Posted on May 29th, 2011 by Mary Lord
New Census figures reveal that the nation’s overall spending on education grew at a significantly slower pace in 2009 than at any other time in more than a decade. State and local revenues supplied all but 9.5 percent of the nation’s total $590.9 billion education tab. New York topped the class at $18,126 per student, with D.C. a close second at $16,408. Utah spent the least: $6,356.
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Tags: Education Policy, Public Policy
Posted on May 22nd, 2011 by Mary Lord
The foundation launched by Microsoft founder Bill Gates is spending millions of dollars to enlist educators and experts in promoting sweeping changes to public education. Teachers hired by Gates-funded advocacy group Teach Plus helped persuade Indiana lawmakers this spring to eliminate seniority-based layoff policies.
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Tags: Corporations, Education Policy, Organizations, Public Policy
Posted on May 15th, 2011 by Mary Lord
After years of discussing the need to improve STEM education, states are starting to seize their Sputnik moment. Some are forging novel connections between colleges and local school systems. Others are considering laws so school districts can form regional STEM schools.
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Tags: Corporations, Education Policy, Outreach, Outreach for Schools, Public Policy
Posted on May 15th, 2011 by Mary Lord
House Republicans made their opening bid to rewrite the No Child Left Behind Act, introducing the first of what are expected to be as many as five bills seeking to change specific parts of federal education law and eliminate “wasteful” education programs. A bipartisan group of Senators is seeking broader changes, however.
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Tags: Education Policy, Public Policy
Posted on May 1st, 2011 by Mary Lord
Can digital media and video games boost student learning? The Bill and Melinda Gates and Pearson foundations clearly think so. The pair announced a $20 million effort to create online reading, math, and science courses tied to new Common Core state standards that will use video, interactive software, games, social media and other digital materials.
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Tags: Curriculum, Education Policy, Internet Resources, Public Policy, Teachers, Technology for Learning
Posted on April 11th, 2011 by Mary Lord
Mike Town has worked in steel factories and forests, tricked out a “green” house, persuaded legislators to save the wilderness, and started a student-run “Cool Schools” energy audit, saving his district $30,000 a year. Now, the Redmond, Wash., teacher is turning an environmentalist’s eye toward federal STEM education policy.
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Filed under: Special Features | 1 Comment »
Tags: Environmental Engineering, Environmental science, Grades 9-12, Public Policy, Teachers
Posted on April 10th, 2011 by Mary Lord
British naturalist Charles Darwin knew his theory of natural selection was controversial. Still, even he might be nonplussed at the uproar over teaching evolution. Last week, Tennessee’s House of Representatives approved a bill that encourages science teachers to explore controversial topics without fear of reprisal. Critics contend the measure will let K-12 teachers present intelligent design and creationism as acceptable alternatives to evolution.
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Tags: Education Policy, Evolution, Public Policy
Posted on April 3rd, 2011 by Mary Lord
Civil rights, business, and education advocates are urging Congress and the Obama administration not to undermine a key portion of the No Child Left Behind Act in their quest to make the law more flexible—a move they fear will shortchange minority students and other historically overlooked groups in the process.
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Tags: Education Policy, Minority Group Students, Public Policy, Research on Learning
Posted on April 3rd, 2011 by Mary Lord
Wisconsin’s labor battle gained national attention after nearly 100,000 people, including educators, rallied in the capital to protest a bill to curb public-sector collective bargaining. Meanwhile, with far less fanfare, Ohio’s legislature approved a bill that is perhaps even tougher on unions and gives school boards and city councils a free hand to unilaterally impose their side’s final contract offer.
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Tags: Public Policy, Teachers