Brian Waters

Four-time Pro Bowl player Brian Waters entered into George Solis’ Spanish class thinking that he could catch a few z’s before practice. Instead, he did quite the opposite. “I can remember times when I thought I had no energy left to concentrate,” recalls the Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard. “In no time at all, my interest was piqued and I became engulfed in the lesson he taught.”

By teaching Brian about the consequences of his actions and that he could either sleep his life away or make something of himself, Mr. Solis “woke up a sleeping giant.”

Behind Every Famous Person is a Fabulous Teacher.

Education News: February 3, 2012

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending February 3, 2012.

Stay in School; It’s the Law
(The New York Times, January 25, 2011) In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama proposed that every state should require students to stay enrolled in school until they are 18 years old. Opponents of this proposal say that requiring a student to stay in school who no longer wants to be there can be unfair to other students and also to teachers. Supporters of the increased drop out age believe that the United States needs to send a stronger message about the importance of education to our youth.

Rethinking Tenure Protections
(USA Today, January 25, 2011) A number of states have begun to base teacher lay offs on performance rather than seniority. Teachers’ unions are arguing back saying the changes “lower morale, deny teachers due process, and unfairly target older teachers.” Those who support the new changes say that teachers often get tenure simply by showing up for work and once they have earned it, it can be expensive and nearly impossible to fire poorly performing teachers. Studies have shown that effective teachers can have a dramatic impact on students’ lives.

Virtual Tutors Introduced in Classrooms
(The New York Times, January 22, 2012) A new program was recently introduced by Seth Weinberger, founder of Innovations for Learning, which is a non-profit that aims to raise low reading scores among the nation’s poorest students. The software is being used in 60 different low-performing classrooms throughout Chicago, Detroit, Miami and Washington and allows students to meet with their tutors online rather than face to face. The program offers necessary one-on-one instruction for struggling readers and also allows teachers to communicate with tutors regarding students’ learning problems.

Healthier Food Introduced in Cafeterias
(San Francisco Chronicle, January 26, 2012) New federal regulations were released Wednesday stating that school cafeterias will have to feature more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in the meals that they offer students. Schools will also have to limit the amount of sodium, fat, and fried foods in their lunches. Incorporating healthier foods into the school lunches will be more expensive but it will help students learn healthy eating habits for life.

Common Core Slowly Introduced
(The Huffington Post, January 26, 2012) A recent report released by the Center on Education Policy found that the Common Core State Standards are slowly being introduced throughout 46 states. The report found that school officials are becoming familiarized with the new materials but many states don’t expect to implement the standards until 2014. The standards are often described as a method for ensuring that students are “college and career ready” and focus on teaching fewer things, in greater depth.

Early HS Graduation Encouraged
(Education Weekly, January 24, 2012) A number of states are encouraging students to graduate from high school a semester or two early. The new concept is believed to give students an incentive to work hard, avoid a senior slump, and allow families to save on tuition costs and school districts on instructional costs. Opponents of the idea argue that students will not be ready for college without a four year high school education. Many of the students who graduate early take online courses, independent study, and proficiency exams in order to complete the amount of credits required for graduation. Ranshitha Devendran, an early graduate, says “The main reason to graduate early was so that I could go to college early, become a lawyer more quickly, relax, and then have more time for myself.”

More Charter Schools for D.C.
(The Washington Post, January 26, 2012) A study was recently released by IFF that recommends closing more than three dozen public schools and expanding the number of successful charter schools. Currently, more than 40% of public students attend charter schools and this percentage is expected to increase over the next four years. More than 40 of the traditional public schools have 300 or fewer students and many of them are struggling academically. D.C. Mayor Vincent Grey has not made any final decisions regarding the city school system and states, “I believe very strongly in both sectors, and I’m looking for the best education solutions.”

Early Education becomes Factor in Crime-Fighting
(Education Weekly, January 25, 2012) Police officers in New York and Maine have been urging state legislatures to invest in quality pre-school and Head Start programs. The officers believe that high-quality early education programs will provide at-risk children with a chance to succeed academically and later in life. These programs can lead to higher graduation rates, lower special education needs and as a result, reduce later crime rates.