From: neweekly@list.nea.org
Date: Sat Oct 26 2002 - 15:52:57 PDT
National Education WEEKLY
October 28, 2002 Vol. 1 No. 3
Welcome to the News at NEW. Could it be “good-bye” to middle schools? A number of school districts across the
country are itching to abandon the model in favor of K-8 schools. Why? Some middle-school opponents say there is parent
dissatisfaction over huge, impersonal middle schools and abysmal test scores.
CONTENTS
COMMUNITIES
1. TEACHER PROGRESS: Houston Credits Advertising Campaign
STATES
2. BALLOT BOX: Education Dominating Election Initiatives
3. TESTING TEACHERS: Pennsylvania Might Just Say No
THE NATION
4. LEARNING THE 123s: Jump$tart Program To Foster Financial Literacy
5. I’VE GOT COPYRIGHT BABE: Supreme Court To Examine Protections
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE
6. PARENTS AND TEACHERS: Winning Combination For Student Achievement
7. EARLY BOOST: Low-Income Children Learn Better In Diverse Classrooms
WEEKLY FEATURE
8. SCHOOLS IN CRISIS: Resources That Help The Healing
COMMUNITIES
1. TEACHER PROGRESS: Houston school officials say they’ve tapped several winning sources for reducing the number
of uncertified teachers in district classrooms. Last year, 1,147 uncertified teachers stood before classes of students, while this
year the number was reduced to 797. District strategies included an advertising campaign aimed at attracting credentialed staff.
(Houston Chronicle, 10/18)
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/1622136
STATES
2. BALLOT BOX: Education Week’s election roundup of ballot initiatives is hot off the presses. Twelve states have
education measures on the November ballot. Highlights include California’s Proposition 49. Pushed by action film star Arnold
Schwarzenegger, the plan would provide grants of up to $50,000 to elementary schools and up to $75,000 for middle and junior
high schools to increase and improve before- and after-school programs. California voters could “make his day,” (oops, wrong
Hollywood action hero gone political!). California also has a school-construction measure on the ballot. Meanwhile, Florida
voters will decide whether to create universal preschool; Colorado and Massachusetts voters will consider bilingual education
issues. And Hawaii voters consider whether to give private school access to special-purpose revenue bonds that reduce their
interest rates for building expansion or upgrades.
(Education Week, 10/17)
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=07ballot.h22
3. TESTING TEACHERS: Pennsylvania Governor Schweiker has on his desk a bill that would end the highly controversial
requirement that teachers take exams in math and reading. State lawmakers recently voted to eliminate the Professional Teacher
Assessment Test, created just last year. Technical problems plagued the computer-administered test. Most of the 26,000
teachers who did take the test in the first round of exams posted scores in the middle range.
(The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/22)
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/cities_neighborhoods/philadelphia/4339240.htm
THE NATION
4. LEARNING THE 123s: A $250,000 Department of Education grant to the Jump$tart Coalition is designed to help
students become financially literate - so maybe they can tell us what to do in a volatile stock market! Actually, the grant will
fund a project aimed at improving student knowledge about personal finance. On another financial note, the Department of
Education and the Department of Treasury have opened an office of financial education within the Treasury Department.
http://www.jumpstart.org
5. I’VE GOT COPYRIGHT BABE: U.S. Supreme Court judges are grappling with the thorny question of copyright
extension. The high court last week heard arguments in Eldred v. Ashcroft, a constitutional challenge to the Sonny Bono
copyright Term Extension Act of 1998. Under the law named for the famous singer and congressman, copyright protection for
individual authors, composers and artists was extended from 50 years to 70 years after the creator’s death. Copyrights held by
corporations were stretched from 75 to 95 years. How does this relate to education, children, or teaching? Think Charlotte’s
Web or The Cat in the Hat. Childhood favorites like these books might enter the public domain sooner if the court rejects the
1998 law.
(Education Week, 10/16)
http://www.edweek.org
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE
6. PARENTS AND TEACHERS: Improving parent-teacher relationships, especially with African-American families is
critical for student success, say education leaders in North Carolina . They are now seeking ways to improve the school-home
connection with the intention of boosting student achievement. A nagging dilemma, however, is the mistrust of schools among
black parents and, on the other side, the debate over whether or not it is solely a teacher’s responsibility to “bridge the gap”
between home and school.
(The [Raleigh, N.C.,] News & Observer, 10/22)
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/1848339p-1845219c.html
7. EARLY BOOST: It should come as no surprise that preschool children from disadvantaged homes learn better and faster
when they are in classes with their more affluent peers. A new study released by St. Joseph College in West Hartford,
Connecticut came to this conclusion after examining selected preschools. Educators are hoping the study brings changes to
preschool education -- much of which is economically segregated.
(Hartford Courant, 10/19)
http://www.ctnow.com/news/education/hc-preschool.artoct19,0,7740497.story?coll=hc%2Dheadlines%2Deducation
WEEKLY Feature
8. SCHOOLS IN CRISIS: In the wake of sniper-related school disruptions in Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas,
teachers, parents and school leaders continue to struggle to help their children deal with traumatic events.
The National Education Association (NEA) and a coalition of mental health organizations offer a series of thoughtful resources
designed to help children cope with stress and anxiety brought on by such trying times and “embrace resilience in an at-risk
world.” Resources include reports on children and mental health and tips that encourage exercise and help parents spot
depression warning signs.
The NEA web site also provides links to numerous groups that also can provide resources in specialized areas, including: the
American Psychological Association, the Center for School Mental Health Assistance and National Association of School
Psychologists.
http://www.neahin.org/programs/mentalhealth/
-- Barbara Pape, Editor
***FACT OF THE WEEK***
Arkansas: Teachers On Target
Arkansas placed among the highest-performing states in the nation with 97% of
public secondary school teachers holding a teaching certificate in their main
teaching assignment. *NEGP, 1999 National Education Goals Report.
http://www.nea.org/goodnews/ar01.html
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