News Items for High School Leaders

This Month’s Featured News Items (2/08)

These online news items are selected for their timeliness and relevance to high school principals. They are chosen to stimulate thinking, reflection and conversation about topics of contemporary interest in America’s high schools.

01-02-08 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
“ The Power of Inclusion”
[ELL teachers team with content teachers having ramifications beyond the classroom and into communities.]
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=702915

01-01-08 Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“ No Child Left Behind: GOP Senators Want It to be History”
[Policymakers ready to dismiss federal funding for local control.]
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/12963721.html

01-03-08 Christian Science Monitor
“ Suicide Prevention Program Focuses on Teens”
[Research results find 40% less for students who undergo program.]
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0103/p14s01-legn.html

01-03-08 Entrepreneur
“ From Gamer to Gym Rat”
[Not just about the Wii, exergaming merges video, gaming and physical exercise.]
http://www.entrepreneur.com/technology/article188522.html

01-22-08 Des Moines Register
“ Stop Shortfall of Vocational Workers, Say Educators”
[Feared that emphasis on college preparedness has undermined the demand for workforce needs.]
http://snipurl.com/20r06 [www_desmoinesregister_com]

01-21-08 Washington Post
“ Rethinking Principal Priorities of Training”
[School of thought believes a knowledge of business, not education, essential to future principalship.]
http://snipurl.com/20r0b [www_washingtonpost_com]

12-31-07 Arizona Republic
“ More High-Schoolers Turn to ‘Dual Enrollment’”
[Parents gamble on investment not being acknowledged by some colleges.]
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1231dualenroll1227.html

01-13-08 Seattle Times
“ Phys-ed classes Changing Course”
[From competition to life skills, curriculum being redesigned to meet the reality of teen experience.]
http://snipurl.com/20r0e [seattletimes_nwsource_com]

01-09-08 eSchool News
“ Schools Needs Help with Tech Support”
[Understaffed technology support stifles the road to reaching digital literacy.]
http://snipurl.com/20r0i [www_eschoolnews_com]

01-04-08 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“ From Feds on Down, AP Students are Being Neglected”
[Opinion piece calls for engaging gifted and talented students through dual enrollment.]
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/346155_focuseducation06.html?source=mypi

01-11-08 Los Angeles Times
“ Cuts Could Scuttle Reforms for L. A. Unified”
[Slashing $36 million this year and up to $500 million next year unacceptable says board of education president.]
http://snipurl.com/20r0r [www_latimes_com]

01-14-08 Indianapolis Star
“ Report: Shake Up School Discipline”
[Zero tolerance policies and one-day suspensions may not change student behavior, study finds.]
http://snipurl.com/20r0y [www_indystar_com]

“Arts Education Touted as Key to U. S. Innovation Agenda”
[Some argue that emphasis on science, technology and engineering may hinder imagination.]
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/01/30/21arts.h27.html

01-23-08 Digital Directions
“ The Knowledge Gap”
[Asking the right questions is key to making appropriate technology decisions.]
http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2008/01/23/3leadership.h01.html

01-30-08 Education Week
“ Teachers Advised to ‘Get Real’ On Race”
[Everyday teaching practices can fuel racial stereotyping.]
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/01/30/21race.h27.html?print=1

01-29-08 Seattle Times
“ Bills’ Aim: Fresher Foods for Students”
[Lawmakers hope that measure would instill healthy food habits in students.]
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004150775_freshfood29m.html

01-28-08 Des Moines Register
“ Bill Would Let Schools Scan Thumbprints”
[With actual fingerprints not digitally stored, some privacy concerns are alleviated.]
http://snipurl.com/20r19 [www_desmoinesregister_com]

01-28-08 Cleveland Plain Dealer
“ Teachers Become Casualty of Increased Student Violence”
[Educators say the number of assaults is higher than what is reported.]
http://snipurl.com/20r1b [www_cleveland_com]

01-29-08 Des Moines Register
“ Officials Consider Revising ‘No Pass, No Play’”
[Administrators and activity directors clash over enforcement of benching athletes who fail courses.]
http://snipurl.com/20r1u [www_desmoinesregister_com]

01-25-08 Christian Science Monitor
“ Resegregation of U. S. Schools Deepening”
[Large cities in the Midwest and Northeast experience the most change.]
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0125/p01s01-ussc.html

01-31-08 The Missourian
“ More Students with Serious Health Issues in Schools”
[Nurses and funding spread thin in caring for students.]
http://snipurl.com/20r1y [www_zwire_com]

01-29-08 Wichita Eagle
“ Wichita Ends Busing for Integration”
[Proposal to end cross-town busing for students to attend neighborhood schools.]
http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/465522.html

01-25-08 Chicago Tribune
“ 19 Illinois High Schools Seek Waiver from 6 Hours Behind the Wheel”
[Schools say their driver ed programs are effective and are concerned over increased costs the law would impose.]
http://snipurl.com/20r23 [www_chicagotribune_com]

01-29-08 Red Orbit
“ Social Technology As a New Medium in the Classroom”
[New forms of digital communication impacting teaching and learning.]
http://snipurl.com/20s5o [www_redorbit_com]

01-28-08 Arizona Republic
“ Teacher Program Saves District $200,000”
[Teachers retire and then are rehired at lower pay.]
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0128sr-smartschools0129-ON.html

01-24-08 Chicago Tribune
“ New Limits for Military Recruiters at Chicago Schools”
[Recruiters must now have authorization from school officials.]
http://snipurl.com/20s5z [www_chicagotribune_com]

01-31-08 Education Week
“ Ohio Launches New STEM Initiative Through $12 Million Gates Grant”
[State to boost economic competitiveness by providing corporations with “top-notch employees.”]
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/06/22stem.h27.html

01-31-08 Education Week
“ ACLU Sues Panhandle School for Suppressing Speech of Students”
[Suit charges school did not allow rainbow stickers on student notebooks.]
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/01/31/47252flhighschoolsued_ap.html

01-31-08 Education Week
“ Three Struggling Chicago Schools to Get Gates Foundation Money”
[High schools to be converted into teacher training centers.
http://snipurl.com/20s6f [www_edweek_org]

01-31-08 Seattle Times
“ Report: Seattle Schools “a Tale of Two Districts”
[“Wide-ranging student-income levels “ among reasons consultants find district is “held back.”]
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2004155577_seaschools31m.html

01-31-08 Des Moines Register
“ Students, Parents, Educators Stress Importance of Clubs”
[Forum discusses next steps in providing after-school activities to keep “kids out of trouble.”]
http://snipurl.com/20s70 [www_desmoinesregister_com]

01-02-08 Cleveland Plain Dealer
“ Mentors for New Teachers Keeping More in the Classroom”
[“About 28 percent of novice teachers in Ohio leave the profession after five years compared with 46 percent nationwide,” according to ed official.]
http://snipurl.com/20s73 [www_cleveland_com]

12-27-07 The Oregonian
“ Are Cyber Schools the Answer?”
[Before extending online learning, ed officials want to learn more about effectiveness.]
http://snipurl.com/20s74 [www_oregonlive_com]

01-07-08 Baltimore Sun
“’ Principal on Wheels’ Gains a Lot of Traction”
[“’When you see children,’” you will find the principal, whose accessibility and high visibility has contributed to turning around school.]
http://snipurl.com/20s76 [www_baltimoresun_com]

01-14-08 Washington Post
“ Filling the Void After High School”
[Graduation for 65,000 illegal immigrants ends safe haven.]
http://snipurl.com/20sgn [www_washingtonpost_com]

01-14-08 Washington Post
“’ Dashboards’ Provide Data On Schools”
[State performance data available at a glance to assess education.]
http://snipurl.com/20sgr [www_washingtonpost_com]

01-14-08 The Oregonian
“ Teachers Need to Learn Too, Group Says”
[District uses team approach in professional development initiative.]
http://snipurl.com/20sgy [www_oregonlive_com]

01-01-08 International Herald Tribune
“ Giving Disorganized Boys the Tools for Success”
[Teaching techniques and private “organizational” tutors helping turn chaos into order.]
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/01/america/01boys.php

01-02-08 Los Angeles Times
“ Left Out, Students Want a Voice in Reform”
[Students to now have a part in mayor’s partnership on school reform.]
http://snipurl.com/20sh0 [www_latimes_com]

01-17-08 Cincinnati Enquirer
“ Study: Funds Up for Poor Schoolkids”
[Districts with the highest number of low-income or minority students receiving the least public funding.]
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080117/NEWS01/301170052

01-15-08 Dallas Morning News
“ Dallas Looking to the Futures with High School Career Academies”
[Themed learning will also carry with it taking college-level courses.]
http://snipurl.com/20sh3 [www_dallasnews_com]

01-26-08 Arizona Republic
“ Napolitano: Abstinence Funds Were Not Worth It”
[Governor believes teens need complete information, not just one side.]
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0126abstinence0126.html

01-30-08 Business Week
“ Virtual Workplaces in the Classroom”
[Gaming infiltrates MBA courses.]
http://snipurl.com/20sh8 [www_businessweek_com]