Education News: February 19, 2010

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending February 19, 2010.

2011 Fiscal Plan Aims to Improve Teacher Quality
(Education Week, February 19th) The Obama administration has proposed to increase efforts in developing education policies that improve teacher-effectiveness. The proposals laid out in the administration’s fiscal 2011 budget request aim to continue investments in competitive grants. The grants will focus on developing new recruiting, evaluating and training techniques in order to increase the number of quality educators. The budget plan, released this month, marks a significant change in federal teacher-quality investments.

The Gates Foundation Charter Grants
(Education Week,February 19th) The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently awarded $19.5 million dollars towards the development of new education resources and assessment. The money, divided into fifteen grants, is intended to support the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association common standards initiative. By providing new tools to the education community the foundation hopes the grants will help increase students’ “college readiness.”

How Far Should School Authority Extend?
(USA Today, February 19th) A federal lawsuit has been filed against a Philadelphia school district for illegal electronic wiretapping. The Lower Merion School District is said to have used webcams in school issued laptops in order to observe students in the privacy of their homes. The lawsuit has raised commotion surrounding the boundaries of schools’ student monitoring authority.

New Program Will Allow Students to Enter College Early
(New York Times, February 18th) A new program will allow high school students in eight states to graduate two years early and enroll directly into community college. In order to participate in the program 10th graders will need to pass a series of tests necessary to obtain a high school diploma. Students who do not pass the exams will have the opportunity to retake them in subsequent years.

New Jersey Schools Show Wealth Disparity
(New York Times, February 19th) A recent report has shown that New Jersey has the highest percentage of low-income students unable to attend schools in more affluent districts. The report comes amidst a push by school choice advocates to increase the number of public charters. By increasing the number of charter schools advocates hope to widen students’ schooling options. The State Assembly will meet next Thursday to discuss modifying its education legislation.

Mississippi Governor to Veto Education Funding Bill
(Boston Globe, February 18th) Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour intends to veto a $79 million budget restoration bill. The bill would allocate most of the money to secondary and elementary education, and would be funded by the state’s federal reserves. Barbour has emphasized the bill’s risk, explaining that it would burn too much of the state’s funds. Supporters of the bill highlight the state’s need to improve its education system and restore some of the hefty cuts that have been made over the past year.

Five Chicago School Spared
(Chicago Tribune, February 17th) After facing a barrage of complaints, Chicago public school officials have elected to spare five schools slated for closure next year. The schools were to be closed as part of Chicago’s school overhaul program, which has become a heated issue in recent months. Critics of school overhauls point to recent research stating that displaced students often enroll in schools that offer no-better education opportunities to their old schools. Huberman has proposed improved aid for schools receiving displaced students in order to improve overhaul success.