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 Report: How much do public schools spend on teaching? National Center for Policy Analysis Share    
School districts claim that funding cuts would require them to close schools and drastically increase class sizes, but states have little choice: K-12 schools take an average of 36 percent of general funds annually. However, school district budgets can be cut without touching classroom spending, says Michael Barba, a graduate student fellow with the National Center for Policy Analysis. School districts very often define spending categories in unexpected ways, making it difficult to distinguish classroom spending from operational costs. More
Survey highlights changing educators opinions on education technology eSchool News Share
A new survey reveals evidence of a major shift in educators opinions regarding technology as an educational tool, which might be attributed to the increase in educator and administrator use of education technology tools. According to the latest Speak Up Survey results, more than twice as many educators have a personal smart phone today than in 2008, and there has been a 33 percent increase in the proliferation of teachers who are active Facebook users. There has also been a 50 percent increase of teachers using podcasts and videos as part of their classroom instruction. More  Literacy education: The foundation for all learning Education Week (commentary) Share
There is a lot of talk these days about making sure that the United States remains competitive in the 21st century global economy. Government officials and the business community are working on ways to create and maintain jobs in growing industries, and policymakers and others are trying to figure out how to make sure our schools are effectively preparing our students for the jobs of tomorrow. Every teacher and administrator understands that literacy issues are a serious concern. More
Coal curriculum called unfit for fourth-graders The New York Times Share
Three advocacy groups have started a letter-writing campaign asking Scholastic Inc. to stop distributing the fourth-grade curriculum materials that the American Coal Foundation paid the company to develop. The three groups say that Scholastic's "United States of Energy" package gives children a one-sided view of coal, failing to mention its negative effects on the environment and human health. More Fifth-graders get and give alternative energy lessons York Daily Record Share
Many of Scott Weaver's fifth-graders in his gifted class knew the importance of turning off lights and recycling plastic bottles. But he took it one step further when he decided to teach a unit on alternative energy. Seven of his students presented what they learned about what Weaver calls "the science of the future" on a Glog — or a virtual poster into which you can imbed pictures, videos and text — to another class. More
 Report: To keep schools safe, teachers need to be more visible Chicago Tribune Share
The threat of violence is a disruptive force in many Chicago schools, but a new report suggests that schools in even the most crime-ridden neighborhoods can foster safe environments by building strong relationships between teachers and students. A two-year study by the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago found that students from high-crime areas naturally tended to feel less safe on campus than peers in less violent neighborhoods. But supportive relationships inside and outside the classroom can override those fears, giving students a better chance to learn, the study indicated. More Quality of summer school teachers targeted Education Week Share
As hundreds of thousands of students soon head off to summer school, several crucial and long-unanswered questions about teacher quality could get a second look: Which teachers get recruited for summer school, and how well does their instruction align to the knowledge and skills children need to master? A hefty body of evidence documents the phenomenon of "summer learning loss," but consensus on the attributes of effective summer intervention, especially when it comes to access to high-quality teaching for students most at risk of falling behind, is only starting to emerge. More Advertisement
Can learning really be fun and games? KQED Share
For those wondering what a game-based classroom looks like in a traditional school, take a peek into Ananth Pai's third-grade class in Parkview/Center Point Elementary school in Maplewood, Minn. Using his own money and grants that he applied for, Pai has managed to round up seven laptops, two desktops 11 Nintendo DS's, 18 games for math, reading, vocabulary, geography and 21 digital voice recorders. More  President's committee tackles arts education Los Angeles Times Share
With First Lady Michelle Obama and such celebrities as Sarah Jessica Parker lending support, the president's committee on the Arts and the Humanities issued a report aiming to reverse a decades-long decline in arts education in American elementary and secondary schools. The report is intended to help advocates press for more money, better teaching approaches and a fresh mind-set that doesn't treat arts learning as a frill or an afterthought, readily cut when school budgets grow tight. More Advertisement
Education hornets' nest: Creating a national K-12 curriculum The Hill (commentary) Share
The U.S. Department of Education has, since September of 2010, been financing the work of two testing groups to create a national K-12 curriculum for English and mathematics. But in launching this new initiative, Education Department officials seem to be acting at crosspurposes with existing federal statutes, and, as their initiative becomes better known, it may bring out a multitude of opponents. The new national curriculum is designed to complement a federally-funded national testing system that will test every public school student in America. Left unchallenged, this federal effort will establish for America a new system of national tests, national academic content standards and a national curriculum. More  In praise of principals in hard times Education Week (commentary) Share
Administrators in Oakland, Calif., must fulfill the same roles and responsibilities as principals across the U.S. However, as urban school leaders, Oakland administrators must also be adept at communicating with families from a range of backgrounds, cultures and religions. More In Texas schools, a picture's worth 1,000 calories The Associated Press via Yahoo News Share
That's the idea behind a $2 million project being unveiled in the lunchroom of a San Antonio elementary school, where high-tech cameras installed in the cafeteria will begin photographing what foods children pile onto their trays — and later capture what they don't finish eating. Digital imaging analysis of the snapshots will then calculate how many calories each student scarfed down. Local health officials said the program, funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, is the first of its kind in a U.S. school, and will be so precise that the technology can identify a half-eaten pear left on a lunch tray. More
Schools make strides despite length of day Honolulu Star-Advertiser Share
In Hawaii the amount of instructional time offered at elementary schools statewide varies widely but there appears to be no correlation between campuses with shorter school days and those meeting annual learning benchmarks, new state data show. Twelve of the 37 schools that offer school days of at least five hours, five minutes on average, the minimum expected to go into effect next school year, did not meet adequate yearly math and reading proficiency goals in 2010 under the No Child Left Behind law, according to statistics compiled by the state Department of Education. More Pa. House passes expansion of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program The Patriot-News Share
The Pennsylvania House has voted 190-7 to expand the state's program that gives tax breaks to companies that contribute to private school scholarship funds or innovative educational programming at public schools. The measure now goes to the Senate for consideration. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Thomas Quigley, R-Montgomery, would increase funding for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program up to $100 million next year and up to $200 million the following year. Currently, $60 million is allocated to the program. More Advertisement
Christie pleads case for school reforms NorthJersey.com Share
The political climate is ripe for bipartisan agreement on education reform, Gov. Chris Christie said at a Washington, D.C., panel discussion. But the outspoken Republican also said "the Democratic Party has failed in representing" children in New Jersey's cities, and teachers unions "are the people to blame for the lack of change." That analysis was derided as "simplistic" by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif. More Minnesota bill would keep struggling readers in third-grade Minneapolis Star Tribune Share
Minnesota will start telling school districts to hold back third-graders who are struggling with reading if a bill that passed the Minnesota House becomes law. The legislation mandates that schools retain students who are not reading at grade-level in third-grade, though parents could authorize that their children advance to fourth-grade by signing a form. More  Principals' Buyers Guide—a quick way to find what your school needs NAESP Share
Have you visited the Principals' Buyers Guide? It's your ticket to a virtual exhibit hall of suppliers and the latest innovations for schools. Head over to the Guide and take a look around today! More Advertisement
You could be an NAESP editorial advisor NAESP Share
Do you enjoy reading professional publications? Do you have ideas on what principals would like to read in Principal magazine and NAESP's other publications? Do you have a flair for writing? You just might be one of NAESP's next editorial advisors! More |
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