June 10, 2015
Education Week, Vol. 34, Issue 34
Assessment
News in Brief
States Set Varying Passing Bars on New Teacher Assessment
As they implement policies around a new performance-based licensing test for teachers, states are setting the bar at different places—a phenomenon that raises questions about cross-state comparisons.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Charter School Leaders Convicted of Bribery
An Ohio charter school superintendent and the school's board chairman were convicted last week of taking bribes.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Nev. Restricts Administrators From Joining Unions
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican, last week signed into law a wide-ranging collective bargaining overhaul that prohibits school administrators who make more than $120,000 a year from joining a collective bargaining unit.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
N.C. Court Rules in Favor of Teacher Job Protections
North Carolina lawmakers violated veteran teachers' constitutional rights by passing a law that would remove job protections they've earned, the state's court of appeals found last week.
Federal
News in Brief
Tribal School Is Awarded One-of-a-Kind NCLB Waiver
The U.S. Department of Education is taking the unusual step of giving a single tribal school flexibility from the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Student Well-Being
News in Brief
Behavior Specialists Planned For All of District's Schools
The Madison, Wis., school board last week authorized an additional $1.9 million to address student behavior next school year.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Wisconsin Moving to Allow Teachers Without Degrees
Wisconsin may become the only state to allow people who don't have bachelor's degrees to be certified to teach some academic subjects.
Science
News in Brief
Tool for Aligning Standards for Science Out for Review
A draft tool that educators, school districts, and publishers will eventually be able to use to see if their instructional materials are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards is now available for review by the public.
Curriculum
News in Brief
Arts Program Targeting Failing Schools Expands
A program that uses arts education to help turn around failing schools is expanding for the second time, reaching more than 22,000 students in 49 schools.
College & Workforce Readiness
News in Brief
Free Test-Prep Program Unveiled for SAT
The nonprofit organization behind the SAT college-entrance exam has teamed up with a Silicon Valley pioneer in online education to offer free test-preparation materials.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Report Takes Aim at States' K-12 Spending Strategies
States' inadequate and inequitable funding for public schools is hurting students' chances for success, says a new report.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Chicago Schools Chief Resigns Amid Investigation
Chicago public schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett resigned last week amid a federal probe.
School Choice & Charters
Letter to the Editor
School Choice Letter Omits Research, Distorts Cumulative Polling Data
To the Editor:
Paul DiPerna's letter touting school vouchers and education savings accounts conveniently did not mention the research and published findings of University of Illinois education professors Christopher and Sarah Lubienski showing that the apparent private school advantage is due to those schools' selectivity.
Paul DiPerna's letter touting school vouchers and education savings accounts conveniently did not mention the research and published findings of University of Illinois education professors Christopher and Sarah Lubienski showing that the apparent private school advantage is due to those schools' selectivity.
Teaching Profession
Letter to the Editor
Nancie Atwell on the Common-Core Debate and Her Advice to Aspiring Teachers
To the Editor:
A letter to the editor "written collectively and in partnership with the Collaborative for Student Success" and signed by a group of former and current state teachers of the year opined that "false statements on the common core have been perpetuated by some of our profession's most respected teachers, such as Nancie Atwell, the winner of the first Global Teacher Prize, who recently discouraged today's students from becoming tomorrow's teachers."
A letter to the editor "written collectively and in partnership with the Collaborative for Student Success" and signed by a group of former and current state teachers of the year opined that "false statements on the common core have been perpetuated by some of our profession's most respected teachers, such as Nancie Atwell, the winner of the first Global Teacher Prize, who recently discouraged today's students from becoming tomorrow's teachers."
School & District Management
In Drought's Firm Grip, California Schools Try to Cope
Districts across the state are grappling with effects of the drought, but especially in the Central Valley, where dry wells, dust days, and declining enrollment are hitting hard.
Reading & Literacy
Debate Persists Around Early-Reading Standards
New papers rehash debates around whether the common-core reading standards represent—or discourage—"developmentally appropriate" teaching practice for young children.
Education
Photos: Summertime on the Job
Education Week is asking students on Twitter and Instagram to post photos of themselves at work in their summer jobs to give a snapshot of what their work life is like in the months when school is out.
School Choice & Charters
School Renovation Becomes a Teachable Moment
Rather than allow a large-scale construction project to derail student learning, a Massachusetts private school incorporated the building process into the curriculum.