Federal government to grant money to successful charters
In a vote of confidence for charter schools it deems “high quality,” the U.S. Department of Education announced grants totaling $25 million to charter school networks they believe have proved successful at raising student achievement. “Several high-quality charter schools across the country are making an amazing difference in our children’s lives, especially when charters in […]
Ravitch and Canada face off at Education Nation
The third day of Education Nation kicked off with a lively debate between charter school manager and educator Geoffrey Canada and education historian Diane Ravitch. Canada applauded the success of the charter schools in Harlem and elsewhere, with Ravitch countering that his schools and other charters had far more resources at their disposal than the […]
Governors take stage at Education Nation
After lunch, a panel of 10 state governors sat down with Brian Williams to discuss the state of education in America. They spoke and took questions about a wide range of topics: from how to evaluate teachers to the the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers that were announced by President Obama last Friday, to […]
NBC’s Education Nation focuses on teachers and early childhood Monday morning
NBC’s big special on education — called Education Nation — is under way today. This morning the panels and speakers focused on teachers and early childhood learning and the development of a child’s brain. Philanthropists Warren Buffett, Melinda Gates, and early education advocate Suzie Buffett talked with Tom Brokaw and focused largely around teacher quality […]
President Obama announces waiver plan for NCLB
President Barack Obama announced sweeping changes today that will allow states to apply for waivers from current requirements under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. As the deadline approaches for all students to be proficient in reading and math — by the year 2014 — the waivers will give states more control over how […]
Finalist from last year wins the 2011 Broad Prize for Urban Education
Calling the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools “a model for innovation in urban education,” U.S. Secretary of Arne Duncan announced the North Carolina district today as the 2011 winner of the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Duncan highlighted Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s success in narrowing achievement gaps faster than any other district in North Carolina, and noted that it has begun sending the […]
Federal government launches ‘Digital Promise’ to foster new educational technologies
Do U.S. schools need an infusion of digital technology to transform teaching and learning? A new nonprofit center known as “Digital Promise” thinks so, and it will help fund the development of new technology like learning software and educational games in schools across the country. The center, created by Congress and launched on Friday, hopes […]
School districts’ views on the Common Core State Standards
Yesterday, the Center on Education Policy released survey results that detail the views of school districts on the Common Core State Standards in the states that have adopted them so far. The Common Core is a push to standardize K-12 learning expectations across the nation–a break from the long tradition of local control in American […]
More students defaulting on college loans
Another sign of America’s struggling economy revealed itself yesterday when the U.S. Department of Education released figures indicating that the percentage of people defaulting on college loans rose from 7.0 percent in 2008 to 8.8 percent in 2009. The for-profit sector of higher education–which has come under scrutiny for aggressive recruiting tactics in low-income areas–accounts […]
The American Jobs Act: Does it have the answers?
Mixed reactions are emerging to President Barack Obama’s education pledges in his introduction of the American Jobs Act last night, outlined further by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Friday afternoon. Duncan, currently on a tour of four cities, says he’s seen ballooning class sizes and major cuts to art programs and extracurricular activities. “To […]
