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The Indianapolis Star (1/12, Gammill) reports that Indianapolis Public Schools "has removed 22 of its weakest teachers from their classrooms, the beginning of an effort to shore up teaching in the state's largest district." Included in the group are "teachers who failed to control the students in their classrooms" and some "who had not mastered the material they were teaching." The teachers will receive extra "training this semester and then given a final chance next year to have a classroom while on probation." The Indianapolis Star notes that the district's move -- and similar actions nationwide -- is fueled by "research that shows that even one bad teacher can jeopardize a student's academic career." Said Superintendent Eugene White, "A poor teacher compromises the future and the education of a child." The new IPS policy "represents a break from the struggling district's past, when administrators sometimes failed to take action against bad teachers for years," The Star adds.

USA Today (1/12, Toppo) reports Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers "is expected Tuesday to propose a new, detailed system of teacher ratings that includes not only classroom observations by supervisors but also written-work, portfolio and lesson-plan reviews." USA Today notes that teacher evaluations based on test scores "have long been a sore point for many teachers groups." U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a statement that "he supports Weingarten's call for better evaluations and 'more effective and efficient due process systems,' among other proposals." He added, "Randi is really showing courage by raising these issues."

        Weingarten: Wall Street Journal Wrong On Race To The Top. In a letter to the Wall Street Journal (1/12), American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten criticizes a January 7 Wall Street Journal editorial on the Race to the Top stimulus competition, writing that the Journal's negative portrayal of Race to the Top's collaboration mandate belies the reality that without buy-in from all education stakeholders, Race to the Top reforms will not be effective. According to Weingarten, the Journal's editorial supports the actions of numerous state officials as they seek to block teachers and others from actively participating in school improvement efforts.

Patrick Russo, superintendent of the Henrico County, VA district, wrote in an op-ed for Education Week (1/11), "The H1N1 flu epidemic has posed a significant challenge to school districts across the country, as they wrestle with plans for how they might cope with a serious outbreak that forced schools to close for significant periods of time. Though the verdict may still be out on the ultimate severity of this flu, what is not in doubt is that the education experience for students must go on whether or not the classroom is up and running." Ultimately, the challenge will be for educators to transform "laptops, personal computers, and online learning environments...into learning tools."

The Courier-Post (NJ) (1/12, Comengo) reports Burlington County College's "Science on Wheels program, financed by NASA, arrived in a motorized Winnebago trailer Monday. To promote more interest in science and technology, college instructors will use it to teach K-12 public school children, college officials said." The program was made possible by a $1.43 million NASA II grant. "Five students can work on individual projects...at five computer-equipped work-stations inside the mobile classroom, while the rest of the class can sit outside...and watch NASA experiments and other lessons on an LCD screen on the side of the trailer." The article notes that part of the money is also being used to set up a greenhouse. "Anthony DiLemme, the county college project director for NASA II, said the greenhouse will be used to start an agricultural and horticultural program that eventually could evolve into a curriculum in cooperation with Cook College."

The AP (1/12, Miller) reports that 19 schools in Tucson, AZ "use the Opening Minds Through the Arts (OMA) program to teach traditional subjects in non-traditional ways." OMA "correlates its curriculum with the neurological development of children, kindergarten through eighth grade," using "different fine-arts techniques." For instance, "kindergarteners use instrumental music to develop auditory acuity; first-graders use opera to develop language acquisition;" and "second-graders use dance to develop kinesthetic awareness."

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel (1/11, Freeman) reported that seven South Florida schools are participating in the National Football League's "One World: Connecting Communities, Cultures, and Classrooms" exercise. According to the Sun-Sentinel, "It's an opportunity for children from various backgrounds to learn what they have in common with each other despite their differences, according to curriculum materials from the NFL." Students in the program "were prompted to write four letters wrapped around diversity concepts, such as breaking down stereotypes" to pen pals in other participating schools.

The Sacramento Bee (1/10) reports that some California state lawmakers say that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's "vow to protect public education...would require deep cuts affecting students." Schwarzenegger's "spending plan would fund schools at about the same level this year and next - $7,444 then $7,486 per student," but it would "require more than $2 billion in belt-tightening necessitated by rising costs." Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D) said, "Despite scores of 'maneuvers' and the shells moving back and forth over the little ball, in fact, when you read the governor's budget, he calls for cutting education $2.4 billion." Those cuts include "$1.2 billion from school district central administration;" another "$550 million from the state's class-size reduction program;" and taking "$45 million from county office of education administrative costs." Moreover, Schwarzenegger proposes granting districts more "flexibility" to get rid of teachers through lay-off, transfer, rehire, or assign teachers "without regard to seniority."

        California Teacher Pay Will Still Be Determined By Bargaining Agreements Under New Laws. The Sacramento Bee (1/11) reports that over the last ten years, the California Teachers Association (CTA) representing "340,000 public school teachers" has "spent $38 million on lobbying" and is considered "one of the most powerful forces in the Capitol." But the approval last week of education bills opposed by the union is seen as a loss for the CTA. The Bee notes that "teachers unions fear" that under the Race to the Top laws, "parents and school administrators" would be given "new clout to make major changes in the lowest-performing schools." However, according to the Bee, "the laws don't require linking teacher pay and student performance," so "the bill package may be a smaller loss for the teachers union than it" first appears. Frederick M. Hess, "director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington," said that "local bargaining agreements" will still play a major role in determining "teacher pay and teacher evaluation."

The AP (1/12) reports that Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle (R) has come up with a new plan to restore the state's education calendar that is "similar to previous plans that the teachers union has rejected." Lingle is proposing that "teachers...convert three fewer planning days to instructional days than she had previously sought, which would help regain 24 of the 27 remaining teacher furlough days scheduled to shutter schools statewide this school year and next." Otherwise, the plan remains largely the same. "The teachers union," meanwhile, "said it wasn't invited to collaborate with Lingle on her newest offer after she turned down its last proposal."

Washington Post (1/11, Chandler) reports that Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine is proposing "a one-year delay in the regularly scheduled readjustment of the" state education funding formula, "a move that would prevent the influx of more than $120 million in additional state funds over the next year to...schools in" Northern Virginia. The Post explains that "Virginia's funding formula is" set up for equitable distribution, "so poor districts get more school funding from Richmond and wealthy districts get less." Currently, Fairfax County receives "less than 25 percent of" it's funding from the state, while other districts get "closer to 80 percent." This year, Northern Virginia districts are set to receive "significantly more in state funding, largely because of dramatic declines in the housing market." Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova argued, "We have played by the rules. ... And it's not fair to change the rules the very year that Fairfax would get some benefit from them."

The Arkansas News (1/11, Lyon) reported, "As a panel chaired by U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., takes up reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act this year, one of its goals is to help the federal school lunch program reach students now falling through the cracks - something child nutrition workers say is especially important in tough economic times." The Arkansas News adds, "According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 85 percent of eligible students were enrolled in the National School Lunch Program nationally in the 2008-09 school year. Arkansas had 91 percent enrolled, the 14th highest percentage in the nation."

The Atlanta Journal Constitution (1/12, Matteucci) reports, "Shouting in unison Monday night" outside a school board meeting, "more than 250 DeKalb County school workers protested their superintendent's $15,000 pay raise." The gathering included "teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians and" even some students. The Board voted last week "to raise Lewis' pay from $240,000 to $255,000" and to extend "his contract until January 2013." The superintendent's pay increase came "after teachers were required to take a furlough day and lost contributions to their tax-sheltered annuity." School Board Chairwoman Zepora Roberts said that "the board would issue a statement" on the matter. Maureen Downey also covered this story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution (1/7) Get Schooled blog. She included a letter from the Organization of DeKalb Educators to the school board in which ODE President David Schutten wrote of the sacrifices made by ODE members.

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