June 15, 2011

Education Week, Vol. 30, Issue 35
Federal USDA to Probe Companies Running School Cafeterias
A federal audit will investigate whether food-service-management companies are pocketing the rebates from food suppliers.
June 14, 2011
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7 min read
Says Kaye Thompson Peters, an English teacher from St. Paul, Minn., "I think it's time someone said the emperor has no clothes. You need to stand up and you need to fight back, and that's where we are right now."
Says Kaye Thompson Peters, an English teacher from St. Paul, Minn., "I think it's time someone said the emperor has no clothes. You need to stand up and you need to fight back, and that's where we are right now."
Genevieve Ross for Education Week
Federal Frustrated Educators Aim to Build Grassroots Movement
Organizers of the Washington march say U.S. policymakers are moving in the wrong direction to bring about school improvement.
June 14, 2011
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12 min read
Marlon Fincher, 17, shadowed a student at a Fort Wayne, Ind., Catholic high school after a new statewide voucher program inspired his family to look for an alternative to the prospect of a cross-town bus ride posed by the closing of his current high school. His parents, Sherry Fincher and Isaac Fincher, at rear, are looking into details of the program that will help low- to middle-income students attend private schools.
Marlon Fincher, 17, shadowed a student at a Fort Wayne, Ind., Catholic high school after a new statewide voucher program inspired his family to look for an alternative to the prospect of a cross-town bus ride posed by the closing of his current high school. His parents, Sherry Fincher and Isaac Fincher, at rear, are looking into details of the program that will help low- to middle-income students attend private schools.
Swikar Patel/The Journal Gazette/AP
School Choice & Charters Capacity Issues Loom as Voucher Support Surges
Private schools have kept up with demand so far, academics say, but voucher programs' design and scale complicate longer-term prospects.
Mary Ann Zehr, June 14, 2011
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8 min read
A parent works with children at a community center in Carpinteria, Calif., where parent involvement is a key piece of the pre-K-3 agenda.
A parent works with children at a community center in Carpinteria, Calif., where parent involvement is a key piece of the pre-K-3 agenda.
Sarah Garland/Hechinger Report
Early Childhood Advocates See Pre-K-3 as Key Early Education Focus
Nationally, the years spanning prekindergarten to 3rd grade are seen as crucial and are the subject of ambitious initiatives.
Sarah Garland, the Hechinger Report, June 14, 2011
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6 min read
Federal Two State Consortia Vie for Grants to Create ELL Tests
California and Wisconsin have each rallied a group of states to compete for $10.7 million to develop ELL tests tied to common standards.
Mary Ann Zehr, June 14, 2011
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3 min read
Ben Austin, the executive director of Parent Revolution, which supported a controversial charter petition in Compton, Calif., hugs parent Patricia Quintero, last year.
Ben Austin, the executive director of Parent Revolution, which supported a controversial charter petition in Compton, Calif., hugs parent Patricia Quintero, last year.
Al Seib/Los Angeles Times/AP-File
Families & the Community Legislative Momentum Stalls for 'Parent Trigger' Proposals
The concept proves intriguing, but logistics and opposition lead many state lawmakers to move slowly.
Sean Cavanagh, June 14, 2011
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6 min read
College & Workforce Readiness News in Brief Common Application Sets Word Limit
After a four-year experiment in allowing applicants to write long essays, Common Application is going back to a 500-word limit this fall.
Caralee J. Adams, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
Special Education News in Brief ACLU: Wis. Voucher Program Creates Segregated Schools
The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups have filed a federal complaint that accuses the state of Wisconsin and some private schools that accept vouchers of creating a system of segregated public schools for students with disabilities.
Nirvi Shah, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Obama Creates 'Rural Council'
President Barack Obama signed an executive order last week creating a new White House Rural Council to promote economic prosperity and quality of life in rural communities.
June 14, 2011
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1 min read
Special Education Report Roundup Response to Intervention
Approaches once driven by special education departments are now seen as a way to improve education for all students.
Nirvi Shah, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Opinion We Must Help Students Reach College
Johns Hopkins University's Yash Gupta says universities have a role to play in helping students prepare for and succeed at college.
Yash Gupta, June 14, 2011
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5 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Dallas Chief Moves to Georgia
Dallas schools chief Michael Hinojosa has been hired as superintendent of Georgia's second-largest district.
The Associated Press, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Candidates Roll In for Florida Job
More than two dozen candidates have put their names in contention to replace Eric J. Smith as Florida's commissioner of education.
Sean Cavanagh, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
Equity & Diversity News in Brief Education Officials Uneasy About Immigration Law
A provision in Alabama's new immigration law that requires schools to collect citizenship information on undocumented children is making some education officials uneasy.
McClatchy-Tribune, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
Reading & Literacy Opinion Against the Whole-Class Novel
The whole-class novel and the basal reader are alienating students from the written word and these practices must be stopped, writes Pam Allyn.
Pam Allyn, June 14, 2011
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5 min read
Education Funding Report Roundup Financial Aid
A new report says financial-aid policies too often benefit affluent students who would go to college anyway, rather than helping those with the greatest need.
Caralee J. Adams, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
Education News in Brief Cleveland District Names CEO
The Cleveland school board has promoted the districts chief academic officer, Eric Gordon, to chief executive officer of the 45,000-student district.
The Associated Press, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
School Climate & Safety Report Roundup Research Report: Bullying
Both bullies and their victims are more likely than other students to show up in the school nurse's office, according to a new study.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
School & District Management Report Roundup Business and Schools
Business leaders can put a lasting imprint on education policy, according to a report released this month.
Alyson Klein, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
Teaching Profession News in Brief Union Backs Use of Test Scores in Evaluations
The Pennsylvania State Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union, issued a strong endorsement last week for using student test scores in evaluating teachers.
McClatchy-Tribune, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
Teaching Profession News in Brief L.A. Teachers OK Deal for 3,400 Jobs
Los Angeles teachers have voted overwhelmingly to approve a tentative, one-year agreement with the school board intended to help offset an estimated $408 million budget deficit and prevent about 3,400 layoffs.
The Associated Press, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Judge Denies Stay in Desegregation Case
A federal appeals court declined to stay a ruling that allows Arkansas to end most desegregation funding for three school districts.
The Associated Press, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
School & District Management Report Roundup Union Collaborations
A report offers a detailed narrative of recent negotiations between the teachers' union and district administrators in the Pittsburgh public schools.
Sean Cavanagh, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
Teaching Profession News in Brief Double-Dipping Teachers Face Take-Home-Pay Cut
A new state law will take a big bite out of the paychecks of educators who retired and then returned to work in New Mexico schools while continuing to receive their pensions.
The Associated Press, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
Education Funding Report Roundup Ga. Tuition Tax Breaks Come in for Criticism
Supporters of the program say funds given to the students are private donations and should not be subject to the same transparency rules as state dollars.
The Associated Press, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
Education Funding Report Roundup School Finance
State policymakers attempting to bring down school costs should change or refine class-size mandates, a report recommends.
Sean Cavanagh, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan visits with students during a visit to Dayton's Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School on May 31 in Minneapolis.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan visits with students during a visit to Dayton's Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School on May 31 in Minneapolis.
Jim Mone/AP
States New Leeway on Horizon Under NCLB
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is preparing to grant states relief from key provisions of the NCLB law in exchange for what he calls "commitments to key reforms."
Michele McNeil, June 14, 2011
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8 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Another Superintendent Goes to News Corp.
News Corp. has hired two top deputies to join former New York City Chancellor Joel I. Klein at its new education division.
The Associated Press, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
Student Well-Being Report Roundup Summer Learning Loss
High-quality summer programs can help combat summer learning loss, the RAND Corp. has found.
Nora Fleming, June 14, 2011
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1 min read
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