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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
The Obama administration has approved 16 states’ plans to ensure that all students, including those in high-poverty schools, have equitable access to strong teachers, Education Department officials announced Thursday. (The Washington Post)
Over the summer, major news outlets reported that the nation is facing dire teacher shortages. Pundits speculated that middling salaries and low prestige of teachers, among other factors, were pushing smart young people to other professions. The number of education majors dropped from 179,000 in 2011-12 to 164,000 the following year. (The Atlantic)
On the campaign trail, Republican presidential candidates vow to roll back new U.S. education standards known as the Common Core. In the classroom, the multi-state guidelines increasingly look like they’re here to stay. Since they were adopted by 46 states five years ago, the Common Core standards have become a symbol of Big Government overreach for conservatives. (Huffington Post)
Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg and Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford announced Thursday they are partnering to expand a multimedia program for Detroit-area students designed to foster tolerance. (US News)
Washington state is in the center of a perfect storm over education.
Seattle public school teachers are on strike over issues including evaluations, pay and the length of the school day. The strike, called by the 5,000-member teachers’ union, started on Wednesday, Sept. 9, the day the 2015-16 school year was supposed to start. (The Washington Post)