EduQuery Old News from 1998
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California chucks whole language in early grades; embraces phonics (Washington Post, December 10, 1998)
They rank 39th in the nation in reading scores. They also wholly adopted whole language. Now California realizes that kids just can't learn to read on whole language alone. Whole language has proven an abysmal failure in the early grades. Thus, California is now shifting to an old tried and true method of teaching kids to read: phonics. Whole language is brought in later, after kids have mastered the basics.
Pro-ethnic book leads to attempted assaults on white teacher (Newsweek)
The book is Nappy Hair, and it deals with a young black girl's coming of age. It is highly recommended by Teachers College, acclaimed by critics, and generally considered to be a fine example of politically correct multi-cultural literature. However, an angry mob of 50 community members, none of whom had bothered to read the book, physically threatened the teacher when word got out she was reading Nappy Hair to her class.
K12 schools of tomorrow look like businesses today (Newsweek)
New schools are straying from the old factory model to incorporate ideas gleaned from the business world and college campuses. Newsweek says one of the coolest new architectural concepts is the pod design, where a group of classroom shares labs and facilities.
State take-over for Dallas schools? (Dallas Morning News)
Dallas ISD is in a mess. The Dallas Morning News spoke with several leaders in the community about how to go about straightening things up. The story ran on the front page of Sunday's paper, November 15. One of the options: let the state take it over. In recent months the district has seen racial fights at board meetings, swift turnovers of superintendents, and state and federal investigations.
High Court says vouchers for religious schools OK (FindLaw.com)
In an important ruling Nov. 9, the US Supreme Court has let stand a Wisconsin law providing private school vouchers to low income students. The vouchers had been attacked as a violation of separation of church and state because they could be redeemed at Christian schools, but the Court stated the vouchers do not serve a religious purpose. Students from low socio-economic backgrounds in Milwaukee were given vouchers under a pilot program, which was attacked by the ACLU as a violation of church and state. The case has been winding its way through the courts until it reached the Supreme Court docket this session. The ruling has broad implications in the volatile vouchers issue, and has given the movement instant credibility as it has survived its first major court battle.
Largest bond election yet promises renewal in CA schools (LA Times)
On November 4, California voters approved a $9.2 billion school bond to upgrade campuses ranging from elementary schools to universities. Meanwhile, Proposition 8, a hefty school reform measure initiated by (former) Gov. Pete Wilson, met with defeat at the polls.
Move to recentralize authority in schools (Atlantic Monthly)
Take away local control? Success in schools with heavy bureaucracy? This story discusses public schools that have been taken over by outside, centralized sources as a last resort, and the success these efforts have seen.
Questions remain about new federal teacher funding (Education Week)
Will schools get the teachers they need now that extra federal funding has been earmarked for new teachers? More ominously, will the funding remain in future budgets? Many critics say no and no.
Texas Education Commissioner discusses new legislation (TASAnet)
Mike Moses addresses the Educational Aides Exemption program which seeks to place more teachers in the classroom by paying for paraprofessionals to complete their college education and the 10% Law which states that the top 10% of each graduating high school class will be admitted into a state college. This law may soon be altered to disallow a loophole which some students may take advantage of: by attending "easy" classes to maintain a high grade point average.
Web reshapes college applications (Newsweek, October 19, 1998)
Students are flocking to the web to search for and apply to colleges, reshaping the entire admissions process. As colleges adapt to the this new method, some are having troubles dealing with a flood of applicants, while others embrace the technology and have seen enrollment gains as a result.
NEA endorsing GOP candidates (Education Week)
For the first time, the NEA is endorsing a larger proportion of Republican candidates in the upcoming election. As politicians state their positions on education, the NEA is finding more Republicans to be amenable to their own platform.
California overhauls teacher training (Education Week)
In the state's first major overhaul of teacher certification in years, California shifts to a two year internship system and requires prospective teachers to past the Reading Instruction Competency Assessment (RICA).
Big textbook sales brings pressure, freebies (Education Week)
Record sales are creating a bonanza for textbook publishers. Marketing tactics have ratcheted up across the country as publishers race to outdo each other in the war for state textbook dollars.
Texas administrators back Bush for Governor (Dallas Morning News)
The Associated Press is reporting in a copyrighted article that the Texas Association of School Administrators is backing a gubernatorial candidate for the first time: incumbent Republican Gov. George W. Bush. Gov. Bush has made education a key issue in his first term, and it has won him the praise and respect of educators state-wide.
Former soldiers make good teachers (Dallas Morning News, September 29, 1998)
The Dallas Morning News takes a look at the Troops to Teachers program, which seeks to place former military personnel in school rooms. The article states the program is successfully entering its fourth year with 15% of all recruits placed in Texas.
Average students fall through the cracks (Time, September 14, 1998)
Time reports on how schools are focusing all their energy on low performing and gifted students, leaving those in the middle to suffer.
Charter schools: untested yet touted (Policy.com, September 7, 1998)
Policy.com takes a good look at charter schools and finds them becoming popular as the latest perceived panacea to the problems facing education.
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