Election Time and School

Election years can be great fun for schools. The country event ties in great with government, history, civics, and social studies classes. Math teachers can make use of the poll results and language arts classes can use the experience as a writing activity. Middle school and high school students can really gain a lot from discussing the current event. Many schools opt to hold their own elections to see who the student body or class would elect to be the President of the United States of America. Students at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School recently held and election and voted Democratic … Continue reading →

NCLB Highly Qualified Provision is Challenged

Common sense and research alike tells us that students perform better and have more academic success when they have an experienced, highly skilled and knowledgeable teacher. It is also a well known truth that schools with large ratios of minority students and/or low income students have a difficult time getting and keeping the teachers that they need. Determining how to get and keep skilled, experienced, good teachers is not an easy task. Many groups have different views on how this should be accomplished. Some believe that the teachers with high performance ratings should be paid more. Others feel that a … Continue reading →

Presidential Candidates Speak to NEA

It is that time again when political candidates begin to fight for the support of educators. Eight of the presidential candidates met with the National Education Association (NEA) in Philadelphia. As expected, the candidates said just what the teachers wanted to hear. Illinois Senator Barack Obama was a popular speaker. He carefully discussed merit pay (which teachers are usually not in favor of). He placed a softer edge on the issue by promising to give teacher input to the topic. His idea was to work with the teachers and ease into the process together. Republican Mike Huckabee also gained support … Continue reading →

No Child Left Behind Tutoring Makes Progress

The No Child Left Behind law has changed education. It has required teachers to meet tougher qualifications and for schools to meet tougher achievement goals. While the law has its various critics, it does have support also. As with many laws, the No Child Left Behind law has its pros and cons. However, I feel that any law that is designed to help education and allows for children to benefit cannot be all bad. One positive sign that the No Child Left Behind law is working is coming from schools that have been tracked for their free tutoring program. Under … Continue reading →

Use of Race in School Admission

All knows America for its freedom of acceptance. It is known to be huge and diverse. It is likely to be the most diverse country in terms of race and ethnics. However, here we are some fifty-two years after the court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education. We are once again bringing school race issues to the courts. In some instances we try so hard to ‘fix’ a problem that we only make it worse. The two school districts at question in Kentucky both had developed plans in order to prevent segregation at its public schools. The school boards … Continue reading →

Title 1 Funding

Title 1 federal funding began in 1965 when the Elementary and Secondary Act was passed. Since then, Title 1 has played a major role in funding education. Title 1 was created to allow all students an equal opportunity to receive the highest quality education possible. It was designed to remove factors such low income and poverty. Through Title 1, school districts can hire teachers to lower student-teacher ratio, provide tutoring for struggling students, create school computer labs, fund parent involvement activities, purchase instructional materials, host professional development for teachers, create pre-kindergarten classes, and hire teacher assistants. Schools receive Title 1 … Continue reading →

Does More Money Mean a Better Education?

Since Congress is changing hands from the GOP to the Dems in January of 2007, the NEA has its sights on what it sees as potential for change. NCLB* and the ESEA** are up for tweaking and renewal. The NEA also has a whole slew of other proposals that they want to see pushed through, such as giving educators additional tax breaks for the money they spend on their classrooms, initiatives to decrease the drop out rate, increase the graduation rate, increase funding for Title 1 programs, and improvement for their teacher’s salary packages (benefits, pensions etc.) What I read, … Continue reading →

Desegregation and the Supreme Court

Today the Supreme Court is hearing what is considered to be their 5th big case since Chief Justice John Roberts took the bench. The question being considered is whether or not the need for diversity can justify school districts using race as a factor in assigning schools for students. Background The goal, for more than 400 school districts out of the nation’s 15,000 public schools, is to make the racial make up of a school roughly the same as a district’s population. Affirmative action advocates say that the laws are critical to keeping our educational system fair to all students. … Continue reading →

No Child Left Behind Law Expires in One Year, What’s Next?

The No Child Left Behind law is set to expire next fall and I am sure that leaves many teachers with a bit of a grin on their faces. After all, this law, while it has many positives to it, is just an added stress to already stressed out teachers. Because the law expires next year, something will most likely replace it or it will be amended to have new and improved aspects to it. Just what would the NEA (National Education Association) like to see happen next with The No Child Left Behind law? The NEA likes the idea … Continue reading →

Should Seat Belts be on School Buses?

I know when my oldest son starts kindergarten next year; I plan on taking him to and from school. That is one perk of being a stay-at-home mom. However, when I return to the classroom and begin teaching again after his younger brother is in school, both of my boys will need to ride the bus to school. This has me wondering if I would feel my boys were safer if the bus they ride on had seat belts and all students would need to be buckled up. It seems very logical that seat belts would and should be mandatory. … Continue reading →