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.
Stephen Sawchuk, June 8, 2015
1 min read
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.
The Associated Press, June 8, 2015
1 min read
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.
The Associated Press, June 8, 2015
1 min read
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.
The Associated Press, June 8, 2015
1 min read
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.
Alyson Klein, June 8, 2015
1 min read
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.
McClatchy-Tribune, June 8, 2015
1 min read
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.
The Associated Press, June 8, 2015
1 min read
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.
Liana Loewus, June 8, 2015
1 min read
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.
Jessica Brown, June 8, 2015
1 min read
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.
The Associated Press, June 8, 2015
1 min read
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.
Andrew Ujifusa, June 8, 2015
1 min read
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.
Corey Mitchell, June 8, 2015
1 min read
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.
June 8, 2015
1 min read
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."
June 8, 2015
2 min read
These children live at a trailer park in Mendota, Calif., a farmworker community hit hard by the state’s historic drought. Schools statewide are feeling the impact, but it’s especially acute for districts in the Central Valley, where farm jobs are drying up with the water.
These children live at a trailer park in Mendota, Calif., a farmworker community hit hard by the state’s historic drought. Schools statewide are feeling the impact, but it’s especially acute for districts in the Central Valley, where farm jobs are drying up with the water.
Matt Black
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.
Karla Scoon Reid, June 8, 2015
6 min read
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.
Liana Loewus, June 5, 2015
7 min read
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.
June 2, 2015
Students from the Brookwood School in Manchester, Mass., sign the final beam before it is installed, signaling the end of the school-construction project.
Students from the Brookwood School in Manchester, Mass., sign the final beam before it is installed, signaling the end of the school-construction project.
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.
Jacob Bell, May 28, 2015
4 min read