June 10, 2009
Education Week, Vol. 28, Issue 33
Teaching Profession
Opinion
How to Fast-Track Rising Teacher Stars
Allan Odden writes, “Most of the teacher-compensation innovations to date have left the traditional single-salary schedule unchanged.”
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Educational Inequality Begins at Birth
"Very young children have the greatest ability to learn. They are like sponges, soaking up whatever their environment offers," writes Vicky Schippers.
Federal
California Crisis Slams K-12 Hard
As the state’s finances continue to melt down, educators say they won’t be able to avoid direct hits to the classroom this time around.
College & Workforce Readiness
College Completion Focus of Attention
Nationwide, only 60 percent of the freshmen who set foot on college campuses each year graduate within six years, a report says, but that figure masks a lot of variation.
Federal
Opinion
Time to Kill 'No Child Left Behind'
"It is too late to tweak NCLB. Seven years after it was signed into law, it is clear that the program deserves to be buried," writes Diane Ravitch.
Law & Courts
School Rulings by Sotomayor Eyed Carefully
Although Judge Sonia Sotomayor has handled a relatively small number of cases dealing with education, those disputes offer clues to the direction she might take on school matters.
School & District Management
K-12 Chief Tapped as Education Dept. Takes Shape
The selection of Melendez nearly rounds out the Education Department's top leadership team.
Federal
English-Learners' Lot Improves With Federal Pressure
Federal officials have released the Salt Lake City district from scrutiny, citing ELLs “meaningful access” to educational programs.
School & District Management
Leading the Charge for Real-Time Data
Long before it was on the national agenda, data was the name of the game in Western Heights, Okla.
Federal
Key Democrats Question Parts of Obama Budget
Fiscal leaders in the House and Senate are voicing concern about proposed shifts in Title I money and a big boost for the Teacher Incentive Fund.
Federal
Profoundly Gifted Find Challenging Programs
Students can work alongside similarly gifted peers and nurture their talents in ways generally unavailable in American schools.
Teaching Profession
Grade Inflation Seen in Evaluations of Teachers, Regardless of System
A survey of more than 15,000 teachers found that more than nine in 10 tenured teachers were deemed to have met local standards.
Federal
46 States Agree to Common Academic Standards Effort
An aggressive timetable calls for college- and career-readiness standards to be ready by July, and grade-by-grade standards by year’s end.
School & District Management
Opinion
Data, Data Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Use
“Data systems designed with usage in mind can help build the internal capacity schools and districts need to survive the upheavals of economic crisis, ever-changing political platforms, and the rapidly revolving door of superintendents,” writes Diane Kline.
School & District Management
Teacher Transfers Linked to Influx of Black Students
Study of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., district after desegregation finds movement of teachers.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
A Tragic Lesson in Anti-Gay Bullying
"Words such as 'gay,' 'fag,' and 'queer' are often used as the most hurtful insults students can throw at one another," writes Joleen Hanlon.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
Solitude: A Flashlight Under the Covers
“Schools seem to have forgotten that students need ample quiet time for thinking, reading, and puzzling over problems,” says Diana Senechal.
Law & Courts
Sotomayor’s Record on Education Scrutinized
President Obama’s pick for the U.S. Supreme Court has heard cases involving students with disabilities, juvenile strip-searches, and racial discrimination in hiring.
School & District Management
Chicago Group Promotes Links for Districts, Researchers
Consortium shares its approach to creating partnerships that tap data for solving real world school problems.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
The Problem With Strip-Searches
Robert DeBlois writes, “The real authority that exists in good schools comes from a sense of balance exhibited by the principal and staff members in their exercise of power.”
School & District Management
Opinion
Lessons Learned From the Chicago Public Schools
“The best academic programs won’t succeed if they land in schools with weak principals, isolated teachers, and fearful students,” writes Timothy Knowles.
Federal
Federal 'Mega-Event' Showcases School Technology
The U.S. Department of Education gathering came as the Obama administration proposed deep ed-tech program cuts for fiscal 2010.
Federal
Duncan Pressed to Set High Bar on 'Race to Top'
The education secretary told Congress he’ll hold states to a high standard in doling out $5 billion in discretionary stimulus funds.
Federal
Advocates Fear for Imperiled Education Programs
Some worry that a Democratic Congress will back up President Obama's plans to cut programs that survived his predecessor's budget ax.