Teachers

Recent news about teacher policies, quality, assessment, and practices.

Poll Finds School Leaders Cool to Performance Pay

A survey by the American Association of School Administrators finds fewer than half interested in such compensation plans. July 6, 2009

Wash. State Panel Aims to Close the 'Cultural Competence' Gap

July 6, 2009, AP

New Mexico: Teachers' Union Fights Pension Hike

July 6, 2009, AP

Duncan Presses NEA on Merit Pay, Tenure

The education secretary tells the nation's largest teachers' union that 'inflexible' policies on pay for performance and job protections must change. July 2, 2009

Ed. Sec. Challenges NEA on Teacher Pay

July 2, 2009, AP

News Briefs

Hawaii's Kamehameha Schools to Introduce 'Virtual' Merit Pay

The Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii will begin experimenting this coming fall with a merit-based-pay program for teachers and administrators. June 16, 2009

Indiana Union Crisis Forces Layoffs

Indiana’s largest teachers’ union is laying off dozens of employees in the wake of a financial crisis that spurred investigations of its troubled insurance trust. June 16, 2009

Chicago Layoffs Loom to Help Fill Budget Gap

Officials of the Chicago public schools say they’ll lay off 500 employees within the next few weeks and another 500 over the next year to help fill a budget shortfall. June 15, 2009

Schism on Dropout Problem Seen

Teachers and principals are far more likely to blame parents and students than themselves or their schools for the high school dropout problem, according to a new study. June 9, 2009

N.C. School District to Replace Laid-Off Teachers With Novices

Some experienced teachers being laid off in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., district will be replaced with 100 new Teach For America recruits. May 18, 2009

Alabama State Board Approves Streamlined Teacher Evaluations

Members of the Alabama board of education have voted to make the process of evaluating the state’s teachers more streamlined. May 18, 2009

More News Briefs

Studies Probe 'Value-Added' Measures

As a method for evaluating teachers’ effectiveness, researchers say, the technique has some drawbacks. July 1, 2009

Top-Scoring Nations Share Strategies on Teachers

Educators from Singapore and Finland discuss approaches that have yielded high rankings in global comparisons of student achievement. June 30, 2009

Teacher Turnover Plagues Chicago Public Schools

June 30, 2009, MCT

Commentary

The Academic Quality of Teachers: A Civil Rights Issue

“New teachers should be able to use a more diverse range of strategies than they are now taught in their preparation programs,” writes Sandra Stotsky. June 26, 2009

NEA Sues Over Money Lost in Madoff Scam

June 25, 2009, AP

Lingle Signs Order Implementing Furloughs in July

June 25, 2009, AP

Weingarten Resigns From N.Y.C. Teachers' Union

June 25, 2009, AP

Philadelphia Teachers Cite Intense Push to Promote

June 23, 2009

NCATE Offers Multiple Paths to Reaccreditation

Schools can work toward a higher level of performance on NCATE standards, take on a major research project, or partner with a school district. June 23, 2009

Pa. Cyber School Unionizes; Union Says It's a 1st

June 17, 2009, AP

Texas Dual College Credit Programs, Now Mandated, Become More Popular

June 17, 2009, MCT

Senator: Make It a Crime to Change Test Scores

June 16, 2009, AP

Layoffs Mean L.A. Schools Lose New Breed of Teachers

June 15, 2009, AP

Finding the Middle Ground on Mentoring in Schools

June 12, 2009

Hire Full-Time Mentors, in Lieu of Merit Pay

June 12, 2009