A Colorado panel of lawmakers and police have rightly called for the end – or at least the scaling back – of strict disciplinary policies, also known as zero-tolerance. In a post-Columbine world, school systems quickly implemented harsh discipline policies that punished all offenders equally regardless of whether the offense involved a weapon or just a kid talking back to a teacher.
A Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis shows that nearly half of all states have made "significant cuts" in public education, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and children of color.
Transitions are seldom easy, but they provide are an opportunity to re-evaluate priorities and set new directions. That’s why Susan Gobreski, Executive Director of Education Voters Pennsylvania, is urging her city to take its time before hiring a new superintendent of schools to create a new vision and direction for the city’s public school system. Coming together now around a clear mandate and plan for expanding educational opportunity now will help the district find the right person for this critical position. Here’s what Susan writes:
It's no secret that high rates of out-of-school suspensions have a significant negative impact on students' educational experiences and their opportunity to learn. When students are suspended -- often for non-violent offenses such as wearing inappropriate attire or talking back to a teacher -- they are not in class learning, and the chances skyrocket that they will not graduate on time or will drop out altogether.
To transform struggling schools into successful environments for teaching and learning, more emphasis needs to be placed on seeking partnerships among groups at the federal and local level. This brief examines the federal policy for intervening in low-achieving schools and suggests a different approach for "turning around" struggling schools.
Summer learning programs can help children improve their academics, especially students from low-income families who may not have access to educational resources in the summer, and low-achieving students who need additional time to master academic materials. This report, conducted by RAND Education and sponsored by The Wallace Foundation, finds evidence of the effectiveness of summer learning programs and offers specific recommendations on how school districts can overcome barriers to establishing them so that all children have access to enrichment opportunities.
Tools you can use: This toolkit can help you frame the education debates/discussions in your community - to focus on systemic solutions that ensure all children have a fair and substantive opportunity to learn, instead of solutions that may be popular with some but lack a positive track record and are not scalable.
Tools you can use: This toolkit can help you frame the education debates/discussions in your community - to focus on systemic solutions that ensure all children have a fair and substantive opportunity to learn, instead of solutions that may be popular with some but lack a positive track record and are not scalable.
Nearly a decade after federal law was enacted to ensure that low-income students and students of color had a fair shot at being assigned to strong teachers, students in high-poverty schools are still disproportionately taught by out-of-field and rookie teachers.
This report from the Alliance for Quality Education finds that large cuts to the New York public education budget would increase educational inequity and would hurt students living in poverty and students of color the most.
For Immediate Release: January, 25, 2011
Contact: Billy Easton, AQE 518-461-9171 Nikki Jones, AQE 315-416-9393
Learn about the Opportunity to Learn Campaign’s proposal for a federal resource standards and accountability system and how this system would supplement state education funding and accountability, improve resource distribution efficiencies and yield grater return on investment.
In far too many states, students are denied access to the resources that provide a meaningful opportunity to learn. There is no substitute for opportunity, not in our schools, our workplaces, or our society. Opportunity is at the heart of our American dream. Yet many students who need a high-quality preschool go without. Many children are taught by ineffective teachers lacking in baseline qualifications and experience. Too many attend under-performing schools that lack the resources necessary to effectively raise achievement.
