First Bell 6-18-13

yes Pamela Tatz / June 18, 2013

A first look at the most important education news from this weekend and today:

A groundbreaking new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality, first of its kind and years in the making, delivers a scathing review of colleges’ teacher-education programs and their admission standards, giving just four programs top marks and placing 160 on a “consumer alert” list. (Miami Herald, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, and Education Week)

New York City’s graduation rate dipped very slightly—which Mayor Bloomberg hailed as a win, given that the class of 2012 was the first cohort to enter high school with tougher diploma requirements. (New York Times, SchoolBook, and Wall Street Journal)

The New York Times profiles William Sanford Nye—a.k.a. Bill Nye the Science Guy—and his recent efforts to defend scientific evidence on issues that have been polemicized, such as climate change and the age of the earth.

On Monday, a New Hampshire judge ruled that the state’s tuition tax-credit

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First Bell 6-18-13

First Bell 6-17-13

yes Pamela Tatz / June 17, 2013

A first look at the most important education news from this weekend and today:

Under a budget that the New York Times dubbed “draconian,” Philadelphia’s public schools have pink-slipped 19 percent of their school-based work force—including all 127 assistant principals and more than 1,200 aides—leaving principals worried about who will “answer phones, keep order on the playground, coach sports, check out library books, or send transcripts for seniors applying to college.” (Education Gadfly Weekly and New York Times)

Newark’s schools superintendent calls for a new common application, meant to close the divide between the city’s charter and traditional public schools. (Charters & Choice)

Based on student test data released last week, 8 percent of the 10,544 New York City teachers were rated “highly effective,” 76 percent were rated “effective,” and 10 percent were rated “developing”; test data will only count for 20 percent of teachers’ overall performance ratings.

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First Bell 6-17-13

First Bell 6-14-13

yes Pamela Tatz / June 14, 2013

A first look at the most important education news from this weekend and today:

An expansion of pre-K will likely mean an expansion of private pre-K providers. (New York Times)

The Montgomery County Board of Education has proposed a policy change that would make it more difficult for parents to transfer their kids to out-of-district high schools. (Washington Post)

A study questions whether or not school districts utilize technology investments effectively. (New York Times)

Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson has proposed combining district and charter admissions, aiming to quell criticisms that charters “skim” the good students, leading to higher test scores. (Wall Street Journal)

Goldman Sachs and a private-equity investor are lending money to a Utah preschool program for disadvantaged students by way of a novel “ social-impact bond”—which means he will only get paid back if the kids who are most behind end up doing well in elementary school. (Wall Street Journal)

A study questions whether or not school districts utilize technology investments effectively. (New York Times)

Peter Meyer emphasizes the

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First Bell 6-14-13

First Bell 6-13-13

yes Pamela Tatz / June 13, 2013

A first look at the most important education news from this weekend and today:

In what Politics K–12 dubbed a “predictable party-line vote,” the Senate Education Committee sanctioned Senator Harkin’s NCLB-reauthorization proposal; both Senator Harkin and Senator Alexander want to see the bill reach the floor of the Senate. In the meantime, House Republicans have filed their own bill. (Politics K–12 and Washington Post)

After a swell in the number of Americans graduating from college, the share of the nation’s population with college degrees has hit an all-time high. (New York Times)

Eva Moskowitz argues that suspensions are sometimes necessary in order to build a positive, safe school environment. (New York Post)

Anthony Weiner, former U.S. Representative and current NYC mayoral candidate, indicated support for a form of merit pay for teachers. (Wall Street Journal)

Now that NYC finally has a new teacher-evaluation system, administrators and teachers have three months to figure out implementation. (Education Week)

Following the passage of a new law allowing

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First Bell 6-13-13