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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News & analysis:
Arne Duncan: Integration Alone Doesn’t Equal a World-Class Education
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called on educators and students to advance a civil rights agenda that presses for equal opportunities—and not just equal rights. (Education Week – Politics K-12)
CPS to vote on budget amid rally, threat of boycott
Just past the heightened scrutiny over security and school consolidations brought on by the first day of school, Chicago school officials will vote today on a $5.58 billion budget that promises teacher and program cuts and has generated additional criticism. (Chicago Tribune)
What Parents Want: Education Preferences and Trade-offs
This groundbreaking study finds that nearly all parents seek schools with a solid core curriculum in reading and math, an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, and the development in students of good study habits, strong critical thinking skills, and excellent verbal and written communication skills. But some parents also prefer specializations and emphases that are only possible in a system of school choice. (Thomas B. Fordham Institute)
Graduations on the Rise
In his 2009 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama challenged Americans to “commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training…. Every American,” he said, “will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country.” During most of the last century, steady increases in the proportion of the labor force that had graduated from high school fueled the nation’s economic growth and rising incomes. The high school graduation rate for teenagers in the United States rose from 6 percent to 80 percent from 1900 to 1970. By the late 1960s, the U.S. ranked first among countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on this measure of educational attainment. (Education Next)
Study: Education waivers could leave behind at-risk students
Millions of at-risk students could fall through the cracks as the Education Department gives states permission to ignore parts of No Child Left Behind, according to a study education advocates released Tuesday. (USA Today)
New Jersey:
190 Newark teachers get merit pay bonuses
Dozens of Newark teachers have some extra cash in their pockets. Officials say 190 teachers have received $1.3 million overall in merit pay bonuses that are part of a landmark teacher’s contract ratified last year. (Star Ledger)
Pennsylvania:
Philadelphia Teachers’ Union Willing To Accept Pay Freeze, Pay Into Health Care
KYW Newsradio has learned the Philadelphia teachers union is prepared to make some significant movement in contract talks with the school district. (CBS Philadelphia)
Rhode Island:
Gist to Delay Teacher-Evaluation Component in Rhode Island
Rhode Island Commissioner Deborah Gist will seek to delay for a year using the results of state standardized tests in teachers’ evaluations, the Providence Journal reports. (Education Week – Teacher Beat)