Afternoon Announcements: February 2, 2012

We hope that you were too busy enjoying the Digital Learning Day live stream to notice the break from Afternoon Announcements yesterday. But if you've been anxiously awaiting getting caught up on all the critical education news here is a double dose just for you. You're welcome.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Public Schools' is lifting a ban on YouTube. As an efforts to expand digital learning in the classroom, CPS is allowing students and faculty limited access to the video content sharing website in hopes that it will better engage students in the learning process. Teachers will also be able to jump onto YouTube and find other teaching tools on that website and others to create playlists.

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Afternoon Announcements: January 20, 2012

Before you head out for a permanent lunch that leads straight into your weekend, take in some of the latest information in the world of education.

The Washington Post reports that the waiver application for No Child Left Behind is now available for review. The District’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education has posted a draft of its application for relief from the federal No Child Left Behind law and comments are encouraged.

Yesterday, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, amid strong efforts for a recall election, unveiled an education reform package that would rate schools. According to the Wisconsin State-Journal, the new initiative would connect teacher evaluations to student test scores and require all kindergartners to take a reading test funded by the state. The new reform package would take in effect next school year.

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Afternoon Announcements: January 12, 2012

Don't fret, you're almost there. One more pit stop on the road to an extended weekend. In the meantime, enjoy the latest in education news.

 

The Huffington Post reports that parents in Middletown, Connecticut  are protesting the use of what they're calling "scream rooms" by Farm Hill Elementary School as a way of disciplining misbehaving students. The rooms have essentially been used as a “time-out” space for students who have become unruly or disruptive.

 

District of Columbia Public Schools is set to receive $21 million to cover cost overruns after the District Chief Financial Officer revised the revenue forecast to include an additional $42.2 million. But the Washington Post reports that the city’s charter schools are objecting to Mayor Vincent C. Gray asking the D.C. Council to appropriate half of it to the city’s 123-school system and are looking to stake a claim for some of the revenue.

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Afternoon Announcements: January 10, 2012

The Alliance wishes you a productive (and quick) Tuesday. As you speed through the afternoon take in the latest in education news.

The state of New York has yet to comply with the goals it set when applying for financial assistance through the federal Race to the Top program. According to the New York Times, the state is one of three on the federal government’s watch list and therefore may be in jeopardy of losing federal aid.

The Los Angeles Times reports that federal reforms to address quality and accountability concerns are forcing more than 130 Head Start agencies to compete for funding. The report analyzes potential risks for the agencies.

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Afternoon Announcements: January 9, 2012

It's the beginning of another work week, so between anxiously awaiting another weekend and praying for a snow day, take in the latest in education news.

Parents in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross, Georgia are fuming over the response of the Gwinnett County school district after they complained that a math worksheet sent home to elementary school students contained inappropriate references to slavery. According to the Atlantic Journal-Constitution, school officials assured parents that the principal at Beaver Ridge Elementary School, where most of the students are minorities, would work with teachers to develop more appropriate lessons. Parents, however, felt the response was not enough and are demanding an apology and diversity training for the teachers and staff. The worksheet contained questions such as: “Each tree had 56 oranges. If 8 slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?” and “If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in 1 week?”

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Afternoon Announcements: January 4, 2012

It's the middle of the week so pat yourself on the back for your endurance thus far and enjoy the latest in educational news.

In Boston, parents of special needs children have filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the Boston public school system has frequently delayed evaluations and placements of preschool children in need of special education. The Boston Globe reports that the lawsuits asserts that delays have left some special-needs children without services for months which has caused regression in developmental progress.

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Afternoon Annoucements: December 2, 2011

Happy Friday!  If you haven’t headed to happy hour already, kick back and enjoy as we ease you into the weekend with today’s education news.

The editorial board at the Washington Post applauds Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s call to tackle the spiraling cost of college education by actually addressing the cost side of the equation as opposed to government solely focusing efforts on increasing federal aid and reducing interest costs on loans. Although acknowledging Secretary Duncan’s initiatives will not be a complete resolution to the enormous problem, the Washington Post calls it a “welcome dose of straight talk.”

 

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Afternoon Announcements: December 1, 2011

Happy Not-Quite-Friday-But-Close, also known as Thursday! Hopefully a tardy arrival of afternoon announcements won’t adversely affect our grade and will satisfy your appetite for educational news. Enjoy!

A’s are a good thing, especially when it comes to grading. While the STEM initiative may be receiving good grades, many experts argue it could use an A, for Arts that is. Education Week reports that momentum is growing for the STEM to STEAM initiative, aimed at adding arts to the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics acronym commonly used in education policy dialogue. They argue that integrating the arts with STEM education enhances student learning and draws attention to the often-ignored value of arts education. Of course, it would not be a debate without those who disagree. Education Week talks with both science and arts experts as the move from STEM builds STEAM.

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Will Congress Finish Its Work on NCLB Rewrite?

In the video to the right, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia examines whether Congress will be able to finish its work on a rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

Wise notes that the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee has passed the bill, but it still must go to the Senate floor and be conferenced with legislation from the House of Representatives before it can go to the president for his signature. He notes that some observers believe that the president's plan to grant states some flexibility from certain NCLB requirements may speed up congressional action.

"That's the real issue for this Congress. Does it want to delay further acting on ESEA but in so doing permit states to head off on their own and the executive branch to be the largely determining what education reform and education policy look like," Wise says.

The odds that Congress finishes its work might be long, but, as Wise points out, so were the odds that the East Coast would have its first major snowstorm before Halloween.

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Senate Committee Resumes Markup to Overhaul No Child Left Behind

On October 20 at 8:00 am, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee resumed its markup to consider legislation to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind. Watch the markup live. Individuals live-tweeting the markup including @PoliticsK12 and @edfunding.

11:40 AM THURSDAY UPDATE: Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has issued a formal objection to the markup because the rules of the Senate forbid a Senate committee (other than the Appropriations and Budget Committees) from meeting after the first two hours that the Senate starts its session unless it gets consent from the full Senate. The Senate met today at 9:30 am and Paul made his objection at 11:30 am. As a result, Chairman Harkin has had to adjourn the markup until 8:00 am Thursday morning. Education Week's Politics K-12 blog has more details on Paul's objection.

More information on the markup, including opening statements by HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), the top Republican on the committee, is available below the jump.

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