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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News & analysis:
NCLB Waiver in Hand, CORE Districts Move Ahead
With their long sought-after flexibility waivers in hand, what happens now in the eight California districts that have won a reprieve from parts of the federal No Child Left Behind law? (Education Week – District Dossier)
Obama Administration Aloof as Lawmakers Tangle Over ESEA
Not since passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 has Congress been so outwardly engaged in K-12 policy, yet most advocates remain pessimistic that there will be a new version of the flagship federal education law anytime soon. (Education Week)
Mayoral Candidates See Cincinnati as a Model for New York Schools
In search of a cure for ailing schools, educators and politicians from around the world have descended on this city’s poorest neighborhoods, hearing of a renaissance. (New York Times)
Fundraising at D.C. charter schools varies widely
Many traditional D.C. public schools supplement their budgets with private fundraising, often giving those in affluent neighborhoods a financial edge over their counterparts in poorer areas.
D.C. charter schools also vary widely in their ability to tap into philanthropic donations,according to data the D.C. Public Charter School Board recently released, with the best fundraisers boosting their budgets by thousands of dollars per student each year. (Washington Post)
New York:
New York State Senate to hold hearings on testing, teacher evaluations, other education reforms
The chairman of the New York State Senate Education Committee will hold hearings next month on the state’s controversial educational reforms. Sen. John Flanagan, a Republican from Long Island, said he will hold several hearings across the state, starting in Long Island in mid-September. He said the topics will include, among other issues, the state’s emphasis on high-stakes standardized testing, the new Common Core standards, teacher evaluations and student privacy. (Syracuse.com)
View Points:
The High Cost of Low Teacher Salaries
When we don’t get the results we want in our military endeavors, we don’t blame the soldiers. We don’t say, “It’s these lazy soldiers and their bloated benefits plans! That’s why we haven’t done better in Afghanistan!” No, if the results aren’t there, we blame the planners. We blame the generals, the secretary of defense, theJoint Chiefs of Staff. No one contemplates blaming the men and women fighting every day in the trenches for little pay and scant recognition. (New York Times)