August 25, 2010
Education Week, Vol. 30, Issue 01
IT Infrastructure & Management
Opinion
Turning Children Into Data
Alfie Kohn offers a skeptic's guide to assessment programs that turn educators into accountants and trivialize their teaching.
Student Achievement
Letter to the Editor
Choosing the Wrong Factor in Defining 'Failing Schools'
To the Editor:
Let’s transform the definition of a “failing school.” If the primary function of a school is to create appropriate learning gains over time in its student body, then let’s pinpoint schools where that does not happen, rather than those where large numbers of poor children attend.
Let’s transform the definition of a “failing school.” If the primary function of a school is to create appropriate learning gains over time in its student body, then let’s pinpoint schools where that does not happen, rather than those where large numbers of poor children attend.
Curriculum
Letter to the Editor
Education's Faulty Base to Blame for Poor Results?
To the Editor:
The only way to eliminate the problems with public education, which are created by the system structure, is to eliminate the basic erroneous expectation upon which the system is built: that all children of a given chronological age develop cognitively at the same rate.
The only way to eliminate the problems with public education, which are created by the system structure, is to eliminate the basic erroneous expectation upon which the system is built: that all children of a given chronological age develop cognitively at the same rate.
Education Funding
Letter to the Editor
Obama's Mixed Messages on School, Family Influence
To the Editor:
I was surprised to read the following statement by President Barack Obama in his July 29 speech to the National Urban League, quoted in your article “Obama Stands Firm on Education Agenda Amid Qualms From Lawmakers, Advocates” (Aug. 11, 2010): “The whole premise of Race to the Top is that teachers are the single most important factor in a child’s education from the moment they step into the classroom.”
I was surprised to read the following statement by President Barack Obama in his July 29 speech to the National Urban League, quoted in your article “Obama Stands Firm on Education Agenda Amid Qualms From Lawmakers, Advocates” (Aug. 11, 2010): “The whole premise of Race to the Top is that teachers are the single most important factor in a child’s education from the moment they step into the classroom.”
School & District Management
Letter to the Editor
Training Charter Boards Poses a 'Critical Challenge'
To the Editor:
I’d like to affirm Greg Richmond’s call in his recent Commentary “Who’s in Charge at Charter Schools?” (July 14, 2010) for transparency and ethical practices in all aspects of charter school management, oversight, and governance. Recruiting and training charter school boards that know their roles and responsibilities is a unique and critical challenge.
I’d like to affirm Greg Richmond’s call in his recent Commentary “Who’s in Charge at Charter Schools?” (July 14, 2010) for transparency and ethical practices in all aspects of charter school management, oversight, and governance. Recruiting and training charter school boards that know their roles and responsibilities is a unique and critical challenge.
School & District Management
ECS Education Forum Spotlights Policy Fault Lines
State-level policymakers differ sharply on approaches to the common standards debate and a continued fiscal squeeze.
Standards & Accountability
Curriculum Producers Work to Reflect New Standards
As commercial vendors and nonprofit groups respond to the common standards, advocates wonder whether alignment claims are on target.
Education Funding
Unions' Tactics Diverge in Engaging Obama Agenda
The NEA and the AFT try to reconcile their actions vis-à-vis the Democratic administration they backed and its teacher policies.
States
Former Govs. Prod States on Digital Education
The new Digital Learning Council, spearheaded by former Governors Jeb Bush and Bob Wise, hopes to move digital education beyond a "niche role."
College & Workforce Readiness
More Minorities Taking ACT, but Score Gaps Persist
Hispanic and black students, compared with whites and Asians, were less likely to score at levels predictive of college success.
Federal
Report Advises Rethinking Home-Language Surveys
Though used by most schools to identify students needing help learning English, the surveys may often be inaccurate, researchers say.
College & Workforce Readiness
Study: Fewer Than Half of Black Males Graduate on Time
A new Schott Foundation study found that 47 percent of America’s black males graduated from high school with their peers.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Budget Cuts, Economy Affected Summer Meals Programs
Some districts had to cut services, while others found ways to serve a growing number of children in need.
Federal
Arizona Subpoena Seeks Researchers' ELL Data
The state schools chief wants the civil rights researchers' data—including the names of study participants—for use in a court case over Arizona's approach to educating English-language learners.
Federal
Obama Signs Bill Aimed at Saving Teachers' Jobs
The $10 billion measure is aimed at keeping more than 160,000 teachers on the job, but it would cut funds for adolescent literacy and teacher training.