria of Osceola Elementary School in Volusia County, Fla., after they were relocated from a portable classroom because of a tornado warning. Because of budget constraints, Stratton oversees two schools.
Hilda M. Perez for Education Week
States Stimulus' End Puts Squeeze on Education Budgets
With the federal well running dry on ARRA aid, states and school districts are feeling added pressure.
Sean Cavanagh, April 5, 2011
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9 min read
President Barack Obama greets students during an unannounced stop at the auditorium at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Va. Some education advocates are concerned about recent signals from the administration that they see as paving the way for changes that could water down accountability provisions in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
President Barack Obama greets students during an unannounced stop at the auditorium at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Va. Some education advocates are concerned about recent signals from the administration that they see as paving the way for changes that could water down accountability provisions in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
AP
Standards & Accountability Advocates Worry Rewrite of ESEA May Weaken Law
An array of civil rights, business, and education advocacy groups warn Congress about watering down accountability for boosting the achievement of minorities and other subgroups.
Alyson Klein, April 5, 2011
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8 min read
Education Correction Correction
A map with a story about teachers’ unions fighting state legislation in the March 30, 2011, issue of Education Week omitted the shading for four states. Massachusetts and Vermont should have been dark blue, meaning legislation on collective bargaining had been introduced, while New Hampshire and South Carolina should have been light gray, meaning no legislation was pending.
April 5, 2011
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1 min read
Teaching Profession News in Brief Laid-Off Chicago Teachers Have Recall Rights
Chicago teachers who were laid off last year for economic reasons have a due-process right to show they are qualified for vacancies in the school district, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled last week.
Mark Walsh, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief Reporting Masks Violence in Philadelphia Schools
An investigation of violence in Philadelphia schools by the Inquirer newspaper uncovered dozens of cases of students accused of assaulting each other, punching teachers, kicking school police officers, and threatening to harm staff that were never reported.
McClatchy-Tribune, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
Education News in Brief Obama: Too Much Testing Fosters Dull Schools
President Barack Obama said in a speech last week that students should take fewer standardized tests and that school performance should be measured in other ways.
The Associated Press, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
Education News in Brief Lt. Governors Say Spare the Rod
Corporal punishment, still allowed in 20 states, should be banned in schools nationwide, the National Lieutenant Governors Association says in a resolution.
Nirvi Shah, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
Education News in Brief Broward Schools Chief Retiring
Jim Notter, the superintendent of the Broward County, Fla., schools since 2007, announced last week that he would retire from the nations sixth-largest district by the end of the school year.
Christina A. Samuels, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Judge Halts Implementation of Wisconsin's Union Law
A Wisconsin judge last week barred state officials from any further implementation of a law that strips most public workers of nearly all their collective bargaining rights.
The Associated Press, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Idaho Lawmakers Aim to Thwart Reform Referendum
Facing the prospects of a referendum to recall their newly signed education laws, Idaho lawmakers began working on emergency legislation last week that would make the laws go into effect immediately.
The Associated Press, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Providence Superintendent Leaving
Thomas Brady, a retired Army colonel and graduate of the Broad Foundation-sponsored superintendents academy, said he will step down as chief of the 23,700-student Providence, R.I., school district by summer.
Christina A. Samuels, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
A protestor in Columbus, Ohio, shouts as lawmakers prepare to vote on legislation to strip collective bargaining rights from teachers and other public employees.
A protestor in Columbus, Ohio, shouts as lawmakers prepare to vote on legislation to strip collective bargaining rights from teachers and other public employees.
Jay LaPrete/AP
Teaching Profession News in Brief Ohio Moves to Restrict Collective Bargaining
Labor stronghold Ohio took center stage last week in the fight over collective bargaining for public workers, as the state legislature passed a bill that was in some ways tougher than Wisconsin's new law.
The Associated Press, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
School & District Management Report Roundup Higher Education
Colleges and universities must shape their work with a keen eye toward the demands of the marketplace, a report from the National Governors Association says.
Catherine Gewertz, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Hawaii's Governor Replaces Entire Elected School Board
Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie replaced every member of Hawaii's elected, statewide school board last week with handpicked appointees who will answer to him, a change that was approved by voters last year to bring more accountability to education.
The Associated Press, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
School Choice & Charters News in Brief U.S. House Votes to Reinstate D.C. School Voucher Program
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to reinstate District of Columbia school vouchers, reviving the only program that uses federal tax dollars to subsidize private-school tuition.
The Associated Press, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
Education News in Brief Mo. Accreditation Rules May Add College Tracking
Missouri officials are considering sweeping accreditation changes for the state's public schools that would add new statewide tests and require districts to better monitor how their graduates fare in college.
The Associated Press, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
State school Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick says she has been contacted by nonprofit groups and advocates as she makes plans to move on. She has served under four governors, both Democratic and Republican.
State school Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick says she has been contacted by nonprofit groups and advocates as she makes plans to move on. She has served under four governors, both Democratic and Republican.
Christopher T. Assaf/Baltimore Sun/AP-File
Teaching Profession Maryland Schools Chief to Retire
Nancy S. Grasmick, the nation's longest-serving appointed schools chief, is leaving after 20 years.
Michelle D. Anderson, April 5, 2011
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3 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Exemption for Religious Educators to Be Weighed
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a teacher at a religious school falls under a widely recognized exception to employment-discrimination laws for ministers and other church leaders.
Mark Walsh, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
School & District Management Report Roundup Middle School Achievement
Middle school achievement is not as much of a trouble spot as some have warned, according to a report that analyzes trends in 8th grade state test scores.
Catherine Gewertz, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
Equity & Diversity Report Roundup Rural Poverty
Although people from all types of rural communities generally have more education than their parents, those in chronically poor rural areas have lower education levels—and that disadvantage lasts for generations.
Debra Viadero, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
School & District Management Report Roundup Student Behavior
Students who behave poorly in school don't always get poor grades, according to a new study.
Debra Viadero, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
School Climate & Safety Report Roundup Youth Drug Use
Use of the drug Ecstasy appears to be rising among young people, and it's sending more of them to hospitals, according to a report from the Drug Abuse Warning Network.
Nirvi Shah, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
School & District Management Survey Shows Americans Want More Education News
A new report finds the public has an appetite for performance data on teachers and students.
Ross Brenneman, April 5, 2011
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3 min read
School & District Management Report Roundup Beverages at School
High-calorie beverages and other drinks not favored by federal nutritional guidelines appear to be widely available in public elementary schools, according to a new study.
Nirvi Shah, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
A parent prays for a child’s success in the College Scholastic Ability Test at a Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea, last November. More than 700,000 high school seniors and graduates sit for the high-stakes examinations at 1,100 test centers across the country.
A parent prays for a child’s success in the College Scholastic Ability Test at a Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea, last November. More than 700,000 high school seniors and graduates sit for the high-stakes examinations at 1,100 test centers across the country.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty
Families & the Community Excessive Test Focus Hurts Love of Learning, Official Says
South Korea's former education minister says his nation is trying to scale back a heavy emphasis on tests and nurture broader skills.
Sean Cavanagh, April 5, 2011
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2 min read
Equity & Diversity Report Roundup Study Finds More Students Learning Mandarin Chinese
A study finds that, while Spanish is still the most popular foreign language, enrollment is growing fastest in Mandarin Chinese.
Erik W. Robelen, April 5, 2011
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1 min read
Education Best of the Blogs Blogs of the Week
Editors: Web headline, one full sentence, 120 characters, 4 lines max.
April 5, 2011
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3 min read
Education Funding Education Advocates Anxious Amid Budget Uncertainty
As Congress wrangles over a federal spending plan, worries remain about the prospect of further cuts to K-12.
Alyson Klein, April 5, 2011
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2 min read
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