posted on
Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis:
Teacher Survey Shows Record Low Job Satisfaction In 2012
As school districts continued to cut budgets, increase class sizes, and implement teacher performance evaluations, teachers’ job satisfaction plummeted in 2012, reaching an all-time low, according to a survey released Thursday. (Huffington Post)
Survey Finds Rising Job Frustration Among Principals
A new national survey finds that three out of four K-12 public school principals, regardless of the types of schools they work in, believe the job has become “too complex,” and about a third say they are likely to go into a different occupation within next five years. (Education Week)
Florida Contemplates ‘Backup’ Tests for Common Core
One of the most visible cheerleaders for the common standards and assessments says that his state needs a contingency plan in case the tests are not ready. At his first meeting with the state board of education since becoming commissioner of education in Florida, Tony Bennett told panelists that he will develop a plan for a statewide testing system for 2014-15 in case the common assessments being developed by the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, aren’t ready as promised. (Education Week – Curriculum Matters)
Maryland:
AP success for Montgomery’s class of 2012, but gaps widen
More students graduated from Montgomery County Public Schools last year with Advanced Placement exams under their belts, but participation levels between students of different races, household income and other subgroups widened. (Gazette.net)
Minnesota:
OUR OPINION: Amend but don’t repeal skills test for teachers
Last year, the pendulum in Minnesota swung on teacher licensure. This year, it’s swinging back. Just once, let’s slow and stop the swing of the thing so that it rests at equilibrium, rather than correcting for overswings for many more years to come. (Grand Forks Herald)
Minnesota’s ‘Think Big’ effort aims to produce ‘World’s Best/Smartest Workforce’
Sometimes, politicians do think big. Sometimes, pols even do more listening than talking. Tuesday night, for example, members from a number of House education-related committees gathered to take on the subject of “The World’s Best/Smartest Workforce.” (MinnPost)
New York:
Gov. Cuomo announces state-imposed teacher evaluation system for city schools by June 1
City schools will get a state-imposed teacher evaluation system by June 1, Gov. Cuomo said on Wednesday. The day after the Daily News broke the story, Cuomo confirmed that the state is indeed speeding up its intervention in the battle over teacher evaluations. (New York Daily News)