Education

News in Brief

March 03, 2004 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Fed Chairman Stresses Value of Education

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan says U.S. elementary and secondary schools need to improve in teaching basic skills such as mathematics and science if the nation is to remain competitive in the fast-changing global economy.

In a Feb. 20 speech in Omaha, Neb., the chairman said that American workers would benefit more over the long run from better education and skills than from protectionist trade policies.

“Many of our students languish at too low a level of skill,” Mr. Greenspan told attendees at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, according to a text of his speech. The economy is becoming more “conceptual,” he added. Workers in the United States will need to be better trained to compete for good jobs, and having a skilled workforce available to employers will sustain the economy and promote innovation in the long run, the chairman added. Mr. Greenspan held up community colleges as vital to retraining adult workers for more challenging jobs.

—Sean Cavanagh

Supreme Court Clarifies Age-Discrimination Law

The federal law barring on-the-job age discrimination was not meant to protect relatively younger workers from being treated less favorably than their older colleagues, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 last week.

In General Dynamics Land Systems Inc. v. Cline (Case No. 02-1080), the court held that a labor agreement that cut retirement benefits for workers who were under 50 at the time did not violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. Workers at the defense contractor who were at least 40, and thus protected by the act, sued on the grounds that denying them benefits available to older workers was illegal age discrimination.

"[T]he statute does not mean to stop an employer from favoring an older employee over a younger one,” Justice David H. Souter said on Feb. 24 in the majority opinion, from which Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, and Clarence Thomas dissented.

The National Education Association filed a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that a ruling going the other way would throw into question school district policies offering incentives for early retirement.

—Caroline Hendrie

Events

Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Boosting Student and Staff Mental Health: What Schools Can Do
Join this free virtual event based on recent reporting on student and staff mental health challenges and how schools have responded.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
Practical Methods for Integrating Computer Science into Core Curriculum
Dive into insights on integrating computer science into core curricula with expert tips and practical strategies to empower students at every grade level.
Content provided by Learning.com
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: October 11, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 27, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 20, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education From Our Research Center What's on the Minds of Educators, in Charts
Politics, gender equity, and technology—how teachers and administrators say these issues are affecting the field.
1 min read
Stylized illustration of a pie chart
Traci Daberko for Education Week