December 10, 2014
Education Week, Vol. 34, Issue 14
Equity & Diversity
Ed. Programs Minor Factor in Latest Federal Budget Dust-Up
Policy debates over immigration and tax extensions draw more attention as the lame-duck 113th Congress works to tie up fiscal loose ends to keep government agencies running.
Teacher Preparation
Opinion
The Anti-TFA Protests Are Misguided
Critics like United Students Against Sweatshops should applaud Teach For America, not bash it, former Milwaukee schools chief Howard Fuller writes.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Crossing the Border to Kindergarten
The benefits of bilingual K-12 schooling drive Annalisa Nash Fernandez to go to great lengths for her children.
Classroom Technology
Opinion
Blended Learning Is About More Than Technology
Problem-solving, not technology, should be the centerpiece of blended learning planning, say Michael Horn and Heather Staker.
Teaching Profession
Report Roundup
Teachers Face Slow, Uphill Salary Climb, Study Finds
A new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality dissects salary schedules from across the nation's biggest school districts to find where and how teachers can maximize their salaries.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Science Education
About 60 percent of job openings require basic science, technology, engineering, and math literacy, and 42 percent require advanced STEM skills, according to a new survey of 126 chief executive officers.
Education
Correction
Correction
A story in the Dec. 3, 2014, edition of Education Week about school districts' pressuring publishers to improve the delivery of digital content misspelled Stephen Midgley's name.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Student Demographics
American young adults are better educated than older generations were at the same age, but they are significantly more likely to live in poverty than young adults in 1980, according to a new data analysis by the U.S. Census Bureau.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Principals
Adding teachers' and students' perspectives to classic principal-evaluation tools like supervisor observations can give a significantly more accurate picture of a school leader's effectiveness, found a new study by the Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
College Readiness
Since the vast majority of college students don't finish a degree in four years, radical changes are needed in the way higher education pathways are structured, according to a report released last week by the nonprofit Complete College America.
Families & the Community
Report Roundup
School Choice
Parents in different cities face different hurdles to finding and choosing a school, according to the second in a series of reports from the University of Washington's Center on Reinventing Public Education.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Dropout Prevention
While dropping out of high school is often seen as a long, slow process of disengagement, a significant portion of students who drop out face sudden events that lead to them leaving school, such as injury or the death of a parent, according to a new report in the journal Review of Education Research.
Student Well-Being
K-12, Housing Partner to Aid Homeless Students
A partnership between a Tacoma, Wash., elementary school and the local housing authority shows promise for driving down high rates of student mobility.
Standards
State Leaders Confront Full Plate of K-12 Issues
Lawmakers and governors—new and re-elected—are likely to turn their attention to standards, testing, funding, and school choice when the curtain rises on the 2015 legislative season.
Special Education
New Center Aims to Better Aid States on Special Education
The U.S. Department of Education is retooling the way it provides technical assistance to states on complex issues involving students with disabilities.
School & District Management
Letter to the Editor
Genuine Collaboration Means There Is No 'Us and Them'
To the Editor:
The Commentary by Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers really hit the nail on the head. Collaboration takes two because it needs a "willing partner," she writes.
The Commentary by Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers really hit the nail on the head. Collaboration takes two because it needs a "willing partner," she writes.
Professional Development
Letter to the Editor
Why Not Have Future Teachers Gain Experience Before College?
To the Editor:
The drumbeat of teacher bashing from the political right and in the press, within and outside the educational establishment, has produced a market correction in the supply of teachers.
The drumbeat of teacher bashing from the political right and in the press, within and outside the educational establishment, has produced a market correction in the supply of teachers.
Classroom Technology
Letter to the Editor
1-to-1 Technology Can Benefit Instruction for Kindergartners
To the Editor:
In the Oct. 15, 2014, issue, Benjamin Waldman wrote a Commentary titled "Technology Is Not the Answer: A Student's Perspective."
In the Oct. 15, 2014, issue, Benjamin Waldman wrote a Commentary titled "Technology Is Not the Answer: A Student's Perspective."
Professional Development
Letter to the Editor
Fractions Study Requires Students to Alter Conception of Numbers
To the Editor:
The article "Approach to Fractions Seen as Key Shift in Standards" makes many good points.
The article "Approach to Fractions Seen as Key Shift in Standards" makes many good points.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Minn. Transgender Athletes Can Play on Favored Teams
Minnesota's high school sports association last week passed a controversial set of guidelines for transgender student-athletes.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Before Arizona Chief Takes Office, Recall Effort Begins
A teacher in the Phoenix area has announced that he is forming a political action committee in order to recall Diane Douglas, the Republican state superintendent-elect who doesn't take office until next month.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Court Orders Mo. to Suspend Smarter Balanced Payments
A Missouri judge has issued a temporary restraining order that requires the state to stop making payments to the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Former Football Player Sues Illinois Athletic Association
A former high school quarterback is following in the steps of one-time pro and college players by suing a sports governing body.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Kan. Science Standards
A federal judge last week dismissed a lawsuit alleging that science standards for Kansas public schools promote atheism and violate the religious freedoms of students and parents.
School & District Management
News in Brief
N.D. Students May Have to Pass U.S. Citizenship Test
North Dakota students may have to pass a U.S. citizenship test to earn a high school diploma if state lawmakers approve legislation to make a 100-question exam a graduation requirement.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Ind. Probe Called for Charges Against Former Schools Chief
An investigation into former Indiana schools Superintendent Tony Bennett's use of state staff and resources during his 2012 re-election campaign found ample evidence to support federal wire-fraud charges, according to a copy of the 95-page report viewed by the Associated Press.
Equity & Diversity
News in Brief
White House Unveils Plans to Aid Native Americans
The Obama administration rolled out plans last week to bolster educational opportunities for Native American youths.