Education News: April 18, 2008

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending April 18, 2008.

Teachers Protest Detroit Schools’ Overhaul
(Source: The Detroit News, 4/18/08): Over 50 teachers from Detroit’s public schools participated in a protest against city superintendent Connie Calloway’s plan to reorganize five schools and reassign the teachers who work at them. The plan is the first part of Calloway’s larger Turn Around School plan and is intended to create smaller school communities in hopes of improving academic performance. The Detroit Federation of Teachers voted to oppose the plan on the basis that it would not create smaller classes or provide better books.

AT&T Giving $100 Million to Fight Dropouts
(Source: The New York Times, 4/17/08): AT&T announced this week that it will donate $100 million over the next four years to combat America’s dropout crisis. According to a recent study by America’s Promise Alliance, about one third of U.S. high school students leave school without graduating. The gift is one of the largest corporate donations ever.

Teachers at NYC Catholic Schools Strike Ahead of Pope’s Visit
(Source: The New York Times, 4/16/08): Approximately 350 teachers from Catholic schools in New York went on strike during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States. The striking teachers were members from the Lay Faculty Association, the smaller of the two unions representing the teachers of New York’s Catholic schools. The teachers were striking in the midst of contract negotiations with hopes of higher pay and better benefits. Currently, they make on average $25,000 less than their public school counterparts, according to the union’s spokesperson.

Many Massachusetts Graduates Unprepared in College
(Source: The Boston Globe, 4/16/08): A disturbing number of graduates from Massachusetts high schools must take remedial courses once they arrive at two- or four-year colleges, according to a recent study. The problem is particularly pronounced for graduates of urban and vocational schools. Remedial classes present problems because they increase the chances that a student will drop out of college and do not count towards a degree.

The Home Medicine Cabinet: Teens’ New Supplier
(Source:  The Kansas City Star, 4/16/08):  Prescription drug abuse by teens is a growing problem, but the newly launched “Smart Moves, Smart Choices” campaign may curb it.  Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, Kansas, became the first school in the nation to participate in the program, which is sponsored in part by the National Association of School Nurses.  Schools in Ohio and Delaware will also be part of the program’s pilot run.

Embracing the Challenge of AP English for All Students
(Source:  The Washington Post, 4/14/08):  Bell Multicultural Senior High School is the only school in the Washington area that requires all juniors and seniors to take AP English and the corresponding exams.  While only three out of 226 students passed the exam last year, the school’s administrators feel the required AP courses are valuable for students because they compel them to do more writing, expose them to the rigor of college-level work, and encourage them to strive for improvement from one year to the next.  Some education experts caution, however, that the approach can be detrimental to English-language and others for whom English is a difficult school subject because it forces them to take on material that is over their heads.

Attack Highlights ‘Chronic Problem’
(Source: The Baltimore Sun, 4/13/08):  An attack on a Baltimore teacher that was recorded by a cell phone video camera and subsequently aired on news shows has drawn attention to the high incidence of violence against teachers in Baltimore.  Throughout this academic year, 50 of the city’s students have been arrested for assaulting school employees, and 112 school expulsions have been doled out for this offense.  Beginning this summer, Baltimore schools chief Andres Alonso will give more discretionary funding to principals, which will allow schools with high assault rates to institute anti-violence measures.