October 16, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 33, Issue 08
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Corporal Punishment Use Continues Decline in N.C.
The use of corporal punishment in North Carolina's public schools continues to decrease, says a study by a child-advocacy group.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Hawaii Substitute Teachers Must Wait for Back Pay
Hawaii won't be able to pay 9,000 people back pay for their work as substitute teachers until March.
Families & the Community
News in Brief
Thousands March in Favor of N.Y.C. Charter Schools
Thousands of charter school supporters wearing neon-green shirts that read "My Child. My Choice" marched across the Brooklyn Bridge last week in a show of strength directed at front-running New York City mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Online Provider's Stock Sinks on Poor Projections
The stock of K12 Inc. took a steep plunge last week following its release of more modest revenue and student-enrollment projections than analysts had anticipated.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Audit: Construction Bypasses Neediest Colo. School Sites
More than $1 billion spent on Colorado school construction projects has often failed to reach the neediest places, state auditors said last week.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
School Official Is Accused of Tampering in Rape Case
An Ohio grand jury announced its first indictment last week of a school district employee for alleged crimes committed in relation to a rape case.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Philadelphia Tops List of State's Worst Schools
More than half of Pennsylvania's 92 worst-performing schools are in the Philadelphia district, the state said last week.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Youngest Nobel Finalist Advocates Girls' Education
Malala Yousafzai, the young advocate for women's access to education, has won more acclaim recently as a finalist for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Teacher-Dismissal Bill Vetoed in California
Gov. Jerry Brown last week vetoed controversial legislation that would have changed the process for dismissing teachers for misconduct.
School Climate & Safety
Letter to the Editor
Community Schools Give a Boost to Children and Their Families
To the Editor:
Cheryl D. Hayes and Richard R. Buery Jr.'s Commentary "Community Schools: Turning Costs Into Investments" (Aug. 21, 2013) offers both information and hope. As a former principal of a community school in Berkeley, Calif., I knew that services were greatly helping children and families. I always suspected that there were real savings in social-service costs, but could never actually prove it. We had an array of services, including dental, psychological, and food-shortage programs.
Cheryl D. Hayes and Richard R. Buery Jr.'s Commentary "Community Schools: Turning Costs Into Investments" (Aug. 21, 2013) offers both information and hope. As a former principal of a community school in Berkeley, Calif., I knew that services were greatly helping children and families. I always suspected that there were real savings in social-service costs, but could never actually prove it. We had an array of services, including dental, psychological, and food-shortage programs.
School Climate & Safety
Letter to the Editor
Plato Would Have Agreed That Play Is Schools' Missing Standard
To the Editor:
"Do not, then, my friend, keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play." Plato wrote this in The Republic. Who would have thought Plato would have come up with a statement as bold as this?
"Do not, then, my friend, keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play." Plato wrote this in The Republic. Who would have thought Plato would have come up with a statement as bold as this?
Standards
Letter to the Editor
Commentary Missed Five Flaws in the Common-Core Standards
To the Editor:
Joanne Yatvin ("How to Improve the Common Core," Sept. 25, 2013) identifies three important problems with the Common Core State Standards and offers thoughtful solutions. But she does not address five essential problems that I believe the common-core standards have.
Joanne Yatvin ("How to Improve the Common Core," Sept. 25, 2013) identifies three important problems with the Common Core State Standards and offers thoughtful solutions. But she does not address five essential problems that I believe the common-core standards have.
Science
Letter to the Editor
At Education Sciences Institute, History Is Repeating Itself
To the Editor:
I found the statement attributed to Bridget Terry Long in "House Panelists Question Relevancy of Education Dept. Research" (Sept. 18, 2013) deliciously ironic.
I found the statement attributed to Bridget Terry Long in "House Panelists Question Relevancy of Education Dept. Research" (Sept. 18, 2013) deliciously ironic.
Accountability
Opinion
Accountability to Inspire, Not Undermine
Schools should use accountability tools to support and encourage their teachers, not deflate them, Deborah Stipek writes.
IT Infrastructure & Management
Tablet-Computing Initiatives Suffer Major Setbacks
Two large-scale efforts to put digital devices in the hands of students have been halted because of a variety of hardware and management problems.
Education Funding
Education-Related Cases Part of High Court Workload
The U.S. Supreme Court turned away several education appeals and heard arguments in other cases watched by school groups as its 2013-14 term opened.
Federal
Shutdown Leaves Hollow Staffing at Ed. Dept.
With the federal government shuttered and 4,000 Education Department workers sidelined, few are on hand to answer phones or help those with technical questions.
Federal
Budget Tensions Cloud Hopes for End to 'Sequester'
Across-the-board cuts to education and other federal programs may continue unabated, advocates fear, a consequence of Washington's twin budget crises.