August 31, 2011
Education Week, Vol. 31, Issue 02
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
18 States Changed Tenure Laws
In many states, changes have made it more difficult to obtain job protections.
Equity & Diversity
News in Brief
U.S. Halts Low-Priority Deportations
The decision affects many undocumented students and other low-priority immigration offenders.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Ind. Eyes First School Takeover
A 1999 law allows the state to intervene in the management of troubled public schools.
Education
News in Brief
Pearson Blamed for Test Delays
Oklahoma schools Superintendent Janet Barresi called for a review of the state’s contract with New York City-based testing company.
Federal
News in Brief
SIG Schools Offered Waivers
The transformation model in the School Improvement Grant program requires professional development for teachers.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
NYC Can Share Teacher Ratings
The United Federation of Teachers sued to block the release.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Court: N.Y. Evaluation Plan Too Dependent on Tests
Most of the evaluations' criteria will have to be approved by local teachers’ unions, a state court ruled last week.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Benefits Fight Hits 'Blue' State
Unionized public employees once again are clashing with state leaders who want to roll back benefits and weaken collective bargaining.
School & District Management
Obituary
Murphy Battled Achievement Gap
John A. Murphy, a longtime superintendent best known for his bold efforts to improve test scores and desegregation in schools, died Aug. 9
Federal
Opinion
A Teacher Finds Good in Testing
Ama Nyamekye writes that, when hype is stripped away, standardized tests can serve as a useful, if flawed, aid for teachers and students.
School Climate & Safety
Study Finds Metal Detectors More Common in High-Minority Schools
Researchers say black or Latino students in poor, urban communities are more likely to attend schools with stiff security measures—even when their schools' crime rates are no different than those of better-off schools.
Equity & Diversity
Mo. Teachers Group Sues Over Social Networking Law
The Missouri State Teachers Association is seeking to block enforcement of part of a new law that restricts teachers' use of social networking sites.
Education Funding
Book: 'Near Panic' Over Race to Top
In a new book, journalist Steven Brill traces the evolution of education policy changes.
Education
Correction
Corrections
A story in the Aug. 24, 2011, issue about efforts to help disadvantaged students enter college understated the extent of the Admission Possible organization’s involvement. It supports students through college graduation.
Assessment
Ackerman Maintains Politics Soured Her Tenure
The former Philadelphia schools chief describes the political land mines that she says led to her ouster.
Reading & Literacy
Academics Find Common Standards Fit for College
In the only study of its kind, higher education faculty give high marks to the common core, but caution that some skills are absent.
Professional Development
Principal Programs Get $75 Million Boost from Foundation
Educators in Denver, Gwinnett County, Ga., and four other districts around the county plan to use their share of the $75 million grants to enhance mentor, residency, and other training programs for aspiring and novice principals.
School & District Management
Ackerman's Tumultuous Final Act in Philadelphia
Negotiating the superintendent's departure dragged out for months as the district grappled with a budget crisis and bitter disputes over how to staff schools.
Equity & Diversity
Study Measures Bullying's Academic Toll
New results suggest that bullying can have a long-lasting impact on victims' academic achievement, especially for high-achieving black and Latino students.