Education News Updates and Issues

Statesman: Principal bans senior T-shirts at high school
With a school-appropriate front — “HHS 2010″ — and a controversial-and-possibly-in-appropriate backside — “Well, that sucked” — this senior year keepsake may be the mullet of T-shirts.

Was Hays High School correct in confiscating these T-shirts? Or were the students freedom of speech rights violated?

Houston Chronicle: Dropouts cost Houston $165 million a year
“Cutting the dropout rate in half at 143 high schools serving the greater Houston region would increase wages $165 million a year and generate $16 million more in taxes for the state and local governments. That’s according to a study released today by the Alliance for Excellent Education, which analyzed dropout data among the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan regions.”

Answer Sheet: Diagnosed with “over-comprehension:” My standardized test nightmare
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is touring with Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton in support of “Race to the Top” aka “NCLB on steroids.” But one thing they aren’t talking about is “over-comprehension” and that may be too much emphasis is placed on standardized testing.

Answer Sheet: “In the Age of ‘Twilight’: Kids who only read fantasy and ‘readicide’”
Lucy Calkins, professor of curriculum and teaching at Columbia University’s Teachers College, says don’t worry if your kids only read fantasy. Instead, be happy they’re reading.

“Parents don’t understand that fantasy is not lightweight,” Calkins said. “They think it is lightweight because of the themes, but that is really wrong. Fantasy involves multiple works and there is often a lot of text complexity.”

Associated Press: Leggo my Eggo! Kellogg fights waffle shortage
Although not really education news, it is interesting to know that something as ubiquitous as waffles in a grocery store aisle, may be, well, not so ubiquitous any more due to production problems at four plants.

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