September 27, 2018 Bethany Blankley The Pelican State ranks 46th and received a D- grade by Education Week in its 2018 K-12 Achievement Index. First published in January and recently updated with federal data, the Index provides a comprehensive assessment of student performance including in math and reading proficiency at the fourth and eighth…
Category: Teacher Shortage
“This is a Struggle to Save Public Education”
AN INTERVIEW WITH ARLENE INOUYE The teachers strike wave has reached Los Angeles: teachers there recently voted overwhelmingly to strike. They are fighting against school privatization, wage and benefit cuts, and the nationwide project to dismantle public education. he education strike wave initiated by West Virginia’s wildcat has reached the coasts. Teachers in Washington and Pennsylvania have walked off the job…
Seattle teachers and staff vote to authorize a strike — unless a deal is reached by Sept. 5
By Dahlia Bazzaz It’s official: Teachers and school staff in Seattle voted to authorize a strike Tuesday evening. The strike could take effect if negotiations with Seattle Public Schools don’t result in a tentative contract by the first day of school, Sept. 5. The vote followed perhaps the state’s first official strikes that disrupted the first day…
Detroit schools shutting off drinking water because of lead, copper
Lori Higgins, Aug. 29, 2018 The Detroit school district is shutting off drinking water to all of its schools after test results found elevated levels of lead or copper in 16 out of 24 schools that were recently tested. “Although we have no evidence that there are elevated levels of copper or lead in our other…
Poll: 2 in 3 say public school teachers underpaid
By Laura Meckler / Washington Post Posted at 11:21 AM Most Americans say public-school teachers are underpaid and say they would support them if they went on strike for better wages, a new poll shows, offering backup for newly assertive educators. At the same time, the poll found American confidence in teachers at a low point. Also,…
Invest in Education income-tax measure knocked off November ballot by courts
An Arizona Supreme Court ruling Wednesday knocked the Invest in Education income-tax measure off the November ballot. According to the ruling, the measure’s description “did not accurately represent the increased tax burden on the affected classes of taxpayers.” The measure, recently titled Proposition 207, was expected to bring in $690 million in additional funding for…
This effort is Utah’s chance to improve public education
Less than 50 percent of Utah students are currently proficient in key subjects. That’s not good enough to prepare the workforce of the future. Especially at risk are students who don’t have strong family support or are otherwise disadvantaged. By A. Scott Anderson July 25, 2018 I’ve long been convinced that improving public schools is the…
No, private schools aren’t better at educating kids than public schools. Why this new study matters.
By Valerie Strauss July 26, 2018 Despite evidence showing otherwise, it remains conventional wisdom in many parts of the education world that private schools do a better job of educating students, with superior standardized test scores and outcomes. It is one of the claims that some supporters of school choice make in arguing that the…
How California Public Education Ranks Compared To Other States
The value placed on the teaching profession can have a big effect on the quality of public education in California. By Maggie Avants, Jul 30, 2018 2:04 pm Students will be going back to school in a few weeks, but where they live often determines the quality of their education, according to a new study that…
State education officials tout mediocre college-readiness ranking (Idaho)
Wayne Hoffman July 24, 2018 Parents, students, and competent teachers deserve better than a public education system that celebrates mediocrity. That’s what they got earlier this month when the state’s top education officials hailed a report that ranks Idaho No. 5 nationally for college readiness of its graduating high school seniors. The ranking comes from…
Standing Strong for Public Education! 