NSTA - Education News

Subcategory: Teaching Profession

Congratulations!
Nov 20 2009 - Jamaica Plain Gazette
Nicole Yana Davis won a fellowship through the National Science Teachers Association's New Science Teacher Academy.

Four Teachers Named U.S. Professors of the Year
Nov 19 2009 - USA Today
Teaching is more than lecturing: It is helping students experience their education, say the four 2009 U.S. Professors of the Year, who are being recognized today by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Mesquite School Turns Trail into Pathway to Learning
Oct 20 2009 - The Dallas Morning News
As a science teacher at Mesquite's Gentry Elementary School, Beverly Murray-Ferrell made good use of the woods just outside her classroom, going out to collect leaves, bugs, and spiders to use in her lessons. Then, she said, it hit her: "Why am I bringing my bugs inside?" The students should be going outside.

Statewide Math, Science Conference to Be Held in Juneau for First Time
Oct 14 2009 - Juneau Empire
Hosted by the Alaska Science Teachers Association and the Alaska Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the sixth Alaska Statewide Math and Science Conference will take place Wednesday through Saturday at varying locations, mainly Juneau-Douglas High School and the Baranof Hotel.

School Briefs
Oct 6 2009 - East Valley Tribune
Teachers from Mesa and Chandler were recently honored by the National Science Teachers Association. Marissa Boomgaard, from Mesa's Westwood High School, and Kristi Glassmeyer, from Chandler's Basha High School, have been named fellows in the 2009 NSTA New Science Teacher Academy.

Colony Science Teacher Honored Nationally
Oct 6 2009 - Mat Su Valley Frontiersman
Traci Sanders, a science teacher at Colony High School, has been singled out as one of the best teachers in the nation. She was chosen as an Amgen-NSTA Fellow.

Around the Islands
Oct 6 2009 - Marianas Variety
NSTA, in partnership with the Amgen Foundation; Agilent Technologies Foundation; Astellas Pharma US, In.; and Bayer Corporation, announced that Michael Blasberg, a science teacher at Marianas High School, was chosen from hundreds of applications to participate as an Amgen-NSTA fellow in the 2009 NSTA New Science Teacher Academy.

NEA Moves to Help Poor Schools with Best Teachers
Oct 5 2009 - USA Today
The USA's largest teachers union will encourage local chapters to ignore contract provisions that in the past have kept school districts' best teachers out of schools that serve mostly poor and minority students.

3 Science Teachers Part of a Program to Keep Their Kind Around
Sep 29 2009 - Daily Herald
Three Lake County science teachers have been chosen to participate in a yearlong enrichment program by the National Science Teachers Association.

Technology Links Students to Fieldwork
Sep 29 2009 - Education Week (requires registration)
Schools are increasingly using blogs, e-mail, and other online tools to bring scientific research within students' reach.

Management Guru Says 'Student Load' Key to Achievement
Sep 28 2009 - Education Week
Management expert William G. Ouchi wants to let educators in on a secret: The key to improving student achievement is lightening teaching loads.

CY-Fair Science Teachers Chosen as NSTA Fellows
Sep 25 2009 - The Westside Story
Two Cypress-Fairbanks ISD science teachers have been selected as fellows in the 2009 National Science Teachers Association New Science Teacher Academy.

RCS Science Teacher in National Program
Sep 25 2009 - RomeSentinel.com
Sarah Gates, a 7th grade teacher at Rome Catholic School, has been accepted into the National Science Teacher Academy as an Amgen NSTA Fellow. She is one of 185 teachers across the country who have been accepted this year.

Science Teacher Named NH Teacher of the Year
Sep 24 2009 - The Boston Globe
A teacher at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton has been named the New Hampshire Department of Education's teacher of the year. Eric Nash, a 25-year veteran science teacher, is now the state's candidate for the National Teacher of the Year.

Horry County Teacher Wins National Science Fellowship
Sep 23 2009 - TheSunNews.com
A science teacher from the Academy of Technology and Academics has been chosen to participate in a national fellowship for science teachers, according to the S.C. Department of Education.

Schools Look Abroad to Hire Teachers
Sep 15 2009 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
Some American school districts have turned increasingly to overseas recruiting to find teachers willing to work in their hard-to-staff schools, according to a new report by a national teachers union.

Doctoral Students Think Teaching Assistantships Hold Them Back
Sep 1 2009 - The Chronicle of Higher Education (requires registration)
A new survey of recent Ph.D. recipients has found that more than four out of five of those who received paid teaching assistantships believe that having them prolonged their doctoral education, though not enough to keep them from completing the programs in a timely manner.

His Mission: Rescue Kids from 'Sputnik-Era Science'
Aug 13 2009 - The Virginian Pilot
After a three-decade career as a NASA engineer, Jim Batterson knows science. As a former teacher and School Board member in Newport News, he also knows education. Now Batterson, a Suffolk resident, is leading a campaign to modernize the science that is taught in Virginia.

Disney Competition Goes Nationwide
Jul 31 2009 - District Administration
Disney's Planet Challenge, a project-based environmental competition for students in grades 4-6, is expanding nationwide. Disney's environmental team has developed the program in collaboration with curricular experts at the K-12 Alliance and the National Science Teachers Association.

Business Is Brisk for Teacher Training Alternatives
Jul 31 2009 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
The high unemployment rate has provided an unexpected boon for the nation's public schools: legions of career-switchers eager to become teachers.

GE Foundation Convenes Leaders in Education at Conference
Jul 29 2009 - zibb.com
The GE Foundation Developing Futures in Education(TM) Summer Conference, which convenes hundreds of key stakeholders and leaders in U.S. education, welcomed United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as the keynote speaker of the conference.

As Charter Schools Unionize, Many Debate Effect
Jul 28 2009 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
Dissatisfied with long hours, churning turnover and, in some cases, lower pay than instructors at other public schools, an increasing number of teachers at charter schools are unionizing.

Let Retiring Boomers Transform Schools
Jul 22 2009 - eSchool News
An innovative and potentially ground-breaking approach to 21st century education is placing baby boomer retirees from STEM fields into "learning teams" with educators in an attempt to give students knowledge from real-life science and math experts.

Teacher to Help Increase Youth Interest and Safety in Science and Math
Jul 16 2009 - The Daily Tar Heel
Patricia Shane, assistant director of mathematics and science education in the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Education, has always been a teacher who inspires her students. And as of June 1, she became the president of the National Science Teachers Association. As she begins her one-year term as president of the association, she will be sharing her gift for teaching with other science educators across the nation.

Throwing a Lifeline to Struggling Teachers
Jun 29 2009 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
The program, adopted by more than 80 school systems nationwide including Montgomery County, Maryland, confronts one of public education's most vexing problems: What to do with under-performing teachers?

Next Test: Value of $125,000-a-Year Teachers
Jun 5 2009 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
A New York City school called the Equity Project will operate on the theory that excellent teachers—and not revolutionary technology, talented principals, or small class size—are the critical ingredient for success. Are six-figure salaries the way to get them?

High Turnover and Job's Challenges Keep Special Education Teachers in Demand
May 7 2009 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
Federal data show the proportion of special education teachers who transfer to other teaching jobs or leave the profession is higher than the rate in almost any other area of teaching. Nearly every school system reports a short supply of certified special education candidates.

State Fires Science Curriculum Leader
Apr 23 2009 - The Salt Lake Tribune
Velma Itamura, who helped develop and implement the state science curriculum at the Utah State Office of Education, was terminated from her job as state science specialist April 17. Teachers are saying the firing of the state science education leader was politically motivated.

Teacher Inspires Kids, Community
Apr 14 2009 - Chicago Sun Times
When her students needed to learn where vegetables came from, Pat Jonikaitis turned a neglected patch of school property into a flourishing community garden. Jonikaitis, a math and science teacher, was named one of 25 teachers from across the nation to receive the Ambassadors in Education Award from the National Civic League and earned her school a $5,000 grant from the MetLife Foundation.

Change Pay, Change Teaching?
Mar 18 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor
One thing holding the teaching profession back is its vastly outdated pay system, say proponents of new compensation plans.

Interest Surges in Leaving Other Jobs for Teaching
Mar 17 2009 - The Boston Globe
Plenty of people dream of leaving their jobs to become teachers. Today, more people are actually doing it. Career switchers make up about one-third of the ranks of new teachers, and that number has jumped in the past decade. Now, as the recession deepens, even more people are deciding to become teachers.

Educator Loss in STEM Area Called Issue
Mar 12 2009 - Education Week
Researchers are questioning the idea that colleges and universities are producing too few mathematics and science teachers to meet the demand in the nation's classrooms. They say that colleges and universities are producing more than enough; the problem is that the profession is losing too many.

State Seeks Teachers Among Newly Jobless
Mar 4 2009 - Arkansas Democrat Gazette
The Arkansas Department of Education is looking for new teachers among the ranks of college-educated workers who have lost jobs recently. They are particulary working to tap into the pool of displaced workers who have degrees and experience in the high-demand subjects of mathematics, life sciences, physical sciences, foreign languages, speech, art, and music.

Survey Shows Teacher Satisfaction Climbing Over Quarter Century
Mar 3 2009 - Education Week
Teachers’ views on their profession have become markedly more positive over the past quarter-century, at least partially validating the widespread school improvement efforts of the period, concludes a retrospective-survey report released this week by MetLife Inc.

DPS Adds Third Fast-Track Route to Classroom
Feb 13 2009 - Rocky Mountain News
With interest in teaching rising as the economy falters, Denver Public Schools leaders unveiled a new pathway to the classroom for those who want to teach but lack traditional credentials. The Denver Teacher Residency is modeled after a medical residency, with participants spending their first 10 months in the classroom with a mentor teacher.

Texas Teacher Shortage in Math, Science Worsens
Feb 10 2009 - The Dallas Morning News
Just as Texas is phasing in new high school graduation requirements that call for more math and science, a new study released Monday indicates that a longtime shortage of teachers in those subjects has grown dramatically worse and will continue to do so.

Educators Rush for 21st-Century Skills
Jan 5 2009 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
Many teachers say that the current buzz phrase is just plain old good teaching with a jazzy name. Researchers are struggling to find ways to determine which schools are teaching it well and which are not, while educators wonder whether it will be just one more fad.

Private-Style Public Schools
Dec 10 2008 - The Arizona Republic
Arizona public-school districts are creating a new system of schools that operate more like private academies within their districts. Not everyone can get in the door. Potential students must apply and typically must get teacher recommendations, take placement exams, and even interview for a spot.

Group Launches Push for More Math, Science Teachers
Nov 17 2008 - Education Week (requires free registration)
A major association of colleges and universities is asking its member institutions to commit to producing more mathematics and science teachers and to work more closely together to share information about promising strategies for meeting that goal.

Maryland's Teacher Shortage Appears to Be Easing
Nov 5 2008 - The Baltimore Sun
Maryland's perennial teacher shortage may be easing for the first time in several years, a result of increased emphasis on producing better-trained teachers from the state's colleges and universities and a steady enrollment trend, according to state officials. Despite the improvement, schools remain in need of special education, math, chemistry, physics, and foreign language teachers.

Live from Antarctica: Teacher Talks Climate with Her U.S. Class
Oct 31 2008 - USA Today
Global warming was the topic, but one eighth-grader from Harlem posed a question that his teacher could answer with firsthand knowledge: "Would it be easy for a kid to live in Antarctica?"

Schools in Need Employ Teachers from Overseas
Oct 24 2008 - USA Today
A growing number of school districts are hiring teachers from foreign countries to fill shortages in math, science, and special education. The trend is most evident in poor urban and rural districts, according to educators.

Financial Sector's Loss Could Spell Gain for Teaching
Oct 17 2008 - USA Today
Looking for a silver lining in the financial meltdown? How about this: Your child's next math teacher could be an absolute whiz. This fall, for instance, New York City's Teaching Fellows program, which trains career-changers to work in city schools, saw the percentage of applicants listing "finance" as their current job rise to 10%, up from 6% in 2006.

Teachers to Be Measured Based on Students’ Standardized Test Scores
Oct 2 2008 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
New York City is beginning to measure the performance of thousands of elementary and middle school teachers based on how much their students improve on annual state math and reading tests. To avoid a contentious fight with the teachers' union, the NYC Department of Education has agreed not to make public the reports—which described teachers as average, below average, or above average with various types of students—nor let them influence formal job evaluations, pay, and promotions.

Who Wants to Be a Teacher? A Whole Lot of People, a New Survey Finds
Sep 11 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor
Forty-two percent of college-educated 24- to 60-year-olds would consider teaching as a career, according to a survey out Wednesday from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in Princeton, N.J.

Guidance by Principals Emerging as Crucial in Science Instruction
Sep 3 2008 - Education Week
Good science education requires consistent and creative support from principals, the most powerful decision-makers in almost any school. In recent years, an increasing number of science and education organizations, acknowledging that link, have put principals in their sights.

Report Fuels Four-Day Week Debate
Aug 15 2008 - Advocate Capitol News Bureau
The trend of the four-day school week is growing in Louisiana and nationwide—especially in rural areas—but the concept is not catching on in larger areas such as Baton Rouge, local and state education officials agree. A new Southern Regional Education Board “Focus on the School Calendar” report released this week explores the pros and cons of the four-day school week and essentially concludes that the known outcomes are inconclusive.

New Head of Teacher's Union Attacks NCLB
Jul 16 2008 - U.S. News & World Report
Randi Weingarten, the new president of the American Federation of Teachers, called for overhauling No Child Left Behind, saying the education law "has outlived whatever usefulness it ever had" and that "it is too badly broken to be fixed."

Cable Industry Honors Visionary Educators
Jun 25 2008 - eSchool News
Creating a parent-school web site that can be accessed through computer kiosks in local grocery markets, developing historical virtual field trips, and redefining what it means to be media literate in today's world: These are among the effective uses of technology recognized by the cable industry's fourth annual Leaders in Learning Awards.

Top Science and Math Teachers Receive Presidential Award
May 5 2008 - National Science Foundation
Excellent teaching in math and science can make a crucial difference to students' mastery of these subjects, and to decisions about future study and careers. Teachers who bring such teaching to their classrooms are being honored by President Bush as winners of the 2007 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

New York City Short of Science Teachers
Apr 16 2008 - New York Daily News
Far more New York City teachers were highly qualified to do their jobs last year than in the past, but many courses--including science, art, and foreign languages--are still being taught by teachers not up to the task.

Problem-Based Learning Helps Teachers Love Technology
Mar 20 2008 - eSchoolNews.com
Problem-based learning (PBL) has been proposed as an effective approach for overcoming teachers' resistance to integrating technology into the classroom. A new study investigates the impact of PBL on preservice teachers' beliefs regarding technology use and on their intended teaching practices.

Ed Secretary Says Nontraditional Methods Can Help Fill Teacher Vacancies
Feb 26 2008 - Associated Press
Filling teacher vacancies will require using nontraditional methods, U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings told members of the Missouri State Board of Education on Thursday. She pointed to federal programs such as Teach for America to recruit more college students and alternative certifications for people with other careers who want to become teachers.

How to Make Great Teachers
Feb 20 2008 - TIME Magazine
We never forget our best teachers-—those who imbued us with a deeper understanding or an enduring passion, the ones we come back to visit years after graduating, the educators who opened doors and altered the course of our lives. The author of this article was lucky enough to encounter two such teachers in her senior year in a public high school in Connecticut.

Teaching for the Test
Feb 19 2008 - Washington Post (requires free registration)
How hard could it be for a top teacher at an elite high school to win the coveted National Board certification? You'd be surprised. He sure was.

Does Class Size Make a Difference?
Feb 15 2008 - Seattlepi.com
Does class size really matter? Experts have varying opinions, but many find that there are benefits to smaller classes.

Educators' Return after Retirement Stirs Pension Fight
Feb 7 2008 - The Arizona Republic
Programs allowing teachers and administrators to retire, collect their pensions, and return to their former jobs are a popular way for school districts to fill teaching positions with experienced staff and save money. Some critics, though, question whether the Arizona State Retirement System will have enough money when today's new teachers begin to retire in 30 years if the retired teachers quit paying into the system.

Record Number of Teachers Set to Retire
Feb 1 2008 - NPR.org
Teachers are leaving their profession in record numbers, especially at the high-school level, according to a new study. Some 40% of the nation's classroom teachers are now 50 years or older and an unprecedented number of them will likely retire in the next five years, the study by the National Center for Education Information said. The number of teachers expected to leave the field is double what it was 12 years ago. Losing so many classroom veterans spells trouble for schools trying to meet federal guidelines to hire only the most qualified teachers--especially in math, science, and special education.

Is Santa Being Too Good to Some Teachers?
Dec 18 2007 - Houston Chronicle (Texas)
In an effort to help find the perfect holiday gift for teachers, a former Texas elementary educator has developed a wish list survey. The survey is given to teachers and asks them a range of questions such as their favorite hobbies and restaurants. Parents receive copies of the answers and can use the information to help them purchase gifts for their child’s teacher. But the trend, while an aid to parents, plays a role in what some observers see as an extravagant turn in the holiday gift tradition. In affluent school districts, teachers have received gifts such as spa gift certificates and jewelry. But some school districts have established gift guidelines, including setting spending limits for parents.

Memphis Schools Nominated for Program to Explore Strategies of Achievement
Dec 4 2007 - Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tennessee)
A group of teachers in Memphis, Tennessee, are planning to launch a national pilot program in January that will study how teaching and school management can boost student performance. The Effective Practice Incentive Community program will equip principals and teachers with access to promising and effective practices. Videos and case studies of the work will be made available to teachers and administrators nationwide via the internet.

Breathing Life into the Lecture Hall
Sep 24 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
The time-honored lecture course is undergoing significant changes at universities nationwide due to technological innovations and the need to better hold students’ attention spans. Instead of talking to students for an entire class period, professors are using clickers and PowerPoint presentations as teaching tools. Other teachers have engaged in storytelling, activities, and used movies to help students learn.

Support Grows for Teacher Bonuses
Sep 18 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Congressional lawmakers are debating whether to authorize federal grants through a revision of the No Child Left Behind Act that would increase teacher salaries for exceptional educators who teach in high-poverty schools. The proposal would provide grants worth up to $10,000 in most cases and $12,500 for specialists in math, science, and other areas that can be hard to staff. National teacher unions are against the plan, noting “it would undermine their ability to negotiate contracts and would be based in part on what they consider an unfair and unreliable measure: student test scores.”

Shorter Breaks Help Kids Recall Lessons
Sep 1 2007 - Associated Press
Approximately 3,000 schools across the nation have diverted from the traditional academic calendar with a shorter summer break and taking more time off during the school year. The goal of modified calendars is to prevent students from forgetting material they have learned. Although there has not been rigorous research into modified calendars, observers note that “existing comparisons suggest the modified calendars have a small positive effect on student achievement.”

Later School Starts Gain Popularity
Aug 29 2007 - USA Today
Although many school districts start the school year before Labor Day, momentum has begun in several states to start classes later in August or after the holiday. Eleven states are considering plans to limit how early the school year begins. The move has been prompted by parents and the tourism industry. Parents note they don’t want vacation time with their children cut off so early. Tourism officials observe that early start dates in August can result in lost income and a lack of student workers.

'No Child' Teacher Training Suit Filed
Aug 22 2007 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
A group of parents and education advocates have sued the federal Department of Education over its interpretation of what makes a teacher highly qualified. The lawsuit claims “that only teachers with full state certification should be considered highly qualified.” However, some teachers in California’s classrooms are interns who are still attending college. A spokesperson for the Department of Education declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Teachers Spend Out of Pocket on Kids
Aug 20 2007 - News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware)
As educators nationwide begin the new school year, many teachers will spend money out of their own pockets to prepare their classrooms. On a national level, teachers spend an average of $475 of their own money on classroom supplies and materials each year, according to a study prepared by Quality Education Data Inc. for the 2006–2007 school year. “I think it’s pretty much an accepted way of life for teachers,” noted one educator from Delaware. “And, of course, the districts come to expect that you are going to do those kinds of things.”

Teachers Say Yes to Pay Tied to Scores
Aug 20 2007 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
Although teachers have voiced opposition in the past to the idea, educators are endorsing contracts that pay bonuses for increasing students’ test scores. The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) oppose linking a teacher’s paycheck to how well their students perform on tests. But the AFT has noted that it “feels obliged to assist chapters that have decided to go this route.” Local teachers unions in Austin, Texas; Denver, Colorado, and other areas are experimenting with such plans.

Teachers Voice Doubts Over Merit Pay
Jul 5 2007 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
Teachers attending the National Education Association’s annual convention in Philadelphia this year are doubtful about merit pay for educators. Proponents argue that such a concept would reward effective teachers and attract strong new recruits to the profession. But one teacher at the convention noted other factors must be considered when evaluating the effectiveness of teachers. Teachers worry that their peers in struggling schools, where students might be poor or speak another language at home, would have trouble increasing their students’ test scores to earn merit pay. Education policymakers say a merit pay system could take such factors into consideration.

Report Calls for Overhaul in Teacher Qualifications
Jun 28 2007 - Houston Chronicle (Requires free registration)
A new report shows differences in how teachers are evaluated, prepared, licensed, and compensated, all factors that affect teaching quality. “For the most part the current system is a mix of broken, counterproductive, anachronistic policies in need of an overhaul, the report states. The study was released by the National Council on Teacher Quality on June 27.

Momentum Builds for Teacher Merit Pay Plans
Jun 18 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Although they have received opposition in the past, the rejection seems to be eroding as school districts in dozens of states work on plans that partially compensate teachers for classroom performance rather than their years of experience on the job. The Department of Education is encouraging schools and districts to try merit pay plans. Last week, it awarded 18 new federal grants, building on 16 others distributed in November 2006.

The Next No Child Left Behind Act
May 24 2007 - New America Foundation
Experts say the federal government should regard the upcoming reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as an opportunity to expand access to high-quality, early education programs. Stakeholders also said they would like to see higher standards in teacher quality, salaries for early childhood educators that align with what their K-12 colleagues receive, and more consistency across the country in the curricula of early education programs.

Science Tests Come as Teaching Time Falls
May 7 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Maryland elementary and middle school students are being tested this week in science for the first time under the No Child Left Behind Act, a federal law that, in the minds of many educators, has squeezed science instruction to the margins of public education. Many elementary schools offer half as much science instruction as they did before the law was enacted, teachers and principals said. Science and social studies, once taught separately, share time to make room for more reading and math. Some middle schools that used to offer a full year of science and social studies give a semester of each. But starting with the 2007–2008 academic year, the law requires states to test students in science.

Top Teachers Issue Call for Revamped Pay Plans
Apr 30 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Tired of reports by business executives and Cabinet officers on how to fix U.S. schools, 18 award-winning teachers produced their own recommendations this month, starting with a major overhaul of how teachers are paid. The report says teachers should be able to advance through three tiers: novice, professional, and expert, and schools should stop paying teachers more just because they have more years on the job.

Interactive Engagement Versus Traditional Methods
Apr 24 2007 - American Journal of Physics/ResearchBrief
In an effort to increase student engagement, some instructors have encouraged the use of strategies that seek to stimulate access to the curriculum by letting students work together on content-related activities, such as through "think-pair-share" and interactive engagement. A study published in the American Journal of Physics and highlighted in the latest issue of ASCD’s ResearchBrief compares student achievement in lecture-based physics classes with that of classes using interactive engagement strategies.

Study Tackles Teacher Wages
Apr 16 2007 - The Advocate (Louisiana)
Attention teachers: What if you could bypass the politicians and the bureaucrats and design your own pay system from scratch? What might it look like? Eighteen distinguished teachers from across the nation recently did just that, and came up with some surprising suggestions.

Teachers Propose Merit Pay Increases
Apr 11 2007 - Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio)
Teachers are ready for meaningful performance incentives, according to a new Center for Teaching Quality study conducted by a panel of 18 master teachers. Citing a teacher-approved Minneapolis plan, the panel has proposed a base-pay system with novice, professional and expert tiers that would be supplemented by rewards to teachers who help students improve and who teach in high-needs, low-performing schools.

Splitting the Difference
Apr 8 2007 - Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
The male students trickle into biology teacher Laura Nielsen’s classroom at Arrowhead High School and quickly set about bantering and joking; her female pupils enter her room more quietly and are more likely to go straight to their work. Such differences might be overlooked in a regular class. But this school year, they are at the forefront as Arrowhead conducts its first boys-only and girls-only classes, taking advantage of new rules for single-sex education by the federal government.

Study Gives Teachers Barely Passing Grade in Classroom
Apr 4 2007 - USA Today
The typical child in the United States stands only a one-in-14 chance of having a consistently, rich supportive elementary school experience, according to researchers who examined the daily life of students in classrooms. Published in the journal Science, the findings take teachers to task for spending too much time on basic reading and math skills and not enough time on problem solving, reasoning, science, and social studies. The findings also suggest that U.S. education focuses too much on teacher qualifications and not enough on teachers being engaging and supportive.

Merit-Based Rewards for Teachers Pushed on Hill
Apr 3 2007 - The Washington Times
A bipartisan House bill aims to provide $199 million to develop performance-based pay for teachers and principals who boost student achievement levels and close achievement gaps. The legislation would establish in law the Teacher Incentive Fund, which was created in fiscal 2006 with $99 million in funding but was cut to almost nothing in 2007.

Many Teachers See Failure in Students' Future
Mar 27 2007 - USA Today
In a wide-ranging survey being released March 27, nearly one in four teachers in urban schools paint a sobering picture of students there. Educators say most children “would not be successful at a community college or university.” Even more say students “are not motivated to learn.”

Failing Schools See a Solution in Longer Day
Mar 26 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
States and school districts nationwide are moving to lengthen the day at struggling schools, spurred by grim test results suggesting that more than 10,000 schools are likely to be declared failing under federal law next year. But the movement has many critics; among administrators, who worry about the cost; among teachers, whose unions say they work hard enough as it is, and have sought more pay and renegotiation of contracts; and among parents, who say their children already spend enough time in school.

Expert Teachers 'Key to Physics'
Mar 20 2007 - BBC News
A new study suggests that the decline in school physics in England can be reversed if expert teachers can teach the subject in a fun way. Researchers at the University of Buckingham said a key step, seen in schools that were rejecting the trend, was teaching physics as physics. Too often it was “wrapped up in science taught by biologists,” so students could not see whether they were good at it, the researchers noted.

Asian Educators Looking to Loudoun for an Edge
Mar 19 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Students in a Virginia laboratory studied tiny genetically altered plants one recent afternoon, drawing leaves and writing data in logbooks. Meanwhile, visiting scientists studied the students. The scientists had come from the island nation of Singapore to the Academy of Science in Sterling in search of ways to improve their teaching.

Challenge: Keeping Top Teachers Teaching
Mar 19 2007 - News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware)
For most Delaware teachers, the only option for career advancement is to become an administrator. Mount Pleasant High School teacher Dave Bradley, a 31-year classroom veteran, said teachers need a way to take on more responsibility while remaining instructors. “Teachers, if they move up, have to move out,” he said. Some department head or team leader positions exist, but most teachers seeking promotions or bigger paychecks must leave the classroom. Education leaders across the country and in Delaware want to change that, and are proposing new career paths to keep talented teachers teaching.

Teacher Colleges Face Glut
Mar 12 2007 - Toronto Star (Canada)
Thousands of aspiring teachers are finding closed doors at education colleges and only part-time positions at Ontario schools, completely opposite the scenario of a decade ago. Across the province, more than 16,000 candidates have applied to teachers’ colleges for spots beginning this fall, an increase of 113% over the past decade. However, less than half will get in, according to various sources.

Teachers Adopt a Business Identity
Feb 26 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Business cards may be a staple of the business world, but in education, with its strict, top-down pecking order, often only high-level administrators and central office types receive them. However, some teachers are taking matters into their own hands by creating their own business cards.

Senate Approves Bill to Boost Math, Science
Feb 21 2007 - Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky)
The Kentucky Senate has passed two bills that would give cash incentives to teachers, students, and schools for high achievement in math and science.

Bush Seeks Teacher Merit Pay Funds
Feb 13 2007 - Washington Times
President Bush wants more money in the 2008 budget for a fund that encourages performance-based pay systems for teachers. The administration is asking for $199 million for its Teacher Incentive Fund, which was created in 2006. The fund provides financial incentives for teachers and principals who improve student achievement in high poverty schools and helps to recruit top teachers to these schools. Rewards are left up to the states to decide and can include bonuses or raises.

Critics Question Education Department's Screening
Feb 11 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Academic researchers are voicing concerns about background checks conducted by the Education Department. For about a year, researchers have undergone a level of security screening usually reserved for those working with very sensitive information. A department spokesperson says the scrutiny is warranted because the agency has access to databases with financial data and other information, including names and social security numbers of students or of applicants to colleges and other programs. However, the policy is prompting critics to question when a prudent background investigation becomes an invasion of privacy.

States Try Mentoring to Hang on to Teachers
Feb 4 2007 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
States are considering pouring millions of dollars into mentoring programs for new teachers, aiming to stop many educators from spending just a few years in the classroom before leaving for greener, less taxing pastures. Researchers estimate that as many as 50% of teachers nationwide will leave the profession within their first five years on the job.

Sought After Program Coming to IPS Classrooms
Feb 2 2007 - Indianapolis Star (Indiana)
A prominent program that places graduates of Ivy League and other top–tier colleges at the front of the nation’s worst public school classrooms is headed to Indianapolis.

Report Gives Edge in Pay to Teachers
Jan 31 2007 - Des Moines Register (Iowa)
School teachers nationwide earned an average of $34.06 per hour in 2005, which was $8.98 more than the average nonsales, white collar worker, according to a study by the Manhattan Institute, a New York–based conservative think tank. The report used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for public schools nationally and in 66 metro areas.

A New School of Bloggers
Jan 29 2007 - Houston Chronicle (Requires free registration)
After long days of grading papers and disciplining rowdy children, a growing number of tech-savvy teachers are creating online journals to vent about the stresses of the profession. Educators who have already embraced blogs find themselves walking a fine, virtual line of conduct. They strive to entertain and inform, but can’t violate their school district’s policies or federal laws designed to protect students’ confidentiality.

Teachers Who Stick to Rules May Not Stay
Jan 25 2007 - Charlotte Observer (North Carolina) Requires free registration
Imagine two prospective teachers. One is confident that her classroom will run smoothly and eager to comply with the principal’s orders. The other says she expects to make mistakes and will find ways to work around rules that don’t benefit students. If you are the principal of a high–poverty urban school, trainers say you should hire the second teacher.

Teachers Tackle Their Own Extra Credit
Jan 22 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Although some wonder how much the program raises student achievement, there is a growing movement toward national certification. The number of board certified teachers has tripled in the past five years to more than 55,000 nationwide. Increasingly, school systems are seeking to raise teacher quality.

Teaching Each and Every One
Jan 19 2007 - Threshold Magazine
Writer Dianne Ferguson describes three strategies to help teachers target effective learning for all students.

World Facing Teaching Shortage
Jan 16 2007 - The Age (Melbourne, Australia)
Primary schools around the world are facing a shortage of 18 million teachers within nine years unless governments invest more in public education, an international education union says.

The Few, The Proud, The Male Teachers
Jan 12 2007 - St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
The percentage of males in teaching has hit a 40–year low, the National Education Association reports, at slightly less than one of every four teachers in U.S. public schools. Florida logs in lower than the national level, and Hillsborough County below that. The state ranks Hillsborough 64th of 67 counties when it comes to the percentage of men in the classroom.

Gifts That Say 'Teacher'
Dec 22 2006 - Philadelphia Inquirer (Requires free registration)
It’s the season when school bells give way to Christmas bells, and children put aside sums and spelling to dream of sleds, snow, and Santa. It’s the season, too, when teachers brace themselves for the annual onslaught of gifts, so predictable and yet so unpredictable, from those runny–nosed angels who warm their lives from September to June. Most school districts allow students or their parents to give holiday gifts, but some ban them or limit their value.

Science in the Spotlight
Dec 14 2006 - Educational Leadership
With an increased emphasis on testing science achievement comes a corresponding need to make science interesting and exciting to students. The authors of the latest issue of Educational Leadership shine a light on science education, discussing the demand for more rigorous science teaching in classrooms, the professional development science teachers require, and the need to share best practices internationally.

Uncertified Teachers Performing Well, Study Finds
Nov 20 2006 - New York Sun
Uncertified teachers perform just as well in the classroom as certified teachers and alternatively trained teachers like Teaching Fellows, a study to be released today says. The study's results appear to challenge requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act that every classroom have a "highly qualified" teacher, instead suggesting that schools should put more emphasis on weeding out educators who don’t perform well, after the teachers have been hired.

Daley Wants to Enlist Science, Math Teachers
Nov 17 2006 - Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley wants the federal government to create a program that would give college scholarships to prospective teachers majoring in math and science, in exchange for their working four or five years in public schools. Daley also wants the Chicago school district to revamp the math and science curriculum for kindergarten through sixth or seventh grade, to make it more engaging.

Professors Honored for Creativity
Nov 16 2006 - USA Today
Two science teachers are among four professors who will be honored November 16 as recipients of the 25th annual U.S. Professors of the Year Award. Established in 1981, the prize is part of the only nationwide program to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching, according to the sponsoring Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Male Teachers a Vanishing Breed
Nov 15 2006 - The Arizona Republic
Male teachers are an increasingly rare sight in the nation's public school classrooms. Fewer than one in four (24.5%) of the nation's instructors were men in 2004–2005, the biggest gender imbalance in 40 years, according to a new study released by the National Education Association.

Money Flows Into Teacher Bonus Program
Oct 23 2006 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
In the closing weeks of the fall campaign, the Bush administration is handing out money for teachers who raise student test scores. The 16 grants total $42 million and cover many states. Using the old–fashioned incentive of cash, President Bush’s program encourages schools to develop pay scales that reward some teachers and principals more than others. Those rewards are to be based mainly on test scores, but also on classroom evaluations during the year. The grants are also aimed at luring teachers into math, science, and other core fields.

Rural Quality
Oct 10 2006 - District Administration Magazine
This article discusses how small districts are focusing on recruitment strategies and distance education to employ highly qualified teachers.

Bush Pitches Incentive Pay for Teachers
Oct 6 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
President Bush is calling for changes in the No Child Left Behind Act that would benefit teachers. The president has proposed that teachers who raise student scores or decide to teach in hard-to-serve urban or rural school districts be paid bonuses under a new incentive fund for educators. High schools, which now graduate 75% of their freshmen on time, would offer more rigorous courses through a new Advanced Placement training program for 70,000 teachers.

At the Head of Some Classes, Desks Dismissed
Oct 3 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Years ago, in a classroom that had chalk, blackboards, and students seated in neat rows, teacher Lee Dorman had a desk of her own. But she found herself constantly roaming to oversee projects and answer questions. She never used the desk, so she got rid of it. A small but growing number of teachers is following Dorman's example. With the new emphasis on raising achievement for all students, many teachers say they have to stay mobile to make sure they are reaching everyone in their classroom.

Parents, Authors and Even Some Teachers Rebel Against Homework
Oct 3 2006 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer
For years, students have voiced concerns that their book reports, math problems, and science projects were pointless. But now several authors, and even some parents, agree that homework is not worth much, at least for students in elementary grades. The anti-homework crowd is not a popular one on school campuses. More parents and teachers support take–home assignments, noting that homework can develop students’ study habits and build their self-confidence, as well as reinforce lessons taught in class.

If Teachers Stay, Loans Go Away
Sep 16 2006 - Des Moines Register (Iowa)
To encourage more new teachers to stay in Iowa after graduation, the state has unveiled a new program that will forgive up to $30,500 in student loans for qualifying teachers who agree to teach in shortage areas like math and science, and who work in low–income schools. The state ranked 41st in the nation in 2004–2005 for its average teacher salary of $39,284, compared with the national average of $47,808.

Harvard Studies Ways to Promote Teaching
Sep 5 2006 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
Harvard University is trying to find the best way to improve teaching and make it a more significant factor in whether professors receive tenure or raises. If successful, the initiative could counter Harvard’s image as a school that allows professors to neglect undergraduates in favor of the research that wins them grants, book prizes, and fame. Harvard officials also hope to spur changes at universities around the country.

Are There Enough Teachers?
Aug 23 2006 - News-Herald (Willoughby, Ohio)
As students head back to school, competition among school systems heat up as many districts struggle to provide a highly qualified teacher in every classroom. Attracting qualified science and math teachers are a particular area of concern.

Butterflies Abound as First-Year Teachers Await Day One
Aug 21 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Hundreds of recent college graduates will be a little nervous as they begin their careers as teachers this month. In the District of Columbia, 114 first–year teachers will enter the classroom through the Teach for America program. This program trains recent graduates for the profession and places them in school systems across the country. Although first–year teachers may be nervous, they are aware of the unruly reputation of U.S. classrooms. Some rookie teachers say a source of their jitters is whether they can establish authority in the classroom on the first day of school.

Call for National Teacher Standards
Aug 21 2006 - The Age (Australia)
School teachers should be able to measure their competence against national standards that could herald a new era of performance-based pay, according to the author of a report on the profession. Dr. Lawrence Ingvarson, a research fellow at the Australian Council for Educational Research, said teaching, unlike most other professions in Australia, had not developed uniform standards that applied to its members regardless of where they worked.

States Fall Short on Teacher Quality
Aug 17 2006 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
A federal review shows states continue to face an enormous challenge in placing highly qualified teachers in all core classes. Thirty-seven states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have some of the criteria. Hawaii, Missouri, Utah, and Wisconsin have failed all together in fulfilling the requirements for highly qualified teachers. The remaining nine states have received favorable reviews from the Department of Education. Department officials noted that equity was the biggest challenge for states’ failures in meeting the requirements.

Few States Meet School Equity Rules
Aug 11 2006 - Los Angeles Times (Requires free registration)
A new analysis reveals that most states have failed to ensure that poor and minority students get their fair share of qualified teachers as required by federal law. The No Child Left Behind Act says underprivileged and minority students should not have a larger share of teachers who unqualified, inexperienced, or teaching unfamiliar subjects. The law places the responsibility on states to figure out how to solve that challenge. The Education Trust performed the analysis. The Education Department will release its own review of the state plans the week of Aug. 14.

Higher Earning? Teachers Fare Better Than Many Other Professionals
Aug 7 2006 - Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia)
The hourly earnings of teachers nationwide rival or exceed that of accountants, librarians, and engineers, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Center for Education Statistics, and other clearinghouses. Observers note that making a career in the classroom may not make someone rich, but it can provide a comfortable living with job security, vacation, and a sizeable retirement fund. But some educators say they don’t necessarily have a good deal, noting that making a living on a teacher’s salary can be a challenge.

Teaching the 'Least Boring Job'
Jul 27 2006 - BBC News
A new survey suggests that college graduates who pursue teaching careers are least likely to bored in their jobs. When asked why they found their job interesting, 81% of teachers said they enjoyed their job because it had variety and was challenging. Eighty-six percent of respondents said the opportunity to interact with people was the best part of the job. The Training and Development Agency for Schools questioned more than 2,000 graduates ages 21 to 45 for the survey.

Salaries Down for Teachers
Jul 26 2006 - Arizona Daily Star
The average U.S. teacher salary fell 0.1% during the past school year to $46,953 while salaries for superintendents increased, according to a survey by the Educational Research Service. The U.S. Census Bureau, in figures released last month, noted there are 6.8 million teachers across the country, earning an average of $46,800. Statewide averages ranged from $33,200 in South Dakota to $57,300 in Connecticut.

Climb Every Mountain
Jul 25 2006 - Education Next
Urban Institute researcher Laura Logerfo says her study of first graders and their teachers suggests teachers' sense of responsibility for their students' reading achievement affects how students perform in the classroom. She recommends that public schools adopt certain Teach for America's recruitment and selection techniques that seek to assess a candidate's "responsibility quotient."

Harvard Rethinks Science
Jul 17 2006 - Inside Higher Ed
A new report released by Harvard University might change the way science and technology is taught and the way faculty members are hired at the school. The university is recommending 75 new full-time interdisciplinary professor positions be created in the next decade. The report also calls for the hiring and setting of research and teaching priorities come from a new committee that would include administrators and faculty members from several Harvard colleges that deal with science instead of individual departments. The committee would also determine university research priorities and allocation of laboratory and other space needs.

No Educators Left Behind?
Jul 11 2006 - USA Today
In an effort to combat their concerns that the U.S. could lose its ground in global competitiveness, a group of academic and business leaders wants to immediately increase the pay of public school teachers by as much as 20% and boost the number of qualified math and science teachers. The proposal, which also includes other recommendations for teachers, is being coordinated by the College Board’s Center for Innovative Thought.

States Work to Narrow Teacher Equity Gap
Jun 23 2006 - Stateline.org
Several states are trying to ease the disparity in teacher quality between poor, largely minority schools and wealthier, predominantly white counterparts. Researcher Scott Emerick argues that rather than treat the problem as a "supply and demand" issue fixable through incentives and targeted recruiting, states should instead aim to retain more educators through better working conditions and support.

Incentive Pay Enters Classroom
Jun 12 2006 - Dallas Morning News (Requires free registration)
Texas school officials are embarking on a pilot program that will reward teachers for gains in student achievement. More than a thousand schools, educating mostly lower-income students, are expected to join the $10 million effort. The program will enable teachers to receive bonuses ranging from $3,000 to $10,000. In the 2007-2008 school year, a second program emphasizing improved test scores, will be offered to all school districts. Bonus amounts for that program have not been set. Observers say educators nationwide will be watching Texas to see if the effort pays off.

The Gilded Age of Home Schooling
Jun 5 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
A growing number of families are hiring teachers to educate their children in their own homes. The cost for such teachers generally runs $70 to $110 an hour. Parents say in-home teaching arrangements offer unparalleled levels of academic attention and flexibility in scheduling, as well as a sense of family cohesion and autonomy over what children learn.

College Students Taking On Substitute Teacher Jobs
May 25 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
College students are taking on the role of substitute teachers. In one Maryland county, about 10% of the system’s substitute teachers are college students. Although many counties are not sure of the exact number of college student subs they are using, officials agree they make up a significant portion of the teaching profession.

The Science of Teaching
May 22 2006 - Philadelphia Inquirer (Requires free registration)
A multimillionaire is hoping to change the world of math and science education. C. Harry Knowles established his own foundation in 1999 as a way to help bright college scientists and mathematicians learn how to become teachers. “We have tried to take what researchers say are the needs of beginning science teachers and what teachers say are the reasons they choose to leave teaching, and we ameliorate them,” explains Angelo Collins, the foundation’s executive director.

Mr. Teacher
May 11 2006 - Kansas City Star (Requires free registration)
Education experts are worried about the lack of male teachers in schools. The percentage of elementary male teachers in the nation is 9% compared to 18% in 1981. Experts say diversity is an important goal and that schools with little or no male presence fail to reflect the community. They say that students might receive the message that school is not a “guy thing.” The National Education Association and other groups have put out a call for more males to join the teaching profession.

A $100 Million Incentive to Improve Teaching
Apr 28 2006 - Philadelphia Inquirer (Requires free registration)
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is promoting a $100 million federal fund to reward teachers and principals who help to raise student achievement in high-need schools. The fund could be used for merit pay plans for teachers and principals who improve performance in the schools, Spellings noted. The strategy is part of the federal government’s attempt to offer incentives, rather than sanctions, to spur change in schools. School districts and other interested parties will be solicited with funding applications from the Education Department next week.

Richer Areas More Successful in Attracting Qualified Teachers
Apr 26 2006 - USA Today
Public school teachers in the nation’s wealthiest communities continue to be more qualified than their peers in poor neighborhoods, according to preliminary data released by the Department of Education. “Obviously we have a long way to go,” said Rene Islas, who monitors teacher quality for the department.” Seventeen states are responding to the challenge by offering bonuses, scholarships, and other incentives to prospective teachers who agree to teach in schools that are hard to staff, according to the Denver-based Education Commission of the States.

Maryland Teacher Ranks as Best in U.S.
Apr 26 2006 - Detroit News
A 29-year-old Maryland woman is the new Teacher of the Year. Kimberly Oliver teaches 15 students that represent nearly every continent on the globe. Oliver was awarded the title for helping to boost her students’ test scores and encouraging the parents of her students to be a part of their child’s education. Oliver attributes her interest in teaching to a day care teacher in her hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, who knew how to make students feel special. Oliver notes it was an ability she wanted to emulate when she became a teacher.

States Await Federal Review on Quality of Their Teachers
Apr 13 2006 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
Thirty-three states claim that 90% to 99% of their core classes have teachers that are highly qualified. Most other states put their numbers a tier below at 70% to 89% and a few states are behind, according to a review of new state data by the Associated Press. Officials with the Education Department are reviewing the accuracy of those numbers. “What we are trying to measure is whether states are on track,” said Rene Islas, who oversees teacher quality for the department’s elementary and secondary education office.

Fewer Choosing Teaching Jobs
Mar 28 2006 - Stateline.org
Classroom enrollment is up in most parts of the country and so is the demand for public school teachers. But many states report that fewer people are choosing to become teachers, a trend that could lead to a national teacher shortage crisis, especially if baby boomers, which comprise the largest age group in the profession, begin retiring in large numbers. Education advocates note that increases in college tuition and new pressures to increase student test scores have made low-paying teaching jobs less appealing. And the shortfall is hitting schools the hardest in core subjects like math and science.

Florida to Link Teacher Pay to Students' Test Scores
Mar 22 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
A new pay-for-performance program for Florida's teachers will tie raises and bonuses directly to students’ standardized test scores beginning next year, marking the first time a state has so closely linked the wages of individual school personnel to their students' exam results. The effort, now being adopted by local districts, is viewed as a landmark in the movement to restructure American schools by having them face the same kind of competitive pressures placed on private enterprise. Advocates say it could serve as a national model to replace traditional teacher pay plans that award raises based largely on academic degrees and years of experience. But teachers unions and some education experts say any effort to evaluate teachers exclusively on test score improvements will not work.

Housing Prices Shut Out Teachers
Mar 19 2006 - The Ledger (Lakeland, Florida)
Skyrocketing home prices have made it difficult for teachers to come to Florida, a state where teacher salaries are $6,000 below the national average. School district leaders say they are struggling to attract teachers. Median home prices in Florida were $248,700 at the end of the 2004–2005 school year. A homeowner would need to earn about $53,000 annually to afford that price, according to advice from banks that homeowners should spend no more than a third of their gross income on housing. But the average teacher salary in Florida for 2004–2005 was $41,600, according to the state Department of Education.

Peer to Peer
Mar 15 2006 - Inside Higher Ed
Thousands of college science professors are foregoing the traditional teaching method of giving lectures in favor of peer instruction. This teaching method allows students to teach each other as a teacher asks questions. Science professors at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Colorado use peer instruction. At Colorado, peer instruction is being used in astronomy, biology, physics, and math classes with geosciences and physiology to come. But even at institutions where peer instruction has proliferated, many professors and students are skeptical for various reasons.

Contest: Teacher Appreciation
Mar 10 2006 - Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Marvel comics and OfficeMax are seeking an outstanding middle level educator to stand alongside Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four as part of a nationwide contest. Students in grades 6–8 can nominate a teacher by writing an essay discussing why their teacher is a super-hero. The winning student and teacher will be featured in an illustrated cameo appearance in one of Marvel’s mainstream comic books (which include Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four). The winning teacher will also receive $6,000 in school prizes, classroom supplies, and continuing education subsidies.

Fewer Opt to Be Teachers
Feb 17 2006 - Des Moines Register (Iowa)
Several states including Iowa continue to experience a teacher shortage that began in 2001. The teacher shortage has prompted leaders in several states like South Dakota, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Texas to make raising teachers’ salaries a priority this year. Educators note that in addition to low pay, increases in college tuition, negative publicity about schools, and pressures brought on by the No Child Left Behind Act have turned prospective teachers away from the profession.

School Systems Face Health Care Squeeze
Feb 6 2006 - USA Today
It is the single most important issue facing school districts nationwide, according to a former superintendent. The issue: as more teachers look ahead to retirement, benefits they took for granted, such as health care, are becoming prohibitively expensive, both for them and their school districts. Experts say states and school boards have been caught off guard by several converging factors: rising costs, a surge of boomer retirees, and in a few cases, disappointing earnings on investments. But new rules that took effect Jan. 1 will now force school districts to account for current and future costs.

More Training is Seen as Key to Improving Math Levels
Feb 2 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
President Bush’s proposal to increase the ranks of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate teachers in math and science by 70,000 over four years would nearly triple the number of such teachers, and the administration hopes, make college-level courses available to more low-income students. But the plan does not envision hiring new teachers. Instead, it proposes to retrain current math and science teachers.

Going Back to School
Jan 12 2006 - Boston Globe (Requires free registration)
Nontraditional teachers are enjoying a buyer's market in school districts across Massachusetts, especially in math, science, and special education classrooms. There are simply not enough recent graduates of teacher colleges stepping into the positions of retiring baby boomers, according to area school administrators, who are increasingly turning to Internet recruiters and tapping nontraditional sources for candidates.

A $500 Present for the Teacher?
Dec 21 2005 - Chicago Sun-Times
‘Tis the season for giving and receiving and some Chicago area teachers are hauling it in. Gifts from parents and students have arrived in several classrooms. They range from the extravagant in affluent areas—a $500 gift card for the mall, a massage and manicure at a spa—to chocolates, candies, ornaments, oranges, and homemade cookies—from low-income areas. Although teachers say they appreciate the outpouring, they note it’s fraught with pitfalls such as gift policies created by school districts.

Opinion: Teacher Colleges Key to Improving State Schools
Dec 12 2005 - Detroit News
Michigan's colleges of education are key to making proposed public school reforms work. Yet teacher colleges are turning out graduates unprepared to teach the skills needed by today's students. Specific things colleges can do better include producing more qualified math and science teachers and graduating teachers who are thoroughly grounded in the subjects they will teach. The schools have "under-responded" to the problems facing them, according to the Education Schools Project, an ongoing study at Columbia University in New York.

Teacher Transfer Rules Hurt Schools, Study Says
Nov 17 2005 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Because of seniority rules in teacher union contracts, many principals in urban school systems are forced to hire educators ill suited to their jobs, a new study shows. The New Teacher Project report found that in five districts, “voluntary transfers or excess teachers over whom schools had either no choice at all or limited choice” filled 40% of vacancies. An American Federation of Teachers spokesperson said the study “missed the mark” because it did not focus on a more important problem: how to keep good teachers in inner-city schools. The National Education Association said the report “is another smoke screen to blame so-called union rules for our society’s lack of commitment to all children.”

Virtual Professors Draw Student Attention
Nov 16 2005 - MSNBC.com
There is a simple reason why computers have not taken over teachers’ jobs: They are boring, unpersuasive, unattractive, and soulless. But that could change if Amy Baylor can perfect the virtual professors she is working on. Baylor, a professor of instructional systems at Florida State University’s Research of Innovative Technologies for Learning, is focusing on friendly facial expressions, soothing hand gestures, and a “coolly intelligent voice” to create characters that are “both disarmingly lifelike and surprisingly persuasive.” Early tests show Baylor might be on to something.

A Worldwide Search for the Best Scholars
Nov 14 2005 - Philadelphia Inquirer (Requires free registration)
The University of Pennsylvania, like other major American research universities, has increasingly gone after the best scholars from around the world. Elite private colleges and larger state universities have determined they must grow or fall behind, and that growth can best be accomplished by expanding the playing field. Foreign scholars who agree to teach at an American university can find several incentives such as higher salaries, a clearer path to tenure, and better opportunities for research. Experts add that internationalization in higher education can help students prepare for the challenges of a global world.

Iowa Foresees Shortage of Physics Teachers
Oct 30 2005 - Des Moines Register
Iowa plans to make recruitment and retention of physics teachers a priority as part of its 2006 legislative session. Iowa joins other states in having teacher shortages in high school math and science, according to Judy Jeffrey, director of the Iowa Department of Education. Jeffrey noted, however, that Iowa’s looming shortage of physics teachers is a “little worse” than in other areas. Up to 162 Iowa high school physics teachers will be eligible to retire in the next four years, but only 64 to 68 of the state’s college students are in the pipeline to replace them.

Most States Don't Allow Teachers to Strike
Oct 24 2005 - Burlington Free Press (Vermont)
As Vermont wrestles with the implications of a contentious Colchester teachers strike, it is in the minority among states that permit teachers to strike. Only nine states specifically allow public school teachers to strike, according to the Education Commission of the States. Twenty-four states prohibit teachers from striking on the grounds that they provide essential government services. The remaining states do not have laws governing contract negotiations.

Teacher Merit Pay Tied to Education Gains
Oct 4 2005 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts has a bold new plan to improve public education in his state. The proposal consists of new laptops for students, more math and science educators, and merit pay tied to classroom performance that could add $5,000 or more to a teacher’s annual salary. Several other states have systems that give teachers extra pay for classroom performance or teacher development programs that can lead to higher salaries. More efforts are under way, despite resistance from the nation’s leading teacher unions. The initial response to Romney’s plan has been mixed.

Teacher Attire Doesn't Go Unnoticed
Oct 2 2005 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Flip-flop sandals. Holey or tight jeans. Body piercings. Sloppy t-shirts. Plunging necklines or short skirts. It’s not just student dress that’s caught the attention of school leaders and parents. What some teachers wear to class these days is also inspiring debate. Teacher dress codes banning items such as flip-flops or tank tops are on the rise. One educator notes that a teacher dress code can serve as a model for students. Most administrators say they prefer to deal with an individual about a sloppy or suggestive outfit, instead of adopting a policy. Principals note that appropriate attire can vary by grade level and subject.

Study: Quality of First Grade Teachers Plays Key Role
Sep 21 2005 - Education Week (Requires free registration)
A new study shows that teachers who provide instructional and emotional support can boost the academic performance of first graders who are considered at-risk for academic failure. The same pattern held true for students described as “functionally at risk,” meaning they displayed behavioral, social, or academic problems in kindergarten, according to the report conducted by University of Virginia researchers.

Sandra Feldman, Former President of UFT, Dies
Sep 20 2005 - New York Newsday
Known for her ability to see the big picture and be the power behind the scenes, Sandra Feldman is being remembered by friends, family, and colleagues after dying of breast cancer Sept. 18. Feldman served as head of the American Federation of Teachers and the United Federation of Teachers. Feldman also traveled to other countries to help teachers from unions and strengthen democracy. “She was a leader without comparison,” observed Edward McElroy, AFT’s president. Feldman was 65.

Subject-Matter Groups Want More From Teachers Than NCLB Seeks
Sep 14 2005 - Education Week (Requires free registration)
As states strive to meet looming federal demands to find “highly qualified” teachers, some of the nation’s largest professional groups for teachers are staking out their own positions on how that term should be defined. Two associations have crafted policies describing the knowledge and skills teachers need to capably lead classes in those subjects. Those statements offer what are in some ways more detailed guidelines than the ones defined in the No Child Left Behind Act. Other professional organizations have also sought to emphasize the necessary qualifications of teachers in their subjects, but without outlining them in formal policies.

Order 'Key to Keeping Teachers'
Sep 7 2005 - BBC News
Increasing teachers’ salaries, even if it were affordable, is not the answer to eliminating the high turnover rate of educators, according to a new study. “Reducing workload and tackling poor pupil behavior are more important. We must find new ways to encourage high quality teachers to work in, and stay working in, challenging schools,” said Jodie Reed of the Institute for Public Policy Research, the organization that conducted the study.

See You in...August?
Aug 26 2005 - San Diego Union-Tribune
The beginning of the academic year is inching toward a pre-Labor Day start, with thousands of school boards nationwide picking dates in July and August to start classes. In 2004, 71% of public schools started classes before September, according to Market Data Retrieval, a Connecticut-based company that provides education marketing information. The recent trend is a result of schools contouring schedules to testing demands. Experts note shorter summer breaks can improve retention levels. The biggest impediment to a summer start may be the cost, since school funding is largely based on attendance.

Highly Qualified Teachers on the Way-Or Are They?
Aug 22 2005 - Rutland Herald (Vermont)
The federal government wants every teacher of every major subject to be highly qualified by the end of the school year. However, experts who have analyzed how states are responding to the No Child Left Behind Act and its unprecedented review of teacher quality say the reality will be far less rosy. Observers note the definition of highly qualified varies widely among states and may not ensure quality at all in terms of what President Bush and Congress intended. Teachers say the process is often “confusing, burdensome, and ill-focused.” Several education organizations have voiced mixed reaction.

Retirements Seen Raising Teacher Turnovers
Aug 17 2005 - San Francisco Chronicle
Forty percent of public school teachers plan to leave the teaching profession within five years, according to a study by the National Center for Education Information (NCEI). The rate is expected to be even higher among high school teachers, half of whom plan to leave the profession by the year 2010. Teachers surveyed in grades K–12 say retirement is the dominant factor. Emily Feistritzer, NCEI president, adds “the teaching corps has grown older across the board because more people are moving into the field in their 30s and 40s.”

Teachers Dig Deep to Pay for Supplies
Aug 10 2005 - Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
Teachers nationwide are spending an average of $458 of their own money each year to pay for school supplies, according to a survey by the National School Supplies and Equipment Association. In Utah, for example, parents and the public try to help, but educators continue to be out of their own money. Classroom supplies most requested by teachers include paper and writing materials. Tools such as glue sticks, safety scissors, calculators, erasers, paper clips, staplers and staples, as well as transparencies are also needed. Other requested supplies include boxes of tissues, paper towels, and blank compact discs.

Evaluating Online Teachers is Largely a Virtual Task
Aug 10 2005 - Education Week (Requires free registration)
Many differences exist in evaluating teachers of virtual schools compared to traditional classroom educators. Technology has helped to bridge physical distances, and has made the evaluation process more thorough, useful, and transparent, say education administrators who evaluate online teachers. Some observers add the evaluation of online educators tends to be more formalized and business-oriented than of classroom teachers. Administrators of online teachers have praised the online evaluation process. But an American Federation of Teachers spokesperson questions the positive feedback, noting research is needed to gauge its effectiveness.

No Rest for the Professors
Aug 9 2005 - USA Today
Summer is no vacation anymore for those with career ambitions in academia. As teaching positions become more competitive and less secure, college-level educators are scrambling wherever they can to get an edge. Although this new reality bears its marks year-round, never is it more pronounced than now, when today’s frenzied research replaces the leisurely summer sojourns of yesteryear.

Teacher Wages Not Keeping Up With Inflation
Jun 24 2005 - Salt Lake Tribune
Teachers earned an average of $46,752 last year, a figure that did not keep pace with inflation, according to a National Education Association study. The average teacher salary increased 2.1 percent in 2003–2004, whereas the inflation rate was 3.3 percent. “Teachers should never have to choose between doing what they love and supporting their families,” observed NEA president Reg Weaver. Salaries ranged significantly across the states, accounting for cost of living differences and variations in how salary packages are created. Connecticut ranked first on the list with an average yearly salary of $57,337. South Dakota paid the lowest average salary, $33,236.

Who's Checking on Teachers?
Jun 20 2005 - The News & Observer-Raleigh, NC (Requires free registration)
Fingerprinting is a requirement for several jobs. North Carolina, however, is one of four states that don’t require fingerprinting as part of a pre-employment background screening for teachers. It is also one of 20 states that don’t require criminal background checks to obtain teaching licenses. Instead, individual school districts decide whether to conduct background checks and how far those checks will go. But critics claim that gives too much autonomy to local schools and puts students at risk.

Calls to Commend Teachers-With Cash
Jun 14 2005 - Christian Science Monitor
In most school districts, being named Outstanding Teacher would have garnered Sarah Staebell a pretty plaque to put on her wall. But Staebell works in Douglas County, near Denver, where things are done differently. For Staebell and her peers, special awards come with cash. Staebell can also earn more money by meeting goals, training other teachers, and helping to boost her school’s performance. In contrast, several school districts nationwide pay teachers according to their level of experience or education. However, Staebell’s experience may become more common, as school districts across America experiment with merit pay.

Where Some Give Credit, Others Say It's Not Due
Jun 14 2005 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
While tests required by the No Child Left Behind Act measure each school’s and each student’s progress on the same scale, it is report cards that students and parents care most about. Report cards are still based on conflicting rules and personal assumptions made by individual teachers, especially when it comes to grading effort. A national project, however, is underway to ensure that grades measure only academic achievement and keep effort out of the calculation.

New Teachers Take Alternative Routes
Jun 3 2005 - The Washington Times
A new report shows nearly a third of newly certified teachers who taught for the first time this year did not graduate from education colleges but were licensed through alternate programs. The report, Profile of Alternate Route Teachers, found approximately 35,000 new teachers were former professionals or military personnel who are older than 30. Experts say alternative preparation and licensing programs for teachers have been implemented in 47 states and the District of Columbia because of a nationwide teacher shortage.

Attorneys Clash Over Liability in Exam Errors
Jun 3 2005 - The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Attorneys for Educational Testing Service clashed with lawyers representing thousands of current and prospective teachers in 19 states during a recent federal court hearing. The debate focused on how much legal exposure ETS should have after making errors in grading the Praxis exam in 2003 and 2004. More than 4,000 teachers were told they had failed the professional exam when they had actually passed. Attorneys representing the teachers say the educators deserve punitive and emotional distress compensation, as well as payments for lost jobs and salaries. But ETS attorneys say the teachers are entitled to payments related to violation of contractual obligations, including money for testing-related expenses and perhaps for documented job losses. A ruling in the case is expected in a few months.

Administration Now Promoting Incentive Fund for Teachers
May 18 2005 - Education Week
President Bush’s top education officials are paying more attention to an effort that would boost federal aid for improving teacher quality. The Teacher Incentive Fund envisioned by the administration would give states $450 million to reward effective teachers, especially those who work in high poverty schools. An additional $50 million would be earmarked for helping states, districts, and nonprofit groups design performance-pay systems that could serve as models. Supporters of the idea say the administration has waited too long to champion the effort.

States Facing Fiscal Strain of Pensions
May 18 2005 - Education Week
Faced with a tepid stock market, a rise in life expectancy, and teacher contracts that critics say inflate pensions, many states are seeking ways to tweak or even overhaul the way they underwrite educators’ retirement benefits. For many states, the solution is to wait for investment returns to fully rebound. However, for other states the trouble can be fixed only by cutting benefits or by increasing state payments into the system. Pension experts say neither of these steps is easy.

Grade of Mediocrity
May 11 2005 - New York Daily News
A controversial new study has found the caliber of teachers is crumbling across the country and union contracts are partially to blame. Although new opportunities for females have been a factor, fixed pay in education also contributed to the decrease, explains Caroline Hoxby, a Harvard University researcher who conducted the study with Andrew Leigh.

Educators Revisit Girls' Loss of Math, Science Interest
May 4 2005 - Education Week
Girls’ seeming loss of interest in math and science as they move through elementary school through graduation—even as their overall achievement in those areas has risen—has long vexed administrators, teachers, and others. Many educators, however, are now revisiting the issue, as the fallout persists from comments by Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers on the relationship between gender and aptitude.

When Quiet Kids Get Forgotten in Class
Apr 26 2005 - Christian Science Monitor
Quiet students can be a challenge for teachers or school systems, according to this article. For some students, having a “quiet” persona is a problem that begins in nursery school and can continue through graduate school. Those not comfortable jumping into the verbal fray are sometimes judged as fearful, less intelligent, or even uncooperative. Experts say the whole classroom loses out when such students are ignored or marginalized. They argue the qualities that many quiet students express—thoughtfulness, studiousness, and conscientiousness—are among those most needed for the complex problem-solving required by today’s information-oriented society.

The Art of Teaching Science
Feb 13 2005 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Requires free registration)
If Georgia wants to improve students’ understanding of science, the state needs to change the way it teaches science. Teachers also need to enhance their understanding of science to help boost students’ learning of the subject, according to experts. Those experts include NSTA Press author Bill Robertson and John H. Marburger III, director of the White House office of science and technology policy. But others say that teachers are not to blame, noting “there are a web of reasons for why students struggle.”

For Elite U.S. Teachers, Cachet and More Cash
Feb 8 2005 - The Washington Post (Requires free registration)
More than 40,000 teachers across the country have received national certification, a grueling process that takes time and money, and has more than a 50 percent failure rate for first-time applicants. With more than 30 states and the District of Columbia giving bonuses or higher salaries to those who succeed, educators claim that national certification is the single, most powerful, merit pay system in public education today.

Teachers Warm to Idea of Performance Pay
Feb 8 2005 - Boston Globe
Gone are the days when teachers salaries rose automatically with years of experience or academic credits. In La Crescent, Minnesota, and other areas, school districts are considering various methods to implement performance-based pay for teachers. In Denver, for example, residents will vote in November on a property tax increase allotting $25 million for a performance-based pay model. But the idea has not worked everywhere. Cincinnati teachers and Steamboat Springs, Colorado school board members, have both cited problems with performance-based pay systems.

Schools Struggle to Reduce High Teacher Turnover
Jan 3 2005 - Seattle Times
Urban schools across the country are facing the problem of teacher turnover. In a given year, almost one-third of the 3.4 million K–12 teachers are moving into, between, or out of schools. One out of every five teachers leaves the profession within three years, and almost 40 percent do so within five years. Contrary to popular belief, most teachers don’t leave the profession because of low pay. Surveys suggest new teachers are not prepared for the variety of tasks required of them outside of the classroom.

Science Friction
Dec 6 2004 - Sacramento Bee
Although not thrilled at being lumped together with worm parasitologists and anal-wart researchers, public school science teachers say a magazine article titled "The Worst Jobs in Science" makes valid arguments about the state of their profession. The complaints Popular Science heard from science teachers about their jobs have focused primarily on a perceived lack of respect and a sense of isolation, noted the article's author William Speed Weed. He added the magazine solicited nominees for the worst-job list from a variety of people in the scientific community.

Math, Science Teachers Can Receive Awards
Nov 28 2004 - The Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon)
Nominations are being accepted for the 2005 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Teachers can nominate their colleagues for these awards, which are given to those teaching math or science in grades 7–12. Winners will receive a week-long trip to Washington, D.C. and other prizes.

Educators Want More Mr.'s in Their Classrooms
Nov 14 2004 - St. Petersburg Times
The number of male teachers is declining nationwide. A recent National Education Association (NEA) survey showed the number of male public school teachers is at a 40-year low. Male teachers serve as great role models and “bring different lenses into the learning environment,” noted Donald Washington, a NEA senior program analyst. Experts note longstanding gender stereotypes, low pay, and status concerns are major reasons for the decline. The NEA has started several recruitment programs aimed at encouraging men to embrace the teaching profession.

NCLB Could Alter Science Teaching
Nov 10 2004 - Education Week
It’s a principle many teachers have come to trust: when it comes to science, students learn best by doing, not just sitting and listening. Some researchers and educators have challenged the argument for hands-on learning. Opponents say a more straightforward approach called “direct instruction” has the potential to help students learn science more effectively. Observers suggest schools could soon face a new and powerful incentive to consider direct instruction. Beginning in 2007, the No Child Left Behind Act will require districts to test students in science, a mandate that curriculum and instruction officials say could force schools to consider reducing some of the in-class experiments many teachers value.

Few Teachers' Strikes Mark U.S. Landscape
Oct 6 2004 - Education Week
Teachers have gone on strike in only a few school districts since the start of the school year. But the relative labor peace is no sign that negotiations have been easy. Funding issues have resulted in many of the strikes. In Kentucky, for example, teachers statewide have protested a plan that would increase healthcare costs. In Portland, Ore., negotiators are struggling to reach agreement on teacher salaries, health insurance costs, and other issues. Negotiations are also taking place in Los Angeles, New York City, and Pennsylvania.

Teachers Likely to Get Tax Break on Supplies
Sep 24 2004 - Houston Chronicle (Requires free registration)
Teachers nationwide may soon be able to deduct up to $250 off their federal taxes for teaching tools they purchase out-of-pocket if lawmakers approve a bill. The measure, called the “Crayola Credit,” would enable educators to be reimbursed for such items as books, supplies, computer equipment, and supplemental materials used in the classroom. The bill is expected to pass today and has been sponsored by U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) for the past three years.

Fewer Women on Harvard's Tenure Track
Sep 22 2004 - CNN.com
The percentage of women hired for tenure positions at Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences has declined since 2000, a move that has prompted 26 professors to complain. Teachers from the school have sent a letter to Harvard University’s president Lawrence Summers suggesting he may have inadvertently caused the decline by concentrating new hires in disciplines with fewer women and by seeking out “rising young stars” who are more likely to be at an age when women pause in their careers to have children. Summers says some of the responsibility lies with Harvard’s academic departments, which nominate and review candidates for senior jobs.

Mentoring Teachers
Sep 21 2004 - Deseret News (Utah)
Whether its educating kindergartners or high school students, teaching can be a daunting task. The long hours and low pay forces some teachers to leave the profession. A Utah school district, however, is taking unprecedented measures to combat this problem. The Davis School District plans to hire and train 14 mentors who will be paired with new teachers to make sure they have a successful first year. This effort is based on a program developed by the New Teacher Center in California and has been used in several states.

A Small Class
Sep 19 2004 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The latest profile of America’s kindergarten teachers shows two percent of men teach this grade level, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Experts say a combination of factors keep men from entering and remaining in the teaching profession, including stereotypical notions that teaching young children is for women or that kindergarten is a “little more than babysitting.” Experts note that such perceptions can hurt efforts to recruit men to teach elementary school and can deprive young students of positive male role models.

Better-Trained Educators are Key
Sep 19 2004 - The Arizona Republic
National certification for teachers has a positive effect on student achievement, according to a study commissioned by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Researchers who conducted the study found that students with board-certified teachers had improved test scores compared to those that were taught by non-certified educators. Experts note that 37 states offer financial incentives for teachers who seek certification.

Schools Ante Up for Teachers Who Really Make the Grade
Sep 14 2004 - The Times-Picayune (Louisiana)
Two Louisiana schools are joining a handful of schools across the country in offering teachers bonuses based in part on how well their students improve on standardized tests. The Louisiana teachers will continue to receive their “step raise” with another year of experience, but can earn more money if test scores rise and they receive good reviews from principals and peers.

Teacher Pay Plan Remains Tough Sell
Sep 9 2004 - The News Journal (Wilmington, DE)
A Delaware school district is considering a plan used only in a few school systems nationwide. Joseph Wise, superintendent of the Christina School District, wants to link teacher pay to student achievement as part of a broader study on teacher compensation. Delaware’s education association opposes the idea, but agrees the issue of teacher pay needs to be examined. Most public school districts nationwide, including Delaware, base pay increases on experience and education.

Male Teachers Still a Rare Breed
Sep 8 2004 - Toronto Star
Male teachers continue to be a rare breed in Canadian classrooms. Approximately 30 percent of educators are men, and in the early grades the percentage declines to one in 10, according to the Ontario College of Teachers. There is a growing recognition, however, that men have a significant role to play in schools. Experts note that placing more male teachers in classrooms would give students “a broader social experience at a young age.”

Back at School, Teachers Lose Tax Breaks for Class Expenses
Sep 6 2004 - San Diego Union-Tribune
As teachers nationwide start the new school year, they continue to face a common problem: paying out of pocket to supplement classroom supplies and the loss of tax credits to reimburse them for their expenses. Some teachers say the end of federal aid is another example of how undervalued educators are. Meanwhile, teacher and parent groups, as well as private companies, are trying to help educators by donating school supplies.

Study Finds Teachers are Losing Ground on Salary Front
Sep 1 2004 - Education Week
A study released by the Economic Policy Institute shows teachers salaries have fallen in the past decade to well below those of comparable professions such as accountants and journalists. The report also notes this trend will likely complicate efforts to recruit and retain highly qualified educators for the nation’s public schools. Some experts say they are skeptical of the new analysis, noting the Institute’s claim should be verified through other studies.

Faust Happiest Seeing Her Students Learn
Aug 31 2004 - Texas City Sun
In a time when accountability seems to be overshadowing education, and students could easily become lost among statistics and test scores, there are some teachers striving to bring excitement for learning back to the classroom. NSTA member Dena Faust is one those teachers. Read more about this fifth grade science teacher and her teaching strategies by clicking on the link above.

Teacher Positions Still Hard to Fill
Aug 27 2004 - The Washington Times
School systems in Maryland and Virginia continue to experience a shortage of certified teachers and are uncertain if the situation will improve in the coming years. Officials in both states note that the hard-to-fill jobs were in subjects such as math and science. Experts note the shortages can be attributed to an aging teacher population, an inability to retain educators, and increasing student enrollments.

More States Offer Single-Sex Schools
Aug 25 2004 - Boston Globe
A growing number of the nation's public schools are working with a new formula on how to place students in the classroom: divide the girls from the boys. Advocates say separating the sexes can help to boost student performance. The American Civil Liberties Union and some women’s groups argue that segregation of any kind is wrong.

School of Hard Choices
Aug 24 2004 - The Washington Post
Teach for America educators Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin started the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) in 1994, despite the resistance of administrators who had little patience for the rookie teachers’ innovative ideas. Since then, KIPP schools have become nationally lauded models for teaching low-income students in 15 states and the District of Columbia.

Students and Parents Begin to Rebel as Schools Increasingly Assign Homework Over the Summer
Aug 24 2004 - San Francisco Chronicle
Assigning homework during the summer months has become a popular tool used by teachers to bridge the gap between the end of a school year and the start of another. Parents nationwide, however, are questioning the usefulness and legality of summer homework assignments. Education experts say the lazy days of summer are over because schools are feeling increased pressure to boost student achievement under requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Harshness of Red Marks Has Students Seeing Purple
Aug 23 2004 - Boston Globe
Pen makers and office supply stores are dealing with a new trend when it comes to teachers and back-to-school supplies. Educators say they now prefer to use a purple pen compared to a red one to correct papers and grade tests. Color psychologists note the color purple embodies red’s sense of authority and blue’s association with serenity, making it less negative and more encouraging to students.

Women Dominate Early-Education Field
Aug 12 2004 - The Detroit News
School districts across the country are facing the highest disproportion of male and female teachers, and the trend is most prevalent in the field of early education. Fewer than five percent of teachers who teach preschool are men, according to reports from the Bureau of Labor. In elementary and middle school, 18 percent of teachers are men. Forty-five percent of high school teachers are men. Male teachers say they shy away from the teaching profession because of the low salaries, a lack of respect, and challenging working conditions.

Ed. Department Providing In-Service for Teachers
Aug 11 2004 - Education Week
A series of workshops hosted by the Education Department this summer has generated mixed reaction from educators and teachers unions. The workshops are designed to offer teachers advice on how to improve their instruction and to educate them on the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, which educators have criticized in recent years. A National Education Association spokesman noted the workshops are not likely to change teachers views of the law. The American Federation of Teachers has praised the workshops, but noted there needs to be a larger effort for “high quality professional development.”

In Heat of Midsummer, It's Schooltime for Many
Aug 6 2004 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Although teachers and students may want to spend a few more days in the summer sun, many schools are getting a head start on the academic year. A survey by the Council of Chief State School Officers found in 2002 that districts in many states started school the first or second week of August, while other schools opened by late August. South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin have enacted laws that prohibit schools from opening before Labor Day or in late August. Experts say concerns over the nation’s literacy rate and the No Child Left Behind Act have prompted schools to reorganize their calendars to help students improve their learning.

US Pilots UK-Style Teaching Support Line
Jul 28 2004 - The Guardian (London)
A successful British program designed to help teachers will make its debut in the United States in 2005. Britain’s Teacher Support Line is a 24-hour, seven day-a-week, counseling and support service for educators. Teachers can call to get advice on various issues including heavy workloads, student behavior, or aggressive parents. “In my experience, teachers face similar problems across the globe, American teachers don’t have anything like this; it will be an invaluable service to them,” observed Patrick Nash, chief executive for Teacher Support Network, United Kingdom.

Teaching Teachers How to Connect With Urban Students
Jul 26 2004 - The Washington Post
A Washington, D.C.–based advocacy group is making an effort to help teachers nationwide connect with urban students. The Community Teachers Institute recently sponsored the first Summer Institute for Urban Educators at the University of Maryland. Teachers enrolled in the program learn that in order to effectively connect with urban students, they need to learn about their students’ unique cultures, languages, and their lives outside of the classroom.

Teachers' Union Decries Pay
Jul 15 2004 - The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC)
A new teachers union survey shows that educators across the country were paid an average of nearly $46,000 last year. The American Federation of Teachers notes this figure is not keeping pace with expenses such as health care costs incurred by educators. California paid the highest average salary, $55,693, while South Dakota had the lowest average salary at $32,414. New teachers were paid an average of $29,564, according to the report.

Plan Steers Teachers Toward Areas of Need
Jul 1 2004 - The Washington Post
Educators in search of a job teaching at a rural or urban school with staff shortages will have an easier time, thanks to a collaboration between the Virginia Department of Education and the national New Teacher Project. This partnership recruits individuals interested in a lifelong teaching career, but who might not have experience in the field. Applicants who are not licensed to teach must be eligible to receive a provisional license. Candidates can fill out one online application to be considered to teach at all such schools in Virginia. To learn more, click on the link above or visit www.teachforvirginia.org.

Teachers Who Care Get Most From Kids
Jun 4 2004 - The Detroit News
A new poll of America’s teens supports the view that effective schooling relies almost entirely on creative and passionate teachers. Twelve percent of teens polled in the Gallup Youth Survey said they work harder for teachers who care. According to one 15-year-old respondent, “some teachers care more about me than others, and I want to make them proud.” The survey also revealed that most students are more willing to learn when teachers engage them in activities that don’t require a textbook.

Kerry Proposal Would Boost Teachers, But With a Price
May 7 2004 - Los Angeles Times (Requires free registration)
States would receive more than $20 billion during the next decade to hire educators and increase teacher pay in return for a plan to eliminate poorly performing educators, under a new proposal by Sen. John Kerry. The presidential candidate’s plan would also include a new fund to aid struggling schools. Leading conservative analysts have praised Kerry’s proposal. A Bush campaign spokesman, however, has described the plan as “an obvious election-year stunt designed to obscure his decades-long record of doing nothing to make schools accountable to children and parents.”

States Receive Poor Marks for Teacher-Quality Standards
Apr 21 2004 - Education Week
Thirteen of 20 states have received poor marks on teacher quality, according to a new study. California, Michigan, South Carolina, and Virginia received failing grades in the report by the National Council on Teacher Quality. Louisiana, New York, Tennessee, and West Virginia barely passed with D’s. The only state to receive an A was Illinois. Experts note the results of the study show that several states are reluctant to deal with the content of teacher quality standards. The study also puts some of the blame on the No Child Left Behind Act, which sets mandates for teacher quality. Future studies will examine other states.

Teacher of the Year Promotes Partnerships
Apr 20 2004 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
America’s National Teacher of the Year for 2004 already has her lesson plan prepared for the upcoming school year. Kathy Mellor of Rhode Island plans to show her fellow educators why teaching is not a “solo mission.” According to Mellor, teachers need to know that if they work with their students, colleagues, administrators, teaching associations, and school boards, they can accomplish more. President Bush plans to honor Mellor and top teachers from other states at a ceremony April 21 at the White House.

Educators Flocking to Finland, Land of Literate Children
Apr 9 2004 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
After being ranked first in literacy and in the top five for math and science in a review by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, teachers across the globe are flocking to Finland to study how the country conducts its school system. Teachers in Finland are free to teach anyway they want as long as schools follow a core national curriculum. Educators, for example, can teach indoors or outdoors, choose their textbooks, and are free to devise ways to challenge their smartest students. The school system also provides free hot lunches and homework clubs to students.

Teachers Want to End Social Security Penalty
Mar 26 2004 - Star-Telegram (Forth Worth, Texas)
Teachers in Texas and 10 other states are crying foul over a social security penalty. Educators are complaining because the social security system penalizes them by reducing benefits when teachers retire. Educators are also worried that mid-career professionals who are looking at joining the teaching profession will refuse to accept jobs when they learn of the penalty. Critics say Congress should help solve the problem.

'Highly Qualified' Teacher Rules Get Wiggle Room
Mar 16 2004 - USA Today
Science teachers and other educators will soon be impacted by changes made to the No Child Left Behind Act. Federal officials have agreed to ease the teacher quality requirements in the law. Science educators, for example, can now prove their qualifications in individual fields or in a "broad field" of science. Teachers in rural areas will be given an additional year to prove they are highly qualified. The changes also enable states to consider an educator qualified if they don’t have a degree in the discipline they teach and have not passed a test, but use other factors to be evaluated. Education Secretary Rod Paige noted the changes are not in response to critics, but rather “routine tweaks.” Opponents say they welcome the changes.

Anti-Bush Groups Want Education Secretary Fired
Mar 8 2004 - CNSNews.com
Two liberal groups plan to launch a petition drive today calling for President Bush to fire Education Secretary Rod Paige. The nation’s top education official recently called the National Education Association a “terrorist organization.” Paige later apologized for the remark and said “I have nothing but the highest esteem for teachers and the teaching profession.” MoveOn.org and the Campaign for America’s Future are refusing to accept Paige’s apology, noting that the Bush administration is attacking teachers rather than listening to them.

College Prep Classes Challenge Teachers, Too
Mar 2 2004 - Washington Post (requires free registration)
The Washington Post's Jay Mathews notes that most of the commentary about the surge of college-level courses like International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement in US high schools has centered on their effect on students. "Less has been said about the impact of such courses on teachers," he writes, "so I think it is important to tell the story of [biology teacher] Dan Coast, and what his experience reveals about the unsung courage and pride of many people working in high schools these days."

Teachers Union Wants Bush to Fire Education Secretary
Feb 25 2004 - Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
The nation’s largest teachers union has requested that President Bush fire Education Secretary Rod Paige. The move comes after Paige called the National Education Association “a terrorist organization.” Paige has apologized for his choice of words, but said the organization uses “obstructionist scare tactics.” The country’s top education official said he refuses to leave his job. Reg Weaver, the NEA’s president, noted the union’s members deserve more than “unfair labels and mean-spirited apologies.”

Jargon Invades Nation's Classrooms
Jan 19 2004 - The Detroit News
No matter what you call it—eduspeak or educationese—jargon has invaded the nation’s classrooms, according to this article. Teachers say they use the language because they are told to. Administrators say they are using “eduspeak” because it’s on tests and everyone will eventually learn it. Critics note that it is fine for teachers to use “eduspeak," but that introducing students to such terms as “reinforcement room” for detention or “selected response” for multiple choice can be confusing and serves no purpose.

Teachers' Pay May Be Tied to Peformance
Jan 14 2004 - Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
A group of education, business, and government leaders wants teachers salaries linked to student progress. Wages for educators are based on a teacher’s experience and education. However, that “does nothing to reward excellence because all teachers, regardless of effort and performance, get the same automatic pay increases,” according to a report prepared by The Teaching Commission, a nonprofit group formed in 2003 to improve the public teaching corps. Education experts believe such an idea could be helpful or pose a challenge.

Finding Truth in Teacher Qualifications
Dec 30 2003 - The Washington Post
Are states reporting accurate data on teacher quality? Localities were required to submit such reports in September to the federal Education Department. Wisconsin had much to celebrate after showing 98.6 percent of its educators were highly qualified. But something about those numbers did not smell right to the researchers and policy experts at the Education Trust. As columnist Jay Mathews reports, what they found, and how Wisconsin and other states have reacted to a report released by the nonprofit organization “takes us to an entirely new stage in the effort to make schools better.”

Housing Prices Test Teachers
Dec 9 2003 - The Christian Science Monitor
An increase in real estate prices combined with stagnant teacher salaries is pricing some of the nation’s educators out of their school districts. Novice teachers and veteran educators are being forced to switch districts or endure lengthy commutes to find a home they can afford. School officials in affluent areas hope homebuyer programs will help attract new teachers and retain existing staff. Experts note, however, such programs are not always helpful.

The Great Escape
Oct 7 2003 - The Christian Science Monitor
How do schools retain teachers? This article explores some of the challenges to that question. Nearly a third of educators leave the teaching profession within their first three years, according to a report by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. Education experts say verbal abuse, a lack of decision-making power, and having no support from colleagues are some of the reasons teachers quit their jobs. Experts add the problem will only get worse with the teacher certification requirements mandated under the No Child Left Behind Act.

The Guy Teacher
Oct 2 2003 - NEA Today
NSTA member Michael Anthony Pope is among several male teachers featured in this article by the National Education Association. The article examines the role of male teachers in America’s classrooms and why more men are needed to join the teaching profession.

First Lady Asks States to Spare Teachers' Pay
Sep 5 2003 - USA Today
In an effort to improve the quality of education, First Lady Laura Bush is requesting that cash-strapped states avoid eliminating funding for teacher salaries. Bush said declining pay for educators would worsen teacher shortages. The average starting salary for educators was $30,719 in 2002, according to a survey by the American Federation of Teachers. Bush, a former elementary school teacher, noted two million new teachers would be needed in the next decade.

NSTA WebNews Analysis: Back to School
Aug 29 2003 - NSTA-Kristin Collins
As the traditional end of summer approaches, several districts have started the school year before the Labor Day weekend in an effort to find more time to prepare students for state exams or finish the fall semester before the winter holidays. Teachers are sacrificing the final days of summer to create an inspired classroom. Educators agree that preparing for opening day is both art and science. Teachers also face a variety of other issues such as opening day absenteeism and parental involvement as they start a new school year.

U.S. Teaching Force Experienced But Lacks Diversity, Survey Finds
Aug 27 2003 - USA TODAY
A new survey shows America’s teaching force is experienced, but lacks diversity and an adequate number of male educators. The report by the National Education Association (NEA) revealed 10 percent of the nation’s three million teachers are minorities and that 21 percent are men. “It denies many young people the opportunity to have a minority or a male as a role model,” observed NEA president Reg Weaver. The NEA and other groups say they plan to pursue ways to improve teacher diversity.

Classroom's Costly Lessons
Aug 25 2003 - The Washington Post
Budget deficits are forcing teachers nationwide to pay out of their own pocket for school supplies. A survey conducted by the National School Supply and Equipment Association showed teachers spent an average of $589 of their own money on supplies in 2001, up from $448 in 1999.

Teachers Dig Deep to Outfit Classrooms, Help Students
Aug 9 2003 - Minneapolis Star Tribune (Requires free registration)
Teachers are digging deeper into their pockets to purchase supplies for their students and to outfit their classrooms. A survey released last year by Quality Education Data, an education research organization, revealed teachers across the nation spent $521 of their own money on their classroom in 2001. First-year and middle level educators spent an average of $701.

Mano a Mano, Iron Teachers and Science!
Aug 5 2003 - New York Times (requires free registration)
"Let's mercilessly brutalize some strawberries!" Dr. Steve Ribisi shouted to the 100 or so people watching him at the Exploratorium, San Francisco's science museum. He was competing against six contestants in another Web episode of "Iron Science Teacher," a program based loosely on the Japanese television show "Iron Chef." Dr. Ribisi declared his goal: to extract DNA from fruit, using the "secret ingredient" — kitchen utensils.

Teachers Get a Boost
Jul 19 2003 - The Mercury News (San Jose, CA)
Science educators will be introduced to the Resources for Indispensable Schools and Educators program in this article. The program aims to raise retention rates by providing its network of teachers from low-income schools with professional support and financial resources. It’s “a promising outfit,” observed Richard Ingersoll, an education professor who has studied retention rates at low-income schools for more than a decade.

Many U.S. Teachers Don't Know Their Stuff, Congress Report Says
Jul 16 2003 - Houston Chronicle (Requires free registration)
A report to Congress shows nearly half of the nation's middle and high school teachers are not qualified to teach their subjects. The report also revealed only 55 percent of science teachers are qualified to teach science. The No Child Left Behind Act requires educators to be highly qualified by the 2005-2006 school year. The law defines highly qualified teachers as those who hold a bachelor's degree, have state certification, and demonstrate competence in the subject they teach.

Plan Would Help States Boost Teacher Qualifications
Jul 16 2003 - USA TODAY
Education Secretary Rod Paige has announced a new outreach effort to help states improve the qualifications of public school teachers. The Teaching Assistance Corps will consist of a team of education experts, researchers, and practioners who will visit states and help them recruit more highly qualified teachers into the classroom.

Survey: Average Teacher Salary Up Slightly
Jul 4 2003 - CNN
A new report by the American Federation of Teachers shows the average teacher salary was nearly $44,000 in 2002, an increase of 2.7 percent over the previous year. California had the highest average teacher salary at $54,348. Other states at the top of list were Michigan, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York. South Dakota had the lowest average teacher salary at $31,383. The survey also showed significant teacher shortages remain in the fields of biology, physics, and other areas.

USA's Teaching Pool Not Diverse
Jul 2 2003 - USA TODAY
The typical American teacher has not changed, according to this article. Although public school students have grown more diverse during the past 30 years, schools continue to hire white women to teach students. Experts note that despite efforts to recruit more men and minorities into the teaching profession, “they simply aren’t stepping into the frame.”

Study: Most Teachers are Paid Well
Jun 3 2003 - The Detroit News
A new report by an expert on teacher pay shows public school teachers earn more money on an hourly basis than accountants, engineers, and computer programmers. Michael Podgursky, chairman of the University of Missouri’s economics department and co-author of Teacher Pay and Teacher Quality, says educators also “enjoy fringe benefits that are superior to those in the private sector.” Sandra Feldman, president of the American Federation of Teachers, claims Podgursky’s “mechanical bean-counting approach” is wrong.

What Makes a Good Teacher?
May 28 2003 - Hoover Digest
Education experts argue that teachers should possess a basic knowledge of the subjects they teach, but can that knowledge translate into an improved education system? As this article explains, the education levels of teachers have increased during the past 30 years while student test scores have fallen. What has gone wrong? Click on the above link to find out.

Legislation Puts Teachers' Qualifications to Test
May 20 2003 - The Washington Post
The “highly qualified” teacher requirement under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act might be an obstacle for veteran middle level educators with elementary K–8 certifications, according to this article. Middle school teachers generally are certified as elementary or high school teachers. The NCLB Act requires educators to have at least a bachelor’s degree in the field they teach by the end of 2005–2006 school year. Middle school principals say students can benefit from generalists as well as specialists.

Young Educators Face Overwhelming Odds
May 20 2003 - The Arizona Republic
Schools in Arizona and across the country are beefing up training programs for first-year teachers in an attempt to boost retention rates. Patty Horn, executive director of the Arizona K–12 Center, notes teaching is a unique profession because new educators often are put into classrooms with 30 or more students with little training under their belts.

Weekend Retreats Renewing Teachers' Passion for Profession
Apr 27 2003 - Boston Globe
As school administrators focus on ways to retain teachers, programs such as Courage to Teach, may become more important. Courage to Teach, a series of weekend retreats, aims to help teachers renew their passion for the teaching profession. Approximately 1,500 teachers nationwide have participated in the program during the past 10 years.

Top Education Official Calls for Higher Expectations for Students
Apr 13 2003 - The Sacramento Bee
Education Secretary Rod Paige is urging educators to raise the bar for poor and minority students. Paige delivered his message to nearly 3,000 educators attending the annual National Association of Elementary School Principals convention held April 12 in Anaheim, California. Paige told attendees “all students will rise to the challenge if teachers and school principals expect more from them.”

New Augusta Teacher Gets Presidential Award
Apr 10 2003 - Indianapolis Star
Fifth-grade math teacher Jane Cooney was one of four educators from Indiana to recently be honored with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The program recognizes the nation’s most outstanding math and science teachers with $7,500 grants and a trip to Washington, DC. Cooney said she plans to use the grant to help teachers at her school attend professional development programs.

Strict Teacher Standards Considered Hard to Meet
Apr 9 2003 - The Detroit News
Michigan teachers are wondering what direction their jobs will go in with the No Child Left Behind Act’s requirement that mandates educators be “highly qualified” by the end of the 2005–2006 school year. Some teachers say they support the objective of the federal education reform bill, but note the rules fail to address the challenges districts face in attracting educators to the classroom. Other teachers wonder how the bill can be implemented with the possibility of future budget cuts and proposals to eliminate professional development.

Teachers Not Buying State's Performance Bonus Program
Apr 3 2003 - St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Florida educators are voicing mixed reaction to a new plan that ties teacher bonuses to classroom results. The effort involves offering teachers a bonus equal to five percent of their annual pay if they can perform an outstanding job in the classroom. The bonus would equate to an extra $1,500 to $2,500 for most teachers. Some education officials have described the program as a “gimmick. Teachers, however, said they are tempted by the possibility of receiving more money.

Mass Layoffs Threatened for Teachers in California
Apr 1 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
Thousands of California teachers may loose their job in the coming months. California Gov. Gray Davis has proposed slashing $1.6 billion in funding for the state’s 1,000 school districts. If lawmakers approve the education cuts in June, school officials plan to increase class sizes, eliminate programs, and layoff teachers. “It’s absolutely demoralizing,” observed Gretchen Mackler-Lipow, a former teacher’s union president and educator for 32 years.

New Online Guides Rate Professors
Mar 24 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
College professors may want to think twice before they grade their students tests and papers. Pick-a-Prof, a three-year-old website created by two graduates of Texas A&M University, provides information on teachers grading patterns and student opinions about college professors. Students have praised the website describing it as a "consumer reports rating" on educators. Teachers, however, argue the increased emphasis on ratings “would lead professors to focus more on popularity than on substance” in their teaching methods.

Teachers Unhappy, Survey Finds
Mar 21 2003 - News and Observer (Raleigh, NC)
What’s the key cause of North Carolina’s teacher shortage? According to the largest study ever conducted on the issue, a lack of job satisfaction is why the state has a short supply of educators. The survey of 42,000 teachers revealed that educators believe they don’t have enough time for planning and individual instruction and have too many distractions like paperwork. North Carolina education leaders say the new findings should help provide “key leverage” in pushing reforms that teachers have desired.

Bill Would Make Attack on Teacher a Felony
Mar 7 2003 - The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)
South Carolina lawmakers are considering a bill that would make assaulting a teacher a felony. The measure would also enable educators to file criminal charges and lawsuits against students. “I want to send a message to teachers that we back them up and a very loud message to students that criminal activity will not be tolerated,” said Sen. John Kuhn (R-Charleston), one of the bill’s sponsors. Kuhn added the proposed measure stems from a student’s attack on a South Carolina teacher in February.

Women Still Lag in Science, Says UW Professor
Mar 4 2003 - The Seattle Times
A University of Washington industrial engineering professor claims women continue to be underrepresented in the sciences. Joyce Yen says “ingrained gender bias” is to blame for the problem. According to Yen, “women don’t consider careers in science and technology because of years of social conditioning that tell them not to be scientists.”

Few Teachers Seek U.S. Recognition
Feb 25 2003 - The Philadelphia Daily News
America’s teachers don’t seem too interested in obtaining national recognition. The country has 3 million teachers, but only 23,937 educators are nationally certified, according to James Minichello, spokesman for the nonprofit National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. Education experts note teachers who earn national certification can help improve student performance and reduce drop out rates.

Newest Teachers Facing Layoffs
Feb 13 2003 - The Mercury News (San Jose, CA)
Several new teachers in California are facing the prospect of being laid off, thanks to budget cuts. Gov. Gray Davis’s budget plan contains a six percent “across the board cut” in K–12 education over the next 18 months. Final adoption of the budget won’t be until late summer. California law, however, requires a five-month notice for teacher layoffs, which means pink slips for educators would be handed out starting in March.

Best Apples of the Bunch Share Their Tools for Teaching
Jan 25 2003 - The Dallas Morning News (Requires free registration)
What’s the best way to teach students? That question can be answered in several different ways, according to America’s 2003 Teachers of the Year. This elite group of educators recently convened in Dallas to discuss quality instruction and “best practices” in the classroom. Among their tips for teaching success: don’t stand and lecture from a textbook and provide a warm and comfortable environment for students in the classroom.

White Teachers Flee Black Schools
Jan 21 2003 - The Christian Science Monitor
New studies show that white teachers are leaving schools dominated by African-Americans. Critics argue the exodus is a new form of segregation. Teachers, however, say the trend is a result of cultural and economic barriers and is not racially motivated. Meanwhile, teaching colleges are attempting to address this challenge by offering courses in how to handle classroom diversity.

Teaching: From a Nation at Risk to a Profession at Risk?
Jan 17 2003 - Harvard Education Letter
Pam Grossman, a professor in the School of Education at Stanford University, claims the teaching profession is at a crossroads. Grossman says despite recent educational reforms, the driving factor behind America’s teacher shortage is a high turnover rate and not a shortage of candidates. She attributes the high turnover rate to salaries not keeping pace with inflation, poor working conditions, and the profession not offering enough challenging career opportunities.

'Guest Teachers' Push for Respect
Jan 16 2003 - The Sacramento Bee
A new group is seeking better wages and conditions for those who work as substitutes in classrooms. Shirley Kirsten said she decided to establish the National Substitute Teachers Alliance “to promote dignity and respect for substitute teachers” after working as a long-term sub in a middle school with no lesson plan from the regular instructor. Kirsten notes that the alliance’s efforts are essential to alleviate the nation’s substitute teacher shortage.

Teachers Rally for Smaller Classes, Better Pay
Jan 15 2003 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Thousands of teachers in the state of Washington recently rallied for higher salaries and smaller classes at a gathering in Olympia. Educators say their requests need to be met, despite work by lawmakers who must fill a $2 million budget gap by either increasing taxes or slashing services. “Despite current tough times in our state, this legislature must find the courage and the vision to sustain the progress and invest for the future,” said Washington Education Association president Charles Hasse.

Teacher Quality Lags in Poorer Schools
Jan 7 2003 - The Christian Science Monitor
Not enough effort is being made to place certified teachers in high poverty schools, according to a new study released by Education Week. Quality Counts 2003, an annual survey of America’s schools that details efforts to improve teacher quality, standards and accountability, and other areas also revealed a difference in the amount of teaching experience educators have in high-poverty and affluent schools. The report also shows a significant difference in the atmosphere and morale at both types of schools.

What Traits Do Good Teachers Share?
Dec 30 2002 - The Detroit News
What exactly makes a good teacher? That’s the question a Tennessee school district and the Public Education Foundation are attempting to investigate in a study on 100 high-performing teachers. According to the study’s researchers, good teachers were attracted to the teaching profession in their teens, set high expectations for their students, and avoid standing in front of the class and delivering lectures.

Teachers Protest Fee Charged for Teaching Out of Their Field
Dec 20 2002 - The Advocate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Education groups in Louisiana are protesting a $25 fee the state is imposing on teachers who teach out of their field. “It is extortion,” observed Julie Cherry, president of the East Baton Rouge Federation of Teachers. State officials claim the fee stems from the No Child Left Behind Act. The new education reform bill requires every teacher to be certified by the 2005–2006 school year.

Physics Teacher Gives Class a Push
Dec 15 2002 - The Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Science teachers will learn about one of their peers in this article. The story profiles Jim Hauge, a former engineer who now teaches physics at Anoka High School in Minnesota. Hauge’s philosophy of teaching: supplying students with the pieces of information they need to learn and having them put it together.

'Bonus' Teachers Opting Out
Dec 1 2002 - The Boston Globe
According to data analyzed by a Massachusetts college professor, 46 percent of the non-educators lured with $20,000 bonuses to teach in Massachusetts public schools in 1999 have left the classroom. Clarke Fowler’s analysis also revealed a significant percentage of new teachers did not join urban school systems that were difficult to staff and who had the greatest teaching shortages. Representatives from the Education Department said they plan to examine Fowler’s findings.

More Subs Don't Have Teaching Degrees
Nov 24 2002 - The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Representatives from the Wisconsin Education Association Council are worried about an increase in the number of substitutes without teaching degrees. Thousands of people who hold bachelor’s degrees, but who have no formal education training have been issued “emergency” teaching permits, thanks to a special exemption in state licensing requirements. Tony Evers, Wisconsin’s deputy superintendent of public instruction, said the exemption was never intended “to send masses of untrained teachers into the classroom.”

Entrepreneurs Grab the Chance To Build Careers, Help Schools
Oct 8 2002 - Washington Post
Many careers are being spawned, others redirected by the federal No Child Left Behind law. This article profiles several innovators who are developing standards-management systems in support of the testing and accountability requirements of the new law.

Top Teachers Rare in Poor Schools
Sep 10 2002 - Washington Post
It would be hard to find a less shocking headline. Poorer schools may manage to hire good teachers, but, as one teacher put it, "Once teachers gain a few years of seniority, they bolt from these urban schools faster than the speed of sound." And yet two bright threads run through this story: a profile of a great teacher in a tough place, and the requirements of recent legislation that "no child be left behind." The questions raised: Why did this teacher stay? Can administrators build on her experience, or are other models needed?

Commentary: A Tribute to Teachers -- Wherever They Are Found
Sep 4 2002 - Christian Science Monitor
Need to be reminded sometimes of why teachers teach? Click above to read a poignant tribute to gifted teachers of all stripes -- from conventional classroom educators to those "inadvertent teachers," such as parents and friends, who “may not even be aware of the inspiration they impart.”

Dueling Editorials Address Out-of-Field Teaching Debate
Aug 27 2002 - USA Today
What factors are responsible for the large number of teachers who lack full credentials, as well as for the sizable number who are teaching "out-of-field"? Dueling editorials in today's USA Today -- one by the newspaper, the other by the executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals -- take up that question. Click above to see what both sides have to say on this important issue.

Personal Narrative: My Year as a Teacher
Aug 27 2002 - San Jose Mercury News
Last year, reporter Larry Slonaker took a leave from his job at the San Jose Mercury News to fulfill his longtime goal of teaching. What was his year like, and what did he learn? "It was heartbreaking. It was fun. It was surprising, irritating, elevating, frustrating," he writes. "But mostly, I learned that teaching is hard." And "to teach well is ridiculously hard." Click above to read more of Mr. Slonaker's personal (and often humorous) account, the first installment in a multi-part series.

As Standards Rise, Too Few Teachers
Aug 26 2002 - Christian Science Monitor
The No Child Left Behind Act requires a well-qualified teacher in every classroom by the fall of 2005. But as the above article reports, this and other moves to bolster teaching come against the backdrop of continued teacher shortages in many places, tight budgets, and perhaps most vexing, stubbornly high teacher turnover rates. What, then, can be done to help states meet the terms of the new law? Read more...

Report: Many Middle, High-School Teachers Not Trained in Fields They Teach
Aug 22 2002 - USA Today
About 25 percent of public middle- and high-school classes are taught by teachers who lack a college major or minor in the subject they're teaching, says a new report by The Education Trust. Out-of-field teaching is particularly rampant in middle schools, the report notes, as well as in schools that serve mostly poor and minority students. What's at the root of the problem? According to Craig Jerald, an Education Trust policy analyst, teacher shortages explain part of the problem, but "administrative sloppiness and carelessness" also play a major role. Click above for the news story, or visit www.edtrust.org to get the full report.

Commentary: High Teacher Turnover Plagues Schools
Aug 19 2002 - USA Today
"Contrary to conventional wisdom, the so-called teacher shortage is not mainly due to an inadequate supply of trained teachers," writes education professor Richard Ingersoll in the above commentary. Instead, he argues, "the problem is largely due to how quickly many teachers leave their jobs," with research showing that as many as 33% of new hires leave teaching altogether in their first three years. What's driving these high turnover rates? As Ingersoll's research shows, it's not just low salaries that are to blame. Read more...

Wanted: More Male Teachers
Aug 13 2002 - Detroit Free Press
Men's involvement in education -- either as teachers or parents -- is critical to children's success, studies suggest. Yet according to the National Education Association, just 26 percent of the nation's 3 million teachers are men, with representation particularly low (15 percent) at the elementary level. Now, both the NEA and the national PTA are waging drives to boost the number of men in their ranks. Can they succeed, and what are the obstacles? The above article takes a look...

California, U.S. Feud Over "Highly Qualified" Teachers
Aug 7 2002 - San Francisco Chronicle
The "No Child Left Behind" law requires teachers in every state to be "highly qualified" -- meaning, at a minimum, fully credentialed -- by 2006. And starting this fall, new hires at schools receiving federal money for low-income children must already be "highly qualified." But according to the above article, the California Board of Education has given Washington a definition of "highly qualified" that falls short of these requirements, setting up a showdown between the state and the U.S. Department of Education (ED). California officials say the federal standard is unrealistic (if not impossible), given severe teacher shortages and the state's ongoing push to reduce class size. ED, meanwhile, is calling on California to revise its definition or face the possibility of losing some Title I funds. Click above for the San Francisco Chronicle article, or click here for a related article in the Los Angeles Times (requires free registration).

AFT Teacher Salary Survey Offers Mixed News
Jul 17 2002 - American Federation of Teachers
The most recent teacher salary survey by the American Federation of Teachers, released yesterday, offers both good news and bad news for those desiring better teacher pay. On the one hand, the report notes that beginning teacher salaries are improving in reaction to the nationwide teacher shortage. On the other hand, salary increases for experienced teachers have been less impressive, a fact that could exacerbate the problem of retaining senior teachers. Click above for the press release and full report, which includes both national and state-level information.

Poll: Teaching Quality Viewed as Crucial
Jul 10 2002 - Education Week
According to a recent poll by the Public Education Network and Education Week, Americans rate "raising teacher quality" as their top priority for improving education.

Commentary: A Bogus Bonus?
Jul 10 2002 - Education Week
"The practice of giving teachers cash bonuses based on their students' performance on normative tests is not needed and unjustified," an elementary school teacher writes in the above opinion piece, noting that a preoccupation with testing tends to divert attention away from science, social studies, and other vital subject matter. Instead, "a truly meaningful bottom line for teachers should be based on objective measures of their classroom-delivery prowess," such as the assessments used for NBPTS-certification.

Kentucky To Test Alternative Pay for Teachers
Jun 25 2002 - Louisville Courier-Journal
Under a statewide pilot program that starts in 2003, some Kentucky teachers could receive raises or bonuses based on performance evaluations, added training or duties (such as mentoring), or for working in hard-to-staff schools or fields (such as math and science). Supporters say the plan will help boost teacher quality and reduce critical shortages. Critics, however, question whether paying some teachers more than others (based on what subject they teach) is a fair approach.

NSTA Quick Poll: How Are You Going to Spend This Summer?
Jun 21 2002 - NSTA
Summer is finally here – a time for some rest and relaxation, right? Or maybe not. A recent article in USA Today notes that as the push to improve student achievement heats up, free time for teachers during the summer is steadily evaporating, filled up instead by summer school teaching, workshops, conferences, curriculum planning, and other professional development activities. NSTA would like to know: How are you going to spend your summer? Take NSTA's Quick Poll, and let us know what you have planned.

Poll: Public Wants Data on Teacher Quality
Jun 19 2002 - Education Week
According to a recent opinion poll, Americans rate knowledge about the quality of the teaching force as the most important piece of information for gauging the quality of their local schools, with 76 percent of respondents listing such knowledge as extremely or very important. What else do Americans want to know about their schools? Click above to find out...

Minneapolis Teachers Approve Novel Pay System
Jun 18 2002 - Minneapolis Star Tribune
Minneapolis teachers recently approved a new pay system choice that represents a departure from the traditional seniority-based approach. Under the new system, the district and union would agree on certain skills worth rewarding, and teachers would then receive pay increases based on their demonstrated ability to use those skills in the classroom. District leaders hope to get at least 25 percent of Minneapolis' teachers to sign up for the optional plan this month, with full implementation to be achieved over the next two years.

Tax Break Aids Generous Teachers
Jun 17 2002 - Detroit Free Press
If you're a teacher, remember to keep records of your out-of-pocket classroom expenses this year. That's because recent federal legislation gives teachers a tax break by allowing them to subtract up to $250 in expenses when figuring their adjusted gross income. The above article takes a closer look...

Teachers Take Bids for Power to Legislatures
Jun 13 2002 - Education Week
Reflecting a growing sense that educators are being left out of critical decisions (such as those relating to textbooks, curriculum standards, and professional development), teachers in several states turned to their legislatures this year in efforts to broaden collective bargaining rights beyond traditional bread-and-butter issues, the above article reports. And despite a mixed record of success– efforts in California and Connecticut failed while those in Maryland and Tennessee fared better – experts predict that teachers nationwide will continue to push for a greater voice in vital policy and academic matters. “They’re attempting to get control over their professional lives,” a spokeswoman for the NEA said. “It is a natural extension of the accountability laws. If you’re going to make them accountable, educators would like to have some say in classroom policies.”

Holding Up a Mirror: Teacher-Researchers Use Their Own Classrooms to Investigate What Works
Jun 13 2002 - Education Week
The above article examines the work of teacher-researchers, a growing cadre of classroom-based teachers who take a hard, systematic look at their own practice and report to the world what they find. While it is generally agreed that such “practitioner inquiry” is a highly beneficial professional development activity (a way for teachers to reflect on what they do and make it better), many teacher-researchers also insist that the research they produce is every bit as “real” as the research reported in formal academic journals – if not more so, since it reflects actual classroom experiences. “If I’m going to be an educational researcher, I want to be in the classroom,” says one teacher-researcher. “I’m not a researcher in isolation here, which is important to me. Plus, I just plain like teaching.”

Three New Reports Examine Status of Schools, Teaching Profession
Jun 4 2002 - NSTA
The National Center for Education Statistics, the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Education, released three reports last week that examine key trends in education and the teaching profession. Of particular interest is a report that highlights trends in “out-of-field” teaching over a 13-year period, as well as across subjects (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics) and grade levels. Click above for more information…

New Report Calls for Changes in Teacher Compensation
May 31 2002 - NSTA
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), a centrist think tank in Washington, DC, has released a report this week that calls for profound changes to the traditional teacher salary schedule. According to the report, new approaches that schools should consider include: knowledge- and skills-based pay; higher pay for teachers in hard-to-staff schools or fields (such as math and science); and pay tied to student achievement or improvement. Click here for an article in USA Today, or click here to go to the full report.

Cincinnati Teachers Rebuff Performance Pay
May 30 2002 - Education Week
In a vote two weeks ago, Cincinnati teachers overwhelmingly rejected a groundbreaking plan that would have based teacher pay on classroom performance. Sue Taylor, the president of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, said the defeat stemmed largely from teachers' concerns that the plan was moving ahead too quickly. Still, both sides -- the union and the district -- say they are open to taking up the issue again in future contract talks.

Interest is High in New Route to Teaching
May 30 2002 - Seattle Times
The above article examines several programs in Washington State that offer alternative routes to teacher certification. To be considered, candidates must be qualified to teach a subject that has a teacher shortage, such as math or science. Participants then undergo four to six weeks of training in the summer, followed by a yearlong internship, before heading off to a classroom of their own. They also get some financial help -- up to $22,000. The programs, the article notes, reflect a growing national trend to help career-changers prepare for and find teaching jobs. Click above for the full article -- or to learn more about alternative preparation and certification programs in the 50 states, visit the National Center for Education Information.

Training is Key for Substitute Teachers
May 20 2002 - Arizona Republic
In what some are calling a "hidden crisis," thousands of students each day are being taught by unprepared substitute teachers, the above article reports. For example, 28 states require only a high school diploma for a substitute teacher's certification, and according to one estimate, 90 percent of school districts do not provide more than a three-hour orientation for new subs. What are some doing to rectify this problem? Click above to find out. Also of interest: A recent article in the Boston Globe examines a promising training program for substitute teachers in the Boston public schools.

Motivational Stunts Spur School Debate
May 20 2002 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How far would you go to motivate your students to learn? “I leave my dignity at the door,” said one Atlanta-area principal who recently agreed to kiss a pig if her students read at least 2,000 books. Other educators have been known to perform equally extreme stunts, including shaving their heads, sitting on rooftops, and singing in costume. But is this the best way to get students to work hard in school? As the above article reports, not everyone thinks so. Read more...

USA Today Runs Dueling Editorials on Teacher Pay Issue
May 14 2002 - USA Today
How should teacher salaries be determined? USA Today explores that question today in a pair of dueling editorials. In the lead editorial, the newspaper advocates paying teachers based on need, knowledge, and skills, including higher salaries for "hard-to-fill specialties such as math, science, and special education." Supplying the opposing view is NEA President Bob Chase, who argues that paying math and science teachers more than other teachers is "insulting -- and wrong." Rather than "robbing Peter to pay Paul," he says, "we need to pay all teachers a competitive, professional salary."

Teachers Battle for Book Choice, Curriculum Control
May 2 2002 - Christian Science Monitor
While recent reforms (high-stakes tests, new curriculums) have dramatically reshaped the world of education, many teachers say these changes are being implemented with little or no input from those closest to the children, the above article reports. "The result," the article notes, "is the beginning of a teacher backlash, centered on the question of who should choose the materials and methods to educate America's children." Click above to learn more, including the latest on efforts underway in California and Maryland to expand teachers' authority over education reform issues.

Under the Microscope: Performance-Based Pay
Apr 26 2002 - Teacher Magazine
According to the above article, nearly a dozen districts across the country (with Cincinnati leading the way) are testing some form of performance-based pay as an alternative to the traditional, across-the-board salary grid for teachers. How are these plans faring, and what do teachers think of them? "We believe professional compensation should be linked [to results], but the devil is in the details," said a spokesperson for the American Federation of Teachers. Read more...

Film Takes Inside Look at Teachers' Rookie Year
Apr 25 2002 - Seattle Times
The above article reviews "The First Year," an award-winning PBS documentary that chronicles the emotional journey of five beginning teachers in the Los Angeles public school system. According to the article, "the result is a hymn to the passion and commitment of teachers everywhere who reach out to students when no one else does." Click above for the full review, or go to www.pbs.org/firstyear, where you can learn more about the film and its accompanying resources.

School District Builds Homes for Teachers
Apr 22 2002 - San Jose Mercury News
Last week, the Santa Clara Unified School District officially opened Casa del Maestro, the first apartment complex for teachers built by a school district in California. Frustrated by high teacher turnover rates, the district built the apartments (which are offered at well below market rate) in an effort to attract and keep talented instructors. "If you're going to stay in teaching, we want you to stay with us," the district's superintendent said. Other California districts, especially those in high-cost areas, are currently considering similar projects.

New Law Allows KY Districts to Pilot Differentiated Pay
Apr 17 2002 - Education Week
The Kentucky legislature has passed what appears to be a first-of-its-kind law that will allow five districts to abandon the traditional salary schedule and experiment with new ways of paying teachers, including performance-based rewards and higher salaries for teachers with specialties in math, science, and other shortage areas. "They can take whatever approaches they want to take, to show we can do something different," said a co-sponsor of the bill. The Kentucky Education Association stayed neutral on the matter.

California Teachers Union Measure Sparks a Political Brawl
Apr 15 2002 - Sacramento Bee
A California bill that would expand collective bargaining to cover the processes for changing textbooks, selecting instructional materials, and making other district-level reforms has triggered a war between the California Teachers Association (which supports the bill) and a broad coalition of school leaders and business groups (who oppose it). Critics of the bill call it a union power grab that would spark endless negotiations and push education policy debates into closed-door bargaining sessions. But many teachers, the above article notes, see the battle in far different terms: Teachers know what works -- why not listen?

Researcher Skewers Explanations Behind Teacher Shortage
Apr 11 2002 - Education Week
It's a myth that teacher shortages can be attributed largely to a wave of retirements or to surges in student enrollment, asserts Richard Ingersoll, a respected education researcher. Instead, he argues, the explanation is unusually high turnover rates among teachers, 39 percent of whom leave the field after five years on the job. Ingersoll says his findings suggest that schools, instead of focusing on recruitment drives, might have better luck meeting their demands for teachers by investing in efforts (such as better salaries and working conditions) to retain the teachers they already have.

Teachers' Salaries Barely Match Living Costs, NEA Says
Apr 8 2002 - Washington Post -- AP
The National Education Association released today its annual report on state spending in education, highlighting the finding that salaries for the nation's teachers rose only 0.5 percent in the 1990s when inflation is taken into account. And in many states, the union reports, teachers lost ground to inflation. "As more money was invested in public education, teacher salaries remained stagnant -- all while the U.S. was in a time of economic expansion," NEA President Bob Chase said. Click above to read an article in the Washington Post, or click here to read NEA's press release.

"E-Mentors" Offer Online Support, Information for Novice Instructors
Apr 4 2002 - Education Week
"E-mentoring," also called telementoring, is an emerging resource that allows novice teachers to turn to their computers and get advice and support from a community of new and master teachers. Today, only a few venues offer e-mentoring, the above article says, but experts predict that in a few years, new teachers across the country will be able to access local or regional teacher databases. "This is definitely an idea whose time has come, and something that's going to go everywhere soon," one booster said.

New Pension Plans Provide Educators With Options, Risks
Apr 3 2002 - Education Week
Over the last decade, a growing number of states have moved from traditional defined-benefit pension plans, which guarantee a fixed amount of retirement savings, to defined-contribution plans, which allow public school employees to choose their own investment portfolios. “Such changes,” the above article says, “are an attempt to give teachers...more control over their own savings, improve recruitment, and reduce the financial risk to state governments." But the defined-contribution approach also has its disadvantages, the article notes, including the fact that it leaves teachers more exposed to the volatility of the stock market. Read more...

Teachers Union Launches Unique Graduate School
Mar 29 2002 - Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Teachers Union officials unveiled plans to create the nation's first union-run graduate program in teacher leadership, aimed at making the system's best teachers "agents of change" rather than the targets of it. The new Jacqueline B. Vaughn Graduate School for Teachers will open in January 2003 and offer 200 "superior" Chicago public school teachers with at least three years of experience a two-year graduate degree that will help them be leaders in their schools.

Stimulus Package Offers Tax Break to Help Teachers
Mar 20 2002 - Education Week
Under a new measure passed by Congress this month, teachers, their aides, principals, and counselors can take a federal tax deduction of up to $250 annually for out-of-pocket classroom expenses. Teachers on average spend about $400 of their own money each year on classroom supplies, the NEA estimates, and the measure is intended to offset at least some of those expenses. Still, many educators say that while they are appreciative of the tax break, it does little to tackle the underlying problems of poorly paid teachers, underfunded school districts, and a lack of supplies and resources. "It's better than nothing," one teacher said, "but we don't expect doctors to supply their own tools."

Teaching Gains as Mid-Career Choice
Mar 14 2002 - USA Today
In what officials call a growing trend, an increasing number of mid-career workers across the country are turning to teaching -- in many cases, getting there by non-traditional routes. Officials hope the trend will help relieve a projected need for more than 2 million teachers over the next decade. But others warn that teachers who enter the classroom from alternative routes amount to a "trickle" compared to what the overall need is. To make a bigger dent, schools need to address how teachers are paid and rewarded.

CA Teachers Union Seeks Role in Text, Policy Decisions
Mar 14 2002 - San Francisco Chronicle
In what is shaping up to be a fierce turf war, the 333,000-member California Teachers Association is lobbying for legislation to make curriculum, textbook, assessment, and other policy decisions part of the collective bargaining process. Local school officials say the push is a blatant power grab, but teachers insist they just want a chance to influence school quality issues. "Administrators have made these decisions unilaterally forever. Teachers now want a say in this," the president of the CTA said. Read more...

Commentary: Second-Career Teachers Reinforce Faculty Ranks
Mar 11 2002 - The Baltimore Sun
"America needs 2 million teachers over the next decade, and there's no way states...are going to fill classrooms with teachers trained the traditional lockstep way," contends the author of the above opinion piece. To meet the nation's growing demand for new teachers, the author advocates the expansion of alternative paths to teaching, such as the New Teacher Project, Troops to Teachers, and Teach for America.

Teacher-Trainers Fear a Backfire from New ESEA
Mar 7 2002 - Education Week
The new education law (ESEA) demands that all K-12 teachers be "highly qualified" by 2005-2006. But as the above article explains, considerable confusion exists over exactly what "highly qualified" means. In fact, some observers fear that the requirement might actually backfire, in that it will tempt states (many of which are already facing teacher shortages) to "dumb down" existing licensing and certification procedures. "States may change their definitions of licenses," the dean of teacher education at CUNY said. "They may put a mirror under teachers' noses and, if it fogs, that means they're 'highly qualified.'"

Teacher Quality Takes Center Stage at White House
Mar 6 2002 - Washington Post, the White House, NEA
First Lady Laura Bush hosted the "White House Conference on Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers" yesterday, an event that brought together education experts to discuss strategies for enhancing teacher preparation and quality. Click here to read a Washington Post article on the conference. President Bush also delivered remarks at the meeting. He stressed that while the new education law expects a lot from teachers, "teachers have a right to expect certain things from us," including "support for their professional development." Not all have been pleased with the president's recent education proposals, however. Bob Chase, the head of the 2.6 million-member National Education Association, said yesterday that while he welcomes President Bush's attention to teacher quality, he is disappointed that the Administration's proposed 2003 budget actually reduces funding for that purpose. "Real reforms require resources," he said. Read NEA's press release.

Commentary: Recognizing the Secret Value of Lunchroom Duty
Feb 28 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
While teachers should not be required to patrol lunchrooms during their own lunch breaks, or during their planning and preparation periods, experience suggests that teachers who join students at lunch can sometimes gain important behavioral and personal insights that aid classroom instruction, the author of this op-ed writes. Click above to read more...

Study Links Teacher Quality and Student Progress
Feb 22 2002 - Cincinnati Enquirer
A new study finds that teachers who rate highest under Cincinnati's two-year-old teacher evaluation system also show the greatest gains, on average, in their students' achievement on proficiency tests. The study gives a vote of confidence to the novel evaluation system, which measures teachers on 17 standards, and lends support to a hotly debated proposal that would tie teachers' performance on the evaluation system to their raises and pay cuts. The teachers' union and school board vote on that proposal in May.

More Applicants Answer the Call for Teaching Jobs
Feb 11 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
The sinking economy, stepped-up recruitment efforts, and a wave of soul-searching after Sep. 11 have increased the number of people seeking teaching jobs, the above article reports. In some districts, the trend is even helping to stem the perennial shortage of math and science teachers, with many applicants coming from the hard-hit technology and financial industries. But some observers are wondering: Once the economy improves, will these new hires stick around? Read more…

Science Teacher Resigns Over Plagiarism Fight
Feb 7 2002 - CNN--AP
In a case that is generating national publicity, a Kansas biology teacher resigned in protest after the school board didn't stand by her decision to fail students for plagiarism. Some say the episode reflects a national decline in integrity. "It's so hard to keep sending the message that character counts when you have officials saying it doesn't count that much," one ethics expert commented. Read more...

New Report Examines Effective Professional Development for Math and Science Teachers
Feb 1 2002 - AERA News
Based on a national survey of math and science teachers, a team of educational researchers has identified six features of effective professional development. The team's findings are reported in the winter issue of the American Educational Research Journal. Click above to read a press release...

National Board Is Pressed To Prove Certified Teachers Make Difference
Jan 30 2002 - Education Week
Since 1987, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has reaped more than $109 million in federal money, while a growing number of states and districts have invested in financial incentives to encourage teachers to seek the group's seal of approval. But now a consensus is emerging among policymakers and researchers that the time has come for the board to show its worth--particularly, the impact board-certified teachers have on student performance. The board itself says it relishes the challenge. "We're not just looking for feel-good research," an NBPTS spokesperson said. "We're ready for whatever the results are."

Up to Half of PA Teacher Candidates Fail Math/Science Tests
Jan 24 2002 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A recent state report shows that between one-third and one-half of Pennsylvania's prospective math and science teachers failed certification tests last year. The disappointing results are causing education officials to question whether the tests need to be rewritten or whether the state's teacher preparation programs are falling short in their efforts.

City Districts Lifting Rules on Residency
Jan 22 2002 - Education Week
As urban districts struggle to recruit qualified teachers, cities nationwide are moving to abolish rules requiring teachers to live in the cities where they teach. In the most recent example of this trend, the Chicago school system lifted its residency requirement for those who teach in high-need areas, such as math and science. And in coming years, many experts predict, residency dictates could very well vanish altogether.

Study: Teachers Seek Better Working Conditions
Jan 14 2002 - Education Week
With reports of teacher shortages growing, questions about how schools can attract and keep qualified teachers have taken on a new urgency. Paying teachers more seems like an obvious solution, but a recent study suggests that pay raises alone may not be enough of an incentive to attract teachers to hard-to-staff, low-performing schools. "The findings suggest that a lot more attention should be given to working conditions and the preferences of teachers in making policies," one of the report's co-authors said.

Online Report Cards for Teacher Programs Draw Heavy Response
Jan 9 2002 - Education Week
To the delight of federal administrators, thousands of people each day are visiting a new U.S. Department of Education website that is intended to illuminate the quality of the nation's teacher-preparation programs. The site, www.title2.org, provides report cards on 1,300 public and private colleges that train teachers, offering such data as the number of graduates who take state certification tests, the number passing, and the ranking of each school in one of four quartiles. Supporters say the site, which helps fulfill a mandate under Title II of the Higher Education Act, has been a catalyst for improving teacher-preparation programs.

Education Week Newspaper Releases Sixth Annual Report on States' Efforts to Improve Education; States Average a "C" Across Range of Categories
Jan 8 2002 - Education Week
Education Week (EW) released yesterday "Quality Counts 2002," the newspaper's sixth annual report on education progress in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to presenting the latest data on student achievement (including in science), the report grades the states in three areas: standards and accountability, efforts to improve teacher quality, and resources (adequacy and equity). This year, states averaged a C across those categories. Quality Counts 2002 also includes a special focus on states' efforts to provide high-quality pre-K and kindergarten experiences for young children. Past QC editions, which are still available at EW's website, have focused on such issues as standards, testing, and accountability; teacher quality; and urban education. Click the link above for this year's report, or click here for past reports.

Federal Teacher Goal Is Blasted
Jan 4 2002 - Sacramento Bee
While supporters are hailing "No Child Left Behind" as the most meaningful federal education reform in decades, critics say one crucial aspect of the legislation is nothing more than a pipe dream: the requirement that all teachers be fully credentialed within four years. "It's fantasy legislation. It's not going to happen," says Wayne Johnson, president of the California Teachers Association, noting that severe teacher shortages already exist in many parts of the state. Still, Rep. George Miller (D-CA), a key backer of the bill, says the legislation is dead serious about effecting change and provides increased resources to help states succeed.

Teachers Train in New Classroom: Cyberspace
Jan 3 2002 - Christian Science Monitor
Web-based videos that allow teachers to watch and analyze "best practices" are gaining momentum as a practical way for districts and schools to overcome a host of hurdles (e.g., shortages of time, staff, money, coordination) that have long hindered teacher training efforts. Nevertheless, while many observers are optimistic about the potential web-based video training holds for disseminating effective instructional approaches, they caution that it is not necessarily the ability of the gadgetry that makes for success, but how such technology is used.

Teaching Takes Big Bite Out of Wallet, Survey Shows
Jan 2 2002 - Sacramento Bee
According to a survey from the National School Supply and Equipment Association, teachers spend nearly $600 of their own money on school supplies and instructional materials each year. Teacher groups said the study underscores the need for districts to allocate more money for classroom materials. "In no profession would you expect someone to provide their own supplies," said a spokesperson for the NEA. "It's about providing the basics teachers need to do their work."

When Science Teachers Know Their Stuff
Dec 11 2001 - Christian Science Monitor
In an effort to boost students' science achievement, schools are increasingly looking to hire teachers with strong undergraduate science backgrounds, the article says. This is true even at the elementary level, where some schools are experimenting with separate teachers for science classes. "Science-only teachers are better equipped to stay abreast of the science curriculum, and to to develop students' curiosity, open-mindedness, and persistence," said the headmaster of one Boston school that recently hired three science-only teachers for grades two through five.

When Teachers' Ethics Come Into Question
Nov 6 2001 - Christian Science Monitor
In response to the public perception that moral missteps are on the increase among teachers, a growing number of states and school districts are warming to the idea of mandatory ethics classes that stress what is and isn't appropriate behavior. Still, in some places, the effort to tighten regulations is causing friction, as observers wonder whether teachers may just be easy targets for deeper ills in society.

Substandard Teachers Under the Microscope
Sep 25 2001 - Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago school officials are planning a massive "teacher quality crackdown" that, among other goals, will seek to curtail the use of temporarily certified teachers. The move follows findings from a Chicago Sun-Times investigative report that one of every 10 Chicago teachers tested since 1988, or 1,371 total teachers, had failed a Basic Skills test at least once. While many eventually passed the test (considered to be at an eighth-grade level), 635 never did but worked full-time last school year anyway, the report concluded.

The Average Teacher
Nov 20 1900 - Teacher Magazine
Viewers who watch the television show Boston Public and who are not teachers may think educators are “hip, young things” working in schools of “weapon-wielding, oversexed teens” and who worry about students personal problems rather than preparing lesson plans. However, that is not the case, according to the U.S. Current Population Survey and the latest Schools and Staffing Survey. These studies recently revealed the average teacher spends “abundant hours preparing for class, untangling red tape,” in addition to expanding their “knowledge and professionalism.” Read on to see if you fit the profile of the “average” teacher.

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