Education News: March 19, 2010

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

Detroit to Close 45 Schools
(New York Times, March 18th) The Detroit school district has decided to close 45 of its 172 public schools by the end of the academic year. With 100 school closings since 2004, the district has been one of the nation’s most troubled school systems. The closings are part of a $1 billion dollar overhaul plan that will be implemented over the next 5 years.

Unions Challenge Overhaul
(New York Times, March 17th) With plans to overhaul the No Child Left Behind laws, the Obama administration faces resistance from teachers’ unions nation wide. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan tried to quell such concerns during a planned statement to congress on Wednesday. The Obama administration’s proposed policies would help to alleviate the pressures that teachers face, explained Duncan. However unions remain undeterred, arguing that the administrations proposals would overemphasize standardized testing and impose federal mandates.

Reading Gender Gap
(Education Week,March 17th) A recent gender study has found that male students’ reading scores trail female scores in every state. In certain states the gender reading gap has been reported to be as high as 10 percentage points. In spite of such academic disparity the report does show some encouraging signs. While there is an achievement gap, it appears to be narrowing. Many states reported a steady rate of improvement in male reading scores since 2002.

iPod Use Encouraged in a Georgia School
(Education Week, March 18th) While many schools have banned electronic devices such as iPods, Roswell High School, Georgia, has integrated iPods into academic activities. The school’s pilot program allows students to use iPods in advance placement courses as an education resource. Students can use the iPods wireless internet for research, listen to teacher podcasts, check the school website and read teachers’ online notes. Teachers at Roswell have embraced the program claiming that it allows students to have access to academic resources in a format that they are accustomed to.

New Jersey May Cut School Funding by $1 Billion
(Education Week, March 17th) Recent New Jersey budget cuts may result in a $1 billion decrease in school funding from last year. Although the cuts are currently expected, they may be reversed. A current property tax proposal may result in increased state revenue for school aid. /p>

School Districts Sell Website Advertisement Spacels
(USA Today, March 17th) Amidst a struggling economy and education budget cuts, a number of school districts have begun to offer advertisement space on their websites to increase revenue. The San Diego Unified School District believes that selling web ads could result in up to $100,000 in new revenue. Bernie Rhinerson, San Diego’s chief district relation officer, hopes that the advertisements will help to restore the district’s %25 revenue loss.

Massachusetts House Passes Anti-Bullying Bill
(Boston Globe, March 19th) The Massachusetts House has unanimously passed a bill to limit bullying in schools. The bill requires that unlawful bullying must be reported to the police, as well as included mandatory fines for school employees that do not report bullying. The House pointed to the traumatic affects of bullying, including two student suicides which occurred in response to harassment at school.