Education News: April 27, 2007

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending April 27, 2007.

Senate OKs Bill to Boost Science and Math Skills
(Source: The Los Angeles Times, 4/26/07): This week, the House and Senate both overwhelmingly passed similar bills that would improve science and math instruction in kindergarten through graduate school. The two lawmaking bodies will likely reach a compromise on their bills, and the President will almost certainly sign the legislation into law. The bills stem primarily from a concern that the U.S. will lose some of its competitive edge in the global economy if these educational areas are not improved.

Panel Urges Schools to Replace Junk Foods
(Source: The Washington Post, 4/26/2007): A new report by the Institute of Medicine is recommending to Congress that school nutritional guidelines extend beyond mealtimes in cafeterias. The report, which Congress requested, says that food made available in vending machines, at snack bars, and in-class parties should be limited in their calories, sugar, and fat and should have healthy nutrients instead.

Billionaires Start $60 Million Schools Effort
(Source: The New York Times, 4/25/07): Despite having already spent over $2 billion on efforts to improve education, billionaires Bill Gates and Eli Broad say the changes so far are only “incremental.” Citing a need to grow political and public will for the cause, the two are partnering to create a $60 million initiative around the next presidential race called Strong American Schools. The project will use the slogan “Ed in ’08” and will likely force candidates to speak to controversial issues in education such as merit pay for teachers and a national curriculum.

A Boom for D.C. Charter Schools
(Source: The Washington Post, 4/25/07): At least a dozen of the fledgling Washington D.C. charter schools that opened several years ago in makeshift spaces such as church basements are now pursuing state-of-the-art campuses. This development, along with the fact that charter school enrollment has increased an average of 13 percent each year since 2001, shows that the city’s charter school movement has gained serious momentum. If the trend continues, more D.C. students will attend charter schools than regular public schools by 2014.

Driscoll To Seek $150m for Teachers
(Source: The Boston Globe, 4/24/07): Massachusetts education commissioner David Driscoll is touting a proposal to increase state spending by $150 million for teacher training over the next few years. The number of teachers in Massachusetts has dropped remarkably in recent years, and Driscoll is proposing more teacher support and better teacher training to combat this change.

High Schools Mum On Troubled Grads
(Source: USA Today, 4/23/07): While in the past high school guidance counselors could inform colleges about “red flag” student applicants, counselors have more recently come to fear a backlash from parents if they do so. But after last week’s shooting at Virginia Tech, university officials are speaking out against the phenomenon of high school officials holding back important information about the mental health of students.

Virginia Schools Yield, Yet May Shape “No Child”
(Source: The Washington Post, 4/23/07): Education officials in Virginia have acquiesced to the federal government’s demand that they administer the tests that No Child Left Behind uses to test students with limited English proficiency from now on. Faced with a possible $17 million reduction in federal aid, leaders in education backed off of their refusal to comply with the law.

Brewer Promises Reforms After Critical LAUSD Review
(Source: The Los Angeles Times, 4/21/07): Superintendent Brewer of the Los Angeles Unified School District spoke out about the results of the recent district review and its criticisms, vowing to make changes that will significantly improve the district. The study, commissioned by the superintendent, showed that the district lacks crucial oversight in important areas such as accountability.