The October 4, 2011 issue of Straight A's, the Alliance's biweekly newsletter, is now available. This week's issue focuses on NCLB waivers, federal education funding, an Alliance report on teacher induction, and more. Individual articles from this week's issue are listed below, or you can download a .pdf of the entire newsletter here.
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Education Week took a look at who in the education world has given a lot of money to the legislative supercommittee, made up of Democrats and Republicans who are tasked with coming up with finding at least $1.2 trillion in savings over the next decade. The nation's largest teachers' union, the National Education Association, comes in 32 for biggest donors to the supercommittee members – giving $297,650 between 1989 to 2011. The American Federation of Teachers wasn't far behind at 68th on the list of top 100 donors. While hefty, these donations are tiny in comparison to other organizations, including more than $1 million in campaign contributions from the Club for Growth, a political action committee that supports candidates who favor low-taxes and slimmed down government.
The Chicago Tribune reports on Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel angering the city’s teacher’s union by offering teachers a bonus pay if they waive union contract provisions and agree to lengthen the school day at their schools. City officials and the teacher’s union have been battling over pay in relation to a longer school day for the past month.
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The New York Times reports on Fern Creek Elementary School in Florida where more than 20% of students are homeless. According to the article, “There are 2,953 homeless students attending Orange County Public Schools, up from 1,463 in 2008.”
For one North Carolina school district, the stimulus money has run out and its affecting special education, Education Week reports.
The Los Angeles Times reports on two families in Los Angeles that have chosen very different paths for their children to achieve academic success.
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In Singapore, the attrition rate of teachers is less than 3 percent annually, which is less than half the annual attrition rate for teachers in the United States. –Alliance for Excellent Education and the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE)
In raw numbers, the United States produces many more low-achieving students than any other OECD nation, including even two developing economies, Mexico and Turkey. –Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Seventy percent of all high schools offered classes or seminars to students to help explain the college application process, although about one-third did not. -College Board Advocacy & Policy Center
Read Entire PostThe number of Californians seeking to become teachers has plummeted by 45 percent over a seven year period – even as student enrollments are projected to rise by 230,000 over the next decade and as many as 100,000 teachers are expected to retire. –California Watch
The rise in the number of homeless youths is traditionally difficult to track, as it is measured largely by reports from schools, shelters, and other social service agencies. Federal officials estimate at least 110,000 youths between 12 and 24 years old live on the nation’s streets. –Boston Globe
An analysis of more than 2,000 low-performing charter and district schools from 2003-04 through 2008-09, found that 72 percent of the original low-performing charters remained in operation—and remained low-performing—five years later. So did 80 percent of district schools. -Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Govs. Bush and Wise announce the 10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning, a roadmap, a roadmap of reform for local, state and federal officials to advance digital learning. The announcements was covered in Education Week, CNN, and the National Journal. District Administration discussed teacher attrition rates and reports that 50 percent of all certified public school teachers permanently leave the teaching profession before the end of their fifth year of teaching. The New Hampshire Union Leader cites a new report finding that New Hampshire and Vermont are the only two states without a "dropout factory" school, according to a new report studying trends in dropout rates.
Read Entire PostIn an op-ed in the Providence Journal, Massachusetts secretary of education Paul Reville writes, “By adopting the Common Core, we’ve set a clearer, higher target for educational success. Now it’s time to see that all our children reach it.”
The Governor of Michigan would like lawmakers to require the school year to last more than 180 days.
The Columbus Dispatch editorial board asks “How can overall better performance go along with fewer kids graduating?”
Stateline.org takes a look at how states are grappling with a provision in the fine print of the Education Jobs Fund bill.
The New York Times profiles a teacher-led schools around the country.
Inside Higher Ed looks at why rural community colleges have done significantly better than their urban and suburban counterparts in the percentage increase of associate degrees awarded to women and minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.
The New York Times magazine asks, "When Does Holding Teachers Accountable Go Too Far?"
The Washington Post writes about how D.C. schools might be affected if Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee decides to move on.
More than half of Hawaii's public school teachers leave within five years of being hired, according to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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