August 29, 2012
Education Week, Vol. 32, Issue 02
School Choice & Charters
Catholic Schools Feeling Squeeze From Charters
Competition for students, especially in urban areas, is putting added pressure on Catholic institutions.
Federal
Ed. Dept. Gears Up to Oversee NCLB Waivers
With more than half of states getting flexibility, federal officials get ready to assure they meet their promises.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Independent Schools Should Share What They Know
In spite of being labeled "elitist," independent schools have something to offer public school leaders, Peter Gow writes.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Opinion
Recognizing the Parent Role in Character Education
Schools must recognize parents' place in developing their students' character, Malcolm Gauld writes.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Why Complex Teacher Evaluations Don't Work
Teacher evaluation is critical to effective school-improvement efforts, but only if it is carried out properly, writes Mike Schmoker.
School Choice & Charters
Rift Emerges on Ga. Charter-Panel Proposal
Georgia's schools chief opposes setting up a state-level charter commission, though other elected officials back the idea.
College & Workforce Readiness
Letter to the Editor
Education Is the Key to Success
To the Editor:
Many people go to college and complete degrees in fields that they continue to have a great passion for throughout their lives. While some of those people are lucky enough to get a job in that field, others must sit and wait for their opportunity. Most of those waiting will look for small-time jobs or go on for more schooling.
Many people go to college and complete degrees in fields that they continue to have a great passion for throughout their lives. While some of those people are lucky enough to get a job in that field, others must sit and wait for their opportunity. Most of those waiting will look for small-time jobs or go on for more schooling.
Professional Development
Letter to the Editor
Minimizing the Need for Substitute Teachers
To the Editors:
I read with interest "Educators Take Another Look at Substitutes" (July 18, 2012). Three facts from the story stand out to me: Students almost always learn less when the regular teacher is not present; the rate of teacher absenteeism correlates to the culture of the school (and the absence rate is rising in many systems); and the total expenditure for substitutes is staggering.
I read with interest "Educators Take Another Look at Substitutes" (July 18, 2012). Three facts from the story stand out to me: Students almost always learn less when the regular teacher is not present; the rate of teacher absenteeism correlates to the culture of the school (and the absence rate is rising in many systems); and the total expenditure for substitutes is staggering.
Standards & Accountability
Letter to the Editor
Standards Adoption Creates an 'Urgent Demand'
To the Editor:
Beverlee Jobrack's recent Commentary "Solving the Textbook-Common Core Conundrum" (Aug. 8, 2012) underscores the importance of instructional materials in the successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards. In fact, K-12 publishers in the United States recognize they have a critical role to play in this historic transformation and are making huge investments in the development of instructional materials and digital learning systems coherent with the common core.
Beverlee Jobrack's recent Commentary "Solving the Textbook-Common Core Conundrum" (Aug. 8, 2012) underscores the importance of instructional materials in the successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards. In fact, K-12 publishers in the United States recognize they have a critical role to play in this historic transformation and are making huge investments in the development of instructional materials and digital learning systems coherent with the common core.
Classroom Technology
About This Report
The world of virtual schooling is experiencing a host of major policy shifts that are opening doors for its expansion, but at the same time holding it up to greater scrutiny.
College & Workforce Readiness
Districts Require E-Courses for Graduation
Mandates that seek to prepare students for the demands of college and the workforce may also increase demand for e-learning.
Classroom Technology
E-Learning Funding Models Analyzed
Financing approaches vary widely from state to state, but virtual education advocates see some models as better than others.
Classroom Technology
Teachers' Unions See Opportunities in Online Charters
Recent developments could signal the start of a more collaborative relationship between teachers' unions and virtual education after years of friction.
Classroom Technology
Quality Control a Challenge for Virtual Ed.
Different approaches are emerging as states try to determine how to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual schools.
Classroom Technology
State Laws Lift Virtual Ed. Enrollment Caps
Measures lift previous caps on the number of students attending online schools, but some educators worry that virtual education may be growing too fast.
Classroom Technology
Virtual Ed. Addresses Teacher-Certification Questions
As the rise of blended learning increases the ranks of online teachers, states are grappling with how to ensure the quality of those educators.
Classroom Technology
New Laws, Programs Expand E-Learning Options
Several states have enacted laws that require more choices for students who want to try taking courses online, outside the offerings of brick-and-mortar schools.
Teaching
Educators Evaluate 'Flipped Classrooms'
Benefits and drawbacks are seen in the approach, which replaces in-class lectures with on-demand video to make more time for analysis and discussion during class time.
Classroom Technology
Digital Advocacy Group Wields Policy Influence
The bipartisan organization Digital Learning Now pushes its agenda in state legislatures, but critics say the group's impact is overrated.
School & District Management
N.Y.C. Study Finds Vouchers Boost Blacks' College-Going Rates
A private, K-12 tuition-scholarship program in New York City didn't improve college-attendance rates for most students, but it did increase the numbers of black students who later went on to higher education.
Education
The 2012 Presidential Candidates
President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney have taken some sharply contrasting positions on public education policy—and shown similarities on certain issues. This special side-by-side profile page compares their education platforms, team members, and records.