Education News: May 7, 2010

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending May 7, 2010.

Six Schools Participate in Nation Standards Pilot
(Education Week, May 5th) Six districts across the country have elected to participate in a national standards pilot program. As part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, the program includes pilots for both math and reading which may influence requirement changes nationwide. The participating districts were selected by the Council of Great City Schools.

Family Accuses School of Webcam Spying
(USA Today, May 2nd) The family of fifteen year old Blake Robbins has filed a lawsuit against the Lower Merion School District. The district is being accused of using a school issued webcam to spy on the teen both in and out of school. Over the past two years the district has issued 2,600 laptops to students and has used them to collect over 56,000 student pictures. The Robbins say that they learned about the webcam when Blake’s school principal showed her photos taken by the computer due to a suspicion of drug use.

Private Education Donations Spark Debate
(Education Week, May 7th) When a dozen foundations donated $506 million dollars to schools last week, Education Secretary Arne Duncan called the initiative “historic.” But despite such praise, there have been concerns that the Obama administration has become excessively intertwined with the private sector. According to Chester E. Finn Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, collaboration between the public and private sectors may crowd out the opportunity for additional privately funded ventures, particularly for projects the government would not ordinarily pursue.

Preschool Programs Expand Nationwide
(Education Week, May 4th) A recent survey conducted by the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University found that enrollment in America’s preschools grew by nearly 82,000 students in 2008-2009. The results proved that despite economic woes states have continued to invest in early childhood education. The surge in enrollment has caused the average state spending per student to drop from $4,179 to $4,143.

New York to Double Number of Charters
(New York Times, May 4th) On Monday, the New York Senate passed a bill that will double the number of charter schools in the state. The bill is a rehashed version of a proposal that drew limited support earlier this year. The bill is being viewed as an essential piece to increase New York’s eligibility in the second round of the Race to the Top competitive grants.

Los Angeles Bill Could Allow Schools to Wave Education Laws
(Los Angeles Times, May 6th) The Los Angeles House is set to vote on a bill that would allow superintendents to apply for waivers on certain education laws. The goal of the bill is to give public schools the opportunity to receive similar privileges to charters. Supporters of the bill praise the flexibility it offers schools that are held back by state requirements. Low performing schools would have to agree to leadership overhaul in order to receive the waivers.

Connecticut School’s Graduation Venue Provokes Lawsuit
(USA Today, May 5th) On Wednesday, two Connecticut high school students filed a lawsuit against their school district for electing to hold their graduation in a church. The two students argue that the commencement’s location carries a coercive and “overwhelmingly religious message.” A Washington DC based group, the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, was quick to support the students’ effort arguing that the district is in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Establishment Clause.