June 18, 2014

Local News

WDDE
First State gets mixed grades in teacher training report
The National Council on Teacher Quality’s (NCTQ) 2014 Teacher Prep Review evaluated six of the state’s elementary and secondary teacher-training programs. Four made the national rankings, with the University of Delaware’s undergrad elementary program rated 11th best in the country. But the NCTQ report found that the state’s two graduate teacher-training programs at Wilmington University ranked in the lower half of programs nationally.

The News Journal
School choice empowers teachers
A letter to the editor by Robert Keesler, Wilmington
It’s safe to say the majority agrees with public education. The debate isn’t whether to offer schooling to every child, rather it is whether to allow parents and students the choice to individualize education. We are currently served a one-size-fits-all model in a world that allows us unlimited choices, even in public services.

National News

NPR
Study delivers failing grades for many programs training teachers
The nation’s teacher-preparation programs have plenty of room for improvement, according to a new report. A study released today by the National Council on Teacher Quality argues that teaching colleges are too lenient in their admissions criteria and have failed to prepare their students to teach subjects like reading, math and science.

Los Angeles Times
Bill to speed firing of some public school teacher advances
A bill to hasten the dismissal of some public school teachers appears to be speeding into law, but it won’t calm the furor unleashed last week when a judge threw out key job protections for California instructors. The faster process would apply to teachers suspected of serious offenses, such as attempted murder, sexual misconduct or drug offenses. It does not require that an instructor be convicted of a crime to be fired, only that a school district has determined that the employee is unfit for the classroom.

KMBC
Effort to limit Missouri teacher tenure challenged
A lawsuit brought Tuesday by public school teachers seeks to block a statewide vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would limit their tenure protections.

Seattle Times
Guest: How testing students helps teacher
An op-ed by Erin Gustafson, Chief Learning Officer, Inquiry Partners
Tests help measure progress over time, just like a medical checkup measures changes in our health. Most of us think about tests as a single exercise, but for educators they help show how much students have learned over a year against clear learning goals. Without these tests, we also cannot identify racial- and income-based achievement gaps across 295 districts in the state.

Politico
The fall of teacher unions
As the two big national teachers unions prepare for their conventions this summer, they are struggling to navigate one of the most tumultuous moments in their history. Long among the most powerful forces in American politics, the unions are contending with falling revenue and declining membership, damaging court cases, the defection of once-loyal Democratic allies — and a multimillion-dollar public relations campaign portraying them as greedy and selfish.

New York Times
Starbucks to provide free college education to thousands of workers
Starbucks will provide a free online college education to thousands of its workers, without requiring that they remain with the company, through an unusual arrangement with Arizona State University.