Alliance President Heads “Down Under” to Study Australian Uses of Digital Learning

Alliance President Bob Wise landed in Sydney, Australia yesterday for a week-long trip where he will visit several schools investing in digital learning for its students.

Today, Wise, former governor of West Virginia, went on his first visit to the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta. He toured the elementary and high school where Greg Whitby, Executive Director of Schools for the Diocese of Parramatta, introduced some of the innovative ways their institutions were approaching teaching and learning challenges in the 21st Century.

Above is Wise interacting with a student in the primary school.

Make sure to check back for more updates on Wise's trip to Australia and follow him on Twitter @all4ed_BW.

 

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Report Round-Up: August 26, 2011

Here is a round-up of this week’s education-related reports!

 

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Morning Announcements: August 26, 2011

Happy Friday everyone! Here are your morning announcements.

The Chicago Teachers Union has rejected the 2 percent pay raise offered for elementary school teachers in exchange for working longer school days. Chicago Public Schools officials announced this week they intend to extend the school day by 90 minutes and the school year by 2 weeks, and the teachers union is negotiating to get educators more money for more time on the job. "We fully support a better, smarter school day for our children, but teachers are now being asked to work 29 percent longer for only a 2 percent pay increase," union President Karen Lewis said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "To that we say, 'Thanks but no thanks.'"

A new study called “Reaching the Goal,” aimed to evaluate if instructors of entry-level college courses believe the Common Core State Standards – adopted  by all but five states -- are a good reflection of skills students need to be prepared to take their classes post-high school. Education Week reports the study found these teachers indeed do believe the Common Core standards in mathematics and English/language arts are accurate representations of what students need to be successful in beginning college coursework.

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Morning Announcements: August 25, 2011

Here are your Thursday morning announcements!

A judge ruled yesterday that the New York State Board of Regents erred in its interpretation of a new law on teacher evaluations. The state teachers’ union sued the board in June arguing that the Regents made last minute changes that increased the role of student test scores in teacher evaluations beyond what a 2010 law permitted. Justice Michael C. Lynch of State Supreme Court in Albany sided with the union, but the board plans to appeal, according to the New York Times.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan held his first-ever Twitter Town Hall yesterday, answering questions submitted by people via the social-networking site. Duncan discussed waivers to No Child Left Behind, how much testing is too much, and the country’s dropout rate. Check out Education Week’s summary of the key highlights from the Q&A session.

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Stats that Stick: August 24, 2011

Students in rural America who are of color: 28 percent

Education Week reported on the increasing population and diversity of rural schools in the United States. Rural school enrollment is growing -- between 2004 and 2009, rural schools grew 11 percent, from 10.5 million students to 11.7 million. In that same time, growth was fastest among students of color – this number went up 31 percent. Education Week also reported the highest-poverty schools are even more diverse. Roughly 59 percent of children in the top 10 percent of districts in poverty are students of color.

Money Americans spend on back-to-school shopping: $7 billion

As the school year starts around the country, the New York Times reported on census data that showed American spend billions of dollars while preparing their children to go back to school. Other interesting statistics from the census included: 55 million students will be enrolled in pre-kindergarten through high school this fall, 11 percent of them will be in private schools, and minority groups made up 43 percent of pre-kindergarten through high school students in October 2009.

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Afternoon Announcements: August 24, 2011

The nation’s third largest school district has announced plans to increase the length of time its kids spend in school. Chicago Public Schools officials announced yesterday the school day will be 90 minutes longer and the school year will extend by two weeks. Earlier in the summer, Gov. Pat Quinn signed a law giving Chicago Public Schools the power lengthen its school day and year, according to the Associated Press. Roughly 405,000 students attend Chicago schools. The Chicago Tribune reported this afternoon that schools CEO Jean Claude Brizard offered the Chicago Teachers Union a counter-proposal of a 2 percent raise for elementary teachers should the union agree to longer school days in kindergarten through eighth grade.

As rural school populations continue to grow, the success of students in these areas become more important to the nation’s education goals, Education Week reports. Between 2004 and 2009, rural schools grew by 11 percent, from 10.5 million students to 11.7 million. The student populations in rural areas are also becoming more diverse. Today, students of color constitute 28 percent of rural students.

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Alliance Staff Trip to Harpers Ferry

The staff here at the Alliance traveled to West Virginia for a fun day in the sun last Friday. Equipped with helmets, life vests, and paddles, we enjoyed an adventurous white water rafting trip along Harpers Ferry. The refreshing activity prepared us to get back to DC to work on important education issues with renewed vigor. Check out the photo from the trip below! Read Entire Post

Morning Announcements: August 23, 2011

Many Missouri teachers are not happy with the state’s new law banning them from Facebook “friending” their students. And now they’re suing over it. Forbes Magazine reports the Missouri State Teachers Association filed suit, claiming the law is unconstitutionally overbroad and seeking an injunction against the law that is set to go into effect on August 28.

Philadelphia’s embattled schools superintendent Arlene Ackerman is being bought out of her multiyear contract with a combination of public and private funds for the amount of $900,000 in severance. The Associated Press reported Ackerman had a “tumultuous  tenure that included increased test scores and graduation rates but also clashes with community members, the teachers union, and elected leaders.” “This decision, as difficult as it was for Dr. Ackerman, is consistent with her history, as well as recognition that for the district to best move forward, it must do so with new leadership,’’ said Robert Archie Jr., chairman of the city-state commission that oversees the schools.

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Afternoon Announcements: August 22, 2011

Here are today's and this past weekend’s headlines in education news!

The Washington Times reports further on the PDK International/Gallup poll on Americans’ views and attitudes toward public education. More specifically the newspaper noted American’s general support for digital learning. Bob Wise, president of the Alliance and former governor of West Virginia, calls for an increased focused on “blended learning” – pairing innovative technology and high-quality teachers. “The public understands and is willing to move forward on blended learning. It’s not either/or. High-tech requires high-teach,” Wise said. “You’ve got to have good teaching in order for the technology to be effective.”

Fifty-one percent of jobs in the American South require “middle-skills” – such as medical technicians or computers support workers – and the region has a shortage of people able to fill the positions. According to the Associated Press, the National Skills Coalition presented these figures during the Southern Governors Association meeting in Asheville. While over half of the jobs in the South require middle-skills, highly skilled jobs make up 29 percent of the market and low-skill jobs make up 20 percent. The South is finding it difficult to fill these positions even when four-year graduates face difficulty finding a job and paying off their student loans.

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Digital Learning Now! Highlights Element #4: Advancement

Alliance President Bob Wise and Open Education Solutions CEO Tom Vander Ark continue Digital Learning Now!'s (DLN) video series outlining the "10 Elements of High-Quality Digital Learning." Today's video focuses on Element #4: "Advancement," which says states should requires matriculation based on demonstrated competency. Read Entire Post