posted on
Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
This month we reported the findings from our nationwide investigation into the forces driving the nation’s rising high school graduation rate. We found some solid educational approaches — and some questionable quick fixes. Since our stories appeared, the city of Chicago has responded to Becky Vevea’s reporting and vowed to keep better track of students in its system. And the state of Pennsylvania has voted to delay linking graduation to its Keystone exams, a phenomenon that Kevin McCorry of WHYY pointed out was likely to lower the graduation rate. (NPR)
Though much of teaching around STEM occurs in the classroom, that isn’t where students spend most of their time. It is the time they spend outside of school that can be most valuable in helping them learn about STEM careers and how they can solve problems – and that’s where parents can help to inspire, support and develop their children’s learning. (US News)
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is expected to announce his bid for the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday at the high school where he once played baseball and served as student body president. But the venue may be an odd choice, given that the school’s district has experienced significant cuts in state funding during Christie’s time as governor. (Huffington Post)
US senator and democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has proposed what many consider a highly unrealistic, if not radical, plan: Make college free for all Americans. (Quartz)
Gov. Bobby Jindal finalized Louisiana’s Common Core compromise Monday (June 29), signing three legislative bills authorizing changes to the national education standards in his state. As other Common Core opponents have, Jindal painted the bills as a victory for the anti-standards camp. (The Times-Picayune)
The Douglas County School District may not provide its families vouchers to send their students to private schools, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday morning. (Chalkbeat Colorado)
New Jersey
State officials may have failed to abide by their own standards for providing help to 28 low-performing Newark schools in 2012, the U.S. Department of Education has found. (nj.com)