EDUCATION & EQUITY NEWS    

NATIONAL

State Officials, School Groups
Worried About Education Bill
The Washington Post, October 10, 2001

State officials and some school groups signaled their concern yesterday about the course of President Bush's education reform bill, which they say has disappeared into a legislative black hole since the United States began coping with the terrorist threat.

National Education Talks Languish in Shadow of War
The New York Times, October 10, 2001

The governors of 25 states and the chief executives of three dozen Fortune 500 companies were committed to attend the fourth national education summit conference on October 10th in the Palisades, NY, but the conference could not compete with the distractions caused by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and the war in Afghanistan. Attendance was sparse, with nine governors sending regrets.

Bush Administration Gears Up
To Revamp Special Education
The Washington Post, October 5, 2001

President Bush has appointed a commission to recommend changes in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by next spring, when Congress is scheduled to rewrite the law.

Sept. 11 Attack Narrows the Racial Divide
The New York Times, October 10, 2001

Following the attacks on the World Trade Center, the way that New Yorkers perceive one another across color lines has changed.

Lynne Cheney Disputes Official's Call
for More Teaching of Multiculturalism
The New York Times, October 10, 2001

Lynne Cheney, wife of the vice president, has challenged Judith A. Rizzo, deputy chancellor for instruction in New York City schools, on what should be taught in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, though Dr. Rizzo said her original remarks were misinterpreted.

Opinion: Debating Multiculturalism in the Classroom
The Washington Post, October 9, 2001

The author considers issues of multiculturalism and nationalism as subjects in the classroom.

Changing Times
Education Week, October 3, 2001

Despite its popularity, block scheduling's effect on learning remains unproven.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Students of Closed School May Be Truants
The Washington Times, October 9, 2001

Many students from the New Vistas Preparatory Public Charter School -- a D.C. school whose charter was revoked last month by the Board of Education -- have not yet enrolled in other schools, and the school system's efforts to track them down have been unsuccessful, according to sources familiar with the charter school.

MARYLAND

Revamping Secondary Education
The Baltimore Sun, October 9, 2001

The Baltimore public school system plans to restructure high school education by starting new schools and remaking existing ones, with the goal of creating smaller schools and giving students more choices. (See also: Baltimore to Downsize High Schools, The Washington Times, October 9, 2001.)

Worries Litter Walk to School - Few Sidewalks, Busy Streets Among Parents' Concerns in Prince George's
The Washington Post, October 7, 2001

In Prince George's County, concerns about walks to school have been heightened by school officials' decision this year to eliminate 4,471 bus stops. The move surprised many parents and prompted them to lobby for reinstating the buses.

Assessing Certification
The Baltimore Sun, October 10, 2001

The Abell Foundation has come up with a radical suggestion for improving the quality of teaching in Maryland: essentially eliminate teacher certification - or, more precisely, drop the college coursework required for licensing.

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia Teaching Plan to Offer More Structure
The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 8, 2001

In an effort to boost lagging test scores and address concerns in a long-standing desegregation lawsuit, Philadelphia school officials are unveiling a new plan that they say better specifies what should be taught in the classroom and when it should be taught.

(See also: Schools Set to Reveal Curriculum, Philadelphia Daily News, October 9, 2001.)

In a Financial Analysis,
Philadelphia Schools Fare Poorly
The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 5, 2001

At a cost of $2.5 million, the Pennsylvania Department of Education hired the giant financial analyst Standard & Poor to answer the question of which school districts produce the highest student achievement for the tax money they spend -- and other questions -- about the state's 501 school systems. After nearly two years of data-crunching, comprehensive reports on each of them went online October 3, 2001.

VIRGINIA

Most Colleges Let C Students
Pursue Degrees for Teaching
The Washington Times, October 10, 2001

More than 80 percent of Virginia colleges that prepare teachers require less than a B-minus average to enter undergraduate education programs.

SPECIAL ARTICLES & REPORTS

Children in the States - 2001
Children's Defense Fund, 2001

Gender Equity Expert Panel - Exemplary &
Promising Gender Equity Programs 2000 (pdf file)
U.S. Department of Education, September 24, 2001

School's Out -- Get Ready for the
New Age of Individualized Education
Reason Online, October 2001

Standard & Poor's Analysis of
Pennsylvania School Districts
Standard & Poor, October 3, 2001

Teacher Lesson Plan: The Object Is
Objectivity -- Investigating World Reaction
to the U.S. Strike Against the Taliban
New York Times Learning Network, October 9, 2001

Technology in Secondary Teacher Education
T.H.E. Journal, September 2001

Who Speaks for America's Children?
The Urban Institute, 2001

WEBSITES & LINKS

The Abell Foundation
(www.abell.org )

A foundation whose mission is to effect positive change on societal problems in the Baltimore area, with a strong focus on programs promoting educational reform, job creation and tourism; strengthening families; reducing drug addiction; and alleviating hunger and homelessness. The Foundation makes grants exclusively to organizations located in the state of Maryland.

The Urban Institute
(www.urban.org)

A nonprofit policy research organization established in Washington, D.C. in 1968 whose goals are to "sharpen thinking about society's problems and efforts to solve them, improve government decisions and their implementation, and increase citizens' awareness about important public choices."

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