NEA Today

Why Are Colleges Handing Out Financial Aid to Wealthy Students?

By Mary Ellen Flannery It’s simple cause and effect: As state funding for public higher education has dropped over the past decades, student tuition has risen an almost equal amount. But where the equation gets more complicated is inside some college admissions offices, where “merit-based,” not need-based tuition aid, is increasingly directed to the wealthiest [...] Related posts:

Chicago to Close 49 Schools, Most Ever by an Urban District

The Chicago Board of Education on Wednesday approved a plan to close 49 elementary schools and one high school program. The district says it needs to close schools to address a looming $1 billion deficit and declining enrollment. The Chicago Teachers Union has filed two federal lawsuits challenging the closings, arguing that discriminate against special needs children [...] Related posts:

For Public Schools, Twitter Is No Longer Optional

Any institution reliant on the public trust – like a school or school district – must proceed with caution when it comes to social media. But there are several reasons why school leaders can no longer afford to ignore Twitter. As the school year comes to a close and some of the day-to-day pressures subside [...] Related posts:

NEA Mourns for Oklahoma in Wake of Tornado Tragedy

By Edward Graham A massive tornado ripped through Oklahoma yesterday afternoon, killing dozens of people and injuring hundreds more as it carved a 22-mile long path of destruction across parts of southern Oklahoma City and its surrounding suburbs. In the city of Moore, the almost two-mile wide twister heavily damaged Briarwood Elementary School and leveled [...] Related posts:

Teachers: Heroes in a Crisis–But Otherwise Under Fire

As one of the most destructive tornadoes barreled towards the school, educators evacuated the older children—the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders—to a nearby church. But the younger children sought shelter within the school building, and teachers stayed with them. Yet the role of protector during the hours in which children are in their care sometimes [...] Related posts:

June is Internet Safety Month

The month of June is National Internet Safety Month, when educators and parents can learn how to keep kids safe online and teach how to use online technology responsibly. To learn more, visit the Bnetsavvy website. Related posts: June is Internet Safety Month Ahead in Ed – June Who’s Responsible for Teaching Online Safety? Related posts:

Virtual School Profits Far Exceeding Performance

By Edward Graham While proponents of for-profit virtual schools argue that cyber classrooms provide students with greater access to a high-quality education, a new report released by the National Education Policy Center (NEPC)—Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2013: Politics, Performance, Policy, and Research Evidence—finds that virtual schools often receive little to no oversight and seem [...] Related posts:

Teachers Endorse Social-Emotional Lessons; But Subject Lacks Priority

A majority of teachers say it’s very important for schools to work on developing students’ social and emotional skills, results from a new nationally representative survey show. The survey results, released Wednesday, also show that a majority of teachers believe that improving students’ social and emotional skills will help them do well in school and prepare [...] Related posts:

Buena Vista Schools to Reopen

Last week, The tiny Buena Vista school system in Michigan, with 431 students, closed last week and laid off most of its staff after running out of money and being unable to make payroll.The district has been granted a reprieve and may reopen as soon as Friday, the district’s superintendent said Wednesday. The state’s decision came after [...] Related posts:

Stemming the Flow of the School-to-Prison Pipeline

By Cindy Long There’s a disturbing trend taking place in our public schools, especially in high poverty neighborhoods – where hallways and grounds are patrolled by police and disciplinary problems are no longer handled by counseling and detention but by suspension and arrest. Known as the school-to-prison pipeline, the trend is turning our adolescent students [...] Related posts: