January 26, 2000
Education Week, Vol. 19, Issue 20
Curriculum
Books: New in Print
- Biography
- Learning Disabilities
- Testing & Assessment
- Curriculum & Methods
- Gender Issues
Education
Edison Renews Four Contracts, Cuts Ties Elsewhere
Edison Schools Inc. has renewed contracts to manage public schools in four cities, but it is ending its relationship with a Texas district for financial reasons.
Families & the Community
Parental Rights at Issue In Probe of Student Survey
A federal investigation into a survey given by a New Jersey school district is calling attention to a little-known law that requires parental consent before students can be asked about sensitive topics.
Assessment
Testing's Ups and Downs Predictable
Test scores follow a predictable cycle, researchers have found. They start low, rise quickly for a couple of years, level off for a few more, and then gradually drop over time.
Law & Courts
Supreme Court Takes Case On Boy Scouts' Ban on Gays
The public schools will be interested bystanders as the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether the Boy Scouts of America has a First Amendment right to exclude homosexuals.
Federal
Gore Assumes High-Profile Role on Schools
From after-school-grant awards to budget priorities, Vice President Al Gore has repeatedly been on hand in recent months to announce education news from the White House.
Equity & Diversity
Home Sweet School
One school in Arizona is a safe haven for homeless children. The faculty and staff make food, medicine, and hugs part of the syllabus, even though they know that students present one day may be gone the next. However, national advocates for the homeless argue that any school that isolates such children from others is misdirected and violates federal policy.
Student Well-Being & Movement
USDA To Pilot Program Providing Free Breakfasts
The federal government would like to know just how much breakfast helps students, and to find out, it is launching a pilot program that will provide the morning meal free to participating schools.
States
Ohio Awaits Verdict On Revamped Finance Formula
Ohio lawmakers are bracing for a state supreme court decision that will tell them whether they can carry on with their current method of paying for schools, keep only parts of the system, or scrap the setup altogether.
Recruitment & Retention
Georgia Governor's Broad Education Plans Stir Debate
Gov. Roy Barnes' plan for improving the Georgia education system is being called bold and far-reaching. But some education leaders and associations are having trouble swallowing some of the details of the package.
Ed-Tech Policy
Technology Update
- Data From Free Computer Labs Raise Privacy Concerns
- Civic Commitment
Education
Events
31—Middle schools: Tips and Strategies for the Science Classroom, sponsored by the New England League of Middle Schools, for educators, in Topsfield, Mass. Contact: Jean Blanchard, NELMS, 460 Boston St., Suite 4, Topsfield, MA 01983-1223; (978) 877-6263; fax: (978) 887-6504; e-mail: bjblanch@nelms.org; Web site: www.nelms.org.
Federal
Federal File
It was what WSMN Radio talk-show host Woody Woodland called a "serendipitous moment." His guest Jan. 11, Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, was on the phone from Washington to talk about education and the campaign agenda of Vice President Al Gore.
Education
State of the Union Address Will Highlight Education
Expanded access to higher education, a new program of teacher training, and increased funding for small schools are among the items that President Clinton plans to promote in his State of the Union Address and fiscal 2001 budget proposal.
Assessment
State Journal
Another day, another conflicting state directive on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test.
Education
Longtime W. Va. Chief Is Focus of Inquiries
Early last month, Henry Marockie, the longtime state superintendent of schools in West Virginia, was one of two finalists for the top job in the Clark County, Nev., school district. A few days later, Mr. Marockie's candidacy was dead. A few days after that, federal, state, and local officials had launched investigations into his financial affairs.
School & District Management
Teacher Recruitment Harder In Urban Areas, Report Says
While all stripes of schools are struggling to fill certain teaching positions, the nationwide teacher-recruitment crunch has hit hardest those districts already challenged by the largest numbers of at-risk students, according to a new report.
School & District Management
L.A. Chief Recommends Abandoning Belmont
Top officials of the Los Angeles school system proposed last week that the district abandon the unfinished Belmont Learning Center, the long-troubled construction project that, if finished, would be the most expensive public school ever built in the United States.
Education
People in the News
The Washington-based Council of Chief State School Officers has announced the four finalists for the National Teacher of the Year Award for 2000. The finalists are:
Education
Honors and Awards
EAGLE AWARDS
The Association of School Business Officials International, based in Reston, Va., has announced the recipients of the 1999 Eagle Awards. The awards, sponsored by Siemens Technologies, Landis Division, honors school business officials who exemplify service to their communities, schools, and the profession of school business management. The International award winner received a $5,000 college scholarship to present to a high school student. The other recipients each received a $2,500 college scholarship. The winners are:Denny G. Bolton, business administrator, Roberts School District, Pottstown, Pa., is the winner of the International award. Susan Gill, retired business manager, Creswell School District 40, Springfield, Ore., is the Outstanding Service to the Community award winner. Douglas L. Johnson, director of business services, Oconomowoc (Wis.) Area School District, is the Outstanding Service to the School award winner. Craig A. Schilling, assistant superintendent of business affairs, Glenbrook (Ill.) High School District 225, is the "Outstanding Service to the Profession" award winner.
The Association of School Business Officials International, based in Reston, Va., has announced the recipients of the 1999 Eagle Awards. The awards, sponsored by Siemens Technologies, Landis Division, honors school business officials who exemplify service to their communities, schools, and the profession of school business management. The International award winner received a $5,000 college scholarship to present to a high school student. The other recipients each received a $2,500 college scholarship. The winners are:Denny G. Bolton, business administrator, Roberts School District, Pottstown, Pa., is the winner of the International award. Susan Gill, retired business manager, Creswell School District 40, Springfield, Ore., is the Outstanding Service to the Community award winner. Douglas L. Johnson, director of business services, Oconomowoc (Wis.) Area School District, is the Outstanding Service to the School award winner. Craig A. Schilling, assistant superintendent of business affairs, Glenbrook (Ill.) High School District 225, is the "Outstanding Service to the Profession" award winner.
Teacher Preparation
Florida Proposes Shakeup Of Teacher Education Programs
Citing evidence that many of Florida's novice teachers feel ill-prepared for their jobs, Sunshine State officials are proposing a wide range of new requirements for the state's schools of education.
School & District Management
Detroit School Board Splits Over Superintendent Choice
After an exhaustive search for a new schools chief, the Detroit school board deadlocked last week over its two finalists, bringing to a boil the resentment and anger that have simmered in the city for nearly a year about who controls local schools.
States
Locke Proposals Would Shrink Classes, Ease Crowding
- Alaska
- Indiana
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- South Dakota
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
Education
Teaching and Learning
- Mississippi To Receive $100 Million Gift for Reading
- Quality Attraction
- Ad Blitz
Education
Intel, Microsoft To Launch Major Training Program For Teachers
Some 400,000 teachers worldwide will be trained to apply computers and Windows-based software to classroom lessons, under a three-year philanthropic initiative led by Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp., both companies announced last week.
Early Childhood
Male Preschool Teachers Face Skepticism But Earn Acceptance
An array of factors has combined to keep the numbers of men in child-care workforce low, from inadequate pay to a widespread belief that men are unsuitable for work with young children. But some experts on early childhood see signs that men are increasingly welcome in the field.
Education
Correction
A Databank chart on federal education appropriations for fiscal 2000 ("Final Fiscal 2000 Appropriations; President Clinton's Fiscal 2000 Proposals,") that appeared in the Jan. 12, 2000, issue of Education Week contained an incorrect amount for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. The number should have been $453,710 (in thousands), or $453 million.
Federal
Opinion
Title I—A Success
Critics of Title I call it a failure because it has not totally eliminated the achievement gap between minority and white children or between poor and more affluent students. But, the author says, Title I is a success, not a failure.