January 30, 2013
Local News
The News Journal
Indian River School District voters OK new spending
Voters gave a broad endorsement to new spending proposed by the Indian River School District, allowing the district to raise $6.2 million to build new classrooms, add kindergarten offerings and raise taxes, based on preliminary results. Superintendent Susan Bunting also said a successful referendum would mean the district could start offering full-day kindergarten.
National News
Stateline.org
Issue to watch: school testing
At least four governors are looking to join more than a dozen other states that have passed laws requiring 3rd-grade students to demonstrate that they can read at grade level before entering 4th grade. While a couple of states are questioning whether there is already too much testing, other governors are pushing schools to be graded on an A to F scale based on student performance. And more than 30 states have made test results a factor in measuring teacher performance.
The New York Times
Revolution hits the universities
An op-ed by Thomas Freidman
Nothing has more potential to unlock a billion more brains to solve the world’s biggest problems. And nothing has more potential to enable us to reimagine higher education than the massive open online course, or MOOC, platforms. It will change teaching, learning and the pathway to employment. “There is a new world unfolding,” said M.I.T. president, L. Rafael Reif “and everyone will have to adapt.”
Education Week
No academic harm found in early retirement of teachers
Boosting early retirement in cash-strapped districts doesn’t hurt students’ math and reading scores, according to new studies released at the American Economic Association meeting here, but pension-incentive programs may cost schools some of their most effective teachers.
Overcoming impact of adversity on learning
Armed with research and a commitment to the whole child, Washington state has transformed the way its agencies work together and in partnership with researchers to address the effects of early adversity on learning and to help disadvantaged children build resiliency and other so-called executive-function skills they need to learn and grow.
Related Topics: Education Technology, Higher Education, next generation learning, Online Learning, Teacher Compensation