Tennessee takeover district plagued by own failures

The body charged with turning around failing schools across the state is the target of a ‘blistering critique’ by state auditors for financial mismanagement. 

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 19, 2016

LAUSD adds more magnets to compete with charters

The Los Angeles Unified School District opened 16 new magnet schools this year, hoping to repeat academic success achieved by others and keep families in the district.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 18, 2016

New York provides model for nation in universal pre-K

Since 2013-14, the city has added thousands of new seats for preschool and hired 2,000 teachers in a push to make high-quality pre-K an option for every 4-year-old attending public schools.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 18, 2016

Colorado not bogarting weed tax funds from schools

The state’s sale of recreational marijuana sends up to $40 million per year to the Building Excellent Schools Today program, and grants are starting to flow to schools.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 18, 2016

Measuring the impact: Schools struggle from multiple angles with incarceration

Schools face the challenge of educating children with incarcerated parents and reintegrating students after they have entered the juvenile justice system themselves.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 17, 2016

Los Angeles schools plan credit recovery changes

After posting the highest graduation rate ever in the nation’s second-largest school district, thanks in part to questionably rigorous credit recovery options, the district is taking a second look.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 17, 2016

Texas schools shift to earlier start time after new law

Going beyond requiring a 180-day school year, a new Texas law mandates 75,600 minutes of instruction per academic year, and some schools have responded with earlier starts.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 17, 2016

Solution for Utah's extreme teacher shortage has other states wary

The Utah State Board of Education unanimously approved a measure that allows schools to hire teachers with no prior training or experience to fill empty spots. 

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 16, 2016

Ohio auditor suggests performance-based funding for virtual schools

The state’s largest online charter school, ECOT, currently is paid based on enrollment like other charters, but Auditor Dave Yost wants to change that.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 16, 2016

Schools try range of strategies to achieve equity

Districts nationwide are turning to community organizations to support the nonacademic needs of students, offering school choice, incorporating blended learning and addressing bias. 

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 15, 2016

Opt-out activists also oppose test-based evals, privatization

A study out of Teachers College at Columbia University examines the demographics of the opt-out movement and the motivations of its activism.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 15, 2016

Study highlights limitations of Ohio's virtual school

Research from NYU professor June Ahn, published by the Fordham Institute, argues Ohio's statewide virtual school cannot serve as an alternative to traditional schooling.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 15, 2016

Alabama appoints non-educator state superintendent

Michael Sentance started his career as a lawyer and went on to work in various state government positions in Massachusetts before joining the Alabama Department of Education.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 15, 2016

Poverty, MOOCs and resignations: The week's most-read education news

Stay ahead of the class with the latest on how MOOCs are being used as tools for equity in underserved high schools and more right here!

By Roger Riddell • Aug. 12, 2016

Arts educators look to tests for sense of legitimacy in schools

The nation’s schools have focused on reading and math to the exclusion of other subjects as standardized tests have dominated accountability, but what about art?

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 12, 2016

Students with extended school years are already back to class

Boston-area charter schools with 192-day school years have reopened weeks ahead of their neighbors in hopes of using the extra time to better prepare students for college and life. 

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 12, 2016

Melinda Gates wants foundation to be 'neutral broker' in ed reform

The Gates Foundation has been a loud voice in education policy throughout the Obama administration,

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 12, 2016

Education has part to play in police-community relations

Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, teachers in Illinois will be required to set aside instruction time to teach students the do’s and don’ts of interacting with police, but is that enough?

By Autumn A. Arnett • Aug. 11, 2016

Denmark schools train students in empathy as early as preschool

National programs help kids recognize emotions, talk about them and develop empathy for others, including those with different strengths and weaknesses. 

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 11, 2016

Los Angeles credit recovery boosts grad rate to record high

LAUSD posted a 75% graduation rate last year, in part because of credit recovery options some question as being too easy for students.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 11, 2016

Ed Dept faces more accusations of overreach in ESSA regulations

The department was bombarded with comments over its proposed rules for the new law, accusing it of being too prescriptive.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 11, 2016

Computer-based standardized tests create barriers for some students

New exams aligned with the Common Core State Standards were harder than their predecessors, but students taking them online had an even tougher time.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 10, 2016

Parents increasingly vocal in demands for recess

As schools have replaced recess periods with additional instruction, parents have been among those fighting for a return of free time for students who need the break.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 10, 2016

Report: Teachers take growing pay penalty for choosing field

The gap in teacher pay, as compared to similarly qualified positions in other fields, grew to 17% in 2015 from less than 2% in 1994 — and the worst of it has hit experienced teachers.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 10, 2016

State legislators urge colleagues to use other countries' best ed practices

The National Conference of State Legislators released a new report this week based on two years of research into the education policies of the world’s top-performing countries.

By Tara García Mathewson • Aug. 10, 2016