Web Watch
Teacher’s look at education news from around the Web. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: teaching profession.
Education
Academic Hourglass
English High School in Boston is the oldest public school in America, as well as one of the most prestigious, having graduated the likes of J.P. Morgan and Leonard Nimoy. But now it's facing closure by the state if its students' achievement doesn't improve this year.
Education
States Report Teacher Staph Infections
Student-contracted staph infections, which in at least one case has been terminal, have recently been reported from New Hampshire to Georgia. Four cases of teachers infected with the methicillin-resistant MRSA have also appeared in local headlines. And a national report released this week indicates that staph infections killed more people in 2005 than HIV/AIDS, proving that it is more common than previously thought.
Education
Changing the Class Dynamic
Teachers in Loudoun County, Va., decided to stir the status quo by mixing honors, regular, and special education students in the same class.
Education
The 'Rubber Room'
Ever wonder where teachers go when they’re bad—or even, apparently, when they’re just accused of making a mistake? In New York at least, they go to the “Rubber Room.” According to a New York Times story by Samuel G. Freedman, the city's Department of Education runs 12 teacher “reassignment centers”—essentially holding pens for some 760 educators awaiting rulings on termination actions brought by schools administrators. While some of the teachers assigned to the centers have been accused of assault and other crimes, Freedman says, others are there for seemingly far lesser serious reasons, such as receiving unsatisfactory evaluations or making a profane comment to a student.
Education
Religion and College Admissions
An association of Christian high schools is suing the University of California system, alleging unconstitutionally biased admissions, according to a Chicago Tribune article. The UC system is accused of discounting core courses from Christian high schools because of their religious viewpoint. UC does admit that “the process of reviewing [high school courses] has become more regularized and rigorous over time,” according to Christopher Patti, counsel for UC.
Education
Back to School, Nightly
In the perennial discussion over how to get parents more involved in their children’s education, one teacher has arrived at a solution, according to the New York Times. Damion Frye, a 9th grade English teacher from Montclair High School in New Jersey, has been asking parents to read and respond on his blog to their children’s classroom reading assignments or face a consequence—their child’s grade could be lowered. Says Frye, who is a Montclair alumnus, “Parents complain about never getting to see their kids’ work. Now they have to.”
Education
Teacher to Congress: Listen Up
As the discussion over the reauthorization of NCLB heats up, one New York educator wants to be heard. Nancy Close, a health teacher from East Islip, Long Island, writes in a Newsday commentary this week, “It’s important that Congress listen to teachers and, make sure that, this time, it gets the law right.” Without deeper consideration, Close fears, “…Congress could make a problematic law even worse.”
Assessment
NAEP Scores Assessed
NAEP scores indicate that elementary and middle school students are making significant gains in math and marginal improvements in reading.
Education
What's in a Name?
Congress’ work on revising the No Child Left Behind Act is going right down to the name, according to The Washington Post, with lawmakers saying they are considering a new title for the law. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chairman of the House education committee, says the “No Child Left Behind” brand is too closely associated with an unpopular president and, if that weren't enough, is demeaning to schools and teachers. “People find it an incredible insult … that we are deliberately leaving children behind,” he explains. There appears to be no shortage of suggestions for a new name for the legislation. Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children’s Defense Fund, recommends the “Quality for All Children Act,” while Miami University President Donna Shalala has put forth “Children First.” Andrew Friedson, student body president at the University of Maryland, takes a more (shall we say) critical approach, suggesting the “No Child Left a Brain Act” or “All the Money Left Behind Act.”
Education
Mix and Match
They say diversity is the spice of life—and apparently it’s also the key to greater achievement in the classroom, according to recent studies. Research conducted by professors at the University of Sussex, in London, found that children placed in mixed--ability math classes outperformed those grouped by ability.
Education
Weighty Lessons
What can you learn from zero gravity?What does it feel like to be weightless? The Northrop Grumman Foundation gave teachers from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania the chance to find out. Its new 2007 Weightless Flights of Discovery Program offers the opportunity for teachers to experience simulated gravity.
Education
Education's Guy Problem
Men who express physical affection for small children could be accused of being pedophiles. Men who are caring and nurturing are sometimes assumed to be gay. Men cannot make sufficient money as teachers.
Education
The Teacher Effect
This just in: Good teaching matters. Indeed, a new study out of Pittsburgh suggests that improving teacher quality across the board may be the surest way to close the racial achievement gap. The study, which looked at Pittsburgh students’ test scores over a two-year period, found that a student’s teacher was a better predictor of his or her performance than race. The scores varied widely depending on the teachers’ ranking, the study says, regardless of students’ race. “These … are not random effects,” said Robert P. Strauss, a Carnegie Mellon University professor who led the study. “In Pittsburgh, the teachers who are successful are successful with black kids and white kids.”
Education
All Eyes on the Teacher
While education-reform organizations typically occupy themselves with high-level policy and research issues, one group in Washington is gaining notice by working directly with the people who actually run the classrooms. The Center for Inspired Teaching, which opened in 1995 as teacher-training service, has recently begun working in partnership with individual schools in the Washington area to help teachers hone their practice.