PBS NewsHour: Education Archive | 2008

ABOUT US \| LOCAL TV LISTINGS EMAIL PRINT

EDUCATION


	2008 DECEMBER Dec. 31, 2008 Students Engineer "BioBeer" for Biology Competition A team of college students at Rice University in Texas is engineering a new strain of beer that contains resveratrol, the heart-healthy ingredient found in red wine. The project is part of the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition.

	Dec. 31, 2008 Building Biological Machines Scientists in the growing field of synthetic biology are using basic biological "building blocks" -- snippets of DNA -- to engineer useful living organisms, such as bacteria that can break down plastic in landfills. An expert on synthetic biology answers your questions.

	Dec. 31, 2008 Are Ethics Taught in Finance and Business? Paul Solman answers questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	Dec. 26, 2008 Researchers Hope Obama Team Will Reinvigorate Role of Science Adviser Scientists and scientific organizations hailed President-elect Barack Obama's choice of top science advisers as a "dream team" this week.

	Dec. 24, 2008 School in India Teaches Women to Improve Lives, Towns The Barefoot College in northern India teaches women skills to bring solar power to their villages and to manage the energy system in rural areas. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on the philosophy behind the school and its unusual approach to empowering women.

	Dec. 16, 2008 Obama Taps Chicago Schools Chief for Education Post President-elect Barack Obama named Chicago schools chief Arne Duncan as his pick for education secretary Tuesday. Analysts examine the challenges facing U.S. schools and how Duncan's efforts to turn around troubled Chicago schools will translate to the Cabinet post.

	Dec. 16, 2008 Obama Picks Chicago Schools Chief Duncan for Education Secretary Arne Duncan, the man at the helm of Chicago public schools for the last seven years and a longtime friend of President-elect Barack Obama, has been tapped as secretary of education for the new administration.

	Dec. 9, 2008 College Students Squeezed by Rising Costs, Less Aid More college students and their families are struggling to afford tuition at public institutions due to increasing costs and state funding cuts in education. John Tulenko of Learning Matters Television takes a look at the impact of rising higher education costs in the second of a two-part series.

	Dec. 8, 2008 Student Debt Rising as College Costs Continue to Climb Higher education costs have increased by 439 percent since 1982, according to a National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education report. NewsHour special correspondent for education John Merrow looks at the rising burden of education debt.

	Dec. 4, 2008 Children Return to School in Myanmar When Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar in early May 2008, tens of thousands of people were killed and many homes and other buildings leveled. About half of the schools were destroyed in the storm-affected areas in the South, and aid organizations scrambled to help the country rebuild and the children return to school.

	Dec. 3, 2008 Rising Tuition, Credit Crunch Threaten Affordability of Higher Education A new study on American higher education gave all but one state a failing grade on affordability, and warned that college could soon be out of reach for most Americans.

	Dec. 2, 2008 Justices Hear Arguments in School Harassment Case The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday for a case weighing an unusual test of sexual harassment laws whose outcome could have an impact on future gender, racial, and workplace discrimination cases. Marcia Coyle of the National Law Journal recaps the case.



	NOVEMBER Nov. 17, 2008 Colombia's Displaced Face Education Challenges About 3 million Colombians are refugees in their own country, forced to leave their homes by FARC rebels or from violence caused by paramilitary groups. Children of displaced families are especially vulnerable and sometimes have difficulty getting to school.

	Nov. 6, 2008 In Turkey, Degrees of Change in Women's Rights Turkey has made improvements in women's rights, but women still need better enforcement of laws and more representation in the labor force, politics and other key areas, according to the European Commission.



	OCTOBER Oct. 17, 2008 New Teachers Learn the Ropes at New Orleans' Schools At the start of a new school year in New Orleans, first-time educators are leaning the ropes and working to gain respect from students and fellow teachers. In the latest installment of his reports on school reform in the city, John Merrow examines the challenges new teachers are facing.

	Oct. 8, 2008 Project Aims to Improve Life in Rural Turkey In the farming village of Yatir in southeastern Turkey, little has changed over time. Rural areas, especially in the East, are some of the poorest parts of the country. A pilot project is aiming to bring more economic opportunities.

	Oct. 6, 2008 School in India Teaches Women to Improve Lives, Towns The Barefoot College in northern India teaches women skills to bring solar power to their villages and to manage the energy system in rural areas. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on the philosophy behind the school and its unusual approach to empowering women.



	SEPTEMBER Sept. 18, 2008 D.C. School Chancellor Targets Teachers, Angering Union Chancellor Michelle Rhee's mission to reform D.C.'s troubled schools -- by firing ineffective teachers and offering a new pay system for those who increase students' results -- has met resistance from the teachers' union. Special correspondent John Merrow reports on the growing tension.

	Sept. 10, 2008 McCain, Obama Advisers Spar on Education Reform Among the issues being debated among the campaigns of Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama is education, with each candidate seeking to define positions on school spending and the No Child Left Behind initiative. Education advisers for McCain and Obama detail the candidates' plans.



	AUGUST Aug. 22, 2008 High Tech High School Pushes Hispanic Students to Become Top Achievers A San Diego charter high school is aiming to close the education gaps between students of immigrant families and their counterparts by motivating them to acquire business and science skills and pursue college degrees. Paul Solman offers the latest in a series of reports on this education initiative.

	Aug. 14, 2008 Native American Students Concerned over Federal Education Funding As minority communities weigh which presidential candidate would best represent them on key issues, some Native Americans are focused on whether the next president will continue to fund tribal schools that form the bedrock of their education.

	Aug. 13, 2008 Experts Answered Questions on China's Olympic Moment The Olympics has proved a mixed blessing for China as protesters have sought to use the event to highlight disputes over China's rule of Tibet and other issues. So how do the Olympics fit into China's past and its future on the international stage? Two China watchers answer your questions.

	Aug. 11, 2008 Schools Start Offering Students Cash for Better Grades Some schools across the country have launched new cash reward programs to improve students' test scores, despite concerns from some educators over what role money should lplay in children's motivation. John Tulenko of Learning Matters Television reports on the debate.



	JULY July 29, 2008 Decades Later, Japanese-American Students Graduate More than 60 years since they were forced to leave their university during World War II, Japanese-Americans have received their honorary diplomas and an official apology from Oregon State University. Lee Hochberg reports on their long-awaited graduation.

	July 29, 2008 John Merrow Answers Questions Over the course of the 2007-2008 school year, John Merrow, the NewsHour's special correspondent for education, reported on the challenges faced by two new superintendents in struggling school districts: Michelle Rhee in Washington, D.C., and Paul Vallas in New Orleans.

	July 25, 2008 Oregon Mulls Shoring Up Schools Against Earthquakes Moved by the collapse of schools and deaths caused after a recent earthquake in China, leaders in Oregon debate the need to fortify their own schools against possible earthquake damage. Lee Hochberg reports on the debate.

	July 24, 2008 Mixed Results for School Reform Efforts in New Orleans A year after New Orleans School Superintendent Paul Vallas took the helm, educators in the city's public schools still tackle the challenges of keeping students enrolled and helping them meet required test scores. John Merrow wraps up a series of reports on efforts to reform schools in New Orleans.

	July 23, 2008 D.C. Schools Chief Institutes Tough Changes, Weathers Controversy After one year on the job, Washington, D.C., schools chief Michelle Rhee has slated schools to close and planned personnel changes to help boost the struggling education system. John Merrow reports on her efforts.

	July 1, 2008 New G.I. Bill Aims to Provide Expanded Educational Benefits to Troops A new G.I. bill signed into law Monday doubles funding for education benefits available to military personnel who have served since Sept. 11, 2001, and allows transfer of benefits to a spouse or children. Analysts discuss the law and its meaning for veterans.



	JUNE June 18, 2008 D.C. Teachers Struggle to Adapt to School Reforms Washington, D.C.'s schools struggle to bring students up to proficiency standards while losing thousands of them to charter schools. John Merrow talks to D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee about her first year on the job.

	June 17, 2008 New Orleans School Reforms Target Young Readers The struggle to educate the nation's children in urban schools has long been an area of reform. In a continuing series of reports on urban school reform, John Merrow returns to New Orleans schools to examine how young students are learning to read.

	June 2, 2008 Education Issues Weigh on Tribal Voters in South Dakota, Montana With sizeable populations in the last two states to vote in the Democratic primary, Native American voters have emerged as a highly sought-after voting bloc ahead of Tuesday's voting in Montana and South Dakota.



	MAY May 28, 2008 Reflecting on 'Miracle Worker' Teachers As the beginning of May heralds the end of the academic year, Time Magazine essayist Nancy Gibbs praises great teachers.

	May 23, 2008 Education Experts on Gender Gap For years there have been worries about a reported "crisis" in the education rates for boys and young men. This week, the American Association of University Women issued a report stating that income, race and ethnicity were bigger factors than gender. Two experts answered your questions.

	May 21, 2008 Report Aims to Debunk Myths on Gender and Education A new report examines commonly held assumptions about the differences in how girls and boys learn and achieve in education. Experts discuss the findings and how they might help educators better address issues of learning and gender.

	May 9, 2008 Frances Richey's Poetry Speaks to Son's Role as Soldier "The Warrior" by Frances Richey is composed of 28 poems written by the poet to her son, Ben, a Green Beret who has served two tours of duty in Iraq. Jeffrey Brown speaks with Richey and her son about the collection and their unique perspectives on the war.

	May 2, 2008 Report: Federal Program Fails to Improve Reading Skills An Education Department report disclosed the ineffectiveness of No Child Left Behind's $6 billion student reading program. State education officials Douglas Christensen of Nebraska and Michele Goady of Maryland debate Reading First's merits.



	APRIL April 25, 2008 Special for Students: Political Watchers Answered Questions on Democrats' Race While the Democratic primary race has broken both fundraising and voter-turnout records, it has also brought to light some of the confusing rules and regulations behind this summer's conventions. Two guests answered students' questions.

	April 17, 2008 High-tech School Prepares Students for Shifting Economy Paul Solman reports on a high school in California that pushes its students to focus on the future by preparing for jobs in the world of high technology -- while also helping the U.S. stay competitive in a global marketplace.

	April 7, 2008 In Tuition Aid Rules, Immigration Debate Meets Reality As the immigration debate continues to evolve, some states are denying children of undocumented immigrants government grants and tuition loans offered to low-income students to help pay for college. Lee Hochberg reports on how undocumented students are coping.

	April 3, 2008 Leaders Struggle to Bolster New Orleans Schools In the latest in a series of reports on urban school reform, John Merrow reports on how the schools chief in New Orleans plans to deal with some of the most troubled schools in a city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.

	April 2, 2008 Washington, D.C., Schools Chief Faces Tough Choices In the latest in a series of reports on school reform in Washington, D.C., and New Orleans, John Merrow checks in with D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee, who has had to make difficult -- and controversial -- decisions regarding school closures and staff cuts.



	FEBRUARY Feb. 22, 2008 Florida Schools Will Teach Evolution, but with 'Theory' Caveat The Florida Board of Education has approved new science standards that explicitly include the word 'evolution' for the first time, but last-minute revisions kindled controversy over religious and political tinkering in the science classroom.

	Feb. 15, 2008 Gunman Opens Fire at University, Killing Five Then Self A gunman shot 21 people at North Illinois University on Thursday, killing five before turning his guns on himself. Chicago NewsHour correspondent Elizabeth Brackett reports on the aftermath of yesterday's events.

	Feb. 12, 2008 War Vets Still Struggle With Education Costs, Despite G.I. Bill Benefit John Merrow reports on how education benefits offered through the G.I. Bill are issued to soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the renewed efforts by some members of Congress to expand the bill, which has seen reduced funding over the years.

	Feb. 8, 2008 New Orleans Schools Chief Aims to Curb Dropout Rate In the latest in a series of reports on how education leaders are endeavoring to reform troubled urban schools, education correspondent John Merrow returns to New Orleans to check in on the city's efforts to repair its struggling school system.

	Feb. 7, 2008 In Battle to Revamp D.C. Schools, Education Leader Faces Resistance John Merrow reports on the controversial practices that D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee is using to shake up the city's school system, including closing 23 schools by 2010 in a bid to tackle a $100 million budget deficit -- a move that has raised a storm of protest.



	JANUARY Jan. 1, 2008 Desegregation Pioneers Reflect on Education Milestone Fifty years ago, nine black students entered Little Rock Central High School, marking a critical moment in the efforts to desegregate the nation's schools. Seven of the "Little Rock Nine" recall their experiences.