posted on
Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
While Democrats and Republicans in the Senate hold daily negotiations over a new federal education law, things are far more strained between the parties on the House side. (Washington Post)
In obscure data tables buried deep in its 2016 budget proposal, the Obama administration revealed this week that its student loan program had a $21.8 billion shortfall last year, apparently the largest ever recorded for any government credit program. (Politico)
You probably have that one teacher who stands out — who pushed you, or loved you or just taught you a heck of a lot. We do. (NPR)
The California Department of Education is seeking a one-year reprieve from the U.S. Department of Education from the use of student performance on Smarter Balanced assessments in determining school performance. (Education Week)
A couple of weeks ago, I wandered into the hills north of the UC Berkeley campus and showed up at the door of a shambling Tudor that was filled with lumber and construction equipment. Samantha Matalone Cook, a work-at-home mom in flowing black pants and a nose ring, showed me around. Cook and her family had moved into the house in April and were in the middle of an ambitious renovation. “Sorry,” Cook said, “I didn’t tell you we were in a construction zone.” A construction zone, it turns out, that doubles as a classroom. (Wired)
According to the National Governors Association, on “June 1, 2012, 48 states and territories, the District of Columbia, and all of the Department of Defense schools that serve the children of U.S. service men and women around the world, had formally adopted the (Common Core State Standards) CCSS.” With the United States’ academic ranking continuing to fall further behind other nations, and the rise of global economic factors, it has become increasingly important to make sure our youth are prepared to enter a highly competitive workforce. As a nation, we must first address the disparity between states regarding educational achievement. This was an idea whose time had come, but as in every great idea, its success lies in the details; and the implementation of Common Core has become problematic on multiple levels across the country. (The Hill)