Third Education Reform Bill Introduced in House Committee

Last week, U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN) introduced the third in the committee's series of education reform bills designed to overhaul the current elementary and secondary education law, or No Child Left Behind.  H.R. 1891, otherwise known as "The State and Local Funding Flexibility Act," is designed to allow states and local school districts maximum flexibility in their use of federal education dollars.

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Summer 2011 was supposed to mark the end of the road for No Child Left Behind as we have come to know it. Last year, the Obama administration set a deadline for Congress to overhaul the controversial law. Despite the clearing of two bills meant to amend the law from the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Department of Education is not happy with the limited progress and is letting congressional leaders know it. In response, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has proposed blanket waivers to the law to certain states in hopes of speeding up the process, leaving many questioning whether he has the authority to do so.   Continue Reading...

While most Americans were enjoying a festive Independence Day weekend, the National Education Association was holding their annual conference in Chicago. Beaten down after a solid year of negative press, declining membership, and legislative and legal battles, the NEA convention took on a surprisingly different tone in 2011.   Continue Reading...

What are your thoughts about homework in today's world? Conventional wisdom suggests students need homework to teach them to work independently and to reinforce curriculum after an initial lesson. While this is the intent of home-based projects, parents and students have been complaining that evenings filled with piles of worksheets can take away time from extracurricular activities and can be unfair to students without the proper home support. As a result, in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the school board has enacted a new policy that homework can count for only 10% of a student's overall grade.   Continue Reading...

The internet has revolutionized everything in our lives, from paying bills to shopping and everything in between. Education is now well on its way to being revolutionized by online learning with teachers nationwide taking advantage of new, emerging and often free internet resources. One service in particular that is gaining popularity among teachers is Twitter, the micro-blogging site that allows users to communicate via 140 character transmissions.   Continue Reading...

As the 2014 NCLB deadline for states to get their students to proficiency on state math and reading standards rapidly approaches, many states are hitting the panic button and seeking regulatory relief from the Department of Education. However, despite the looming mandates and deadlines, the idea of blanket waivers faces strong opposition from states that argue the relief could be more than they bargained for, forcing states to adopt Obama-backed reforms in exchange for waivers.   Continue Reading...

With the 2011 legislative session at an end in many states, the dust is now settling on some of the most sweeping education and labor reforms we've have seen in generations. While each state has experienced reform and change on different levels, it is impossible to ignore the ground-breaking impact these laws will have on the future of labor relations and education across the country.

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As the Obama administration counts down toward the summer deadline to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly referred to as No Child Left Behind, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is preparing to grant states regulatory relief from key provisions of the federal school accountability law in exchange for what he calls, "commitments to key reforms." While Duncan gave few details about what "relief" would actually entail, key congressional insiders warn that without action, Secretary Duncan could issue blanket waivers to states with no resolutions in sight.   Continue Reading...

Last week, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie proposed legislation allowing for the privatization of the five lowest-performing schools in the state. The pilot program would transfer control to private school-management companies after school board approval in an effort to produce a turnaround. Since the late 1980’s, the state has experienced low-performing schools despite record-setting spending as mandated by the New Jersey Supreme Court. Consequently, state residents pay more per student in the state’s impoverished districts than in wealthy districts, resulting in the nation’s highest local property tax and little improvement in schools.

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On the heels of last fall's federal Race to the Top competitive grant program, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced last week that the program will resume this year with new funding. Comprised of $200 million earmarked for former runner-ups and $500 million for new early education state initiatives, the newly revived program has yielded both praise and criticism from policymakers and state education chiefs.   Continue Reading...

Last week, the "Chiefs for Change" education advocacy coalition released their roadmap for reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly known as No Child Left Behind. In their proposal, the chiefs advocate for student-centered reforms that they claim are necessary changes to the heavily debated law.   Continue Reading...

With the 2011 legislative session coming to an eventful end, states across the country have been on a quest for months to implement sweeping education and labor reform legislation. What began with a bang in Wisconsin has grown into a full-scale movement in states throughout the country. While each state is experiencing reform on different levels, it is impossible to ignore that this year will have a nationwide impact on the face of education and labor for generations to come.   Continue Reading...

President Obama stopped in Memphis, Tennessee yesterday to deliver Booker T. Washington High School's key note graduation address as part of the Department of Education's Commencement Challenge for 2011. Washington High secured the historic address from the President by illustrating how it overcame a history of disciplinary problems and high dropout rates by implementing reforms and turning the school into a sanctuary for troubled kids in inner city Memphis.   Continue Reading...

When the dust settles on 2011 legislative session, states across the country will be dealing with some of the most sweeping changes in education and labor policy in generations. For months, tough-talking governors and state legislatures have been in the process of pushing through legislation that seeks to curb union power and implement sweeping education reforms. While each state is experiencing reform on different levels, it is impossible to ignore that this year will have an impact on the entire country's education outlook for years to come.   Continue Reading...

With another school year winding down, we are again hearing stories about young, often first- or second-year teachers and their being laid off due to budget cuts. The fact that states across the country are facing historic budget shortfalls shouldn't be news to anyone. Clearly this sobering reality will have an impact on education budgets, but what if the union-backed policy of "last in, first out" punishes good teachers and impacts parents seeking a quality teacher for their child? Sadly, LIFO has become just that: forcing new teachers out without any regard to their performance.   Continue Reading...

As the 2011 legislative session draws closer to its end, tough-talking governors and state legislatures across the country are proceeding with legislation that seeks to implement sweeping education and labor reforms. While each state is experiencing reform on different levels, it is impossible to ignore the ground-breaking changes that will undoubtedly change the face of education in this country in the coming years.   Continue Reading...

StudentsFirst, the new national organization behind education reform efforts across the country, announced this week that they are expanding to include fellowships for teachers. The Michelle Rhee fronted advocacy organization is offering opportunities for current teachers and education reformers to become leaders in the education reform movement via her new senior-level fellowship program.   Continue Reading...

Ohio has been one of the most talked about states in the nation as Governor John Kasich and the Ohio legislature worked together to pass Senate Bill 5, a move that would end forced unionism, close budget shortfalls and curb union power. While the union has already begun a referendum campaign to maintain their stronghold on teacher paychecks, the governor is not backing down and is now working together with teachers to establish criteria for the performance pay portion of the law.   Continue Reading...

As the 2011 legislative session continues, states across the country are proceeding with legislation that seeks to curb union power and implement sweeping education reform. While the developments in Wisconsin and Ohio have seen the most media attention, there are a total of 729 bills currently pending in 48 states dealing with unions and union power, according to a database compiled by the non-partisan National Conference of State Legislatures. While not every state is making national headlines, the enormous amount of legislation is a sign of what will undoubtedly be the largest shift in union power in generations.   Continue Reading...

New Jersey has been considered the center of the education reform world for months. Led by tough-talking Governor Chris Christie, the state has seen its recent share of national headlines. What started as a war of words between Christie and the NJEA has continued to develop into real life reform plans, even yielding commentary and visits from the Obama administration.   Continue Reading...