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Leading in the NewsReport: State Policies Protect Ineffective Teachers.
The AP
(1/28, Turner) reported, "Most states are holding tight to policies that
protect incompetent teachers and poor training programs, shortchanging educators
and their students before new teachers even step into the classroom, according
to a new" study from the National Council on Teacher Quality. The study "paints
a grim picture of how states handle everything from pay to discipline for public
school teachers. States are using 'broken, outdated and inflexible' policies
that ultimately hurt how children learn, according to the
report."
The Denver Post
(1/29, McGhee) reports that the report finds Colorado "regulations governing
teachers fail to ensure that all students have effective teachers." The report
"gave the state an overall grade of D-plus in its 2009 review of state laws,
rules and regulations governing the teaching profession." The "organization
found that Colorado's teacher policies largely work against the nation's goal of
improving teacher quality at a time when Race to the Top, a $4.5 billion federal
grant competition has put unprecedented focus on education reform and teacher
quality."
Dave Murray writes in a column for the Grand
Rapids (MI) Press (1/29) that Michigan received a "grade of D-, saying
that our state fails to ensure that all students will have effective, well
prepared teachers. That seemed kind of harsh, since I know Michigan has some
great college education programs, and it's rare that I run into an ineffective
teacher." However, the "group said the state has some bright spots, including
'requiring induction for all new
teachers.'"
Leadership and ManagementKindergarten-Only School In Oregon Wins Over Skeptics.
The Oregonian
(1/29, Melton) reports, "Five- and 6-year-olds rule at North Powellhurst School
-- one of three in Oregon that serve only kindergartners." Students at the
school scored "slightly better than their peers in the rest of the district"
last year, and once-skeptical parents "now say the all-kindergarten school is
helping preserve the magic of childhood." According to Principal Kate Barker,
"teachers don't have to worry about the bullying by older kids." However, she
added that "those older students aren't there to model good behavior, either."
So, teachers "must spend more time teaching kids how to keep their hands to
themselves and not to chew with their mouths
open."
CurriculumPreschools In Massachusetts Must Teach Oral Hygiene.
The New
York Times (1/29, A10, Zezima) reports, "Massachusetts is the first
state to add toothbrush time to" the preschool curriculum, "requiring that all
children who eat a meal at day care, or attend for more than four hours, brush
their teeth during class and be educated about oral health." According to the
state's Early Education Commissioner Sherri Killins, "parents who feel strongly
about the regulation can opt
out."
Congresswoman Named "Principal For A Day" At Elementary School In Maryland.
Maryland's Gazette
(1/28, Garner) reported that Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D-MD) was named "Principal
for a Day" at Glassmanor Elementary School in Oxon Hill, MD, last week.
"Edwards didn't attend any staff meetings or hand out hall passes," still,
school "administrators urged students to take the opportunity of her visit to
learn more about the political process." Edwards spoke to the students at an
assembly, "giving the students a brief lesson on politics and explaining the
duties of the political leaders who serve Prince George's County." During her
hour-long appearance, she answered questions from students, ranging from, "Did
you always want to be a politician?" to "whether she would run against Barack
Obama for
president."
Biz Town Teaches Students Skills Needed For Adulthood.
WFOR-TV
Miami (1/28) reported, "Biz Town in Coconut Creek [FL] is a bustling community
that comes to life when the students stop by." The community is "set to imitate
real life situations" to help "students learn what its like to run a business,
pay employees, and manage a personal budget." The program is run through Junior
Achievement of Broward County, FL, with support from several local business
partners, including Bank
Atlantic.
Elementary School's Walk For Water Campaign Helps Supply Clean Water In Haiti.
South Carolina's Upstate
Today (1/29) reports that money raised last November by students at
Townville Elementary School during the school's first Walk for Water campaign is
now being used to help International Child Care Ministries set up water filters
"in strategic places to help provide clean water to the people affected by"
Haiti's Jan 12 earthquake "and in some other areas of the country as well." The
walk was held in conjunction with the organization, "which routinely supplies
water filters and other necessities for Haiti, and Fitness Finders, an
educational supply
company."
Assessment
Los Angeles District Reveals New School Report Cards.
The Los
Angeles Times (1/28, Blume) reported that on Wednesday, Los Angeles
public school officials "unveiled a more user-friendly school 'report
card'...that is more focused on information than public relations." According
to the Times, "last year's report cards...were difficult to read and had not yet
incorporated features such as an annual survey of parents, students and school
staff." The new reports include "student proficiency rates for special programs
at a school, such as a magnet program," and at the high school level they
include "the percentage of ninth-graders who move to the 10th grade -- a key
indicator of whether a school is reaching troubled students." However, they do
not show "proficiency rates for a school once students from higher-scoring
special programs are removed from the
calculation."
Legislation and PolicyNorth Carolina Principals Work To Bring Schools Into Compliance With Class Size Law.
WNCN-TV
Raleigh, NC (1/28, Genardo) reported on its Web site, "Another school shuffle
in Wake County [NC] is underway, but this time it's more like an internal
reorganization rather than reassignment to a new school. In all, 66 schools
across the county violate a state law limiting class size in kindergarten
through third grade to 24 students per teacher." Thus, principals "are getting
creative to bring their schools into
compliance."
Teachers In North Carolina District May Have To Take More Tests.
The Fayetteville
(NC) Observer (1/28) reported that members of a Cumberland County (NC)
School Board committee have been told that a "change of interpretation of what
makes a teacher highly qualified under [NCLB] may require more than 200
Cumberland County teachers to take a standardized test or additional college
classes. ... Previously, exceptional children's teachers who passed either the
HOUSSE or the PRAXIS 0511 standardized test were considered highly
qualified."
Completion Of No Child Left Behind Rewrite This Year Viewed As Uphill Climb.
The New
York Times (1/29, A13, Dillon) reports, "In his State of the Union
address, President Obama held out the hope of overhauling" the "main law
outlining the federal role in public schools" this year. However, experts say
that task will be difficult as NCLB "has produced so much discord, there is so
little time and there are so many competing priorities." Since NCLB was recast
into its current form in 2001, it "has generated frequent, divisive debate,
partly because it requires schools to administer far more standardized tests and
because it labels schools that fail to make progress fast enough each year as
'needing
improvement.'"
Maryland Lawmakers Urged To Adopt Race To The Top Reforms.
In a letter to the Baltimore
Sun (1/29), Maryland Charter School Network President David Borinsky
questions whether Maryland legislative leaders should "tend to the political
interests of an important constituency, the teachers' union, or should they make
a serious play for the hundreds of millions of education dollars on offer
through the federal Race to the Top program?" Borinsky adds that "despite the
huge dollars at stake and these amazing facts about charter schools, our
political leaders appear thus far to have defaulted to familiar political
postures ." Yet, Maryland's "fine teachers will thrive in a world of three- or
four-year tenure rules and enhanced evaluations. And, they'll probably agree,
they can use the extra
dough."
Health and NutritionNew York City Schools Cut Whole Milk, Eliminate 4.6 Billion Calories.
Bloomberg
News (1/29, Randall) reports that according to a new report from the
CDC, in eliminating whole milk from its cafeterias in 2006, the New York City
public school system has "cut 4.6 billion calories and 422 million grams of fat
a year from students' diets." Bloomberg notes that this study is "the first to
measure how banning whole milk affects school nutrition," adding that "school
districts across the country are tweaking their cafeteria offerings and
developing programs to get children to eat better and exercise more." Bloomberg
notes that some 21% of New York City students are
obese.
High Cost Of Healthy Eating Seen As Presenting Parents With Dilemma.
In a column in the Washington
Post (1/29), Petula Dvorak writes about attempting to strike a balance
between the "intimidating" holistic foods movement-vis-à-vis providing for
children-and the more prevalent "fast food culture," noting that the extreme end
of the health food spectrum takes significant time, effort and financial
resources. Dvorak explores the options for working parents of limited means
attempting to prevent obesity in their children, mentioning Michelle Obama's
efforts to promote healthy
eating.
Also in the NewsHaiti Officials Uncertain About When Schools Will Reopen.
The New
York Times (1/29, A8, Rivera) reports that on Thursday, government
officials in Haiti said "they hoped schools would begin reopening Monday, but it
was unclear how many schools would be able to open -- or how many students would
be able to return." According to one official on the emergency disaster
committee, "up to 97 percent of the city's schools -- built to withstand
hurricanes, not earthquakes" may have been destroyed, and "the dead within [are]
still being
counted."
Students Hack Into Maryland High School's Computer System, Alter Grades.
The Washington
Post (1/29, Birnbaum, Johnson) reports that some students at Churchill
High School in Maryland's Potomac school system "hacked into the school's
computer system and changed class grade...and officials are investigating how
widespread the damage might be." School workers are not yet sure of the "extent
of the apparent security breach," and teachers are "being asked to review their
grades for discrepancies." But, said some sources, "teachers at the school no
longer keep separate log books of their grades," so "it might be difficult to go
back and find a student's original grade." The Post adds that the hackers
"used a computer program to capture passwords from at least one teacher,
according to school sources familiar with the situation who spoke on the
condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the
situation."
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Before the Bell is a digest of the most important news selected from thousands of sources by the editors of Custom Briefings. The National Association of Elementary School Principals does not receive any revenue from the advertising herein. The presence of such advertising does not endorse, or imply endorsement of, any products or services by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. This complimentary copy of Before the Bell was sent to phines@riasp.org as part of your NAESP membership. View Custom Briefings' privacy policy. Neither Custom Briefings nor NAESP is liable for the use of or reliance on any information contained in this briefing. For information about other member benefits, visit www.naesp.org or contact us at naesp@naesp.org. National Association of Elementary School Principals | 1615 Duke Street | Alexandria, VA 22314 Copyright © 2010 by Custom Briefings | 11190 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 130 | Reston, VA 20191 |
