May 10, 2000
Education Week, Vol. 19, Issue 35
Education
Lawmakers At Odds as Debate Begins In Senate on ESEA Bill
The Senate last week launched into a heated debate over the federal role in schools, as lawmakers took up Republican K-12 legislation that in its current form is sure to be vetoed by President Clinton.
The Senate last week launched into a heated debate over the federal role in schools, as lawmakers took up Republican K-12 legislation that in its current form is sure to be vetoed by President Clinton.
Education
Federal File
Stamp of approval
Beginning this week, U.S. Postal Service customers will be able to buy a 33-cent commemorative "improving education" stamp.
Education
Bills Would Tie Safety Funds To Proof of Success
An overhaul of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program, tucked into the main education bills now moving through Congress, could potentially alter what thousands of schools teach about drug use and crime prevention.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief: A State Capitals Roundup
- Utah Judge Halts New Policy on Weapons in Schools
- Finance System Upheld in R.I.
- Many Charter Laws Seen as Weak
- N.J. Creates Urban Schools Council
- Background Checks Planned in Ill.
Education
Colorado Tentatively Settles Facilities-Finance Case
Colorado legislators have agreed to set aside $190 million over 11 years to pay for school construction and repair projects in the state's neediest districts.
Special Education
New Settlement in Baltimore Spec. Ed. Case Brings Hope
Both sides in the long-standing case against the Baltimore district's special education system are optimistic that a new settlement will improve programs and ease the process of complying with court orders.
Families & the Community
Turf Battle Flares in Fla. Over Control Of Adult Education
Bills pending in the Florida legislature that would essentially transfer control of adult education from school districts to community colleges are being described as a power grab by district officials and a much-needed reform by the bill's proponents.
Student Well-Being
'Attendance Technology' Easing Recordkeeping Burden
A new attendance-policing technology is helping to make cut slips a quaint memory in certain Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Maryland urban schools.
Early Childhood
Computer Companies Give Birth To 'Lapware' for Babies
Computer programs designed for the diaper set—including infants as young as 9 months old—are carving out a niche in the nation's flourishing educational software market.
Education
Corrections
A story about teacher liability in the March 29, 2000, issue of Education Week ("Fearful Teachers Buy Liability Insurance") misstated the number of years Michael F. Gallagher taught at Overlook Elementary School and how much of his legal fees were paid by the Pennsylvania State Education Association and its insurer. He taught at the school in Abington, Pa., for nine years, and the union paid $35,000.
Education
News in Brief: A National Roundup
- School Anti-Drug Programs Questioned by UNC Study
- Detroit Board Picks New Chief
- Columbine Video Sales Resume
- Floyd Flake Joins Edison
- K.C. Case Dismissal Questioned
- Arizona Cuts Access to Tests
- Texas Teacher Morale Said Low
- New Center Aids Charter Schools
- Death
Teaching Profession
NEA Pegs School Building Needs At $332 Billion
A study released last week by the National Education Association estimates the current price tag for fixing and modernizing the nation's schools, and outfitting them with new technology, at $322 billion. Includes: "Construction Costs," a list of the 10 states with the highest total school construction needs.
School Climate & Safety
Detroit Fined $1.4 Million Over Asbestos Inspections
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has levied a $1.4 million fine against the Detroit school district for failing to adhere to deadlines in monitoring asbestos levels in its schools.
School & District Management
Clinton Turns Spotlight On Performance
President Clinton has ordered federal education officials to help states and districts turn around low-performing schools.
Budget & Finance
Denver, New York Seek Online Revenue
Separate attempts by two major school systems to cash in on the World Wide Web are breaking new ground in raising money while rekindling criticisms about commercialism in education.
Education
People in the News
Diana Malloy has been named the executive director of the Ohio Mathematics and Science Coalition. Based in Cleveland, the omsc works to improve K-12 mathematics, science, and technology education. The coalition has 41 members representing education, business, and government in Ohio.
School Choice & Charters
Research on Charters and Integration Is Limited
A survey of the limited research that has been done on the demographics of charter schools suggests that in some places, they are contributing to the racial and ethnic isolation of their students.
A survey of the limited research that has been done on the demographics of charter schools suggests that in some places, they are contributing to the racial and ethnic isolation of their students.
School & District Management
Competing Plans Offered To Shield Research From Political Influences
Policymakers and researchers floated ideas for ways to buffer federally funded education research from the changing whims of politics during a House education subcommittee hearing last week.
Curriculum
Classroom Renaissance
After years of neglect, the arts are being recognized as an instrument for enhancing academic achievement.
Law & Courts
Employers Can End Cash For Comp Time, Court Rules
Public employers may require workers to use their compensatory time instead of stockpiling it for eventual payment in cash, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week.
Education
Clinton Offers Family-Friendly Goals At Teen Conference
At a White House conference on teenagers last week, President Clinton called on Congress to adopt several family-friendly budget items and signed an executive order that bars federal workplaces from discriminating against employees who are parents.
Education
Mississippi Links Teacher Raises To Growth in Revenues
Mississippi teachers are scheduled to receive raises aimed at increasing their pay to regionally competitive levels, under a bill signed last week by Gov. Ronnie Musgrove.
Equity & Diversity
N.C. Launches Broad Assault On the Achievement Gap
With more than $100 million in proposed funding and a report card that would track achievement by race, North Carolina school leaders are stepping up efforts to close the persistent test-score gap separating the state's black and Hispanic students from their white counterparts.
Education
Alaska Legislators OK Bond Plan For School Construction
Alaska lawmakers last week passed the largest school construction plan in the state's history, but it didn't satisfy Gov. Tony Knowles and others who say the bill will do too little to address the state's pressing facilities needs.