After suffering the largest share of job losses in the recession, Americans with no more than a high school education have continued to lose jobs while better-educated people have gained millions of jobs.
Job losses for the less-educated
August 15, 2012
New York Times
Using video to teach teachers
August 15, 2012
New York Times
In deference to a world enthralled by shows like “Extreme Makeover”, the public school district in D.C. has hired a reality television company to produce videos intended to improve the skills of its teachers.
College lends books to students
August 15, 2012
Inside Higher Ed
Georgia’s need-based HOPE grant will stop helping students pay for textbooks, so South Georgia Technical College is going to provide students with free textbooks for each of their courses starting in September.
Music teacher fired for poor math
August 15, 2012
Huffington Post
Charles Dolar, a high school band director in Florida, could lose his job — because he failed a math test. The math test is required to obtain a teaching certificate, even for someone who will not be teaching math.
Samsung takes aim at Apple
August 15, 2012
Winnipeg Free Press
Samsung Electronics Co. is taking another shot at the dominance of Apple’s iPad with a tablet equipped with a digital pen, a faster processor, and a split screen that can run applications side-by-side.
The erosion of English literature
August 15, 2012
New York Times
In an opinion post, a New York City English teacher laments that “bit by bit, the body of English language instruction has been dismembered over the last 15 years or so.”
Africans failing literacy, numeracy
August 15, 2012
Guardian
More than two out of every three pupils who have finished two years of primary school in east Africa fail to pass basic tests in English, Swahili or numeracy, according to a new report, Are our children learning?.
Obama plan ignores parenting
August 15, 2012
The Item
President Obama recently established a White House initiative on educational excellence for black Americans. But the plan does not mention rampant inner-city school violence, which makes educational excellence impossible.
Scotland open to foreigners only
August 15, 2012
Telegraph
Scottish universities are offering places on hundreds of courses to fee-paying foreign and English students despite declaring themselves “closed” to school leavers from Scotland.
Are NYC police too aggressive?
August 14, 2012
New York Times
The police made 882 arrests in New York City public schools last year, according to a civil liberties group, which said its findings, based on police data, painted a picture of an overly aggressive school security system.
Protest over schools in Chile
August 14, 2012
Associated Press
Hundreds of students occupied high schools and blocked traffic in Chile’s capital to demand education reform. Police in riot gear evicted students from several schools but at least seven remained occupied.
10 facts about Finland schools
August 14, 2012
TakePart
Finland’s academic success has drawn a great amount of attention, leaving many countries wondering how they do it. Here are 10 surprising things that set Finland apart from the rest of the world in education.
Senators fight ‘worthless degrees’
August 14, 2012
TakePart
The Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act, if passed, would require individual programs offered by higher-education institutions to meet state licensing requirements in order to get federal taxpayer dollars.
Atheist group objects to songs
August 14, 2012
Huffington Post
A national atheist organization is threatening to sue Shenendehowa Central Schools of Clifton Park, N.Y., if the district does not remove two songs that mention God in the lyrics from an elementary school curriculum.
Instructor refuses to sell textbook
August 14, 2012
Huffington Post
Given the expense of textbooks, students tend to applaud any professor who cuts down on required books. But an animation instructor at the Art Institute of California, could lose his job for adopting such a stance.
UK sports fields in danger
August 14, 2012
Guardian
The education secretary, Michael Gove, has relaxed government regulations that set out the minimum outdoor space schools have to provide pupils for playing team games, raising further concerns about the future of sports.
Canada wants foreign students
August 14, 2012
Globe and Mail
Canada should double the number of international students by 2020, a new report commissioned by the federal government says. International students inject billions of dollars into the domestic economy.
Obama backs affirmative action
August 13, 2012
Politico
The Obama Administration urged the Supreme Court to uphold the use of race in the University of Texas’s college admissions process, saying the controversial practice advances an essential government interest.
School data companies chosen
August 13, 2012
Wall Street Journal
New York state education officials said they selected four companies to build a broad education database that will host students’ test scores, curriculum materials and education apps.
Pearson launches UK college
August 13, 2012
BBC
Pearson, the major international publisher and education firm, is to become a for-profit private higher education provider in the UK. The firm is opening Pearson College.
Chicago teachers work long hours
August 13, 2012
CNN
Much has been made of the shortness of the school day, especially in Chicago. The oft-cited 296 minutes is the amount of time Chicago elementary school teachers are in front of students. But teachers work longer than that.
Pledge required in Nebraska
August 13, 2012
Huffington Post
The Nebraska Board of Education unanimously voted to approve a rule change that will make it mandatory for the state’s public schools to set aside time daily for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Seton hall is trying Windows 8
August 13, 2012
Converge
Seton Hall University is known for piloting mobile devices. Each year, part of student tuition and fees cover new devices for freshmen and juniors. This fall, the university will test something different: a tablet running Windows 8.
