School voucher efforts back by religious extremists that use taxpayer money (and corporate tax credits) to fund creationism and religious bigotry at private schools. These efforts are most active in PA and FL, although efforts are afoot in several states.
ZombieX returns to talk about how standardized testing narrows what kids learn and how they learn it. He celebrates Rob Gaudette, California Middle School Teacher of the Year, and observes Gaudette’s creative teaching methods that stimulate critical thinking in all of his students.
‘Troops to Teachers’ puts returning veterans on a path to a civilian, K-12 teaching career in some of our toughest low-income neighborhoods. Whether passed as a stand-along bill, or through reauthorization as Title II of No Child Left Behind (ESEA), ‘Troops to Teachers’ is a way to ensure jobs for returning vets, restock the pipeline for teachers in the face of a large cohort ready to retire, and strengthen public schools. It needs to be law.
Covers changes in worst-case scenario for schools under an all-cuts budget from the release of the May revise in mid-May to the need for a vote on June 15 in order to comply with Prop 25 (salaries to legislators cut off if no budget is passed by mid-June in time for the end of the fiscal year on June 30).
Zombie X gives us his perspective on standardized testing and No Child Left Behind from the point of view of a 12-year old seventh grader who attends a public school.