January 23, 2008
Education Week, Vol. 27, Issue 20
Education
State of the States
South Carolina
In his annual State of the State address, Gov. Sanford voiced his support for the concept of scholarships or vouchers for students who attend failing schools and want to attend another public or private school, and proposed providing college aid for students who graduate from high school early.
Education
State of the States
Iowa
Gov. Culver proposed in his annual speech to lawmakers a $5 million Science, Technology, and Engineering and Math Center at the University of Northern Iowa, arguing that the investment would help double the number of math and science teachers in the state's public schools.
Education
State of the States
New Mexico
Gov. Richardson wants to continue to raise teacher salaries by putting another $60 million into educators’ pay.
Education
State of the States
Washington
Gov. Gregoire, addressing state legislators, gave herself high marks for overcoming budgetary difficulties and “creating a world-class, learner-focused, seamless education system that gives our kids a chance to get a good job” since taking office in 2005.
Education
State of the States
West Virginia
A revised school aid formula that was supposed to provide more money for teacher pay hasn’t worked out the way it was intended and needs to be fixed, Gov. Manchin said during his address to the legislature.
School & District Management
Governors Face Political Hurdles in Seeking Power to Appoint Chiefs
Some policymakers say that improving education is a long-term process that can’t be confined to a particular governor’s term, and that schools must be insulated as much as possible from politics.
Teaching Profession
Districts Discharge Unwanted Faculty Through ‘Buyouts’
Some teachers, under a professional cloud, are paid to leave their jobs. It's a fact little examined in schools or policy circles, and mostly unknown to the public.
Federal
EPA to Advise on School Building Projects
The measure, which President Bush signed into law last month, marks the first time that a federal agency will provide such guidance.
Equity & Diversity
Report Roundup
Single-Gender Education
Three-fourths of South Carolina students in grades 2 through 9 felt positive about their experiences in single-gender classrooms, says a survey.
School Choice & Charters
Report Roundup
Research Report: Charter Schools
Nearly half of Ohio’s charter schools within the state’s eight largest school districts exceeded the state’s expectations for improved learning from the 2005-06 school year to 2006-07, concludes a study.
Equity & Diversity
Report Roundup
Child Poverty
The number of U.S. children living in poverty has increased from 13 million to 13.4 million since 2004, according to the latest report from the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates.
Early Childhood
Report Roundup
Early-Childhood Education
Coordinating child-care and preschool programs for young children and working to overcome barriers to integrating federal and state early-childhood services are among the top priorities for state Early Childhood Advisory Councils, concludes a survey.
Federal
Report Roundup
Ed. Trust Examines State Funding Gaps
Sixteen states spent at least $200 less per student in low-income school districts than on students in high-income districts between 1999 and 2005, concludes a study.
Law & Courts
Latest Round in Utah Battle Goes to Unions
A federal appeals court on Jan. 10 struck down a Utah law that bars school districts and other local government agencies from withholding voluntary political contributions from the paychecks of their employees.
Federal
Federal File
Spellings Drums Up Support for NCLB on the West Coast
On the first extended leg of her national tour promoting the No Child Left Behind Act, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings found support from a leading Democratic governor.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
‘Education Justice’ Chief Named
The New Jersey-based Education Law Center has tapped Molly Hunter to lead Education Justice, an initiative to strengthen public schools, especially those serving low-income and minority children.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Florida Approves Free, Web-Based Program for Struggling Readers
Free-Reading.net, an open-source reading product for K-12 schools, provides a 40-week supplemental program for struggling readers, as well as separate lessons and teaching tools.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Minneapolis Contract Eases Seniority in Teacher Hiring
The contract, reached after nine months of turbulent negotiations between the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and the school district, creates an interviewing process for the assignment of teachers.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Court Backs Principal Who Barred Distribution of Religious Message
A school principal did not violate the First Amendment rights of a 5th grader when she barred him from distributing candy-cane-shaped Christmas ornaments with an attached card promoting Christianity, a federal appeals court ruled last week.