Issues

March 1, 2017

Education Week, Vol. 36, Issue 23
States State of the States: Montana, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia
Here are summaries of recent annual addresses by governors around the country.
February 28, 2017
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3 min read
Ehlena Fry, a Michigan 6th grader who has cerebral palsy, sits with Wonder, her retired service dog. She had been denied use of the dog by her former school district.
Ehlena Fry, a Michigan 6th grader who has cerebral palsy, sits with Wonder, her retired service dog. She had been denied use of the dog by her former school district.
Erin Irwin/Education Week-File
Special Education Supreme Court Backs Family in Case on Denial of Service Dog in School
The justices gave a unanimous, but for now partial, victory to a family that sued a Michigan district that barred a service dog for a child with cerebral palsy.
Mark Walsh, February 28, 2017
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4 min read
States States Wrangle Over K-12 Funding Formulas
Education aid can account for up to half of a state's budget, and it's a subject of heated debate, especially in places dealing with budget shortfalls and court orders.
Daarel Burnette II, February 28, 2017
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5 min read
President Donald Trump listens as U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos speaks during a meeting with parents and teachers at the White House Feb. 14. The event, which included a mix of public, private, and home-school parents and educators, was the first joint appearance for Trump and DeVos since she was sworn in after a bruising confirmation process.
President Donald Trump listens as U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos speaks during a meeting with parents and teachers at the White House Feb. 14. The event, which included a mix of public, private, and home-school parents and educators, was the first joint appearance for Trump and DeVos since she was sworn in after a bruising confirmation process.
Evan Vucci/AP
School & District Management Transition Update: Trump Administration
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos kicked off her first public speech, accountability regulations for the Every Student Succeeds Act have been put on pause by the Trump administration, and more.
Alyson Klein, February 28, 2017
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6 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Numbers of AP Test-Takers Continue to Rise
The College Board reports that more students—and more low-income students—are taking Advanced Placement tests. But will that growth continue?
Jaclyn Zubrzycki, February 28, 2017
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5 min read
Teachers and staff of the Clifton Independent School District in Clifton, Texas, at a handgun training session in February 2013.
Teachers and staff of the Clifton Independent School District in Clifton, Texas, at a handgun training session in February 2013.
Lance Rosenfield/Prime for Education Week-File
School Climate & Safety Educators Join New Fight to Block Guns in Schools
A growing number of educators are lobbying against bills to allow guns in schools as some lawmakers argue for arming school personnel to protect students.
Evie Blad, February 28, 2017
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10 min read
Student Well-Being Districts, Advocates Warily Await Health-Care Law Overhaul
Scrapping or significantly revamping the Affordable Care Act—a Republican priority—could affect everything from student mental-health services to the hiring of substitute teachers.
Alyson Klein, February 28, 2017
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7 min read
Special Education Weighing Special Ed. as a School Choice Option
Making federal aid for students with disabilities available has been on the drawing board in conservative circles for years, and the new education secretary has voiced some support for the concept.
Christina A. Samuels, February 28, 2017
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5 min read
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate education committee, and his counterpart in the House, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., have made clear they will take a close look at the Higher Education Act, which is overdue for renewal.
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate education committee, and his counterpart in the House, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., have made clear they will take a close look at the Higher Education Act, which is overdue for renewal.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP-File
College & Workforce Readiness Congress May Turn Focus to Higher Ed. Law's Renewal
Federal lawmakers are again taking a close look at the Higher Education Act, with broad implications for K-12 issues such as college access for low-income students.
Andrew Ujifusa, February 28, 2017
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7 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion How to End the Charter Schools War
In order to resolve the rancorous debate, charters must reconnect with their original purpose, writes Ron Wolk.
Ronald A. Wolk, February 28, 2017
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4 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Getty
School & District Management Opinion The Fight Over Charter Schools Is a Distraction
Teachers' unions and charter school advocates must join in solidarity for greater education equity, writes Jia Lok Pratt.
Jia Lok Pratt, February 28, 2017
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4 min read
Teacher Kymberli Wregglesworth, left, assists Andrea Madison, a junior at Onaway High School in Michigan, navigate the iCivics digital game during a civics class.
Teacher Kymberli Wregglesworth, left, assists Andrea Madison, a junior at Onaway High School in Michigan, navigate the iCivics digital game during a civics class.
Photos by Keith King for Education Week
Curriculum Amid Partisan Divide, Teachers Turn to Digital Game for Civics Lessons
As they wrestle with how best to engage students in learning about a sharply divided U.S. government, teachers are finding middle ground in a digital game.
Benjamin Herold, February 28, 2017
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8 min read
School Climate & Safety Report Roundup Research Report: School Climate
Teacher satisfaction affects student achievement, but being part of a professional learning community can have also a buffering effect on that outcome, a study has found.
Madeline Will, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
Assessment Report Roundup Student Testing
Most school superintendents think students spend too much time on tests but report that their districts are still investing time in test
Catherine Gewertz, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
School & District Management Report Roundup Computer Science
Spending an hour learning computer basics may positively change students' attitudes about computer science and increase their feelings of self-efficacy where that subject is concerned—especially among girls, suggests a study.
Marva Hinton, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
Teaching Profession Report Roundup Teacher Salaries
Alaska and New York state pay teachers nearly double the salaries of those working in Mississippi and Oklahoma, says a study by GoBankingRates.
Brenda Iasevoli, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
Education Funding Report Roundup School Spending: Charters vs. Non-Charters
Schools loosened their belts and spent a little more in 2013-14, in spite of lower federal support, according to the latest federal data on school district spending.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
Teaching Profession Letter to the Editor Calling Students 'Lazy' Is A Result of Lazy Thinking
To the Editor:
I write regarding the "No Kidding Around" blog post about the use of the word "kids" during job interviews (Career Corner blog, Feb. 7, 2017).
February 28, 2017
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1 min read
School Choice & Charters Letter to the Editor Vouchers Are Not the Same as 'School Choice'
To the Editor:
In a recent article on Betsy DeVos, Education Week repeatedly described the new U.S. secretary of education as a proponent of "school choice" ("DeVos Takes Hot Seat in Confirmation Quest," Jan. 25, 2017).
February 28, 2017
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1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness News in Brief ACT Adds July Date to Testing Schedule
ACT Inc. announced last week that it will begin offering a summer test date for the ACT college-admissions exam beginning next year.
Catherine Gewertz, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
Education Funding News in Brief Colo. District Mulls Building Tiny Houses for Teachers
A Colorado school district is considering tiny-home construction as a strategy to recruit and retain teachers in the area, reports the Post Independent.
Brenda Iasevoli, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Appointed School Board Can Stand, Court Rules
A federal judge has rejected an effort by former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and some Chicago residents to force the city to adopt an elected school board.
The Associated Press, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
Education Funding News in Brief Union Agency Fees Challenged Anew
The same group behind the challenge to teachers' union service fees for nonmembers that ended in a U.S. Supreme Court deadlock last year in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association has filed a new lawsuit.
Mark Walsh, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief S.D. and Idaho Differ on Climate Change
South Dakota lawmakers have rejected a bill that would have allowed science teachers to discuss strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary and climate change theories.
Marva Hinton, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
Education Funding News in Brief Wash. Holds Fundraiser to Pay AP Exam Fees
Washington state is holding a massive fundraiser to defray the cost of Advanced Placement exam fees for low-income students.
Catherine Gewertz, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
Science News in Brief Science and Engineering Fair Loses Support of Intel
After nearly 20 years of sponsorship, the technology company Intel will no longer support the International Science and Engineering Fair, currently known as the Intel ISEF, starting in 2019.
Jaclyn Zubrzycki, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness News in Brief College Board Takes Steps to Up Security Globally
The firm that oversees registrations for the SAT college-entrance exam is boosting security around the world following test-stealing and other cheating in recent years.
The Associated Press, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
Equity & Diversity News in Brief Claiming Bias in Funding, Chicago Sues Illinois
The Chicago school board, along with five parents, has sued Gov. Bruce Rauner and the state of Illinois, claiming that the state's education funding formula creates a separate and unequal education system that discriminates against the district's students, most of whom are black and Hispanic.
Denisa R. Superville, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
Special Education News in Brief Education Dept. to Examine Texas Districts' Special Ed.
The U.S. Department of Education has advised Texas officials that it will take a closer look at special education programs in 12 districts.
The Associated Press, February 28, 2017
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1 min read
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