Sidelining Play in School Shortchanges Children

By Deborah Meier, Brenda S. Engel, and Beth Taylor Excerpted from Playing for Keeps: Life and Learning on a Public School Playground, with permission of the publisher. Once upon a time, before education was mandated and became a public responsibility, children witnessed and participated closely in the daily life of home and community. In the process, [...]

New Report Focuses on Minority Parent Engagement

By Cynthia McCabe A report out today identifies best practices for bridging the minority parent-school divide, compiled from study of leading educational organizations from across the U.S. It also outlines policy recommendations to Congress and the U.S. Department of Education as it prepares to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in the year ahead. [...]

Must Reads – Students Under Pressure

In this video, the New York Times features the stories of students and teachers of Advanced Placement classes and the pressures they face. The video is part of a discussion about academic stress. Source: New York Times

Ahead in Ed – March 16-17

U.S.  Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced details for an International Summit on the Teaching Profession in New York City. The summit will convene education ministers, national union leaders (including NEA), education organization leaders and accomplished teachers from countries with high performing and rapidly improving educational systems to identify best practices worldwide that effectively strengthen the [...]

How One Union and Superintendent United for Kids

By Mary Ellen Flannery There are high schools on American Indian reservations in Montana where far more kids can’t pass a basic reading test than can. We’re talking proficiency rates of 13, 14 and 15 percent overall, according to state data. So why are teachers excited here? Because they know they’re going to transform their [...]

Ahead in Ed – January 5

NEA Youth Leaders for Literacy will award 30 young people from across the U.S. each with $500 grants. Successful projects will be youth-led and address an established literacy need in the applicant’s school or community.

Must Reads – Elevating the Teaching Profession

In a column for USA Today, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel writes that “Policies that the National Education Association (NEA) has supported — stronger teacher preparation and more autonomy in the classroom — echo PISA’s key findings and recommendations for boosting U.S. performance.” Source: USA Today

Must Reads – Video in the Classroom

Teacher Magazine blog Leading From the Classroom examines how the use of TV and video has changed in the classroom over the past 30 years.

Ahead in Ed – December 17

EdVoices syndicated blogger Cool Cat Teacher is giving away a Lenovo m90z touch screen computer. Visit Cool Cat Teacher for entry information.

Ahead in Ed – December 14

PBS NewsHour will examine the issue of peer evaluations and take a look at Toledo’s Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program.

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