First Bell 1-24-13

yes Pamela Tatz / January 24, 2013

A first look at today's most important education news:

In a recent survey of education insiders, Whiteboard Advisors found that nearly two-thirds of their respondents were skeptical that the Education Department would make solid gains in teacher-preparation regulations this year. (Teacher Beat)

Colorado literacy teacher Jessica Cuthbertson urges her colleagues to see the potential in the Common Core to enhance English–language arts instruction. (EdNews Colorado)

According to the ACLU, more than 20,000 English-learners in 251 Californian districts are not receiving English-language instruction, as required under state and federal law. One of the districts named was Los Angeles Unified, which serves roughly 670,000 English-learners. (Learning the Language)

The Wall Street Journal profiles the evolution of tutoring, from primarily serving kids who can’t keep up to being used to rocket the brightest kids into superior college-admissions test scores.

D.C. Council members warn that the District’s traditional public school system will shrink significantly unless it can stem the outward flow of students. (Washington Post)

» Continued

First Bell 1-24-13

First Bell: 1-23-13

yes Pamela Tatz / January 23, 2013

A first look at today's most important education news:

American religious schools facing hard times welcome a surge in foreign-student enrollment. (Wall Street Journal)

Education Week finds that teacher colleges are overproducing elementary teachers.

On Tuesday, New York Roman Catholic Archdiocese officially announced that it would close twenty-two elementary schools and two high schools, as it cannot afford to support schools that are not economically self-sufficient. (New York Times)

New Jersey school administrators’ early reactions to the new test-score-based teacher-evaluation pilot program are generally positive. (Hechinger Report)

Just 42 percent of Missouri district officials are confident that the state will meet the technology requirements of the Common Core by 2014-15. (Digital Education)

In below-freezing daytime temperatures, the NYC bus strike continues into its second week, forcing over 100,000 kids to find other means of travel to school. The New York Times supports the city’s refusal to give in to the bus union. (New York Post and New York Times)

» Continued

First Bell: 1-23-13

First Bell 1-22-13

yes Pamela Tatz / January 22, 2013

A first look at today's most important education news:

In his inaugural address yesterday, President Barack Obama expressed plans to train more STEM teachers and improve school safety. (Politics K–12 and Answer Sheet)

According to newly released federal data, the U.S. high school graduation rate hit a 35-year high in 2010 at 78.2 percent. (Wall Street Journal and Washington Post)

The Netherlands Wikiwijs program, launched five years ago by the Dutch government, is a platform for teachers to access online education resources and share best practices. (Huffington Post)

On Friday, a federal appeals court upheld Wisconsin’s restrictions on public-sector unions’ collective-bargaining rights. (Wall Street Journal and School Law)

After its failure to build a new teacher-evaluation system cost NYC hundreds of millions in state dollars, a state education official has threatened to deny the city more than $1 billion more. (National Public Radio and New York Times)

Empower DC, a community organization, aims to sue Chancellor Henderson over D.C. school closures that “disproportionately affect black students.” (Washington Post)

» Continued

First Bell 1-22-13

First Bell 1-18-13

yes Pamela Tatz / January 18, 2013

A first look at today's most important education news:

January 17, the deadline that Gov. Cuomo set for NY’s teacher union and Mayor Bloomberg to reach a deal on teacher evaluations, came and went. There is no deal but plenty of finger pointing; the city stands to lose $450 million. (Wall Street Journal, Teacher Beat, GothamSchools, and New York Times)

Districts already struggling with constricted budgets are approaching school security in different ways. (Wall Street Journal)

MOOCs offer researchers a decent vehicle by which to study the effectiveness of instruction strategies. (New York Times)

Student achievement will make up 50 percent of CPS principals’ evaluations. (Chicago Tribune)

A new study finds that interventions by mentors, even late in the game, can push a high school student to make the leap to college. (Inside School Research)

» Continued

First Bell 1-18-13