November 1, 1989
Education Week, Vol. 09, Issue 09
Education
Opinion
Looking Backward at Education Reform
Shortly after the President's State of the Union address in 1993--in
which he emphasized the importance of high-quality schools--a member of
the White House staff proposed that a national conference be held on
the 10th anniversary of the publication of A Nation at Risk.
Education
E.D. Backs State Restrictions on Driving Privileges of Dropouts, Truants
Washington--If implemented properly, state measures revoking the driving privileges of dropouts or truants do not violate a federal student-privacy law, an Education Department official said last week.
Education
School-Restructuring Efforts Forcing Principals To Redefine Their Roles
Robert J. Holzmiller, principal of Hopi Elementary School in Scottsdale, Ariz., is not ashamed to admit that his school's foray into site-based decisionmaking this fall has left him feeling scared.
Education
McGraw-Hill Technique Will Allow Schools To 'Customize' Textbooks
The McGraw-Hill Publishing Company has unveiled what its officials are calling a "revolutionary" procedure for producing textbooks that eventually could allow teachers and administrators to "custom-design" their own classroom materials.
Education
Fordham Institute's Index Documents Steep Decline In Children's and Youths' 'Social Health' Since
The well-being of children and youths in the United States has declined significantly over the past 18 years, with the incidence of child abuse and teenage suicide reaching record highs, according to a report released last week.
Education
Districts News
The Birmingham Essential Skills Test will no longer be the key factor in determining whether students are held back in the Alabama city's schools, the school board has decided.
Education
Capital Digest
The Education Department's research operations need to be strengthened to assume an expanded role in education reform, Christopher T. Cross, the department's new assistant secretary for educational research and improvement, said at his swearing-in ceremony last week.
Education
Known for Choice, New York's District 4 Offers a Complex Tale for Urban Reformers
New York City--The U.S. Education Department's selection of Community School District 4 as the host of its first regional meeting on choice was only the latest in a long series of honors and accolades the New York City district has received.
Education
Media News
Whittle Communications has announced a 21-member "educators' advisory board" for "Channel One," the 12-minute in-school news program for teenagers that has caused considerable controversy because it includes commercial advertising.
Education Funding
'Trust' Lands Center Of 2 Controversies Over School Funding
Two seemingly disparate state actions in recent months have underscored efforts to ensure that the public schools receive their full share of a legacy originally bequeathed them by Thomas Jefferson and the Continental Congress.
Education
Mabus Offers Reform Package Tied to New Lottery
Gov. Ray Mabus of Mississippi last week unveiled a sweeping, $500-million education-reform package to be funded in part by creation of a state lottery.
Education
'Contracting Out' Educational Services
In the following excerpts from Privatization and Educational Choice, Myron Lieberman outlines potential advantages for school districts and states of "contracting out"--purchasing educational services from independent providers:
Education
National News
Teenage pregnancy cost U.S. taxpayers nearly $20 billion in 1988, the Center for Population Options reports.
Education
Third New York School Board Is Suspended As Hearings in Corruption Scandal Continue
Schools Chancellor Bernard Mecklowitz of New York City has suspended a community school board for abusing its powers, after hearing testimony that board members hired friends and associates for dozens of unnecessary positions.
Education
People Briefs
Harley Clark, the Texas district judge who in 1987 struck down the state's school-finance system as unconstitutional, will step down from the bench Dec. 1.
Education
Researchers, School Groups Denounce Plan To Eliminate Elementary, Secondary Centers
In letters to the Education Department and in testimony at a Congressional hearing last week, educators and researchers have denounced the department's decision to eliminate two research centers--one that studies issues related to the organization of elementary and middle schools, the other related to secondary schools.
Education
Senate Panel Approves Direct Funding for Voc.-Ed.
A Senate subcommittee last week adopted a bill that would revamp the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act to channel a larger portion of federal funds directly to local school districts.
Education
Update News
Some 3,700 students have transferred to new school districts in Minnesota in the first year of a two-year phase-in period for the state's highly touted open-enrollment program, state officials reported last month.
Education
Education Takes a Back Seat in Gubernatorial Races
Although they are battling to succeed Governors who have spoken out forcefully on education issues, the four major-party gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia this fall have devoted relatively little energy to talking about the schools.
Education
Ind. Governor, School Chief Spar Over Test Program
Indiana's Democratic Governor and Republican schools chief are sparring over the state's student-testing program and its role in evaluating school performance.
Education
Six Colleges Join To Groom Minorities To Be Teachers
To help meet the growing demand for black and Hispanic teachers, six colleges and universities have launched an ambitious national program to single out 550 minority high-school students and groom them for a career in teaching.
Education
Greater Accountability Urged for Oklahoma's Schools
Greater accountability and a sharper focus on outcomes are the keystones to improving Oklahoma's schools, a state task force argues in a report released last week.
Education
A 'Reform Plan of Disillusionment'
Privatization and Educational Choice
By Myron Lieberman
By Myron Lieberman
Education
States News
A governor's commission and an organization of business leaders in Vermont have issued separate reports calling for sweeping changes in the state's educational system.
Education
RJR Nabisco FoundationSet To Grant $30 Million
The rjr Nabisco Foundation this week plans to announce a $30-million program aimed at encouraging schools to "take risks" to develop "fundamentally new learning environments."
Education
$200,000 Ad Campaign Touts Catholic Schools in Chicago
Hoping to reverse a decline in their schools' enrollment, the principals of 52 Roman Catholic high schools in the Chicago area are cooperating in a $200,000 advertising campaign on local radio and television stations.
Education
In Beverly Hills's First Strike, Teachers Seek 18 Percent Raise
Teachers in Beverly Hills, Calif., last week stayed out of the classroom for the second straight week in the affluent community's first teacher strike.
Education
Will Decide Fate Of Tax Increases
In a "no new taxes" political climate, voters in two states will be asked next week to decide whether large-scale education-reform and children's initiatives are worth the price of added sales taxes.