To our readers: NEW was shocked
and saddened by the untimely death of Sen. Paul David Wellstone, a
dedicated public servant and passionate champion of public education.
In lieu of our weekly feature, we offer an appreciation of Sen. Wellstone.
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CONTENTS
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COMMUNITIES
- WHO YOU
GONNA CALL: Philadelphia Enlists Parents in Truancy Patrol
STATES
- STAYING
IN SCHOOL: California Retaining More New Teacher Hires
- TALL
ORDER: States Struggle to Meet Requirements of ESEA
THE NATION
- ADVANCED
PLACEMENTS: More Students Sign Up for AP Challenge
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE
- PRE-K
PROGRESS: Public Preschool Teachers Better Qualified, Better Paid
- TAP,
TAP, TAPPING ON COMMUNITY COLLEGE DOORS: Training More Teachers
WELLSTONE APPRECIATION
- FAREWELL:
Sen. Wellstone Always Remembered the Children
COMMUNITIES
- WHO
YOU GONNA CALL: Philadelphia school leaders are calling on
parents to help them find truant students in their communities. The
school district plans to hire about 250 parents to become foot soldiers
for the schools. Community groups will train parents to identify students
who may be at risk of becoming truant, make home visits, and connect
families with needed services. School district chief Paul Vallas says
truants will be required to attend after-school programs or, if they
fail to comply, summer school.
(Philadelphia Inquirer,
10/25)
http://saa.phila.k12.pa.us/communications/inthenews.taf?_function=press_release
STATES
- STAYING
IN SCHOOL: Four years after they began teaching, more than 8 in
10 newly licensed California teachers are still in the classroom, says
a new report by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
State officials were quite pleased with the news, despite critics' claims
that the report did not include teachers with waivers or emergency credentials.
"It's a little bit apples and oranges," said Richard Ingersoll, associate
professor of education and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.
"They're only looking at part of the pool, and they're looking at the
part of the pool that most likely has better retention.'' But state
education leaders point to a package of incentives designed to keep
teachers teaching. The incentives include tax credits based on years
of service, grants to low-performing schools to help recruit and retain
qualified educators, an induction program, bonuses for veteran educators
who earn national certification, and more money for professional development.
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/aboutctc/agendas/october_2002/October_2002_CCA-3.pdf
- TALL
ORDER: Many states are struggling to meet the requirements of the
new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). According to the
Education Commission of the States (ECS), implementing the changes established
in ESEA is a tall order, due mainly to financial belt-tightening at
the state level and a lack of state systems in place to meet all the
new federal requirements. Others point to the lack of final federal
regulations from the U.S. Department of Education that will spell out
exactly what states can and cannot do. ECS recently received a $2 million
grant from the Education Department to track and report on how well
states are implementing the new federal education law. ECS will monitor
activities related to six key issues specified in the federal law. They
are accountability, teaching quality, reading, flexibility, school choice,
and corrective actions/school improvement. ECS will also identify states
that can serve as models of effective practices for overcoming any difficulties
related to implementation.
(Stateline.org, 10/28)
http://www.stateline.org/story.do?storyId=267353
http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/40/57/4057.htm
THE
NATION
- ADVANCED
PLACEMENTS: A trend sweeping the nation is the growth in the number
of students signing up for challenging Advanced Placement (AP) classes.
Trevor Packer, AP's director of operations, attributes the growth in
AP participants to two reasons. Students are motivated to take AP exams
to show they can succeed in university courses. And AP students and
teachers receive financial incentives from the U.S. Department of Education.
Federal programs include grants for low-income students to cover the
$86 exam fee and resources to train teachers.
(Sacramento Bee,
10/25)
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/education/story/4934487p-5946348c.html
http://www.apcentral.collegeboard.com
RESEARCH
AND EDUCATION PRACTICE
- PRE-K
PROGRESS: Preschool programs based in public schools have greater
success recruiting and retaining a stable cohort of well-trained teachers,
The Center for the Child Care Workforce says in a recent report. Researchers
found that pre-kindergarten teachers who work in schools or other publicly
funded facilities are better qualified and are paid at higher rates
than their counterparts who work in classrooms run by private organizations.
http://www.ccw.org
- TAP,
TAP, TAPPING ON COMMUNITY COLLEGE DOORS: Teacher preparation programs
at a growing number of community colleges could supply many teachers
needed in the next ten years, says a report produced by the National
Teacher Recruitment Clearinghouse and supported by the Carnegie Corporation
of New York. Researchers called community colleges an "untapped resource
in addressing the nation's teacher shortage." The report includes a
state-by-state overview of programs deemed effective at helping students
prepare for teaching careers.
http://www.recruitingteachers.com/news/2002TappingPotential.html
WELLSTONE
APPRECIATION
- FAREWELL:
U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., was mourned this past week, as
the nation paused to remember and rejoice in a man proud to be in public
service. Colleagues in Congress and Minnesota, from both sides of the
political aisle, concur that Wellstone served his country and constituents
well while enjoying every bit of his work on Capitol Hill and at Carleton
College, where he taught. The 58-year-old senator died in an Oct. 25
plane crash that also killed his wife, daughter, three campaign aides,
and both pilots.
Reg Weaver, president of
the National Education Association (NEA), expressed sadness upon hearing
about the loss of Wellstone, who fought hard to get public school students
and teachers needed resources. "The educators of this country owe a
debt of gratitude to Paul Wellstone for the years of committed service
he has given to this country on behalf of children and public education,''
Weaver said. ''Paul Wellstone lived the life of a true teacher. He was
passionate about learning and about the opportunities that education
can provide us. He stayed true to his beliefs, even when they weren't
popular. And regardless of the issue, Paul Wellstone always remembered
the children. He will be greatly missed."
Weaver was among the nearly
20,000 people who attended an Oct. 28 memorial service at the University
of Minnesota. Wellstone had represented the state in the Senate since
1990.
Former Vice President and
Senator Walter Mondale has been called from political retirement to
replace Wellstone on the ballot for the election next week on Nov. 5.
While in the Senate, Mondale placed education front and center on his
agenda as a long-standing supporter of public schools. Sen. Edward M.
Kennedy, D-Mass., who served with both Mondale and Wellstone, said the
two Minnesota senators shared the same values. "He's clearly a different
style than Paul but he has a fundamental commitment to the human condition
and human progress," Kennedy told The Associated Press.
-- Barbara
Pape, Editor
Arizona: Public School
Students Meet AP Challenge
On Advanced Placement (AP)
exams, Arizona public high school students earn a larger proportion of
grades 3 or greater than private and religious school students. A grade
of 3 or greater qualifies a student for college credit.
(College Board, 2001
AP State and National Summary Report)
http://www.nea.org/goodnews/az01.html
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