Education News: March 13, 2009

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending March 13, 2009.

Duncan Provides First Guidelines to Schools for How to Spend Stimulus Money
(New York Times, March 8, 2009)  Secretary of Education Arne Duncan emailed documents last week to governors, state education commissioners and thousands of school superintendents, which provided broad guidelines for how the education department intends to use the $100 billion from the economic stimulus package that it will dole out to the nation’s schools.  The document urged for quick spending to save and create jobs and to improve achievement through school improvement and reform, but also to keep records of expenditures.  Duncan intends for $44 billion to be used before the end of the month in order to avoid layoffs.  More money will be allocated throughout the spring and the fall as states apply for financing, which must include Congressionally mandated “assurances” that they are complying with federal education laws.

Obama Unveils Plan for Education Reform
(New York Times, March 10, 2009)  In a speech on Tuesday, President Barack Obama called for sweeping reforms of the nation’s education system which included urging states to lift limits on charter schools, improving early childhood education and developing merit pay systems.  The speech helped to clarify how Obama intends for the tremendous federal spending to be used to influence state and local education policy.  Obama intends to increase the number of charter schools, which he calls “laboratories of innovation,” though teachers’ unions often oppose charter schools as they take funding from public schools.  He plans to double spending on charter schools in an attempt expand on their success, but also will not hesitate to close down those that have chronically underperformed.  He called for states to impose tougher curriculum standards, and declared a new culture of accountability that would result in the weeding out of bad teachers.  His support of charter schools and merit pay could provide obstacles for his plan in Congress, where the teachers’ unions fold plenty of sway.  Union leaders were cautious on their support, as NEA President Dennis Van Roekel supported the vision while AFT President Randi Weingarten agreed with the Presidents goals and aspirations, but reminded that teachers’ voices needed to be heard as well.

Number of Substitute Teacher Applications Surge in Down Economy
(USA Today, March 10, 2009)  As people continue to lose their jobs, school districts across the country have become flooded with applications for substitute teaching positions.  The nation’s three largest school districts, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, are no longer accepting applications.  To make the situation more complicated, many school districts are reserving spots for teachers who may lose their jobs due to budget constraints. 

NEA President Responds to Obama’s Education Aims
(NEA, March 10, 2009)  NEA President Dennis Van Roekel welcomes the president’s vision for strengthening America’s education system, and believes he is off to a solid start with largest investment of federal funds in the history of public education.  Obama’s “Cradle to Career” proposal is right in line with goals of the NEA, including NCLB reform, required universal pre-K, and increasing college access and success.  Roekel says that the NEA also believes in new methods for recruitment, development for new and less effective teachers and merit pay.

Single Sex Classes Experimented with Hopes to Improve Learning
(New York Times, March 10, 2009)  In an attempt to address sagging achievement and behavioral problems, there are now at least 445 classrooms across the country where students learn in a single-sex environment.  Most of these experimental programs began after a 2004 federal regulatory change that made such classrooms legal.  While there are many critics of single-sex classrooms, they are unique amongst programs aiming to improve achievement in that they do not require additional funds.  Some believe that gender separation will reinforce gender stereotyping, but others believe that girls are more likely to participate and boys tend to focus better.

Report Shows Gains in States’ Graduation Rates But National Rate Remains Flat
(Boston Globe, March 12, 2009)  According to a new report by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the nation’s graduation rate remained flat at about 75% between 2002 and 2006, but twelve states did make substantial gains.  The report was released by the Baltimore University's Everyone Graduates Center.  The largest improvement in the nation was made by Tennessee, whose graduation rate from 61% to 72%.  The states with the largest number of additional graduates were Tennessee and New York, each with about 8,000 additional graduates.

President Obama’s Mention of Pomona Students’ Video Has Nation’s Attention
(Los Angeles Times, March 13, 2009)  A nine-minute video entitled “Is Anybody Listening” made by students at Village Academy High School in Pomona, CA has people’s interest after President Obama acknowledged it in his speech on Tuesday.  The video is made up of 17 high school students standing in front of a blue background speaking directly to the camera about their lives and how the economy has a direct effect on them, and became popular after it was posted on YouTube in January. Village Academy is a low-income, high-achieving high school. In his speech, President Obama let the students know that "I am listening. We are listening. America is listening."