Teaching Profession Blog

Teacher Beat

From changes to teacher evaluation to the inner workings of the teachers’ unions, reporter Madeline Will kept you up to date on the biggest issues shaping the teaching profession. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: teaching profession.

School & District Management States' Standards for Teachers Don't Define Culturally Responsive Teaching, Study Argues
While all states incorporate some aspects of culturally responsive teaching within their professional standards, most fail to provide a description of the practice that is clear or comprehensive enough to support teachers in developing and strengthening those skills, a new study from New America finds.
Corey Mitchell, March 28, 2019
4 min read
Teaching Profession Two More Statewide Teacher Protests Are on the Horizon
Teachers in North Carolina and Oregon plan to walk out of their classrooms in protest in May.
Madeline Will, March 26, 2019
3 min read
Teaching Profession Are Teacher Shortages Worse Than We Thought?
High-poverty schools are hit the hardest when it comes to a lack of fully certified and experienced teachers, a new report from the Economic Policy Institute says.
Madeline Will, March 26, 2019
5 min read
Teaching Profession Indiana Teachers Shot With Plastic Pellets in Active-Shooter Drill, Raising Concerns
The Indiana state teachers' union is pushing to protect student and staff safety during active-shooter trainings.
Madeline Will & Evie Blad, March 21, 2019
5 min read
Teaching Profession Advocacy Group Seeking to End Teacher Tenure Has Lost Its Last Staff Member
The Partnership for Educational Justice, which was founded by school reform activist Campbell Brown, has lost its executive director as it focuses resources toward an anti-tenure lawsuit.
Madeline Will, March 19, 2019
5 min read
Teaching Profession Most Teachers Won't Have Enough Retirement Savings Under Pension Plans, Study Finds
A new study estimates that 81 percent of teachers won't have comfortable retirement savings under a typical defined-benefit pension plan.
Madeline Will, March 17, 2019
5 min read
Teaching Profession Kentucky Ed. Dept. Asks for Names of Protesting Teachers Who Called Out Sick
Commissioner Wayne Lewis requested a list of the teachers who had taken sick days in the 10 districts where teacher absences caused work stoppages.
Sarah Schwartz, March 15, 2019
3 min read
Federal Should Teachers Get Vouchers for Professional Learning? Trump Thinks So
President Donald Trump's proposed budget seeks to eliminate the $2 billion Title II program for professional development, while creating vouchers for teachers to use to take courses.
Madeline Will, March 12, 2019
5 min read
Teaching Profession 'It's Our Time': Maryland Teachers March for School Funding
Thousands of teachers marched in Annapolis on Monday evening, pushing for higher pay and more resources for their students.
Madeline Will, March 11, 2019
5 min read
Teacher Preparation Let Minority-Serving Colleges Be a Model for Teacher Prep, Report Says
Teacher-preparation programs need to better prepare teachers, and especially white teachers, to serve students and communities of colors more effectively, the report says.
Madeline Will, March 10, 2019
5 min read
Teaching Profession Across the Nation, More Teachers Are Protesting With a Broader Set of Demands
Even when schools remain open, teachers across the country are speaking out for an investment in public education and protesting school-choice measures.
Madeline Will, March 7, 2019
5 min read
Teaching Profession 'When We Strike, We Win': Oakland Teachers' Union Reaches Tentative Deal
After seven days on strike, Oakland, Calif., teachers have reached a deal with the district that includes an 11 percent pay raise.
Madeline Will, March 2, 2019
2 min read
Teaching Profession The Kentucky 'Pension Flu' Has Hit Teachers Once Again
Several school districts have been forced to close due to a large number of teachers calling out sick in protest of a pension-reform bill.
Madeline Will, February 28, 2019
3 min read
School & District Management You're More Likely to Pass the Bar Than an Elementary Teacher Licensing Exam
More than half of aspiring elementary teachers fail the Praxis exam the first time, according to an analysis by the National Council on Teacher Quality.
Madeline Will, February 26, 2019
7 min read