» 2009 » NovemberPresident Obama’s $4.35 billion in Race to the Top funds already have states scrambling to reform education in order to receive grants. Why does it take the lure of money for states to do the right thing? It’s no secret that charter schools are effective. Yet some states don’t allow them and many states have not raised [...] Texas State Education Commissioner Robert Scott announced plans for expanding high-performing charter schools throughout the state. With 215 charters, Texas has reached the maximum number allowed by the State Board of Education. Scott intends to change the cap. Expect more states to follow suit as the federal government prepares to dangle the stimulus money carrot in front [...] Not only do charter schools help their own students, but they also help students at traditional public schools finds Marcus Winters, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Exposing traditional public schools to charter competition puts pressure on them to improve or risk losing students. Charter competition especially benefits low-income minorities: One of the most encouraging findings by [...] In a recent column for the New York Times, Nicholas D. Kristof argues that education tools are more likely to bring stability to Afghanistan than military tools. His opinion jells with that of Harvard economics professor Edward L. Glaeser, who explains how education leads to democracy: The ability of education to predict the durability of democracy is [...] Harvard economics professor Edward L. Glaeser provides data that suggest a correlation between the education level of citizens and the earnings of the nation they reside in. He credits the economic success of the U.S. with its heavy investment in education a century ago. If the current education level in the U.S. is a predictor of our nation’s future [...] Susan Engel, director of the teaching program at Williams College, suggests that education school programs train teachers the same way that medical school programs train surgeons. A change is definitely needed. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently described most education school programs as “mediocre.” In a four-year study, Arthur Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and [...] Mass Resistance, an organization that promotes conservative family values, reports that President Obama’s Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jennings was solicited by “gay erotica” publisher Alyson Publications to write a book promoting homosexuality in schools. Jennings obliged and penned Becoming Visible. What is now clearly “becoming visible” is that Obama has appointed a former drug user and [...] It’s looking like the Wisconsin Legislature will soon reform teacher salaries. It’s long overdue. For nearly a century, teacher salaries have been based on years of service and advanced degrees, neither of which correlates with teacher quality. Performance is what counts, so performance is what should be rewarded. Giving higher salaries to teachers who improve student performance is [...] Public schools in Pittsburgh—like most U.S. public schools—are failing to prepare students to compete in the increasingly global economy. One-third of high school graduates from the Pittsburgh region lack proficiency in basic reading and math skills. Harold D. Miller, adjunct professor of public policy and management at Carnegie Mellon University, writes: We wouldn’t expect a business to thrive if one-third [...] To avoid teacher layoffs, Hawaii has just cut 17 days from the school year making it the state with the shortest school year in the U.S. with just 163 days. The school week in Hawaii will be four days instead of five for at least the next two years. The U.S. school year is 180 days on [...] |
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