Spending Money on Children: How to Finance Your Digital Conversion

It's Thursday and it's time to talk digital learning! The following blog post comes from Scott Smith, one of the Project 24 Team of Experts and Chief Technology Officer at Mooresville Graded School District.

However, one of my favorite responses was to a naysayer who asked, "why are you spending all this money on technology?" from one of our school board members. He replied: "We are not spending money on technology, we are spending money on children!"  

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Morning Announcements: May 10, 2012

It's Thursday! Hopefully a stress-free, smooth transition to Friday then ultimately an enjoyable weekend. Here are your top education headlines.

From the New York Times, in an effort to expand the introduction of Common Core State Standards into the city's public schools, officials are asking science and social studies teachers to introduce more reading and writing into students' classwork. This school year, English and math teachers have already begun to adapt their lessons to the new requirements.

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Morning Announcements: May 7, 2012

Happy Monday, or at least pretend it is. It's also test time for thousands of students around the country. Space yourself, relax and don't cram! Don't end up like this guy here.

Here are some headlines to kick off your week!

The Associated Press reports that in the next two weeks, 2 million students will take 3.7 million end-of-year AP exams – figures well over double those from a decade ago. Last year, 18 percent of U.S. high school graduates passed at least one AP exam (by scoring 3 or higher on a scale of 1 to 5), up from 11 percent a decade ago. The increase in test takers underscores an rise in expectations for high performing students.

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Afternoon Announcements: April 12, 2012

From Reuters: in the American drive to boost science and math education, it's science that has all the kid-friendly sizzle: Robots and roller coasters, foaming chemical reactions, marshmallow air cannons. Math has... well, numbers.

From Education Week: a new GAO report argues that the U.S. Department of Education needs to do a better job of making sure that the performance of contractors hired through the School Improvement Grant program is reviewed. And according to the report released by the Government Accountability Office (Congress' investigative arm) the Education Department must also improve on making sure states have the information they need to make grant renewal decisions.

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Morning Announcements April 2, 2012

Welcome to a new work week, hopefully you’ve made it back to the office safely and happily after an abundance of April Fools embarrassments. If you’re the culprit of the pranks and still trying to hideout from angry coworkers, find a corner and catch up on the latest education headlines below.

Older generations of Americans remember this school-day staple: the bookmobile. During recess or just when it was available, students could seek refuge and escape reality by delving into the action of a good book provided by this library on wheels. But as National Public Radio reports, due to advances in technology, those rolling reading rooms are becoming scarce. The bookmobile in one New England town just broke down, and residents are wondering if it's time to shelve it in the history section. NPR explores whether this may be the final chapter for the elementary pastime.

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Morning Announcements: March 29, 2012

Greetings,

Here are the latest headlines in education news to breeze you through your Thursday. Enjoy.

Folks all across the country have been getting spoiled with a mild winter filled with unseasonably warm days. Thanks to the early seasonal change, many students will receive an extra gift of an early summer break. According to USA Today,  at least nine of the snowiest U.S. cities had less than 60% of their average snowfall this year, so many schools will cut the year short.

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Morning Announcements: March 28, 2012

Wednesday is here and as usual we provide you with a mid-week boost with some riveting educational news. Enjoy!

American University Radio sheds light on the impact dropping out of high school causes for many youth as they struggle economically. The Alliance has already offered data on the disparities between high school graduates and dropout in terms of lifetime income and salaries. American University introduces to you to students who are attempting to get the lives back on track through dropout recovery schools.

American University Radio also delves into the connection, and sometimes disconnect, between school and home. Reporters travel with a truancy counselor in the Washington D.C metropolitan area as he reaches out to parents and their children at the homes to instill the importance for attending school.

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Morning Announcements: March 19, 2012

Happy Monday! We already know that’s oxymoronic but let’s pretend nonetheless. Ok? Here are your top stories in the education world today.

The Associated Press highlights a report from us here at the Alliance for Excellent Education in conjunction with Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University, and America's Promise which shows the U.S. graduation rate is showing moderate improvements. The U.S. saw a 3.5 percent increase in graduation rate with New York and Tennessee boasting double digit improvements. Read Entire Post

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: December 6, 2011

The weather outside may be frightful, but the delightful staff here at The Alliance for Excellent Education hopes to keep you warm and informed with the latest in education news.

A long-lasting initiative of educational reform has been to reduce classroom size but CNN addresses the importance and relevance of the debate as classroom sizes continue to swell. According to the New York Times, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg joins the discussion by suggesting the focus on classroom size is unnecessary and silly compared to the numerous other obstacles education reform faces. Read Entire Post