November 14, 2001
Education Week, Vol. 21, Issue 11
Curriculum
Charmed and Challenged
As children await the release of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, some educators and children's literature experts predict a new wave of popularity for the books. But beware: Their brew of supernatural fantasy and adventure could cast another spell of controversy over students' access to the books in school. Includes the story, "Troublesome Tomes."
Education
No Competitors
The Fund for the Improvement of Education was designed primarily to provide competitive grants to further national education priorities. Last fiscal year, however, much of the fund was consumed by earmarked projects, which are financed at the behest of members of Congress outside the normal grant process. Here is a sampling of the earmarks for fiscal 2001:
Education
People in the News
Gerry House will chair the Educational Testing Service's board of trustees over the next year.
Education
Retrospective
The Minnesota Department of Education unexpectedly disposes of toxic chemicals in chemistry labs; a school in Rhode Island constructs padded cells for students ... and more.
The Minnesota Department of Education unexpectedly disposes of toxic chemicals in chemistry labs; a school in Rhode Island constructs padded cells for students ... and more.
States
Virginia Elects Democrat Warner As Its Next Governor
Virginians elected Democrat Mark R. Warner as their new governor Nov. 6—and with his victory, the wealthy businessman promised to make schools there the best in the nation.
Virginians elected Democrat Mark R. Warner as their new governor Nov. 6—and with his victory, the wealthy businessman promised to make schools there the best in the nation.
Early Childhood
Ed. Dept., Advocates Clash At NAEYC Meeting
Research on early-childhood literacy is scant, a top department official told educators at the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Curriculum
Middle School Educators Debate Meaning of 'Rigor'
Middle-level curriculum recently came under increased scrutiny as educators gathered at the annual National Middle School Association conference to discuss the academic and emotional needs of early adolescents.
Education
Federal File
ESEA Tremors
Representatives of school administrators have put Congress on notice that, barring a major rewrite, they will oppose the overhaul of federal K-12 law now nearing completion on Capitol Hill.
School & District Management
Study to Profile Secrets of 15 Urban Leaders' Success
A new study will profile 15 successful urban superintendents, examining how they seek to raise student achievement and overcome urban woes.
Education Funding
Ohio Justices Set to Revisit Funding Case
The Ohio supreme court has agreed to reconsider its recent ruling that required the state to spend billions of dollars more on public schools.
Education
News in Brief: A National Roundup
- W. Va Student Prohibited From
Starting 'Anarchy' Club - Schools Near Trade Center Site
Turned Back to N.Y.C. Board - Elgin, Ill., District Settles
Athletic-Discrimination Case - Ga. High Court Rules Sex at School
Not Protected by Right to Privacy - Savannah, Ga., Schools Ban 'Lewd'
Student Performances - Students' Medical Records Mistakenly
Posted on Web - Pa. Police Absolved in Suit Over
Gay Student's Suicide
School & District Management
N.Y.C. Mayor-Elect Wants Control Over Schools
New Yorkers chose Republican Michael R. Bloomberg as their new mayor last week, handing the billionaire businessman two daunting tasks: stabilizing a city awash in economic woes after the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack, and restructuring governance of city schools.
New Yorkers chose Republican Michael R. Bloomberg as their new mayor last week, handing the billionaire businessman two daunting tasks: stabilizing a city awash in economic woes after the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack, and restructuring governance of city schools.
Education
News in Brief: A State Capitals Roundup
- Florida Lawmakers Take Another
Look at Budget - NCSL Sees 'Bleak' Fiscal Future
- Michigan Debates Ritalin Use
- Schools' Test Results on Hold
- Md. Panel to Urge More School Aid
Education
News in Brief: A Washington Roundup
- Education Spending Bill for 2002
Clears Senate - White House: Pell Grant Ceiling
Is Unlikely to Rise This Year - Supreme Court's Agenda Includes
Two Disability Cases - Paige, School District Officials
Discuss Security Concerns
Education
Troublesome Tomes
These were the most frequently challenged works in the 1990s, based on voluntary reports from school districts and public libraries to the American Library Association's office on intellectual freedom:
1. Scary Stories (series, 1984-1991) by Alvin Schwartz
Education Funding
School Efforts In Technology Stalled by Cuts
As state education departments and local school districts look for ways to cut their spending in the face of an ailing economy, experts in educational technology say such programs appear to be among the first targets of the budget knife.
School Climate & Safety
Anthrax Scare Too Close to Home
Spanish River High School seems an unlikely place for worries about deadly microbes. But when anthrax spores from contaminated mail were found in the nearby headquarters of American Media Inc., principal Geoff McKee took immediate action. Includes an accompanying story, "School Mail Now Eyed More Closely Because of Bioterrorism Cases."
Federal
Paige, Congress Tap Improvement Fund for Wish List Items
Some Washington lawmakers and officials are concerned that the federal Fund for the Improvement of Education has grown too large and strayed from its mission, becoming instead something of a parking lot for pet projects and pork.
School Climate & Safety
School Mail Now Eyed More Closely Because of Bioterrorism Cases
Many school districts across the country have tightened their procedures for handling mail in response to the recent anthrax attacks through the U.S. Postal Service.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Study: Ritalin May Cause Lasting Brain Changes
The drug methylphenidate, the generic form of Ritalin, may cause lasting changes in brain-cell function, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Buffalo.
School Climate & Safety
The Return of Laura Marks
The scratches and bruises, inflicted by an angry student, have long since healed. But Laura Marks isn't quite the same teacher she once was.
Education
State Journal
Checks Not in the Mail
More than 100,000 retired educators in Ohio won't receive their annual bonus checks this year from their state pension fund.
Education Funding
Canadians Debate Education Tax Credits
Ontario lawmakers have enacted the largest and least restrictive education tax-credit plan in North America for parents whose children attend independent schools.
Ontario lawmakers have enacted the largest and least restrictive education tax-credit plan in North America for parents whose children attend independent schools.
States
McGreevey Leads Big Day For N.J. Democrats
In a historic change of political gears, New Jersey voters last week shifted control of the governor's office and one house of the state legislature from Republican to Democratic, revamping leadership at a time when lawmakers have their sights set on improving public schools.
In a historic change of political gears, New Jersey voters last week shifted control of the governor's office and one house of the state legislature from Republican to Democratic, revamping leadership at a time when lawmakers have their sights set on improving public schools.
School Climate & Safety
Relief Donations Languish At Contaminated Facility
The money sent by many schoolchildren for the special relief fund for Afghan children has been piling up at the White House's off-site postal facility, in effect quarantined after anthrax spores were found there last month.