- All Sections
- content: Blog (37)
In an effort to boost student achievement and prepare students for jobs in a global economy, five states have announced they will add 300 hours or more of class time to the school calendar.
Continue Reading...
New Standardized Assessments in New York Raise Testing Questions
posted by: Ruthie | October 16, 2012, 07:43 am
In New York, the eminent commencement of new “field tests” garnered the attention of several parents and caused the subsequent boycotting of their children’s participation in statewide testing. The story has yielded national headlines and has once again raised questions over the frequency of standardized testing in schools.
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...
Mayor Bloomberg Proposes Bold Reforms for the Big Apple
posted by: Alix | January 13, 2012, 05:53 pm
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered his annual State of City address this week, and in it, described a new bold vision for education in the Big Apple. As the largest school system in the United States with over one million teachers and students, the plan is being hailed as a big step that will likely usher in a new era of reform in the city.
Continue Reading...
With states across the country facing budget shortfalls and underfunded pensions, the concept of "double-dipping," or collecting both a state pension and salary has come under fire from various states seeking to rein in spending. From California to New York, many employees have been accused of unethically boosting their incomes by also taking a state pension, pushing certain state legislators to back state pension reform legislation.
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...
Most adults today remember countless hours spent practicing their cursive in elementary school. These days it's hard to remember when we last used the skill, unless maybe to sign a check. According to reports, cursive instruction is dying out all over the country. Will the once staple of a grammar school education go the way of the abacus for today's children?
Continue Reading...
International Summit on Teaching Profession Convenes in New YorkLast week, the Department of Education hosted a two-day conference focusing on best practices in building a world-class teaching force. Held in New York City, the conference brought American teachers and administrators together with several foreign high-performing countries.
Continue Reading...
Performance pay continues to be one of the most hot-button education reform policies being proposed by reformers and lawmakers across the country. Last week, Senate Bill 736 passed in Florida and it is now awaiting Governor Scott's signature. Among other broad reforms, the Florida bill is one of the most progressive in terms of performance pay, also known as merit pay. It requires 50 percent of a teacher's evaluation to be based on state standardized tests or other national, local, or industry measures for those subjects not gauged at the state level and evaluations are based on four distinct levels of teacher performance.
Continue Reading...
Former Chancellor of New York City public schools Joel Klein as featured in the Washington Post this weekend:
Continue Reading...
AFT Financial Disclosures Shed Light on Contributions to Partisan Politics
posted by: Alix | February 15, 2011, 11:12 am
A recent report by the Education Intelligence Agency sheds light on the financial disclosures of the American Federation of Teachers in the 2009-2010 fiscal year. The analysis reveals that the AFT spent $2.6 million of member dues on a wide array of left-leaning advocacy groups, charities, and big labor organizations.
Continue Reading...
Recently governors across the country have made national headlines bringing the salaries of district superintendents to light. While all of these salaries are a matter of public record, the public has become particularly outraged with the astronomical salaries of administrators at a time when school systems everywhere are seeking to cut back.
Continue Reading...
Voters in New York don't believe seniority should be the determining factor in potential teacher layoffs. According to a new poll by Education Reform Now, an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers are against the "last hired, first fired" policy for public school teachers.
Continue Reading...
NEA Gives More Than $13 Million to Advocacy Groups and Partisan Politics
posted by: Alix | January 19, 2011, 10:57 am A recent report by the Education Intelligence Agency sheds light on the financial disclosures of the National Education Association in the 2009-2010 fiscal year. The analysis reveals that the NEA spent $13 million dollars of member dues on a wide array of left-leaning advocacy groups and charities. Continue Reading...
Education Week released its annual report on the state of education in the United States this week. Entitled "Quality Counts," the report awards grades to individual states for their policy and overall education performance coupled with school budgets and reform efforts. The report comes on the heels of what economists note is the end of the "Great Recession." Schools boards across the country are feeling the heat from slashed budgets and fewer resources making for a challenging year in public education. Continue Reading...
In October, we reported that the New York City school system had announced plans to work with the media to publish "value-added" scores and other data from the country's largest public school system. Yesterday there was new development in the case when a Manhattan judge ruled that the city may release performance rankings to the media, denying a request by the teachers union to keep the teachers' names confidential.
Continue Reading...
Recently experts have focused their attention on not only the need to reform the classroom, but the need for reform in educating our future teachers. Many colleges of education have done little to keep up with emerging technologies and teaching techniques. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan once said, "Our university-based teacher preparation programs need revolutionary change, not evolutionary tinkering." To that end, an emphasis on intense in-classroom training has been the focus of change for a new pilot program being introduced in eight states.
Continue Reading...
This week New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Joel Klein was stepping down as school chancellor after eight years. Often hailed a hero in education reform circles, Klein's resignation comes just a month after fellow reformer Michelle Rhee resigned her post as chancellor in Washington, D.C. Klein's replacement is Cathleen P. Black, a publishing executive who once led USA Today. This announcement is on par with the recent trend in mayor led schools systems choosing business leaders and executives instead of traditional teaching veterans.
Continue Reading...
The New York City school system announced plans last week to work with the media to publish "value-added" scores and other data from nearly 12,000 teachers. For years, the information has been seen in private by administrators and the teachers themselves; however this release would allow the general public to see the raw data that's spells out teacher performance and student achievement.
Continue Reading...
This weekend a poignant manifesto by some reform-minded education leaders surfaced as not only a means of taking responsibility for the problems in education but also a call to action for teachers, parents, students and communities to be part of the solution. The leaders recognize that the recent media attention around education has provided a truly unique opportunity to create a dialogue for reform. The authors of the manifesto as follows:
Continue Reading...
|
|
|