Jun 19 D.C. will wait a year to rate teachers with Common Core tests By Leah Clapman D.C. School Chancellor Kaya Henderson, Rhee’s predecessor and former deputy, announced Thursday that her district will take a break next year from tying teacher evaluations to students’ test scores. She said she still believes in using test scores to assess… Continue reading
Jun 19 As political leaders fight over Common Core, almost half of adults don't know what they're arguing about By Kyla Calvert Mason The Common Core standards for math and English have been roiling state politics across the country this spring, especially in states led by Republicans. But a poll out this week estimates 47 percent of the country’s adults still haven’t heard… Continue reading
Jun 17 Watch From Skid Row to high school graduation, Los Angeles supports homeless students' academic success By PBS News Hour Finishing high school can be an uphill battle; for homeless students, it can be like facing a mountain of challenges. The Los Angeles County Unified School District’s Homeless Education Program is designed to provide assistance to students who don’t have… Continue watching
Jun 17 Report finds states raising bar for aspiring teachers By Kyla Calvert Mason For the second year in a row, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has given failing grades to many programs preparing future teachers to enter the classroom. Continue reading
Jun 11 Watch Special arts academy helps Chicago teens transcend tough streets By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Jun 11 House considers waiving healthy school lunch rules despite veto threat By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press The GOP spending bill on the House floor would allow schools to waive the school lunch and breakfast standards championed by first lady Michelle Obama for the next school year if they lost money on meal programs over a six-month… Continue reading
Jun 11 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation urges delay for Common Core actions By Elizabeth Jones One of the most ardent supporters of the Common Core education guidelines, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is urging participating states to delay major accountability decisions based on assessment tests aligned to the standards. Continue reading
Jun 10 Watch Debating tenure protections for public school teachers By PBS News Hour A California judge ruled that the state’s tenure protections for public school teachers are unconstitutional. Students who sued the state argued that the tenure policies denied their right to a quality education. Gwen Ifill gets reaction from Joshua Pechthalt, president… Continue watching
Jun 10 Access to students' online health information a boon to school nurses By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News Although the school nurse is a familiar figure, school-based health care is unfamiliar territory to many medical professionals, operating in a largely separate health care universe from other community-based medical services. Continue reading
Jun 10 California judge strikes down teacher protections in landmark case By Kyla Calvert Mason Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu struck down multiple California laws providing job protections for the state's public school teachers, calling them unconstitutional, reports KPCC in Los Angeles. The lawsuit was filed in 2012 by Student… Continue reading