According to a recent survey comparing the overall health and well-being of eleven different professions, teachers were ranked the highest in terms of overall quality of life.  The distinguishing factor that helped to give teachers the happiness edge appears to be rooted in perspective – teachers regard their job as a “calling” and not just a gig that pays the bills.

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According to the most recent population survey released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the teaching gender gap is still alive and well. Male educators constitute just 2.3% of pre-K and kindergarten teachers, 18.3% of the elementary and middle school teacher population, and 42% of the high school level teaching staff.  These numbers are down from 2007, but suggest a clear female majority in the teaching profession, especially in the earlier grades.

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You leave your house, coffee in hand, and it starts to rain outside.  You don’t have an umbrella.  You rush to your car, and, in a dash to save your freshly graded papers from rain damage, you put your coffee cup on the top of your car as you unlock the door.  You hop in the car, start the ignition, and, just as you pull away, you hear the clunk of your coffee cup hitting the sidewalk.  It’s going to be one of those days.

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The AAE blog often features stories on how the internet has revolutionized the teaching profession. From social networking to curriculum blogs and educator forums, tech-savvy teachers are able to connect on an entirely new level using online tools. While there are plenty of free resources available on the internet, a new website called Teachers Pay Teachers is making waves for its ability to allow teachers to sell their go-to lesson plans via an innovative online marketplace.   Continue Reading...

According to a new study by the University of Akron, computer grading software is just as effective in grading essays on standardized tests as live human scoring. After testing 16,000 middle school and high school test essays graded by both humans and computers, the study found virtually identical levels of accuracy, with the software in some cases proving to be more reliable than human grading. While the results are a blow to technology naysayers, the software is still controversial among certain education advocates who claim the software is not a cure-all for grading student essays.   Continue Reading...

Governor Bobby Jindal has taken center stage in the education world this spring via a new education overhaul plan aimed at expanding choice, removing barriers to entry for charter schools, and reforming tenure in the state of Louisiana. In a plan being hailed as the "new standard" for education reform, Governor Jindal is expected sign both reform bills into law later this week.   Continue Reading...

In 2011, Wisconsin's fight over collective bargaining was the number one domestic story. From protests at the capitol to high-profile lawsuits, the battle to close budget shortfalls and curb union power is still gaining headlines in the state. In the latest development, WEA Trust, the health care insurer that has covered as many as two-thirds of Wisconsin school districts under strict collective bargaining agreements, has seen its revenue decline almost $70 million after a new law gave school districts the freedom to switch health care insurers to save funds.   Continue Reading...

For the first time in the state's history, New Jersey is set to welcome their first online public charter school this fall. The New Jersey Virtual Academy Charter School (NJVACS), operating in partnership with the online education company, K12 Inc., has already begun to spread the word about their offerings statewide and currently boasts 300 enrolled students for the fall term. The opening of the school marks New Jersey's first big step into full-time online instruction, part of a new trend that has become commonplace in states across the country.   Continue Reading...

There isn't a school district in the country that hasn't been affected by the recession and difficult budget decisions. For years, national media coverage has highlighted teacher lay-offs and program cuts in almost every part of the country. While states and districts come to terms with a new financial climate, a new Department of Education survey reports arts education is suffering the most under today's budgets, particularly in high-need communities.   Continue Reading...

Over the years, AAE membership surveys have covered a wide range of education policy issues and have often been critical in dispelling union-led perceptions that teachers are unsupportive of commonsense reforms. According to a new survey released by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in collaboration with Scholastic Education, the trend is in fact growing and teachers are embracing key education reforms like never before.   Continue Reading...

For generations, the public school teacher retirement system has functioned as a back-ended plan where teachers receive a modest salary in exchange for lifetime benefits and a guaranteed pension. However, the shifting demographics of the profession coupled with financial realities has led many states to question the sustainability of the current model.   Continue Reading...

After nearly two years of controversy and union push back, a court order based on the Freedom of Information law, has forced thousands of the New Your City public school teachers evaluations public. The information, released at the end of February, is based on student test scores and other criteria between the 2008-2010 school years.   Continue Reading...

Department of Education Unveils RESPECT Initiative Included in the Obama administration's 2013 proposed budget is a new $5 billion competitive program to challenge states and school districts to work with various stakeholders in an effort to comprehensively reform the field of teaching. Entitled RESPECT, the proposal seeks to touch on every aspect of teaching from training and tenure to compensation and career opportunities.

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Last month, AAE participated in National School Choice Week– a national movement of grassroots organizations calling for more educational options. Here at AAE, we continue to support the cause because we support educators in all settings and encourage teachers to pursue the school and setting best suited to their needs and interest.   Continue Reading...

A recent report by the union watchdog group, the Education Intelligence Agency, sheds new light on the financial disclosures of the American Federation of Teachers in the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The analysis reveals that the AFT spent an astonishing $7.8 million of member dues on a wide array of left-leaning advocacy groups, charities, and big labor organizations–more than triple the amount spent last year.   Continue Reading...

In the wake of last year's labor battles in Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio, 2012 is shaping up to mark a new era in curtailed teacher union power. While it might seem difficult to believe that the National Education Association and its state affiliates, at their peak a $1.5 billion annual powerhouse, could be suffering from money troubles, new evidence suggests deep trouble for the NEA and state affiliates.   Continue Reading...

For years, the path to the classroom was exclusively paved through a program of study in a university-based teacher preparation program and ultimately a teaching license. However, in recent years, various "alternative certification" programs have been developed in order to allow degreed professionals practical avenues to become teachers. With participation in these programs skyrocketing in the last five years, many have speculated that these teachers will leave a lasting impact not only on students, but on the teaching preparation process nationwide.   Continue Reading...

Yesterday, Indiana made history as Governor Mitch Daniels signed Right-to-Work legislation into law, making the Hoosier State 23rd in the nation with the provision—the first new Right-to-Work state in over a decade. Interestingly, Indiana is also the first state in the "Rust Belt" of the Midwest and Northeast to adopt the measure that protects workers' freedom of association when it comes to union membership, in the public and private sector.   Continue Reading...

Education in State of the Union Address Last week, President Obama spent significant time during the State of the Union address discussing his administration's vision for American education. "Teachers matter," said President Obama in beginning his education remarks. "Instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo let's offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility: To teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren't helping kids learn."

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This week is National School Choice Week – a national movement of grassroots organizations calling for more educational options. Here at AAE, we support National School Choice Week because we support educators in all settings and encourage teachers to pursue the school and setting best suited to their needs and interest.As part of National School Choice Week, AAE has profiled teachers throughout the country to showcase their own unique setting and choice. Today we are profiling Ms. Debbie Gleeson, a Catholic elementary school teacher in New Jersey.   Continue Reading...