President Obama Goes Back to School with Kelly Clarkson

Basketball star LeBron James is heading back to class too. President Obama recruited the popular celebrities to return to school with him in an effort to get kids excited about learning. You can see the president’s star-studded pep rally September 8th at 8 p.m. on BET, MTV, VH1, CMT, Comedy Central, Spike TV and Nickelodeon. In addition to appearances by Clarkson and James, the back-to-school TV special will also include Obama’s speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz, who talks about her time in school and current job at the White House. Also featured are Clarkson’s music director, Jason Halbert, and James’ marketer, Latesha … Continue reading →

Paying for Your Child’s Bad Behavior in School

What kind of punishment would really hit you where it hurts in regards to paying for your child’s bad behavior in school? British government officials say parents of poorly behaved students are no longer deterred by moves to shame the family name as punishment to get their kids to act properly, so they’ve decided to hit moms and dads where it really hurts—-in their wallets. According to reports, parents in the United Kingdom – whose kids attend state schools – will now be required to sign a contract that promises their children will behave while at school. The government’s new … Continue reading →

Colorado Making it Easier to Support Kids in School

Have you ever requested time off from work to address your child’s educational needs only to be denied? Apparently it happened one too many times to parents in Colorado, and now state lawmakers have designed a bill to help moms and dads take time off from work to deal with school-related events. The bill recently won preliminary approval in the Colorado House, but it still requires a final House vote before heading to the Senate. Unfortunately, for the bill’s authors it was watered down to apply only to companies with 50 or more workers and restricts what school-related events parents … Continue reading →

Teachers Speak Out About Obama Inauguration

As I mentioned in a previous blog, thousands of public and private school teachers around the country allowed their students to put down their books on Tuesday to watch history being made. When Barack Obama took the oath of office as the 44th President of the United States new surveys estimate that more than two million students tuned in to see it live. In fact, Barack Obama’s inauguration was one for the TV ratings history books. Nielsen Media Research just released its latest numbers for Inauguration Day viewership. According to Nielsen, 37.8 million viewers watched Obama become this nation’s first … Continue reading →

Schools Using Obama Inauguration as Teaching Tool

At noon tomorrow hundreds of thousands of children living on the East Coast will put down their books and lunch trays and gather in front of massive television screens to watch history unfold. Florida Governor Charlie Crist wrote a letter last week to state Education Commissioner Eric Smith asking him to encourage schools to take a break from studies on Tuesday, when Barack Obama takes the oath of office. The Republican governor’s letter read in part: “While the inauguration of any American President and the peaceful transition of our national leadership are admired around the globe, next week’s event symbolizes … Continue reading →

Will Obama Make Education Top Priority?

During his campaign, Barack Obama said that educational reform is an issue that is near to his heart, but will it be his number one priority? The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) doesn’t think so. The president-elect of the United States of America has a huge job ahead of him. He is inheriting the leadership of a country with many issues, from war to a falling economy, inadequate health care to students who are graduating unprepared for the workforce. The educational system is in crisis. Cuts in spending are being made all over the country by local boards of education due … Continue reading →

National Teleconference to Discuss NCLB Regulations

Confused about No Child Left Behind and the new final regulations that are coming out? Officials from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) will be discussing the final regulations (Title 1 regulations) to strengthen the No Child Left Behind Act during a national teleconference. The public is invited to attend. The teleconference will be held on November 13th, 2008, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET. You can call in any time between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. that day. ED officials will discuss the new regulations and answer any questions that have either been e-mailed in advance or asked … Continue reading →

Schools Required to Improve Dropout Rates

Last month, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced a new set of regulations that are aimed at making high schools accountable for high school drop out rates. The new rules are an extension of the “No Child Left Behind” act, which until now has concentrated on meeting requirements for grades three through eight. Now, high schools will have to be accountable as well. They must meet targets for annual graduation rates and may be fined if they don’t achieve these targets. Consequences include having to pay for tutoring and replacing the principal of the school. Statistically, one in four high school … Continue reading →

Sex Education in the News

Sex education is a controversial subject for families. Some parents support it, others do not, and still others believe it has its place depending on the age of the students. Like it or not, sex education has been in the news lately, including compulsory lessons on sex education for children as young as five years old. Let’s get to the first piece of news. An initiative was announced in England that millions of children from the age of five to 16, who attend state-funded schools, will be given compulsory lessons about sex education and drugs. It is important to note … Continue reading →

Federal Government is Concerned about Schools and Food Allergies

The federal government takes action in our education system in many ways. One form that has recently hit the school systems is in the topic of nutrition. Along with the stricter guidelines that are being placed on the healthy foods that must be served in our school cafeterias, the federal government is also taking a closer look into the foods that are most likely to be allergy problems for children. While many individual schools have their own plans in place for dealing with children who have food allergies, only a few states actually have a state wide plan. Those states … Continue reading →