As the new Congress settles in after the so-called wave election sent a strong message to Washington, it remains to be seen just what the message was. For public education it seems even more complex and paradoxical. The last of the stimulus monies are being spent and the much talked about day of reckoning –…
DetailsAbout half a billion – that’s b as in billion – is at stake as state officials and municipal officials worry about who will make up the local deficits created when federal stimulus funds expire this year. CEA is lobbying Governor Dannel Malloy and state legislators to have the State of Connecticut make up the…
DetailsOne of the more disruptive and confusing elements of the NCLB law has been the set of requirements that defined who was a “Highly Qualified Teacher”. Here’s the latest twist. It relates to interns and participants in alternative certification programs who are working toward , but have not yet achieved “full state certification” including Teach…
DetailsAs the snail-paced recovery moves forward and the availability of stimulus money fades, state and local school budgets feel the tightening of the vise. Given that we have never successfully resolved the school finance question in the United States, the script for bad times is almost predictable. And so one of the inexorable components of…
DetailsCEA’s charitable organization, the Connecticut Education Foundation (CEF), is once again making a difference in the lives of needy public school students through its gift-giving program, the Holiday Bear Project. Gifts for hundreds of needy children across Connecticut are being distributed across the state during the next two weeks. The gifts were donated for an…
DetailsThe holiday season is upon us and this year historic numbers of Americans have fallen upon hard times. Many teachers and their organizations commit incredible acts of kindness which often happen behind the scenes and yet have untold impact on the lives of children and other members of the community. Recently the New Haven Register…
DetailsDiane Ravitch, noted historian and research professor at New York University is a woman with a renewed mission since the publication of her provocative book The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education (2010). Last night she was in New Haven to participate in a panel…
DetailsHave you heard about NEA’s Priority Schools Campaign? You wouldn’t know it from the media, but across the country, educators are partnering with parents, communities, businesses, and their Associations to positively transform schools and NEA’s Campaign is supporting and promoting their efforts The Priority Schools Campaign grew out of a mandate from NEA’s annual Representative Assembly,…
DetailsThe New York Times ran a piece Sunday titled Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction. The article discusses the challenges and opportunities new technologies provide for students and educators. Students are frequently distracted from their school work by texting, gaming, and websites such as Facebook and YouTube. Yet technology also opens up new ways of…
DetailsToday is the The National Day of Blogging for Real Education Reform, an opportunity for educators to blog about positive reform, using your expertise to talk about how education should be transformed for all learners. The event was created by the American Association of School Administrators and ASCD. It’s an excellent day to contribute your voice to the dialog and check…
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