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 Do schools share too much with parents? CNN Share    
Are schools creating a new breed of helicopter parent? Some teachers want parents to monitor their children's entire education career online with grade-tracking websites or even classroom Twitter feeds. These "student management systems" are becoming commonplace—but they leave some experts wondering, how much parental e-surveillance is too much? More Advertisement
Districts hire outsider to trim special education costs Education Week Share
With special education costs on the rise, school districts around the country are scrambling to provide services for students. Some turn to private contractors like Futures Education to analyze and redesign special ed programs. In several districts, the controversial tactic has cut costs — but in others, it's ignited protests from parents, school employees and education activism groups. More  Dozens of schools lack art, music teachers in Florida Orlando Sentinel Share
Students in Frinzetta Boman's kindergarten class gleefully sing the "Good Morning" song, illustrate vocabulary words and dance as they sing their numbers. But they haven't had an art or music class all year. That's because their school, Tangelo Park Elementary in Orange County, Fla., is one of six district elementaries with no art or music teacher. Thirty-two other county elementary schools lack either an art teacher or a music teacher. Some principals point to tight budgets and the need to fund more reading and math positions. More
Common-standards supports for teachers eyed Education Week Share
Five states that have adopted the Common Core State Standards are beginning work on an initiative to create an open-source "platform" that would help teachers access, download and create resources tied to the common standards, officials from the Council of Chief State School Officers said. CCSSO and the states of New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Colorado will take the lead in helping design and pilot the platform, with financing promised by the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. More  'Play first' lunch gaining ground in one school district Contra Costa Times Share
Fewer sandwiches tossed half-eaten into garbage cans. Fewer squabbles on the playground. More calm afternoons in the classrooms. These outcomes, some Pleasanton Unified School District in California leaders say, are the results of a lunchtime recess redesign: Letting students play first and eat later. More Advertisement
Middle school teachers can take heart Houston Chronicle Share
It's a no-brainer that middle school teachers work in stressful conditions: They deal with high-stakes testing, hormonal teenagers, overbearing parents, budget shortfalls and countless other pressures. University of Houston researchers are set to spend a three-year, $1.6 million federal grant studying how that chronic stress affects the classroom. They suspect it's detrimental to educators' physical and mental health, as well as to student performance. More Nevada Senators vote to bolster anti-bullying efforts with curriculum The Associated Press via Ctpost.com Share
Nevada lawmakers are voting to give anti-bullying efforts some traction with a bill that requires the Department of Education to develop an anti-bullying curriculum to train teachers. SB276 would compel each school district to annually report the number of bullying incidents that resulted in suspensions and the type of bullying, such as cyber-bullying or intimidation. More  Education department rules on for-profit schools created with investor's help FoxNews.com (commentary) Share
A proposed regulation from the Education Department threatens to devastate for-profit career or trade schools, but one thing is even more controversial than the regulation — how it was crafted. Education Department officials were encouraged and advised about the content of the regulation by a man who stood to make millions if it were issued. More Advertisement
'Incentives' should not be used to advance national curriculum The Hill (commentary) Share
The Department of Education, through its much-ballyhooed Race to the Top program, has taken the first steps toward coercing the states to adopt a set of national education standards known as the Common Core Standards. Unfortunately, anxious to try new ways of improving unsatisfactory public schools, some "conservative" commentators have failed to grasp the coercive nature of what DOE is doing — and how it could ultimately lead to imposition of essentially a national curriculum, in violation of federal law. More  No more pencils, no more books: Technology-driven education in New Jersey schools NJ Spotlight Share
To the average adult whose middle school experience included filmstrips, mimeographs and chalk dust, the typical day for sixth-graders at Lawrence Township Intermediate School in New Jersey may seem like something out of a science fiction movie. In one class, students write and edit reports together on an Internet site that lets them collaborate from their individual netbooks. In another, they use push-button remotes to answer math questions. Their teacher immediately sees a chart of who got it right and who didn't. More
Connecticut anti-bullying law targets cyber-bullying The Associated Press via The Republican Share
Legislation expanding Connecticut's anti-bullying laws to include cruel and taunting text messages and other cyber-bullying activities cleared the state Senate. Proponents said the bill gives local school officials a legal basis to take action against a bully who harasses another student off school grounds using technology. Currently, that's considered a gray area for school administrators because cyber-bullying is not covered under state statute. More Michigan in running for third round of Race to the Top funds The Detroit News Share
Michigan will have a third shot at winning a share of federal education dollars under the latest round of the Race to the Top competitive grant program recently unveiled by the Obama administration. Unlike the first two rounds Michigan failed to win, the new $500 million grant program will focus on early childhood learning, instead of K-12 programs. More Advertisement
Judge voids Wisconsin collective bargaining law The Associated Press via Nation Public Radio Share
Wisconsin's law taking away nearly all collective bargaining rights from most public workers was struck down by a circuit court judge but the ruling will not be the final say in the union fight that brought tens of thousands of protesters to the Capitol earlier this year. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has scheduled arguments for June 6 to decide whether it will take the case and Republicans who control the Legislature could also pass the law a second time to avoid the open meeting violations that led to the judge's voiding the law. More  Support your school's arts program with a Crayola grant NAESP Share
There's just over a month left to apply for a 2011 Champion Creatively Alive Children grant, a national program funded by Crayola and supported by NAESP's National Principals Resource Center. Crayola will award up to 20 grants, which include a $2,500 monetary award and $500 worth of Crayola products. More Advertisement
Report to Parents — a member benefit that makes your job easier NAESP Share
School days may be dwindling, but there's still time to maintain strong communication with parents. Report to Parents, a newsletter you can download, reproduce and circulate, provides practical information on family-friendly topics that support your school's goals and help children thrive in school. Check out past issues today. More |
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