Education News: July 31, 2008

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending July 31, 2008.

Students Explore Urban Teaching in Philadelphia
(Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/31/08): A new full-scholarship residential program in Philadelphia, PA is giving 32 high school juniors a taste of what it means to be an urban teacher in a challenging classroom. Most of the participants, who call themselves “govies” after the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for Urban Teaching, are from struggling urban schools themselves and see this opportunity as a way to give back to the community and be role models for other students. The five-week summer program, which is overseen by Temple University’s Urban Education Collaborative, has the high school students teach reading and writing in the mornings and then attending lectures on urban teaching by Temple professors in the afternoon. Both the govies and their young students have benefited positively from the program and Temple hopes to double the number of spots for next summer and accept applicants from throughout the state.

More Adoptive Children Seek Help at Private Schools
(Source: The Houston Chronicle, 7/29/08): Experts have found a strong correlation among children with learning disabilities, who often require special educational services, and the likelihood that they may also be adopted. This connection may be due to abusive histories or genetic issues associated with the child’s past. As a result, many families have chosen to switch their children from public schools to smaller private schools where they can receive more individual attention. Many private schools are also noticing an influx of adopted children and some have even come to be seen as a haven for children with more complex issues.

Texas Likely to Appeal Bilingual Education Ruling
(Source: The Dallas Morning News, 7/29/08): Texas will most likely be appealing a court ruling to implement a new language program for an approximated 140,000 students who have yet to master the English language. According to recent test scores, this program has become necessary as the state has failed to properly educate their bilingual students. Many are hoping to see the continuation of a new dual-language program in which students take lessons during the first half of the day in their native language and then take lessons in English for the remainder of the day. Opponents believe that this program would simply aid illegal immigration by making the transition to an English-speaking school easier.

For Many Student Athletes, Game Over
(Source: The New York Times, 7/28/08): Faced with painfully low budgets and the pressure for improved test scores, many school districts on the east coast have had to either cut back on funding for athletic programs or eliminate them entirely. Students, parents, and teachers have been rallying to try and raise enough money to keep the programs running, but are often falling short of the goal. Many argue that athletic programs are incentives for students to come to school and stay away from drugs and gang activities. But school officials cite mounting fuel prices, higher teacher salaries, and the rising cost of benefits as obstacles to maintaining sports programs as they currently stand.

Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?
(Source: The New York Times, 7/27/08): As adolescents’ reading scores begin to decline, many are blaming the increasing amount of time spent surfing the web. Although some argue that this form of entertainment, although not as beneficial as reading a book, is better than watching television, many feel that this new form of internet literacy is hurting teenage reading skills. Still, this new kind of literacy could be seen as a sort of preparation for careers in the digital age.

The Odd World of E-School Teachers
(Source: The Washington Post, 7/25/080: While the number of online schools across the country is on the rise – a 60 percent increase from 2002-2005, according to the National Center for Education Statistics – teachers at such schools are expressing their joy and frustration with the uncommon situation. Jobs at online schools are highly competitive because they offer teachers the much-desired opportunity to work at home and on their own schedules. However, they are also faced with the difficulties that arise from having a strictly virtual relationship with their students. For example, many teachers find that it is tougher to communicate with students through e-mail and instant messaging rather than through face-to-face contact and that many students are able to fall behind more easily when they are not in a formal classroom setting.

Pledge of Allegiance Ruling May Spur Suits
(Source: The Miami Herald, 7/25/08): A student’s right to abstain from pledging allegiance to the flag was upheld this week in a ruling by a federal appeals court. The Florida student was in eleventh grade in 2005 when he refused to stand for the pledge of allegiance and was sent to the principal’s office and insulted by his teacher in response. The case was settled with the school district in 2006 who maintained that the student had a right to refrain from saying the pledge, but the case against the state education department was pursued. Now the federal court has ruled against the state education department who required permission from parents when a student refused to stand for the pledge, declaring the rule unconstitutional.