4 Principles for Designing 21st Century Learning Spaces

Proceed With Caution When Closing Schools

Districts must address school closures comprehensively

Philadelphia's state-appointed School Reform Commission last month approved the closure of …

Belden Inc., a maker of signal transmission devices, plans to close its manufacturing plant in Chemung County and move 50 of the plant's 173 jobs to DeWitt by the end of the year.a connector picture:

The move will result in the loss of 123 jobs when the plant in Horseheads is closed.

"Belden does not make these decisions lightly, but this is a necessary change in order for…

Are Online College Courses Widening the Achievement Gap?

In this Chronicle of Higher Education article, Jake New reports on a Columbia University study of online courses taken by more than 40,000 community- and technical-college students in Washington state. The researchers found that students who struggled in traditional classrooms had even more difficulty in online courses. “We found that the gap is stronger in the underrepresented and…

What teachers need and reformers ignore: time to collaborate

Michelle Rhee’s Reign of Error

by JOHN MERROW on 11. APR, 2013 in …

We regularly read or hear about schools that are labeled as failing, teachers labeled as effective or ineffective, and most troubling, students who get labeled as 1s, 2s, 3s, or 4s.  Very often we find ourselves faced with being labeled, whether by others or even ourselves.  Then there is the issue of labels that society places on individuals.  Whatever the source, internally or externally imposed, labels create a fundamental challenge for individuals.  The capacity to impose a label--“I’m…

High Stakes Testing Hits Home

Stephen Nessen

A 'Memo' to Staff on Arming All Teachers

Imagining 'What If's'

Below, consultant Thomas P. Johnson imagines the memo a superintendent might write if Congress were to pass legislation mandating that all teachers be armed.…

The Santa Clara County sheriff’s office arrested three 16-year-old boys Thursday on accusations that they sexually battered a 15-year-old, Audrey Pott, who hanged herself eight days after the attack last fall at a Saratoga party. The lawyer for the girl’s family, Robert Allard, said students shared photos of the attack. The girl posted on Facebook that her life was ruined shortly before she committed suicide, he said.