Education News: February 26, 2010

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending February 26, 2010.

Experts Urge Charter Oversight
(New York Times, February 25th) On Wednesday education experts urged lawmakers to develop new methods for charter school oversight. With the Obama administration pushing to increase charter school funding, experts says that proper management could improve charter schools’ success. The effort comes amidst a push to rewrite the No Child Left Behind laws. The rewrite could increase charter funding to $490 million by 2011.

New York City Negotiates With Teacher Unions
(New York Times,February 25th) New York City continues to negotiate with teacher unions over a contract that would allow teacher evaluation to play a role in determining pay. The city’s goals, laid out in a recent document, would also cut the number of educators’ sick days and allow principals to use teacher performance to decide what staff members to release in future budget cuts. The proposal echoes a national effort to increase teacher accountability.

San Francisco Teachers Face Layoffs
(San Francisco Gate,February 24th) With $113 millon dollar budget deficit over the next two years the San Francisco school district approved the cuts of 900 educators and administrators. The layoffs have proved to be unpopular among local parents, who fear that fewer teachers will result in increased class sizes. A town hall meeting has been arranged for next Thursday in order to address the district’s funding issues.

Superintendent Fires Entire School Staff
(USA Today, February 25th) On Tuesday, Central Falls Rhode Island Superintendent Frances Gallo fired all 74 teachers and administrators from the district’s lone high school. The move came after Central Falls was listed as one of the state’s worst performing districts. While critics expressed concerns about the layoffs impact on the relationship between teacher unions and democratic leaders, others praised the district for its bold reform.

Shortcuts for High School Seniors
(USA Today, February 26th) In order to cut state education costs Utah Senator Chris Buttars has proposed to make the high school senior year optional for academically advanced students. With 21 states already allowing students to graduate early, Buttars proposal seems to be reflective of a national trend. In addition to cutting costs, the bill will allow early graduates to participate in college courses in order to continue their academic development.

How Will Education Budget Impact the Economy?
(Education Week, February 26th) With the Obama administration proposing to increase the Department of Education’s budget by 7.5 percent over the next fiscal year, critics have raised concerns about its impact on a struggling economy. Republicans in the House Budget Committee have suggested that the proposal is too large and could add to the budget deficit. Many democrats have also raised concerns emphasizing that the administration’s support of competitive grants could make it harder for some school districts to get appropriate resources. But according to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, educational development is vital to the nation's economic prosperity.