Aug 05 Longtime NewsHour education correspondent John Merrow retires By John Merrow I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters. For the past 41 years I have been covering public education mostly here in the USA but also in China, Hong Kong, France and Spain. Continue reading
Aug 05 Pricey summer programs at elite universities may not give students admissions edge By Kirk Carapezza, WGBH Many high school students are now enrolling in expensive pre-college summer courses they hope will catch the eye of admissions officers they’d like to impress. But some in the admissions departments say these courses don't give any extra weight. Continue reading
Jul 31 Watch 4:29 Kids with disabilities, behavior problems illegally segregated in Georgia By PBS News Hour The Department of Justice has concluded that the state of Georgia is illegally segregating students with disabilities and behavioral issues. A two-year investigation found that some of the programs are even housed in dilapidated buildings once used as all black… Continue watching
Jul 31 Watch 6:24 Can higher ed keep inmates from returning to prison after release? By PBS News Hour The phrase “school to prison pipeline” refers to the link between spending time in failing schools and landing time behind bars. A pilot program aims to rewrite that saying by creating a “prison to college” pipeline. Special correspondent for education… Continue watching
Jul 31 Obama to extend college aid grants to some prison inmates By Jennifer C. Kerr, Associated Press Some federal and state prisoners could begin receiving student aid to take college courses — while still behind bars — as early as the 2016-2017 school year. Continue reading
Jul 29 Watch 5:21 Disconnected by war, family reunites through student history project By PBS News Hour Decades after losing touch, family members from two different continents were reunited at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, to honor a World War II soldier who was killed in action just after the D-Day invasion. The NewsHour’s April Brown… Continue watching
Jul 27 Using telegrams and love letters to teach World War II By Mike Fritz, April Brown They found love letters, pictures, death-notice telegrams, and even insurance settlement claims that have survived for decades. Cpl. Henry Bernard Van Hyfte with his father in Minnesota before World War II. The discoveries are a result of a… Continue reading
Jul 24 Watch 11:01 Are for-profit universities taking advantage of veterans? By PBS News Hour Since 2009, the G.I. Bill has paid up to $21,000 a year of college tuition for those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Much of that money, though, goes to for-profit schools, which award degrees some employers don’t recognize. Aaron… Continue watching
Jul 22 Watch 7:33 Today’s newest teachers face tough job odds, high turnover By PBS News Hour Is it a good time to become a teacher? Salaries haven't kept up with inflation, tenure is under attack and standardized test scores are being used to fire teachers. And that's if you get a job. Special correspondent for education… Continue watching
Jul 21 More children are in poverty today than before the Great Recession By Laura Santhanam, Megan Crigger Today, 22 percent of children live in poverty, up from 18 percent in 2008. Continue reading