April 6, 2011
Education Week, Vol. 30, Issue 27
Student Well-Being & Movement
School-Meals Makeover Stirs the Pot
Proposed rules governing the meals served to schoolchildren are causing a stir among food industry groups, cafeteria managers, and parents.
States
State of the States
State of the States 2011: D.C., Tennessee
Education Week's coverage of the mayor's address in the District of Columbia and the governor's address in Tennessee.
School & District Management
Study Stings KIPP on Attrition Rates
Researchers say high attrition rates and private donations help explain the charter school network's success record.
School & District Management
Principals' Role Vital, Groups Assert
Federal education policy should make explicit efforts to recruit, train, and retain good principals, say two organizations seeking to influence lawmakers.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
The Time Is Right to End 'Zero Tolerance' in Schools
Schools need to do away with ineffective, expensive zero-tolerance policies, which carry tragic consequences for some youths, Gara LaMarche writes.
School & District Management
Tea Partiers Playing a Role in Some School Board Races
The conservative forces that transformed the national political landscape are figuring in some school board races 'downticket.'
Teaching Profession
Opinion
No Teacher Is an Island
The current climate of teacher-bashing is dangerous for the future of our educators, their students, and learning writes Christine Emmons, a research scientist and scholar at the Yale Child Study Center.
Education
Letter to the Editor
'Ineffective Mind-Set' Seen in Arts Advocacy
To the Editor:
I find it ironic that Sandra Ruppert, the executive director of the Arts Education Partnership, or AEP, says she “wasn’t surprised” by recent cuts in arts education, especially for students of color, and is able to perceive the obvious with regard to what has become a precipitous decline (“Arts Education for Minority Children Drops,” March 9, 2011).
I find it ironic that Sandra Ruppert, the executive director of the Arts Education Partnership, or AEP, says she “wasn’t surprised” by recent cuts in arts education, especially for students of color, and is able to perceive the obvious with regard to what has become a precipitous decline (“Arts Education for Minority Children Drops,” March 9, 2011).
Education
Letter to the Editor
Effort, Community Will Aid Recovery in Japan
To the Editor:
Ganbatte means “Do your best,” in Japanese. For a year I lived and taught in a Japanese village on the coast of Toyama. I still remember the first time a fellow teacher said “ganbatte,” and told me that it is not luck that helps one succeed, it is effort and fight. Ganbatte is a word that comes to mind when I view footage of the devastation in Japan. While the evening news captures flooded houses and lost family members, it also shows a society of people who are doing their best by working together to fight for each other and their community.
Ganbatte means “Do your best,” in Japanese. For a year I lived and taught in a Japanese village on the coast of Toyama. I still remember the first time a fellow teacher said “ganbatte,” and told me that it is not luck that helps one succeed, it is effort and fight. Ganbatte is a word that comes to mind when I view footage of the devastation in Japan. While the evening news captures flooded houses and lost family members, it also shows a society of people who are doing their best by working together to fight for each other and their community.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Tech Won't Compensate for Cuts to Teaching Force
To the Editor:
Regarding “N.Y.C. Innovation Zone Tests Personalization,” (March 17, 2011): We assume that technology will make our students smart or intelligent. We all agree that wearing uniforms will not make our students smarter, yet we assume that the uniform distribution of computers in a school will do the trick. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the average difference in public vs. private school mean test scores ranged from public schools scoring lower by almost 8 points in math to 18 points in reading. Our public school students will never be able to compete with the wealthier, healthier, and happier students in society. Students in many private schools are socialized emotionally, mentally, and academically, and deliberately trained for success.
Regarding “N.Y.C. Innovation Zone Tests Personalization,” (March 17, 2011): We assume that technology will make our students smart or intelligent. We all agree that wearing uniforms will not make our students smarter, yet we assume that the uniform distribution of computers in a school will do the trick. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the average difference in public vs. private school mean test scores ranged from public schools scoring lower by almost 8 points in math to 18 points in reading. Our public school students will never be able to compete with the wealthier, healthier, and happier students in society. Students in many private schools are socialized emotionally, mentally, and academically, and deliberately trained for success.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Veteran Teachers Rarely Join 'Reform' Ranks
To the Editor:
Kudos to Education Week for addressing head-on the twisted rhetoric that colors our current education debate.
Kudos to Education Week for addressing head-on the twisted rhetoric that colors our current education debate.
Education
Letter to the Editor
TFA Essays Stir Thoughts on Status of All Teachers
To the Editor:
I am a retired public school teacher and history education specialist with more than 45 years of experience in public education. I am a supporter of Teach For America and charter schools, which are often identified with TFA. I know of many bright and committed students who were not accepted into TFA, and this is how it should be—or should it? If TFA is as good as its press, why not find the funds to increase the number of TFA teachers?
I am a retired public school teacher and history education specialist with more than 45 years of experience in public education. I am a supporter of Teach For America and charter schools, which are often identified with TFA. I know of many bright and committed students who were not accepted into TFA, and this is how it should be—or should it? If TFA is as good as its press, why not find the funds to increase the number of TFA teachers?
Education
Letter to the Editor
'Reform Model' Is About Money, Not Learning
To the Editor:
You recently wrote about a topic that I have been thinking about for quite some time: What do you call the people who oppose the “reform” movement (“On Rhetorical Battleground, ‘Reform’ Proves Potent Weapon,” March 2, 2011)?
You recently wrote about a topic that I have been thinking about for quite some time: What do you call the people who oppose the “reform” movement (“On Rhetorical Battleground, ‘Reform’ Proves Potent Weapon,” March 2, 2011)?
Education
Letter to the Editor
Researcher Offers Context on Literacy Pilot
To the Editor:
Your article “Teachers Seek Ways to Gauge Rigor of Texts” (March 16, 2011) described an important but truncated account of the “Literacy Pilot” at International Community High School, or ICHS. By providing more complexity to the “text” of what is happening, I hope to describe the settings that are necessary for a meaningful shift in instruction, like the one taking place at ICHS, to occur.
Your article “Teachers Seek Ways to Gauge Rigor of Texts” (March 16, 2011) described an important but truncated account of the “Literacy Pilot” at International Community High School, or ICHS. By providing more complexity to the “text” of what is happening, I hope to describe the settings that are necessary for a meaningful shift in instruction, like the one taking place at ICHS, to occur.
School & District Management
Opinion
Recognizing the Value of Good Teachers
Teacher quality has a clear financial impact on individual students and the economy, Eric A. Hanushek writes.
Education Funding
'i3' Grant Winners Slowly Building Momentum
Eight months into the federal program, $14 million of the $650 million in innovation grant money has been spent.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Ultimate Food Fight Erupts as Feds Recook School Lunch Rules
Proposed new federal rules governing the meals served to schoolchildren across the country each weekday are causing a stir among food industry groups, cafeteria managers, parents, and students.
Federal
Opinion
Learning From Abroad
In the second essay in this seven-part series on school reform, Robert B. Schwartz, Ben Levin, and Adam Gamoran discuss what our education system would look like if we were to follow the best evidence and experience from abroad.
Federal
Draft Rules Point Way to Consistency in ELL Policies
A federal grant program to develop the next generation of English-proficiency tests could spur dramatic shifts in ELL policies.
Federal
Advocates Worry ESEA Rewrite May Weaken Law
An array of civil rights, business, and education advocacy groups warn Congress about watering down accountability for boosting the achievement of minorities and other subgroups.
Federal
Study Flags Drawbacks in Growth Models for AYP
Researchers find a 'disconnect' between the rhetoric and the data on using academic growth to measure school progress.
IT Infrastructure & Management
Science Shared on Online Communities
With the availability of user-friendly home cameras and desktop publishing, thousands are posting videos and websites dedicated to science.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Researchers Play Catch-Up in Gauging Beyond-School Effects
What's measured about science learning in the classroom differs from what's measured outside the classroom.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Games and Simulations Help Children Access Science
With all the time today's youths spend on computers and mobile devices, technology can serve as a familiar vehicle for learning.
Curriculum
Science Competitions Integrated Into Curriculum
Taking part in contests both inside and outside school enables young people to delve deeper into the subject and witness its application.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Environmental Issues Inspire Children to Dig Into Science
Informal science programs that focus on the environment hook young people because they are about issues that really matter to their lives.
Early Childhood
Independent Play Fosters Discovery in Youngsters
When it comes to science, much of what very young children learn comes through informal means.
Science
Science-Rich Institutions Provide Venues for Exploration
Science centers, museums, botanical gardens, zoos, and aquariums help the public gain better understanding of science.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Role of Science Learning Outside of School Grows
Learning opportunities are plentiful, from after-school programs to computer simulations to zoo visits.