EDUCATION AND EQUITY NEWS
Below are links to recent news articles and special reports on education and equity issues at the national level and for the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. (Note: Links are often rendered inactive some time after the article's publication date. If you are unable to locate an article by clicking on the title, please search the website of the publisher.) To search the archives for older articles, please click here
NATIONAL
Bush signs student loan market stabilization plan (Washington Post, May 8, 2008)President George W. Bush signed into law on Wednesday a program to stabilize the $85-billion student loan industry, addressing lenders' warnings of a possible loan shortage in coming months.
Facebook, states agree on new safeguards (Education Week, May 8, 2008)Facebook, the world's second-largest online social networking site, will add more than 40 new safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies, attorneys general from several states said Thursday.
Teachers Weigh In on Tenure (Education Week, May 6, 2008)Think it's hard for schools to get bad teachers out of the classroom? Turns out teachers agree. More than half of teachers believe it's too difficult to weed out ineffective teachers who have tenure, and nearly half say they personally know such a teacher, according to a survey being released Wednesday by the Education Sector, a nonpartisan think tank.
Online Education Cast as ‘Disruptive Innovation’ (Education Week, May 6, 2008)Technology-based forces of “disruptive innovation” are gathering around public education and will overhaul the way K-12 students learn—with potentially dramatic consequences for established public schools, according to an upcoming book that draws parallels to disruptions in other industries.
National Charter School Conference (nationalcharterschoolconference.org, May 5, 2008)The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools will host the 2008 National Charter Schools Conference from June 22-25 in New Orleans, LA. "Still We Rise: Achieving Academic Excellence at Scale" is the conference theme, reflecting the growth of quality public charter schools across America. The theme has special resonance in New Orleans, which boasts the nation's largest percentage of public charter school enrollment. Register for the conference or apply to sponsor/exhibit at http://www.nationalcharterconference.org.
(The New York Sun, May 5, 2008)A New York state judge ruled last week that Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office is permanently prevented from issuing audits on public charter schools, saying the office "lacks the authority" to do so.
(, May 5, 2008)Children have welcomed the Harry Potter books in recent years like free ice cream in the cafeteria, but the largest survey ever of youthful reading in the United States will reveal today that none of J.K. Rowling's phenomenally popular books has been able to dislodge the works of longtime favorites Dr. Seuss, E.B. White, Judy Blume, S.E. Hinton and Harper Lee as the most read.
What Do Children Read? Hint: Harry Potter's Not No. 1 (Washington Post, May 5, 2008)Children have welcomed the Harry Potter books in recent years like free ice cream in the cafeteria, but the largest survey ever of youthful reading in the United States will reveal today that none of J.K. Rowling's phenomenally popular books has been able to dislodge the works of longtime favorites Dr. Seuss, E.B. White, Judy Blume, S.E. Hinton and Harper Lee as the most read.
Study Questions 'No Child' Act's Reading Plan (Washington Post, May 2, 2008)Students enrolled in a $6 billion federal reading program that is at the heart of the No Child Left Behind law are not reading any better than those who don't participate, according to a U.S. government report.
Dropout Campaigns Envisioned for States, 50 Key City Districts (Education Week, April 29, 2008)Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and his wife, Alma J. Powell, added their voices last week to an expanding network of prominent civic and education leaders who are calling for more aggressive measures to drive down alarming dropout rates in many of the nation’s high schools.
Smart Thinking About Educational Technology (Education Week, April 29, 2008)Simplistic thinking is often applied to educational technology. Either it’s the greatest approach to education ever invented or it’s a waste of money. We can do better than such limited rhetoric. Too many advocates rely on weak arguments, such as “students are digital natives, so we should use more technology,” as if schools should have used radio and TV more often when earlier generations grew up with those media. Stanford University’s Larry Cuban was right to warn against the excessive “hype” one hears about the value of computers. ( "The Laptop Revolution Has No Clothes," Commentary, Oct. 18, 2006.)
Judge Dismisses State's No Child Suit (Education Week, April 29, 2008)A federal judge has dismissed the last of four claims in Connecticut's challenge to the federal No Child Left Behind law. Connecticut in 2005 became the first state to sue over the law's testing requirements, saying it is unconstitutional because expenses outweigh federal reimbursements.
African American Males in Education: Endangered or Ignored? (Teachers College Record, April 28, 2008)An introduction to the special issue African American males in education - PK-12 and Higher Education: An Examination of Critical Stages within the Educational Pipeline for African American Males.
Teachable Moments: Re-conceptualizing Curricula Understandings (Teachers College Record, April 28, 2008)Our current world of education is characterized by a constructive tension among the various definitions and concepts aiming at explaining the increasingly complex process of teaching and learning in diverse settings.
Becoming Adept at Code-Switching (Educational Leadership, April 28, 2008)By putting away the red pen and providing structured instruction in code-switching, teachers can help urban African American students use language more effectively.
Searching for Science to Guide Good Teaching (Washington Post, April 27, 2008)The Bush administration's chief of education research says teachers too often rely on "folk wisdom" instead of proven methods to help students learn reading and math. Just as doctors consider data from drug trials and clinical research when they treat patients, he wants educators to think more scientifically in their quest for the right textbooks, technology, teacher training and lesson plans to raise student achievement.
Transforming Schools with Technology: How Smart Use of Digital Tools Helps Achieve Six Key Educational Goals (Teachers College Record, April 27, 2008)Transforming Schools with Technology, Andrew Zucker identifies major concerns facing education today, frames related transformational goals, and discusses and provides examples of how today’s technologies can contribute to success in reaching the goal.
Police Release Photos of Weapons in Waycross Plot (First Coast News, April 23, 2008)It's the type of news you don't expect to hear coming out of an elementary school. Nine third grade students suspended at Center Elementary in Waycross for an alleged plot to attack their teacher. "This plot was uncovered at the point that something dangerous was brought to the school," says Lt. Dwayne Caswell with Waycross Police.
Charter Schools Outshine Others as They Receive Their First Report Cards (New York Times, April 21, 2008)Education officials, acting under the city’s new system of accountability, released report cards on Wednesday for several charter schools, with the majority receiving A’s and B’s, but one school in Queens getting an F. The grades came more than a month after Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein released grades for the rest of the city’s public schools. Officials said that they had always intended to release grades for charter schools, but that it had taken longer to make sure the data was complete and accurate because the schools are privately run, though publicly financed.
New Report From KIPP Charters (Washington Post, April 21, 2008)Educators argue often whether their work should be judged by test scores. There are thoughtful people on both sides of the debate. We journalists tend to focus on exam results because so many of our readers say that is what they want, and such information is relatively easy to get from regular public schools.
At Charter School, Higher Teacher Pay (New York Times, April 20, 2008)A New York City charter school set to open in 2009 in Washington Heights will test one of the most fundamental questions in education: Whether significantly higher pay for teachers is the key to improving schools.
Charter schools tend to have drive to survive (The Oregonian, April 20, 2008)Strong management, frugal spending and parent/community support have been the key to survival for Oregon's oldest charter schools. "Charter schools are the will and the drive and not taking no for an answer," said Jo Ann Lindenthal, executive director of the Multisensory Learning Academy in Gresham, which opened in 2001. That sense of optimism pervades Oregon's booming charter school movement, despite a closure rate that is double the national rate. Even if the state's economy enters a recession, leaders of the independent public schools say they'll find a way to survive.
Charter school expansion remains unclear (RRStar.com, April 19, 2008)Lawmakers are pushing for more charter schools in Illinois, particularly in Chicago where most of them already are. What’s not clear is how lawmakers will structure any charter expansion — and how such a change in law might affect Rockford, where officials are considering multiple charter possibilities.
Chinese Student in U.S. Is Caught in Confrontation (NY Times, April 17, 2008)On the day the Olympic torch was carried through San Francisco last week, Grace Wang, a Chinese freshman at Duke University, came out of her dining hall to find a handful of students gathered for a pro-Tibet vigil facing off with a much larger pro-China counterdemonstration.
AT&T Giving $100 Million to Fight Dropouts (NY Times, April 17, 2008)AT&T plans to announce a $100 million gift on Thursday intended to address the problem of high school dropouts and to improve the skills of the nation’s work force.
Black-White Gap Widens Faster for High Achievers (Education Week, April 17, 2008)New research into what is commonly called the black-white “achievement gap” suggests that the students who lose the most ground academically in U.S. public schools may be the brightest African-American children. As black students move through elementary and middle school, these studies show, the test-score gaps that separate them from their better-performing white counterparts grow fastest among the most able students and the most slowly for those who start out with below-average academic skills.
With Mentors at Their Sides, Girls in Need Write Their Stories and Find New Lives (NY Times, April 16, 2008)On Saturdays during the school year and all week in the summer, PinChang Huang, 16, leaves her home in Queens just after dawn and boards a crowded van bound for a nail salon on Long Island.
Lack of School Leadership Seen as a Global Problem (Education Week, April 16, 2008)A study to be released this week suggests that improving school leadership is a problem around the world, not just in the United States. The study of 22 nations, conducted by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, found that the roles and responsibilities of school leaders have expanded dramatically in the past few decades. At the same time, the workforce of principals in many nations is nearing retirement, and a majority of countries studied reported difficulties in finding enough suitable job candidates.
Whose Problem Is Poverty (Educational Leadership, April 16, 2008)It's no cop-out to acknowledge the effects of socioeconomic disparities on student learning. Rather, it's a vital step to closing the achievement gap.
Closing the Teacher Quality Gap (Educational Leadership, April 16, 2008)Many of us educators, in our roles as parents, have worked hard to get our own children into the classroom of an unusually good teacher—or out of the classroom of a teacher who does serious damage. But interestingly, in our roles as educators, we often deny that such differences exist. When those pesky parents ask us to assign their children to a particular teacher's classroom, what do we say? "Oh, don't worry. Your child will learn what she needs to learn from any teacher in our school."
Catholic School Closings a ‘Crisis’ as Pope’s Visit Nears (Education Week, April 15, 2008)A report timed to coincide with the U.S. visit this month of Pope Benedict XVI highlights what it calls the “crisis” of a steadily shrinking pool of urban Catholic schools and outlines measures—some of which are already being tested on a limited scale—to arrest and possibly reverse the trend.
Nearly One in Three D.C. Students Now in Charters (Focusdc.org, April 15, 2008)According to the official audit recently released by the State Education Office, D.C.’s 55 public charter schools this year enroll 21,866 D.C. resident students, an increase from last year of 2,204 students, or 11%. The school system, meanwhile, lost 3,190 students, or 6%. A total of 49,001 D.C. resident students now attend DCPS schools; another 2,631 students are transported to non-public schools or to public schools outside of D.C. Charter schools now enroll 31% of the students attending District public schools.
Keep Boys And Girls Together In The Classroom To Optimize Learning, Research Suggests (Sciecne Daily, April 15, 2008)Boys and girls may learn differently, but American parents should think twice before moving their children to sex-segregated schools. A new Tel Aviv University study has found that girls improve boys’ grades markedly at school.
SPECIAL ARTICLES & REPORTS
Edge Found for Chicago's Charter High SchoolsThe Rand Corporation, 2008
Asian-American Students Struggling Under NCLB, Group SaysEducation Week, 2008
Catholic School Closings a ‘Crisis’ as Pope’s Visit NearsThomas B. Fordham Institute, 2008
Fixing DC SchoolsWashington Post, 2008
For Children, a Better BeginningWashington Post, 2008
Lack of School Leadership Seen as a Global ProblemOrganization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2008
Organized Communities, Stronger SchoolsThe Annenberg Institute for School Reform, 2008
Study Highlights Changes In D.C. School EnrollmentWashington Post, 2008
DELAWARE
Mock trial team will vie for title (Delaware Online, May 8, 2008)The Charter School of Wilmington is ready to lay down the law when its students compete in this weekend's National High School Mock Trial Championship, confident they will make the First State proud.
Interim chief named for Sussex Central (Delaware Online, May 8, 2008)A former Delaware principal of the year, Robert Powell, will come out of retirement to serve as interim principal at Sussex Central High School for the remaining six weeks of this academic year, Indian River School District officials announced Wednesday.
Bill calls for year without DSTP (Delawawre Online, April 25, 2008)Legislation that would put the Delaware Student Testing Program on hold for one year -- and save the state $10 million in the process -- is pending in the state Senate. The bill would wind up costing Delaware $35 million in federal education aid, maybe more, unless the state can get a federal waiver from the No Child Left Behind law. And getting that waiver could be an uphill battle.
Business group pledges to help Chester Catholic school (Philly.com, April 25, 2008)A local business group announced plans to help boost the endowment of Chester's only Catholic school by $5 million over the next 15 months. Michael O'Neill, chairman of Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools, said yesterday that his group would help the school raise the funds. The proposal to help Drexel Neumann Academy came as O'Neill was set to join representatives of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at a White House summit today to discuss the saving of faith-based schools in inner cities.
Gardens grow students in all sorts of ways (Delawawre Online, April 24, 2008)There's probably no elementary school in the country that can boast as many children who say they love vegetables as much as the students at East Dover Elementary School. Even if they don't like to eat them, they love them. After all, they raised them from seeds.
Baltz teacher accused of slapping pupil (Delawawre Online, April 24, 2008)A teacher at Baltz Elementary School surrendered to state police Tuesday night on charges that she slapped a sixth-grader in February.
Milford school gets credit for using time effectively (Delawawre Online, April 24, 2008)While three of his classmates watched, Grant Dawson laid out fractions on a number line in order. Next, he pointed to other number lines with different fractions and showed how two different fractions could be the same. The rest of his group jumped in to try to fill the next lines.
School may be missing $100,000 (Philly.com, April 24, 2008)The Philadelphia School District's inspector general is investigating allegations of the theft of up to $100,000 in student-activity money at Germantown High School. The district is expected to pursue prosecution against one or more individuals for the missing money, which district auditors uncovered after an anonymous tip, spokeswoman Felecia Ward said.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Rhee Dismisses Principal of School That Her Children Attend (Washington Post, May 9, 2008)Oyster-Adams Principal Marta Guzman can recall the ripple of anxiety that ran through some faculty members last summer when they learned that the new D.C. schools chancellor, Michelle A. Rhee, had chosen the bilingual school for her two daughters, a kindergartner and a third-grader.
Bowling Green President Named to Top Position (Washington Post, May 8, 2008)Bowling Green State University President Sidney A. Ribeau, who during a 13-year tenure at the Ohio campus raised low morale, exceeded fundraising goals and created model learning opportunities for students, was named president of Howard University yesterday with the hope that he would do the same for one of the nation's premier historically black universities, officials said.
Prayer At School (Washington Citypaper, May 8, 2008)Ballou Senior High School’s first Prayer for Peace club concluded with students, school staff members, and local activists holding hands in a circle and making pledges to their community. The meeting was part Christian service and part self-affirming gathering at a District public school that garners attention primarily during its worst moments, like when three students were shot near the school in January.
Rhee's Need to Hurry Runs Into Parents' Fear of Change (Washington Post, May 7, 2008)The colored letters on the classroom bulletin board at Stevens Elementary spelled out "Welcome Chancellor Rhee." On this humid evening late last month, however, she was beginning to wear it out
Turmoil Racks Teachers Union (Washington Post, May 5, 2008)The Washington Teachers' Union is facing a management crisis involving infighting between the president and vice president, an intervention by its parent organization and a recall drive targeting all the officers.
UPDATE: Spelling Champ's Victory (Washington Post, May 4, 2008)Among the roughly 2,000 students who will graduate from Howard University on Saturday, one -- Ashley White -- has come a long, long way. From homelessness and teenage motherhood, she will graduate magna cum laude with a degree in television product
What does the feud atop the WTU mena for DCPS reform? (Washington Citypaper, May 3, 2008)The Washington Teachers’ Union has a bad reputation when it comes to finances. Remember Barbara Bullock? As union president, she plundered the WTU treasury for upward of $5 million to finance shopping trips to Neiman Marcus and other high-end retailers for her and her cronies—a fraud that landed her in prison after she was caught in 2002
Rhee Gains Authority Over Teacher Transfers (Washington Post, April 29, 2008)D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee has signed a controversial agreement with the president of the Washington Teachers' Union giving her the right to reassign all teachers at 23 schools slated to be closed with no guarantee that they would move to the schools where their students are to be transferred. Some parents say they are upset because the agreement counters statements Rhee made at hearings this year that teachers would transfer with students to ensure a smoother transition at the receiving schools.
When Young Teachers Go Wild on the Web (Washington Post, April 28, 2008)It's almost like Googling someone: Log on to Facebook. Join the Washington, D.C., network. Search the Web site for your favorite school system. And then watch the public profiles of 20-something teachers unfurl like gift wrap on the screen, revealing a sense of humor that can be overtly sarcastic or unintentionally unprofessional -- or both.
3 Schools Are Given $100,000 Grants (Washington Post, April 24, 2008)Three schools in the District were awarded grants of $100,000 each yesterday and lauded as "champions of quality" at a fundraising gala for a philanthropic group dedicated to improving the lives of children in the city.
Rhee Lists 6 Firms Eyed To Help Run 10 Campuses (Washington Post, April 16, 2008)D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee plans to hire up to six nonprofit educational companies to help run the city's 10 comprehensive high schools and has invited parents to meet with her tonight to discuss the details. An official from Friendship Public Charter Schools in the District, one of the organizations asked to submit a proposal, said Rhee wants contractors to take over one grade in the fall and then run entire schools beginning in 2009.
Embracing the Challenge of AP English for All Students (Washington Post, April 16, 2008)Manuel Ventura, a senior at Bell Multicultural Senior High School in the District, came to the United States from El Salvador only five years ago. He is trying to improve his English, but there are other demands on his time, such as his job cleaning buildings every day from 6 to 10 p.m.
Some Union Officials Tell Teachers To Spurn District's Buyout Offer (Washington Post, April 16, 2008)The vice president and a trustee of the Washington Teachers' Union said yesterday they are urging teachers at 50 schools slated for closure or academic overhaul to reject Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's buyout offer.
MARYLAND
Economic Downturn Hits School Budget (Washington Post, May 9, 2008)The budget for Montgomery County's public schools has doubled in 10 years, a massive investment in smaller classes, better-paid teachers and specialized programs to serve growing ranks of low-income and immigrant children.
Test Scores Suggest Success In Middle School Instruction (Washington Post, May 8, 2008)Middle schools, forever castigated as the weak link in public education, have made steady progress on Maryland's standardized test, and well over half of the students at the top campuses in the state's Washington suburbs have earned the highest rating on the exam.
To Save Money, Some Schools In Region Plan Bigger Classes (Washington Post, May 7, 2008)Fairfax County, with the region's largest school system, expects to save $11 million by inching up staffing formulas half a student per classroom teacher. Loudoun County's School Board has approved giving each teacher one additional student, for a savings of $7.3 million. Montgomery and Prince George's county schools are seeking to combine smaller classes or cut support staff and teaching specialists.
Northwood teacher named city's best (Baltimore Sun, May 7, 2008)Kristin Covaleskie hid her face behind her long brown hair as her principal, the Baltimore schools CEO and an entourage of administrators, fellow teachers and media streamed into her classroom yesterday and interrupted her lesson.
Top Teacher is Devoted 24/7 (Baltimore Sun, May 5, 2008)Along with his duties as math teacher and sports coach at Broadneck High, Clayton Culp has organized several trips with students to help rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Setting Students Up For Success (Baltimore Sun, May 5, 2008)Ronald Wooden was named the county's 2008 teacher of the year. "Teaching is what Ron was born to do," says Patricia Skebeck, executive director for elementary education for Harford schools.
Student turnout on school board post impressive (Baltimore Sun, May 5, 2008)Grownup politicians would drool over the voter turnout generated by the election for the new student member of the county school board.
State OKs overhaul plans for nine failing schools (Baltimore Sun, May 5, 2008)Maryland school officials gave their approval yesterday to plans to overhaul nine failing schools in the state. Teachers will have to reapply for their jobs at three Baltimore County and five Prince George's County schools. The three Baltimore County schools are Woodlawn High, Lansdowne Middle and Southwest Academy. In Harford County, the principal of failing Edgewood Middle School is retiring and will be replaced with someone who has gone through a national principal training program, called New Leaders for New Schools.
Proposed Budget Irks School Chief (Washington Post, May 2, 2008)Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold unveiled a proposed $1.2 billion operating budget yesterday that provoked an angry response from school officials who are trying to fund negotiated pay and benefit increases for teachers and other employees.
Police, PTA Work On Prom Safety (Baltimore Sun, May 2, 2008)Howard County police are teaming up with the county Parent Teacher Association Council to remind teens attending proms to be safe after the big events.
Canton angry about school (Baltimore Sun, May 1, 2008)Fearful for their safety and property values, Canton residents are furious over a decision by the Baltimore school system to put a new middle/high school in their neighborhood.
Pr. George's Chief Backs Proposal for Equalized Spending, Better Teacher Training (Washington Post, April 28, 2008)A new report endorsed by the Prince George's County school superintendent and other education leaders describes federal education policy as "inconsistent and shortsighted" and proposes school improvement measures that would cost $29 billion.
Schoolyard Face-Offs Blamed on Facebook Taunts (Washington Post, April 27, 2008)Twice this month, students at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda have used their fists to settle disputes that arose on Facebook. So Alan Goodwin, the principal, took the unusual step of asking parents to monitor their children's postings on the social networking site. He did this in a posting to the school's e-mail list, which is a forum as addictive to some Whitman parents as Facebook has become to their children. "I am becoming increasingly frustrated by negative incidents at school that arise from students harassing other students on Facebook," Goodwin wrote April 18.
School Deal Disappoints Montgomery (Washington Post, April 24, 2008)A key state committee has recommended allocating $46.3 million for school construction in Montgomery County next year, shy of a $55 million goal to which Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) agreed as he was courting the votes of Montgomery lawmakers during a special legislative session last fall.
Grades added to Beltsville schools (College Park Gazette, April 17, 2008)After months of public hearings and confusion over a proposed pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade plan, the Prince George’s County school board approved the plan last week. The board delayed the school reconfiguration until August 2009 to allow time to upgrade school buildings.
New Cheverly parents group aims to improve schools (College Park Gazette, April 17, 2008)Focused on making their surrounding public schools viable options for their children’s future education, a group of Cheverly parents formed a group with the dual aims of increasing community involvement and raising the enrollment at Gladys Noon Spellman Elementary School and Judith P. Hoyer Early Learning Center.
O’Malley fills county school board vacancy (College Park Gazette, April 17, 2008)Gov. Martin O’Malley appointed Harrison of Sykesville on April 9 to the school board to finish the term of Jeff Morse, who resigned March 26 after using a racial slur at a school construction site to describe a type of rock. “To me the whole issue is just respect,“ said Harrison.
City art teacher beaten by female student (Baltimore Sun, April 17, 2008)The trouble began, Jolita Berry said, when she asked a girl in one of her art classes at Reginald F. Lewis High School to sit down. The student did not obey, coming closer to confront the teacher. "She said she's gonna bang me," Berry said. "I said, 'Back up, you're in my space. If you hit me, I'm gonna defend myself.'"
Attack highlights 'chronic problem' (Baltimore Sun, April 17, 2008)Ronda Cooperstein wasn't surprised to hear of the assault on a teacher at the school where she used to work. The only difference between this one and those she saw was that it was captured on video - and drew nationwide media attention.
Montgomery Schools Probing Delayed Response to Gunshot (Washington Post, April 16, 2008)Montgomery County school officials say they are investigating why security measures were not enacted for more than 90 minutes after a student fired a pistol inside Albert Einstein High School in Kensington last week.
Real education reform or status quo swirl? (College Park Gazette, April 16, 2008)This is not real reform. It is merely a swirl of activity that gives the appearance of change, but won’t improve achievement. Among other things, this ‘‘reform” places students of varying ability in the same classes, even though decades of research have shown that students in all levels won’t improve, and high-ability students tend to learn less. That’s common sense, but common sense does not play a big part of status quo reform.
Council scolds school leaders (Baltimore Sun, April 16, 2008)Angry County Council members yesterday accused the Anne Arundel County school system of vilifying the county government for the superintendent's proposal to leave 200 teaching positions unfilled, with the council chairwoman blasting school officials for running "one hell of a PR [public relations] scam."
City schools seeking helpers (Baltimore Sun, April 16, 2008)Responding to a teacher assault that made national headlines, Baltimore schools chief Andres Alonso is launching a campaign to recruit 500 volunteers for the city schools in the next two weeks.
PENNSYLVANIA
(Education Week, May 8, 2008)Police say surveillance video from the night of a dance at North Penn High School has led them to four teenagers accused of stealing 40 laptop computers from the Lansdale school.
City to ask colleges to help boost degrees (Philadelphia Inquirer , May 8, 2008)Mayor Nutter's chief education officer is planning a major push to get the region's more than 90 colleges and universities more closely involved in helping to boost the number of city residents who earn a college degree.
Dropouts Continue, Haunting Classmates (Philadelphia Inquirer , May 5, 2008)Coming up on the middle of his first semester in a program he knew could give him the future of his dreams, Andre Patterson had a big decision to make. Since September, the West Philadelphia 18-year-old had worked diligently to shed his high school dropout status and put himself on a better path.
School district credit cards abused by executives, audit says (Philadelphia Inquirer , May 1, 2008)Top Philadelphia School District executives failed to document expenditures on credit cards, and a half dozen employees may have inflated mileage expenses, City Controller Alan Butkovitz said in an audit released yesterday. "We found no set policies or approval procedures for the use of executive credit cards," Butkovitz said at a news conference at his office in Center City.
School district credit cards abused by executives, audit says (Philadelphia Inquirer , May 1, 2008)Top Philadelphia School District executives failed to document expenditures on credit cards, and a half dozen employees may have inflated mileage expenses, City Controller Alan Butkovitz said in an audit released yesterday. "We found no set policies or approval procedures for the use of executive credit cards," Butkovitz said at a news conference at his office in Center City.
Business group pledges to help Chester Catholic school (Philly.com, April 25, 2008)A local business group announced plans to help boost the endowment of Chester's only Catholic school by $5 million over the next 15 months. Michael O'Neill, chairman of Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools, said yesterday that his group would help the school raise the funds. The proposal to help Drexel Neumann Academy came as O'Neill was set to join representatives of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at a White House summit today to discuss the saving of faith-based schools in inner cities.
Schools CEO seeks expert advice (Philly.com, April 24, 2008)Incoming Philadelphia School District CEO Arlene Ackerman has commissioned a panel of 24 local and national experts to evaluate the district and make recommendations before the next school year. The Transition Advisory Team, which began work yesterday, will evaluate the district in several areas, including teaching and learning, safety, public engagement, capacity building, resource allocation, and the outside groups managing nearly 40 of the district's 270 schools.
Youth agency decides to close (Philly.com, April 24, 2008)Philadelphia Safe and Sound, a controversial city youth agency whose funding was dramatically raised in the waning days of the Street administration only to be cut under Mayor Nutter, has decided to fold its operations. It marks a stunning end for an agency that started on a shoestring 10 years ago and watched its funding balloon to a proposed $75 million under the patronage of Mayor John F. Street. Since Street left office, however, it has come under increased criticism and scrutiny from both the Nutter administration and the state Department of Public Welfare.
School may be missing $100,000 (Philly.com, April 24, 2008)The Philadelphia School District's inspector general is investigating allegations of the theft of up to $100,000 in student-activity money at Germantown High School. The district is expected to pursue prosecution against one or more individuals for the missing money, which district auditors uncovered after an anonymous tip, spokeswoman Felecia Ward said.
VIRGINIA
Proposal Limits Progress Reports (Washington Post, May 9, 2008)At two hearings within the next four weeks, Northern Virginians will have a chance to weigh in on a state plan to revise special education rules that has already drawn thousands of written comments and raised concerns among many parents of children with disabilities.
George Mason Tuition, Fees to Rise 9.8 Percent (Washington Post, May 8, 2008)George Mason University is the latest Virginia school to announce a nearly 10 percent increase in mandatory costs for students, as schools set tuition rates for next year after state budget cuts.
To Save Money, Some Schools In Region Plan Bigger Classes (Washington Post, May 7, 2008)Fairfax County, with the region's largest school system, expects to save $11 million by inching up staffing formulas half a student per classroom teacher. Loudoun County's School Board has approved giving each teacher one additional student, for a savings of $7.3 million. Montgomery and Prince George's county schools are seeking to combine smaller classes or cut support staff and teaching specialists.
Parents Concerned About Proposed Hotel's Proximity to School (Washington Post, May 5, 2008)Parents from a Roman Catholic school in Falls Church are trying to derail a proposal to build a six-story hotel across the street, saying it would become a magnet for crime and sexual predators.
Virginia Tries to Ensure Students' Safety in Cyberspace (Washington Post, May 3, 2008)Alan Portillo didn't think much, if at all, about his online vulnerability. Then the 15-year-old heard technology teacher Wendy Maitland list three pieces of information an online predator would need to find him.
Supervisors Pass Budget, Draw Criticism From Teachers (Washington Post, April 29, 2008)In affluent Fairfax County, it's never enough. That was the lesson yesterday for the county Board of Supervisors, which approved its annual budget amid criticism -- not for raising taxes but for inadequately funding the public schools.
N.Va. Hit With Cost Of School Migration (Washington Post, April 28, 2008)Hundreds of foreign-born families have pulled their children from Prince William County public schools and enrolled them in nearby Fairfax County, Arlington County and Alexandria since the start of the school year, imposing a new financial burden on those inner suburbs in a time of lean budgets.
'She Doesn't Let A Bad Day Show' (Washington Post, April 27, 2008)Young's students and colleagues describe her as enthusiastic, energetic, passionate, motivating, well-prepared, dynamic, dedicated, inspiring and awesome -- in their opinion, the perfect pick for the 2008 Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award in Charles County. "She is perhaps one of the most fun-loving and caring teachers I have ever met," fellow teacher Meredith Stojkovic wrote in a letter nominating Young for the award. "She unfailingly greets her colleagues and students with a smile and encourages a chuckle with a joke; she doesn't let a bad day show."
'You're It!' May Again Be Heard at Va. School (Washington Post, April 24, 2008)Students at Kent Gardens Elementary School in McLean are refining their dodging skills and polishing their recess etiquette this week in preparation for a game of tag.
More Teachers Taking Hands-On History Lessons (Washington Post, April 17, 2008)Despite the No Child Left Behind law's requirement to rate schools based on reading and math test scores, many school systems are finding ways to bolster other subjects, such as the social sciences, in an effort to avoid narrowing their curriculum.
Forced to Choose Between Loves (Washington Post, April 17, 2008)Dear Extra Credit: You wondered whether people involved in public high schools had experienced forced choices between sports and other activities. Remember the marching-band issue -- the mandatory marching-band issue? I was one of the original parents of Concerned Band Parents in Fairfax County, and we corresponded with you a number of times about this topic.
A Lifetime of Undying Devotion To a Life Tragically Cut Short (Washington Post, April 17, 2008)Justin made Courtney promise never to miss a game or an event at school because of him. She had organized buffet dinners, pancake breakfasts and talent shows to raise money toward Justin's medical expenses. She had struggled to sleep for even a few hours most nights, yet often would have to get up at 4 a.m. to work out with her trainer, a habit that had helped her earn a softball scholarship to Hofstra University. Courtney didn't miss a meeting of the Student Council Association, of which she was president, and she never strayed from her role as a big sister to her schoolmates and teammates.
Hylton Teacher Is Honored for Helping Students Envision History (Washington Post, April 17, 2008)Lisa Racine, a history teacher at C.D. Hylton High School in Prince William County, does not care much for textbooks in the classroom. Instead of reading aloud from a monstrous history book, Racine instead will teach topics playing music, such as an Alan Jackson song related to the Sept. 11 attacks, or with photographs from the civil rights era that depict violent protests in Alabama.
She Makes Learning a Ride, Not a Drag (Washington Post, April 17, 2008)As a science teacher, Herr has to explain complex concepts that often are perceived as dry, but she is always looking for innovative ways to bring those ideas to life, according to those who nominated her. In 2003, Herr wrote a book on how teachers can use everyday objects to inspire learning. She also recently completed a program for science teachers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
WEST VIRGINIA
W.Va. Students Display Talent and Interest at Nation’s Only Social Studies Fair (West Virginia Dept. of Education, May 8, 2008)About 1,200 students from across West Virginia presented their research on various topics on Friday as the West Virginia Department of Education hosted the nation’s only statewide Social Studies Fair at the Charleston Civic Center.
West Virginia University dean resigns in degree scandal (SignonSandiego.com, May 7, 2008)The dean of West Virginia University's College of Business and Economics is resigning in the wake of the scandal over a master's degree awarded to the governor's daughter, the school announced Monday.
WVU Students Move Out, Trash Moves In (WBOY-TV, May 7, 2008)A wizard hat, cooking supplies and a Perfect Sleeper mattress. Just a few of the things I found in the trash and I didn't even have to dig. "The trash dumpsters are completely full," said WVU Sopohmore Robert Fontaine, "and there is stuff thrown completely on the side, in front of it, all around." As WVU students move out, the trash piles up.
WVU President Clings to Job After Faculty Vote (Washington Post, May 7, 2008)When he became president of West Virginia University last year, Michael Garrison seemed poised to use his political experience to help build the institution's national reputation.
West Virginia University dean resigns in degree scandal (The Associated Press, April 28, 2008)The dean of West Virginia University's College of Business and Economics is resigning in the wake of the scandal over a master's degree awarded to the governor's daughter, the school announced Monday. R. Stephen Sears is the second high-ranking academic officer to leave in the case, following Sunday's announcement that Provost Gerald Lang is resigning.
Old School, New Life (The State Journal -- , April 28, 2008)When West Virginia's 55 boards of education turned in their 10-year Comprehensive Educational Facility Plans to the West Virginia School Building Authority in 2000, they listed a total of 1,502,138 square feet as abandoned properties. That comes out to a little more than 26 football fields standing abandoned across the Mountain State.
