February 10, 2010
Education Week, Vol. 29, Issue 21
Education
Letter to the Editor
Negative District Cultures Thwart President's Agenda
To the Editor:
The excerpted letters in Anthony Cody’s Commentary “Teachers’ Letters to Obama”; (Jan. 20, 2010), all criticizing the president’s reforms, are disappointing. They ignore important problems with his initiatives, and distract us with problems not caused primarily by such reforms.
The excerpted letters in Anthony Cody’s Commentary “Teachers’ Letters to Obama”; (Jan. 20, 2010), all criticizing the president’s reforms, are disappointing. They ignore important problems with his initiatives, and distract us with problems not caused primarily by such reforms.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Do Other Factors Produce Charter School Success?
To the Editor:
Regarding “Debate Over Charters Continues as Research Finds Gains in N.Y.C.” (Jan. 20, 2010):
Regarding “Debate Over Charters Continues as Research Finds Gains in N.Y.C.” (Jan. 20, 2010):
Education
Letter to the Editor
Charters and Special Education
To the Editor:
Thomas Hehir’s attacks on California charter schools’ special education programs (“Charters: Students With Disabilities Need Not Apply?,” Commentary, Jan. 27, 2010) demonstrate an unfortunate lack of in-depth understanding of the state’s special education infrastructure. He largely blames charters for underserving students with disabilities, while, in reality, California’s system is designed to put primary responsibility on the local district, whether a student attends a charter school or a traditional public school.
Thomas Hehir’s attacks on California charter schools’ special education programs (“Charters: Students With Disabilities Need Not Apply?,” Commentary, Jan. 27, 2010) demonstrate an unfortunate lack of in-depth understanding of the state’s special education infrastructure. He largely blames charters for underserving students with disabilities, while, in reality, California’s system is designed to put primary responsibility on the local district, whether a student attends a charter school or a traditional public school.
Education
Letter to the Editor
'Gender War' Argument Is Counterproductive
To the Editor:
We must take exception to Richard Whitmire’s mischaracterization of the American Association of University Women’s view of academic underachievement on the part of male students. He is simply wrong when he asserts in a recent post on his Why Boys Fail blog (“The Liberals’ Explanation for the Boy Troubles,”; edweek.org, Jan. 21, 2010) that the AAUW would simply say, “What boy troubles?”
We must take exception to Richard Whitmire’s mischaracterization of the American Association of University Women’s view of academic underachievement on the part of male students. He is simply wrong when he asserts in a recent post on his Why Boys Fail blog (“The Liberals’ Explanation for the Boy Troubles,”; edweek.org, Jan. 21, 2010) that the AAUW would simply say, “What boy troubles?”
Assessment
Opinion
Standardized Realities
Jose Ferreira offers insights from his career in test preparation on some of the persistent questions about standardized tests.
IT Infrastructure & Management
Opinion
Tying Teacher Tenure to Student Scores Doesn’t Fly
Justin Snider tells why policymakers should be wary of tying teacher tenure and compensation to student test scores.
Education
Correction
Correction
A story about the Core Knowledge Foundation's curriculum in the Feb. 3, 2010, issue of Education Week inaccurately reflected the cost of a print edition. Although online versions will be made available for free, there will be a charge for a print volume.
Education
Obituary
Influential Author Dies
Seymour B. Sarason, a professor emeritus of psychology at Yale University, died Jan. 28 in New Haven, Conn., at age 91. He was known as the father of "community psychology," which examines social change, and wrote widely about education, including the 1990 book The Predictable Failure of Educational Reform.
Standards & Accountability
Work Begins on 'Next Generation' of Science Standards
A panel led by the National Research Council is trying to identify "core ideas" in each of the major science disciplines.
Teacher Preparation
States Rethink Policies on National-Board Teachers
Both the economy and a push to measure teacher effectiveness in new ways have led states to revamp funding for the certification.
Standards & Accountability
Opinion
The Case for Literature
Common standards should not take the joy and power of book reading away from students, Nancie Atwell writes.
Education Funding
Schools Stuck at Bottom Target of $3 Billion Push
The infusion of federal stimulus money is intended to supercharge efforts to overhaul the worst-performing Title I schools.
Federal
Race to Top Sets Stage for ESEA Reauthorization
The Education Department is expected to keep championing many policies it has prodded states to adopt in the grant competition.
Special Education
Title I, Spec. Ed. Aid Casts Long Stimulus Shadow
Advocates worry that districts’ choices to use the money to fill budget gaps and avoid layoffs may come back to haunt them later.
Teaching Profession
Stimulus Reflects Push for Teacher Effectiveness
The legislation emphasizes on-the-job performance as a gauge of teacher quality more than such criteria as formal credentials.
Budget & Finance
Fiscal Stability Allows for Long View on Stimulus
The extra funds offer Arkansas a chance for lasting investments, while officials remain aware that caution is the watchword in spending.
Education Funding
Dueling Objectives Mark Stimulus at Halfway Point
The long-term impact of the huge influx of federal education funding remains uncertain as the flow of $100 billion in aid continues.
Education Funding
As Education's Funding Cliff Nears, Anxieties Rise
States and school districts are already mapping strategies to maintain their momentum after the federal stimulus aid stops flowing.
Education
Private Sector Competes for Share of Stimulus Pie
Both for-profit and nonprofit organizations are being tapped to play roles as the federal money opens new business opportunities.
Education Funding
Aid Lets Hard-Hit State Keep Programs Aloft
Schools around Las Vegas made quick use of federal stimulus funding as Nevada copes with high unemployment and other problems.
Federal
Debate Heats Up Over Replacing AYP Metric in ESEA
The Obama administration calls for a shift toward measuring college and career readiness as it prepares proposals for revamping the law.
Federal
Obama Budget a Blueprint for Ed. Dept. Overhaul
But whether Congress will go along with the administration’s plans to cut and consolidate a raft of smaller programs remains unclear.
School & District Management
Study Finds Wide Achievement Gaps for Top Students
An analysis of NAEP scores suggests policymakers should consider the needs of gifted students to address a persistent “excellence gap.”
Standards & Accountability
State School Boards Raise Questions About Standards
Organizers of the initiative to create common standards explain that states must adopt English/language arts and math documents wholesale, or not at all.
Federal
Obama Budget Calls for Major Shifts on ESEA
The administration’s spending plan would change the law’s accountability rules and significantly increase funding for competitive-grant programs.
Federal
State Lawmakers Unhappy With Obama Priorities
Members of the National Conference of State Legislatures remain concerned that the federal government is playing too large a role in education policymaking.