Priming the Student Learning Pump

Coach and classroom teacher Kathie Marshall offers tips on keeping students engaged as the school year progresses. (October 8, 2008)

Forum

How To Help Struggling Boys

Peg Tyre, author of The Trouble With Boys, participated in a recent interview about boys’ underachievement. Now she wants to hear from you. Share your input and strategies for working with boys here. (October 10, 2008)

Ask the Mentor

Co-Teaching in the Multi-Level Classroom

Mindy Fattig, award-winning educator and co-author of Co-Teaching in the Differentiated Classroom, answers your questions on how to manage responsibilities, time, and frustration in the co-teaching classroom. First of two installments. (October 8, 2008)

Web Watch

Math Problems

A new study shows that U.S. students are lacking in math prowess, and that societal values could be to blame. And more. (October 6, 2008)

Teacher Sourcebook

A Marriage Made in Math Class

A co-teaching arrangement spurs improvement for both special education students and their mainstream peers. (September 10, 2008)

Ore. Program Funds Teacher Mentoring

First-year teachers in Oregon are getting more help thanks to increased funding for mentor programs. (October 10, 2008, AP)

New Tech Tools Bring Study of Election Alive

The presidential candidates aren't the only ones to have learned how to use novel technology tools to reach young people. (October 8, 2008)

Ore. Teachers Fear Layoffs

One of Oregon’s largest school districts is facing a financial crisis fueled by questionable investments and budgetary miscalculations. (October 8, 2008, AP)

Minn. Governor Targets Teacher Quality

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's school improvement plan would require that all districts tie annual teacher pay increases to student performance. (October 8, 2008)

Featured Blog

What I Learned in Second Grade Today

Emmet Rosenfeld takes a break from his older students to substitute a second-grade class. (October 08, 2008)

Foreclosures Up, Enrollment Down

The Phoenix-area housing slump creates an unpredictable future for schools. (October 6, 2008)

Interview

Boy Problems

Peg Tyre, Newsweek writer and author of The Trouble With Boys, discusses her research on why boys have fallen behind academically and what teachers can do to help. (September 30, 2008)

Colorado Boosts Arts Classes

State officials are overhauling their arts programs after a recent study showed students involved in the arts had better test scores and lower dropout rates. (October 6, 2008, AP)

Baby Boomers Leave Tough Gap to Fill

New Hampshire's teacher shortage left some schools scrambling for hires until late September. (October 6, 2008, AP)

Schools to Teach About Dating Violence

A new Rhode Island law requires that all middle and high school health classes teach the warning signs of abusive relationships. (October 5, 2008, AP)

Dallas to Layoff 1,100 School Employees

School district trustees voted for the layoffs, which will include 550 teachers, to assuage an $84 million shortfall. (October 2, 2008, AP)

Parents Take Position on Yoga

Teachers using yoga to help students relieve exam stress have been stymied by claims that the instruction violates boundaries between church and state. (October 2, 2008, AP)

School Officials Find Textbooks Boring

The Indiana Board of Education says it recently discovered what students yawning through social studies class may already know — their textbooks are boring. (October 2, 2008, AP)

Hurricane Alters Lesson Plans

Texas schools shut down by Hurricane Ike are not required to make up the lost days, but teachers must teach more in less time. (October 2, 2008, AP)

Scientists Denounce Creationism

The Texas State Board of Education could face a showdown with scientists from Texas universities over proposed science curriculum. (October 1, 2008, AP)

Wis. School Districts Sue Over Risky Investments

Five Wisconsin school districts have filed suit over investments that turned out to be “much riskier than represented.” (October 1, 2008, AP)

Ex-Teacher Sentenced in Sex Case

A federal judge says that a former Neb. math teacher who fled to Mexico with a student has the maturity level of a junior high school student. (September 29, 2008, AP)

Texas Move to Tighten GPA Formula Sparks Backlash

A formula that all high schools would have to use to calculate GPAs is encountering strong resistance from educators who fear it could discourage teenagers from taking challenging courses. (October 1, 2008)

Ore. Debates Merit-Pay Measure

Opponents suggest the pay initiative, which would link teacher pay to "classroom performance," will lead to "teaching to the test." (September 29, 2008, AP)

Teacher Sourcebook

The Written Word

A renowned professional development program helps teachers use writing as a tool for classroom discovery. (September 10, 2008)