Education News: June 9-15, 2012
The Star Tribune this week features several commentaries about potential education adequacy litigation. Katherine Kersten first wrote about the issue on June 9, arguing that it “can cost taxpayers staggering sums” and that “virtually no peer-reviewed study shows meaningful improvement in minority students’ achievement in states that have implemented adequacy remedies.” There were two counterpoints to the Kersten commentary, the first by Gerald Von Korff and Jim Hilbert. Von Korff and Hilbert contend the current Minnesota school finance system violates the Minnesota Constitution’s education clause as it does not pay for state imposed mandates already in place, specifically, special education. The second counterpoint was written by Vina Kay who discusses the intentions of the Education Equity Organizing Collaborative (an organization cited by Kersten to be pursuing litigation) and that paying attention to outcomes and outcome gaps informs decisions about removing barriers and making education more equitable and that the solutions to the achievement gap are multi-faceted and bipartisan.
HEALTH & SAFETY
- Risky Rise of the Good-Grade Pill, New York Times
MINNESOTA NEWS
- Why did Minnesota skip the math Common Core standards? MPR
- Kids flock to North Minneapolis playground — for free books, Minnpost
- Lakeville school district restructures leadership to improve operations, Pioneer Press
- State poised to enter a legal danger zone, Star Tribune
- On schools: Don’t be fearful; be concerned, Star Tribune
- Education equity helps Minnesota students, Star Tribune
- St. Paul schools: Silva urges board to seek levy increase in November, Pioneer Press
NATIONAL NEWS
- Obama Uses Aid, Executive Muscle to Drive Education Agenda, Education Week
- Vouchers Unspoken, Romney Hails School Choice, New York Times
PEOPLE
- South Washington County Superintendent Mark Porter to be honored next week, Pioneer Press
- With school out, teachers talk about burnout, MPR
RESEARCH & REPORTS
- Title IX: New Opportunities for Girls, But Gender Gap Remains, Education Week
- Evidence Persists of STEM Achievement Gap for Girls, Education Week
Technology & innovation
- Farmington teachers get summer peek at elementary students’ skills to help focus fall instruction, Pioneer Press
- In Minnesota schools, teaching and tweeting, Pioneer Press
- Eradication of Senior Slump Remains Elusive, Education Week
- App Creation Inspires Student Entrepreneurs, Education Weeks