Education News: August 10, 2007

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending August 10, 2007.

Schools Drop Recognition Months
(Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/10/07): The Philadelphia school district has dropped all mention of recognition months from the school calendar after facing a firestorm of criticism over including Gay and Lesbian History month last year. Gone from the calendar are African American History month and Hispanic Heritage month. Only official days off from school are now noted on the calendar that is distributed to all families in the district.

District’s Ex-Charter Schools Chief Admits Fraud
(Source: The Washington Post, 8/10/07): The former Washington, D. C. charter schools chief admitted in court to improperly diverting funds to friends and transferring school funds to her own bank account. She now faces up to 37 months in prison and will have to make restitution for the funds. In court, she offered no explanation for her actions.

School Board Plan Needs Feds
(Source: The Richmond Times-Dispatch, 8/9/07): For the past 13 years, the Richmond school board has been directly elected by voters. Now, a panel of businessmen is pushing to change the status quo and have the board be appointed instead. The Justice Department will have to approve the change before it goes into effect to ensure that minority rights are not trampled in the process.

Some Wonder if Cash for Test Scores is the Wrong Kind of Lesson
(Source: The New York Times, 8/8/07): The New York City Department of Education is contemplating rewarding low-income students with cash for performing well on standardized tests, based on a similar program in Mexico. Vocal opponents liken this proposal to bribing students and highlight the fact that the program should be for all students or for none.

High School Reading List Gets a Modern Makeover
(Source: The Christian Science Monitor, 8/8/07): As summer draws to a close, required reading looms on the to-do lists of many teenagers. Many schools now are going beyond the standard classics to include modern novels such as The Life of Pi on their lists. The general theme in these novels is coming of age.

Clinton, Obama Go Easy on School Reform Talk
(Source: The Boston Globe, 8/7/07): Both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama are being accused of softening their education reform rhetoric and pandering to teachers’ unions in an effort to win the endorsement of both the NEA and the AFT. Both camps deny this charge, stating that they have yet to lay out their full education agendas.

Gomez Pals Learn Lobbying Lessons in D. C.
(Source: The Miami Herald, 8/4/07): Friends of two Miami teens who, along with their parents, face possible deportation journeyed to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers and lobby on behalf of their classmates. The students argued that the Gomez brothers should not be punished for their parents’ mistakes and instead should be allowed to stay in the country and go to college here.

CDC Recommends 3 New Vaccines for Schoolchildren
(Source: The Chicago Sun-Times, 8/6/07): The Centers for Disease Control is recommending three additional vaccines for 11- and 12-year-old students. The vaccines protect against meningitis, whooping cough, and cervical cancer in girls. They are not being mandated.