Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Proposed FY 2012 Education Budget

Posted on September 30, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

Last Wednesday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved by a 16-14 vote a bill that keeps education stagnant in the next fiscal year. Unsurprisingly, the 16-14 vote fell along party lines, with Democrats being in favor and Republicans opposed. The bill aims to reverse some of the cuts made to K-12 education in the current fiscal Read more about Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Proposed FY 2012 Education Budget[…]

The Minority Teacher Shortage: Fact or Fable?

Posted on September 28, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

Earlier this month, Richard M. Ingersoll and Henry May published a study through the Consortium for Policy Research in Education that addressed the long-held belief that the country is suffering from a lack of diversity in the teaching profession. They synthesized their findings in a recent article for Phi Delta Kappan. As an introduction, they Read more about The Minority Teacher Shortage: Fact or Fable?[…]

New Study Finds Surprising Trends in Teacher Effectiveness

Posted on September 27, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

A new study published in the current issue of Educational Researcher began with a simple question: Is the well-documented phenomenon of teacher effectiveness increasing substantially over the first two years of teaching due to skill improvement over time, or because weaker teachers choose to leave—making the overall teaching pool look better? Using a value-added model, Read more about New Study Finds Surprising Trends in Teacher Effectiveness[…]

Race to the Top Winners Feel Heat on Teacher Evaluations

Posted on September 26, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

The time of reckoning has arrived: winners of the Race to the Top competition have entered the season where they must make good on their promises to link teacher evaluation with student performance. This process is not easy, given the volatile debates that are taking place nation-wide surrounding this issue. There are several other hurdles Read more about Race to the Top Winners Feel Heat on Teacher Evaluations[…]

Kansas City School District Loses Accreditation

Posted on September 24, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

This past Tuesday, Missouri decided to strip the Kansas City, MO school district of its accreditation. School board members and the Education Commissioner called the decision “agonizing,” but asserted that given the lack of improvement after two years of lukewarm efforts on the part of the district, removing accreditation was “the only recourse we [had].” Read more about Kansas City School District Loses Accreditation[…]

The Privatization of Teaching?

Posted on September 22, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

Recently, Michigan State Senator Phil Pavlov, chair of the state Senate’s education committee, announced that he was preparing legislation that would allow school districts to effectively outsource the teacher hiring process. Under the proposed law, districts could enter into contracts with private, for-profit “instructional services” companies to fill classrooms. Teachers would still need to meet Read more about The Privatization of Teaching?[…]

Last-Minute Teacher Hiring Produces Long-Lasting Effects

Posted on September 21, 2011February 6, 2013 by coreeducation

As the economy continues to falter, many school districts have been faced with staffing challenges. Teacher and staff layoffs abound, but in some cases a round of layoffs is followed by another practice: last-minute hiring. To some degree, late hiring can be considered an inevitability for schools. Administrators don’t always know for sure how many Read more about Last-Minute Teacher Hiring Produces Long-Lasting Effects[…]

Education Week “Spotlights”

Posted on September 20, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

Education Week is currently offering four free “Spotlight” collections for download. Spotlights are a collection of past articles from the publication focused on a particular topic. The four being offered gratis include collections on professional development, teacher evaluation, implementing common standards, and data-driven decision-making. Here are the highlights from each: Spotlight on Reinventing Professional Development Read more about Education Week “Spotlights”[…]

Go Get Your Groupon! and Become a Teacher?

Posted on September 18, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

Last week, National Louis University in Chicago collaborated with Groupon to offer an unheard-of deal: a 57% discount on a teacher prep course. The course, “Introduction to the Profession and the Craft of Teaching” was offered for $950 and covers topics such as “trends and debates in the teaching profession” and “how the K-12 sector Read more about Go Get Your Groupon! and Become a Teacher?[…]

New Wireless Device Initiative for Pre-Service teachers

Posted on September 15, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, a non-profit advocacy group, is collaborating with Qualcomm, Kajeet for Education, and HTC to launch an initiative designed to “empower pre-service/student teachers with advanced wireless technologies.” The project will promote communication, collaboration, and the availability of resources for first-time teachers. Five universities have been selected to pilot Read more about New Wireless Device Initiative for Pre-Service teachers[…]

Impacting the Future: Implementing the Common Core

Posted on September 14, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

The new Common Core Standards for math and language arts are scheduled to be rolled out in the 2014-2015 school year, and 44 states plus the District of Columbia are starting to shape how the Common Core will play out in their education systems. Teacher preparation programs, professional development, and instruction/instructional materials all need to Read more about Impacting the Future: Implementing the Common Core[…]

A Better Understanding of New Teacher Attrition

Posted on September 13, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

A recent study published by Karen DeAngelis and Jennifer Presley takes a closer look at new teacher attrition. We have all heard the claim that 50% of new teachers leave the profession within their first five years of teaching, but is this really true? DeAngelis and Presley found some surprising and interesting new perspectives in Read more about A Better Understanding of New Teacher Attrition[…]

Bring Teachers’ Pay into this Century

Posted on September 12, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

On August 31, Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado wrote an op-ed piece for the Boston Globe, demanding a re-evaluation of teacher compensation in this country. Senator Bennet served as superintendent of Denver Public Schools from 2005 to 2009, and was named by Time as one of the leading educational activists for 2011. A portion of Read more about Bring Teachers’ Pay into this Century[…]

Race to the Top Round Three

Posted on September 11, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

Last week the Department of Education released the proposed requirements for the new round of Race to the Top (RTT) grants (not to be confused with the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge, which is a separate competition). This year, $200 million is up for grabs, with only the finalists from the last Read more about Race to the Top Round Three[…]

DCPS to Change Teacher Evaluation Tool

Posted on September 8, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

DCPS officials are moving to change the most controversial reform of former Chancellor Michelle Rhee: teacher evaluation. The IMPACT evaluation system requires that teachers be observed five times per year (three times by a school administrator and twice by a “master teacher”) and rated on a scale of 1 to 4; however that is changing Read more about DCPS to Change Teacher Evaluation Tool[…]