Monday, November 11, 2002 -- Veterans Day

The New York Times has a couple of columns relating the potential effects of the national elections last Tuesday on education. Tamar Lewis's The Education Election and Diana Jean Schemo's G.O.P. Foresees Expansion of Party Themes on Education look at a surprising number of education initiatives passed and Republican plans for education in the next congressional term. Head Start, higher education, and special education are mentioned as areas where the new congressional majority will try to affect changes.

The Sunday Times also has an excellent special Education Life section with a number of other interesting articles, including James Traub's Success for Some. Traub takes an in-depth look at the scripted Success for All program, the Accelerated Schools model, and the Core Knowledge curriculum. Another Traub piece, Does It Work, addresses the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 emphasis on 'scientifically based research.'' Abby Goodnough contributes On the F List, a look at schools on the No Child Left Behind "failing list," particularly Ms. Goodnough's former middle school, Ernie Davis Middle School.

The Washington Post's Darragh Johnson takes a look at Anne Arundel School Superintendent Eric Smith's efforts in narrowing "the achievement gap" in A Classroom Crusade. It's an interesting read.

The Associated Press's Glenn Adams reports software maker EDS has awarded the state of Maine "software valued at $400 million to help the state implement its pioneering effort." In Maine software grant largest gift ever to state, Adams notes the software will be made available to "high schools and the Maine Technical College and state university systems so students using it will be better trained to work for precision manufacturers." (EDS Press Release) 

Devotion for November 10-16, 2002

Zach Wood's weekly devotional for this week is The Unstoppable Worshipper. Zach also maintains an archive of previous devotionals.

If you have suggestions, news ideas, etc., please .

Tuesday, November 12, 2002

Jody Temkin had an interesting column Monday in the Chicago Tribune, Special-ed shortage starts at universities. Apparently, universities are having nearly as much trouble finding special educators as public school systems.

Ken Kashmarek sent along a link to an interesting story on MotherJones.com, No Child Unrecruited. The column tells of a little known provision of the No Child Left Behind law that requires "public secondary schools to provide military recruiters not only with access to facilities, but also with contact information for every student -- or face a cutoff of all federal aid."

New from SchwabLearning.org

This week from the SchwabLearning.org Dr. Raskind discusses Specific Success Attributes Among Individuals with LD. Also new is Controversial Therapies: Why Do Some Unproven Therapies Become Popular?. As always, links to all of the new and updated SchwabLearning.org articles are available in the Schwab Learning Online Newsletter (link expires 11-17-02).

Friday, November 15, 2002

One Lesson in School Philanthropy

Jacques Steinberg writes about Public School 306 in Brooklyn in One School's Lessons in Education Philanthropy. The column deals with one school's needs and response to philanthropic efforts, but the message can be generalized to a far greater population.

D.C. Schools Anger Federal Judge

The Washington D.C. school system set in motion a plan to transfer 151 special ed students from contract schools back to D.C. schools. "U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman was visibly angry" when told of the decision, as the system is still "under a 1995 consent decree that placed the school's special education system under federal court oversight." Special-Ed Transfers Irritate Federal Judge tells the story.

Charles Haddad on Computers in the Classroom

Charles Haddad comments "Apple and other computer companies shouldn't be so cocksure that computers will revolutionize education," in his latest Byte of the Apple Column, An Apple for Teacher Ain't Enough. Haddad's column is an excellent discussion about computers in education and what Apple Education is doing to help. I won't spoil the column for you, but one insightful quote is: "If only it were true that a bunch of chips could substitute for a well-paid, well-trained teaching staff, an interesting and relevant curriculum, or three meals a day for poor children too hungry to concentrate." I think Charles hit the spot on this one!

Laptop Columns

Here is another bunch of columns about the Maine laptop initiative:

• Stephen King lends voice to laptop program
• Teachers Mainely Happy With Tech
• Maine Spawns Budding Kubricks
• Laptops Not Yet Maine-Stream
• District 54 students to take laptops home if parents agree
• Students Treat Laptops with TLC
• Computers make mark in Hope classes

Please excuse the irregular updates. School is "getting busy" once again.

Ads shown on this site do not represent an endorsement or warranty of any kind of products or companies shown. Ads shown on archive pages may not represent the ads displayed in the original posting on Educators' News.