Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, February 20, 2014

2-20-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter:







No unnecessary testing
Sent to the Wall Street Journal, Feb 21To the editor:"The pleasures of teaching to the test," (Feb. 13) argues that test prep can be a good thing, and the letters published on Feb 20 argue that tests are necessary, and in life, we must pass lots of tests. All assume that those of us critical of the common core are anti-testing. Not true. All educators understand the necessity of responsi

NO Vote on Common Core: Bradley County Commission Backs School Board
From Tennessee Parents:. . . . This Resolution comes from the elected County Commission of Bradley County, who wanted to support their School Board, but also send a Resolution "with more teeth" to Nashville. Rumor has it that the Bills to repeal Common Core (HB2332/SB2405) are being blocked by the chairs of the House & Senate Education committees (Rep. Harry Brooks & Sen. Delores


Meaningful work or coercion?

Sent to the Oregonian, Feb. 19Joanne Yatvin's description of how "Meaningful work keeps students in school," (Feb. 18) includes small class sizes, sports teams that allowed all comers to join and play, teacher collaboration with time to meet during the school day, plays and musical events that included all interested students, emphasis on building classroom community, and school wide pro
2-19-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Common Core Voted Down Unanimously in Bradley County, TNBradley County Schools was the first school district to formally stand against linking teacher license renewal to Tennessee’s value-added assessment system, an outlandish idea that passed on October 17, 2013.  Pressure across the state built, and late last month the State Board of Education announced plans to shelve those plan