November 16, 2011
Education Week, Vol. 31, Issue 12
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
'Major Shift' Proposed for Wis. Evaluations
For the first time, Wisconsin would have a standardized system for determining the best- and worst-performing educators, under a proposal by state schools Superintendent Tony Evers.
Equity & Diversity
News in Brief
Idaho Districts Cleared of Title IX Violations
Nearly 100 high schools in Idaho have been cleared of potential Title IX violations by the U.S. Department of Education's office for civil rights.
School & District Management
Opinion
We Need a Single Standard for Higher Education
Best-practice standards for all of higher education, including for-profit colleges, are essential, says Jonathan Fanton.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Chicago Reaches Deal on School Day Length
Chicago's public school district and its teachers' union reached a truce in their fight over Mayor Rahm Emanuel's campaign to lengthen the school day.
Reading & Literacy
News in Brief
Assessment Group Issues Frameworks for Common Core
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, released its final content frameworks for the common standards.
School & District Management
Opinion
Philanthropy and Schools: An Insider's View
Philanthropies play a valuable and innovative role in schools, particularly in tight budget times, Heather Zavadsky writes.
Accountability
News in Brief
Georgia Board Votes to Keep Atlanta Board of Education
The Georgia state board of education voted to keep members of the Atlanta school board in place after the district was removed from probation.
Teaching Profession
Letter to the Editor
Merit-Pay System Resembles Workings of Stock Market
To the Editor:
The merit-pay part of the Ohio collective bargaining law, if it had not been voted down last week, would have made the children in a teacher's class like numbers in the stock market ("Ohio Voters Reject Law Limiting Teachers' Collective Bargaining," Nov. 8, 2011). The similarity would be that a number score would determine whether you keep your job or get a raise, just like a stock going up or down. The students' future or attitude or interest toward education would become irrelevant.
The merit-pay part of the Ohio collective bargaining law, if it had not been voted down last week, would have made the children in a teacher's class like numbers in the stock market ("Ohio Voters Reject Law Limiting Teachers' Collective Bargaining," Nov. 8, 2011). The similarity would be that a number score would determine whether you keep your job or get a raise, just like a stock going up or down. The students' future or attitude or interest toward education would become irrelevant.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Single-Sex Classes Targeted in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Schools Superintendent Linda Lane is recommending the board end single-sex classes at Westinghouse High by February.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Student Press Rights Get Boost in Iowa
An Iowa court ruled that a school district cannot discipline a newspaper adviser for allowing students to publish content that upset the administration.
Education
Correction
Correction
A story on a study of early-warning data systems in the Nov. 9, 2011, issue of Education Week gave an incorrect university affiliation for Sandra L. Christenson. She is an education psychology professor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Classroom Technology
Board Approves Idaho Online Class Requirement
The state now joins Alabama, Florida, and Michigan as the only states requiring some form of online learning for graduation.
Federal
Often Excluded, More Special-Needs Students Taking NAEP
States are excluding fewer ELLs and special education students from NAEP tests but they still fall short of federal targets.
School & District Management
Opinion
Reform Is Not a Dirty Word
Denver's recent local school board election had national implications, and it also asked voters to consider the definition of education reform, writes Kayla McGannon.
College & Workforce Readiness
Higher Education Is Goal of GED Overhaul
Sponsors of the GED view its revision as a step toward postsecondary training rather than the end of a student's formal education.
Federal
Rules Raise Bar for Head Start Centers
Long-awaited federal regulations will require Head Start early-education centers to meet new quality benchmarks every five years.
Federal
Rough Path Seen for Senate's ESEA Bill
Prospects still appear cloudy for a bipartisan measure anytime soon to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Federal
Ohio Vote on Bargaining a Union Victory—For Now
The vote sends the state's GOP a clear message that it went too far in reining in the rights of teachers and other public employees.
School & District Management
Board Races in N.C., Minn. Draw Voter Interest
While school board races tend to be sleepy affairs, a handful of elections around the country drew high voter turnout and—in some cases—plenty of campaign cash.
Special Education
Parents Drop Suit Over Vouchers for Students With Disabilities
The action leaves in doubt a challenge to the constitutionality of an Oklahoma law providing vouchers to help children with disabilities attend private schools.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Are Teachers Overpaid or Underpaid? Answer: Yes
A recent study on teacher compensation determined that teachers are overpaid compared to their earning potential in the private sector, but Frederick M. Hess argues that it’s not that simple.