December 13, 2006
Education Week, Vol. 26, Issue 15
School & District Management
Panel to Supervise 3 Schools for Homeless
A local judge has appointed a panel to supervise three Arizona schools that serve homeless children, following the indictment of the superintendent who oversees them.
School & District Management
Tom Mooney, President of Ohio Teachers’ Union, Dies
To those who knew him, Tom Mooney, the president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, represented the future of teacher unionism: a progressive leader who cared as deeply about the schools his teachers worked for as he did his constituents.
Reading & Literacy
Reading Law Fails to Bring Innovations
Despite Reading First's $1 billion-a-year investment in improving reading instruction, little has changed in the kinds of reading products and programs being offered since the initiative was rolled out, according to some experts.
Federal
Opinion
The New, Improved Educational Machine
Peter W. Cookson Jr., the dean of the graduate school of education and counseling at Lewis & Clark College, cautions that uniformity and control, often equated with educational equality and accountability, do not trump creativity and the innate messiness of learning.
Law & Courts
Race Plans Get Rough Reception
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments last week on the constitutionality of using race as a tool in assigning students to public schools, in two cases in which advocates on both sides claim to be defending the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education and the nation’s commitment to equality.
Families & the Community
At Behest of Chicago Schools, Cosby Lectures Parents
At the invitation of the Chicago school board, the actor and comedian Bill Cosby shared his sometimes-controversial message about responsibility with some 9,000 parents last week, urging them to take charge of their households.
Teaching Profession
NEA Members, Budget Up; Workers Down
In its second year of detailed disclosure to the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Education Association is reporting that it has more members, a larger budget, and fewer employees in Washington.
Federal
GOP Era Wrought Unexpected Changes
Republicans took control of Congress in 1995 promising to change dramatically the federal government’s role in K-12 education. Twelve years later, they have done just that, but not in the way they expected.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
An Urban Legend—Literally
Antonia Cortese and F. Howard Nelson debunk myths and inaccurate assumptions about teacher transfers and collective bargaining.
Federal
Framing the Debate
The No Child Left Behind Act is slated to be reauthorized in 2007, and both President Bush and the leaders of the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress have signaled their interest in keeping renewal of the law on schedule.
Federal
California Urged to Address Teacher-Quality Shortcomings
California students are unlikely to meet the academic goals for mathematics and English under the No Child Left Behind Act unless policymakers continue to improve the quality of the state’s teaching workforce, a research study suggests.
Science
NGA Kicks Off Push for ‘Innovation’ Agenda
The nation’s governors last week called on states to improve math and science instruction in high schools, rethink the role of higher education in supporting economic growth, and use state policies to develop more fast-growing, high-tech businesses in their regions.
Law & Courts
High Court to Hear Impact-Aid Case
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments next month in a case filed by two New Mexico school districts that object to the way the U.S. secretary of education calculates which districts are eligible to receive impact aid for educating children who live on federal land or near federal installations.
Education Funding
States Seek to Recover Taxes Lost to Federal Lands
Thirteen Western states that are home to more than 93 percent of the nation’s federally owned land have formed a coalition to lobby Washington for an annual $4 billion in lost local and state property-tax revenues on the federal land, nearly $1.9 billion of which would have gone to pay for public education.
Federal
Federal File
Revolving Door
Henry L. Johnson, a major addition to the Department of Education during a spate of leadership changes last year, has resigned his position, effective Dec. 31.
English-Language Learners
A Washington Roundup
Data on English-Learners Could Be Improved, GAO Says
The Government Accountability Office has found that the Department of Education is using counts of children with limited English skills from the Census Bureau to distribute funds to states for English-language learners under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Education
A State Capitals Roundup
Overseer Says R.I. School Still in Need of Improvement
The “special master” appointed to oversee the state-ordered overhaul of a Rhode Island high school has said that significant progress has been made at the school, but that student attendance, facilities, and other matters are still problems.
Education
A Washington Roundup
Justices Decline to Hear Parental-Rights Appeal
The U.S. Supreme Court last week refused to hear the appeal of a group of California parents who argued that their school district violated their rights when it surveyed elementary school students about sex and sexuality.
Education
A State Capitals Roundup
Conn. Lawmakers Seek School Security Funding
Two state senators in Connecticut have proposed a $15 million initiative to help schools increase security, one of dozens of school safety measures being considered by lawmakers across the country since a series of school shootings earlier this fall.
Education
A State Capitals Roundup
No Replacement Picked Yet for California Ed. Secretary
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California has not yet announced a replacement for his education secretary, Alan D. Bersin, who stepped down following the governor’s re-election last month.
Education
A State Capitals Roundup
La. Chief Picard Says He Will Retire Sooner Than Planned
Cecil J. Picard, Louisiana’s state superintendent of education, said last week that he plans to retire next spring because of ill health.
Federal
A Washington Roundup
Spending Bills Await the Next Congress
Congress was expected late last week to adjourn for the year without finishing the spending bill that finances the Department of Education.
Budget & Finance
Pot of Cash May Be Out of Reach
Texas lawmakers may find themselves facing a fiscal puzzle when they convene Jan. 9: flush with cash to pay for the school finance bill they passed earlier this year, but unable to spend much of it.
Federal
Chiefs: Ed. Dept. Getting Stingier on NCLB Flexibility
Flexibility was the watchword of Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings’ first year in office. But not her second, says a report by state officials who are responsible for carrying out the No Child Left Behind Act.
Student Well-Being
Rise of Youth Mentoring Outpaces Knowledge Base
A pair of researchers contends the enthusiasm for youth mentoring is outpacing the research base on how best to nurture productive, lasting bonds between mentors and the young people they’re matched with.
Education
‘Seven C’s’ of Success
From his own analyses of the research on youth-mentoring programs, David L. DuBois has identified seven features—the “seven C’s”—of effective youth-mentoring relationships.
IT Infrastructure & Management
Justices to Hear Student Free-Speech Case
A case on student freedom of speech that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide in its current term is potentially far-reaching, not least because it is the court’s first foray into this area of school law in the Internet era.
School & District Management
Study Questions Role Math, Science Scores Play In Nations’ GDPs
A study of more than three dozen countries, including the United States, challenges the popular belief that superior student achievement on international mathematics and science tests breeds national economic success.
Curriculum
2003 Teacher’s Guide Prompts New Criticism of NSTA
After facing recent accusations about the money it receives from the oil industry, a science teachers’ group received new criticism last week about one of its corporate-supported products, which a number of experts say presents misleading information about global warming.