Education News: May 30, 2008

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending May 30, 2008.

Gender Gap Clues
(Source:  The Baltimore Sun, 5/30/08):  New research appearing in the journal Science indicates that culture may play a large role in the disparities between girls’ and boys’ math scores.  Girls did best on math exams in countries with the most gender equality and worst in countries with the highest degree of inequality.  The finding underscores the impact of public attitudes on academic achievement.

Obama Makes Education Pitch
(Source:  The Rocky Mountain News, 5/29/08):  In a campaign stop in Colorado, Senator Barack Obama said that portions of the No Child Left Behind law should be reversed and that the U.S. should place a greater emphasis on teaching foreign languages to its public school students so that they can be more competitive in the global economy.  Senator Obama, who is the likely recipient of the Democratic nomination for U.S. president, also said that more young people should attend college as it has become increasingly difficult to have a successful career with only a high school diploma.

‘Moment’ in Illinois Schools Banned for Now
(Source:  The Chicago Tribune, 5/29/08):  An Illinois judge has banned schools from observing a moment of silence at the beginning of each school day while he decides whether the practice is constitutional.  Last fall, the state legislature had passed a bill requiring a daily moment for “silent prayer or reflection on the anticipated activities of the day,” but, amidst questions of the law’s constitutionality, the implementation of the moment of silence had been uneven.

Career Education Lures Top Students
(Source:  The News & Observer, 5/28/08):  Over the past ten years or so, North Carolina has overhauled its career and technical education (CTE) courses to cater to a wider variety of students rather than only those who are not college-bound.  Courses in subjects like fashion design, finance, computer programming, bioscience, and television production have attracted high-achieving students who plan to attend traditional four-year colleges.  However, President Bush’s proposed budget cuts could mean a $1 billion reduction in funding for CTE programs nationwide.

Three Women Rise to the Top of AFT Union
(Source: USA Today, 5/27/08):  Three women will likely be elected to the three top leadership positions of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), which, with 1.4 million members, is the nation’s second largest teachers’ union.  Randi Weingarten, who is currently the head of the United Federation of Teachers, which is the teachers’ union for New York City, is widely expected to become the next president of the AFT.  Likewise, Antonia Cortese and Loretta Johnson are expected to become secretary-treasurer and executive vice president, respectively.  This will mark the first time that women have dominated the top leadership positions of a major labor union.

More College Students Paying Their Own Way, Experts Say
(Source:  The Chicago Tribune, 5/27/08):  College financial aid personnel and financial advisors are seeing a steady increase in the number of college students who are being left to pay their own way through school.  The change comes largely as a result of stagnant family incomes and the rising costs of college, but some parents also say that students who pay their own tuition better recognize the value of their education.

Research Questions Quality of Teachers’ Training
(Source:  The Cleveland Plain Dealer, 5/25/08):  Recent research has indicated that teacher training programs are generally not selective or rigorous enough.  At the same time, teacher quality is perhaps the single most important factor in determining student achievement.  The good news is that some teacher preparation programs are now collecting performance data on their graduates and using the information to modify their methods.