Three Ways to Improve Teacher Quality

In an op-ed for USA Today, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and Teacher for America CEO Wendy Kopp outline three critical proposals to better prepare the nation’s teachers for the classroom. “In recent years we have seen increased emphasis on teacher quality and evaluating teacher performance,” say Van Roekel and Kopp. “As a logical next [...]

More Hungry Kids, Greater Need for School Meals

By Amanda Litvinov As partisan clashes in Congress continue to delay decisions on measures that would provide some relief for middle class and poor Americans, a growing number of families are relying on free and reduced-price meals to prevent their children from going hungry. The numbers paint a distressing picture: A New York Times analysis of Department [...]

Educators Serving Their Country at Home and Abroad

Early on Sunday morning, the last U.S. troops in Iraq crossed the border into Kuwait, ending the Iraq War after almost nine years.  Fulfilling a key promise to the American people, President Obama has brought an end to U.S. combat activities, withdrawn nearly 150,000 U.S. troops from Iraq and hundreds of bases have been shut down. [...]

Latinos Face “Blue Collar” Ceiling Due to Education Gap

A recent study shows that many Chicago area Latinos are facing a “blue-collar ceiling” and are likely to be stuck in low-paying jobs for the rest of their lives due to persistent educational gaps. “We’re not talking about social justice, social work,” says John Koval, the author of the report and a senior research fellow [...]

NEA’s Litigation Against Anti-Worker Laws Showing Results

By Michael D. Simpson, NEA Office of General Counsel NEA and its state affiliates have filed a flurry of lawsuits challenging a wide range of anti-union and anti-worker state laws enacted recently. Some preliminary results are in, and while all of these lawsuits are still pending, NEA’s batting about .660 so far. Arizona — On the plus [...]

Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools

Even though Agora Cyber Charter School is failing by almost every educational measure, by Wall Street standards, Agora is a remarkable success that has helped enrich K12 Inc., the publicly traded company that manages the school. “What we’re talking about here is the financialization of public education,” said Alex Molnar, of the University of Colorado Boulder [...]

Poor Texas Schools File 3rd Lawsuit Against State

A coalition of Texas schools filed the third lawsuit against the state over school funding this week, alleging that the system of paying for public education is inequitable for all students and inadequate for those who are low-income or still learning English. Source: Associated Press

National Teachers Hall of Fame – Nominations Due Jan. 3

The National Teachers Hall of Fame was founded in 1989 in Emporia, Kansas, as a tribute to teaching. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to recognizing career teachers, to preserving and promoting education, and to serving our country by inspiring others to enter the teaching profession. Do you know an outstanding teacher who [...]

In Transforming School, Educators Draw Inspiration From Students

By Cindy Long Greg Mohammed, also known as “Mr. Moe,” is the kind of teacher who always has students surrounding him or sitting outside his classroom just to say hello. He’s the kind of teacher serious enough to motivate kids in his science class, but playful enough to craft a giant, wooden hall pass the [...]

Pennsylvania Schools Stand Up to Bullying

By Kevin Hart If educators could wave a magic wand and solve one problem affecting American schools, bullying would be high on the list. Teachers, support professionals and administrators are acutely aware that bullying can take a devastating emotional and academic toll on students – in fact, an estimated 160,000 students miss school each day [...]

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