Morning Announcements April 5, 2012

Don’t worry you’re almost there. Enjoy today because it will soon be over. In the meantime , here are the latest education headlines.

This election cycle, voters want to hear more about education, which is according to College Board, who released a new survey. As Education Week report, the survey conducted by the organization that brings you the ACT an SAT indicates that, specifically in critical swing-states, education reform is a top-tier issue.

Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: January 26, 2012

Don't fret. It is Thursday and the incentive to Thursday is... it's almost Friday. But since we're not quite there take a break from the huslte and bustle and get up-to-date in the world of education and educational reform.

The Alliance for Excellent Education is highlighted in the New York Times as they pinpoint President Obama’s call during the State of the Union address for every state to require students to stay in school until they turn 18. This would be the federal government’s first direct involvement in an issue that many state and local governments have been reluctant to address. Alliance President Bob Wise in the article mentions that the policy is a tough sell but would ultimately benefit the economies of all states that comply.

In other news, underperforming schools are the topic of the day and around the country proposed measures to address these institutions are creating a lot of controversy. In Washington D.C, a new study commissioned by Mayor Vincent C. Gray recommends that the city increase the number of high-performing charter schools. But according to the Washington Post, this would result in the turn around or closure of more than three dozen traditional public schools in D.C.’s poorest neighborhoods.

Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements--November 18, 2011

Here are today's afternoon announcements courtesy of Bill DeBaun, the Alliance's policy intern.

Good afternoon and happy Friday! It's a pretty quiet day in the world of education news, which means you can consume these tasty tidbits and then get on with your weekend!

The Indianapolis Star reports that some district officials are nervous about the Indiana State Board of Education taking over more public schools who fail to improve under the state's accountability system. Earlier this year, the state took over five public schools, but new rules proposed by the board would expand the number of schools subject to takeover to over 100. Under the current accountability system, schools whose state test scores earn them an F grade for six consecutive years are subject to state takeover or other reforms. "When I know the rules, I can play the game," Superintendent Jeff Butts of Wayne Township said. "I'm not as good when someone changes the rules in the middle of the game."

A recent poll by the University of Southern California-Dornsife and the Los Angeles Times reveals that 52% of respondents had a favorable impression of charter schools. Only 12% of respondents had an unfavorable view. 48% of respondents said that they thought charter schools provide a better education than traditional public schools. Meanwhile, only 24% said traditional public schools provide a better education. While these results might seem like a coup for charter school advocates, the results also revealed that respondents favored increasing funding for traditional schools over charter schools by a 64-21% margin. Respondents were also disinclined to hand control over low-performing schools to outside operators.

 

Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: July 5, 2011

Today, the Boston Globe reports that more than half of the teachers pushed out of seven underperforming schools in Boston last year now work at other low-achieving schools across the city that are also under pressure to improve.

Tennessee schools eye waiver for No Child Left Behind, according to the Commercial Appeal in Memphis.

Yesterday, the New York Times reported that the National Education Association affirmed for the first time that evidence of student learning must be considered in the evaluations of schoolteachers around the country.

Read Entire Post