http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/Kalamazoo-area education covered by Julie Mack of the Kalamazoo GazetteenWed, 24 Jun 2009 22:05:42 PDTMovable Type Enterprise 1.52 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/noKalamazoo-area education covered by Julie Mack of the Kalamazoo GazetteKalamazoo-area education covered by Julie Mack of the Kalamazoo Gazetteschoolzonehttp://feedburner.google.comhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/7KOVGjd9LLY/report_from_promisenet_confere.htmlEducationJulie Mack / KalamazooWed, 24 Jun 2009 22:05:42 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.3094139 ]]>So I'm in Denver at a conference for communities with Promise scholarship programs. Among cities represented here: Denver, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Peoria, Washtenaw County. There's about 200 people registered, about the same as last year's conference in Kalamazoo, but definitely...http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/report_from_promisenet_confere.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/5fWMkdIhzn8/closer_look_at_the_numbers_in.htmlEducationJulie Mack | Kalamazoo GazetteMon, 15 Jun 2009 21:08:46 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.3019734 ]]>Several audience members at Monday's Portage school board meeting were openly skeptical that Portage could really save $650,000 in 2009-10 by privatizing its second- and third-shift custodians. One person divided $650,000 by 23 -- the number of school custodians losing...http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/closer_look_at_the_numbers_in.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/JVOhh1tJNzQ/tracking_in_stamford_conn.htmlEducationJulie Mack / Kalamazoo GazetteMon, 15 Jun 2009 08:48:26 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.3014612 ]]>Interesting story about a controversy over tracking in Stamford, Conn., schools. Tracking is the practice of sorting kids into classes or groups by ability. It's clear this practice can hurt underachievers. More controversial is the question of whether an absence...http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/tracking_in_stamford_conn.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/yEmEEbO4IWk/student_loans_how_much_is_too.htmlEducationJulie Mack / Kalamazoo GazetteMon, 15 Jun 2009 06:15:40 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.3013596 ]]>Stumbled across this online debate about college loans. As the mother of two kids currently in college and a third scheduled to enter college in fall 2010, it sure struck home. We've been extraordinarily lucky so far. The oldest child...http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/student_loans_how_much_is_too.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/flI_J7tEuiE/you_think_american_education_i.htmlEducationJulie Mack | Kalamazoo GazetteSat, 13 Jun 2009 16:05:40 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.3005780 ]]>... check out this story about high-stakes tests in China....http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/you_think_american_education_i.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/xLMshluaYfc/is_privatization_all_about_the.htmlEducationJulie Mack | Kalamazoo GazetteThu, 11 Jun 2009 10:50:31 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.2987623 ]]>Is privatization of school employees all about the money? Yep. Which is my response to this comment from a reader: "I don't see any balance in the media in regards to privitization. the only frame is cost. period. there is...http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/is_privatization_all_about_the.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/pwVhc8np8vk/below_is_a_press_release.htmlEducationJulie Mack | Kalamazoo GazetteWed, 10 Jun 2009 19:11:36 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.2975558 ]]>Below is a press release from the Michigan Education Association about the Portage custodian situation. Apparently, the union offered some concessions but couldn't offset the $2 million in savings anticipated over the next three years. The press release says the...http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/below_is_a_press_release.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/MHWD0QaDaT0/contrasting_school_boards.htmlEducationJulie Mack | Kalamazoo GazetteTue, 09 Jun 2009 09:14:59 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.2966753 ]]>I spend yesterday morning with the Portage school board and yesterday evening with the Kalamazoo board. Both groups were holding informal (albeit official) meetings to discuss internal board matters. It was an interesting contrast, sort of like the difference between...http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/contrasting_school_boards.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/Z-IkwVfOfUI/the_college_dropout_crisis.htmlEducationJulie Mack / Kalamazoo GazetteSat, 06 Jun 2009 19:57:44 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.2950040 ]]>Check out this new study from the American Enterprise Institute on college graduation rates. The gist is that fewer than 60 percent of students who enter a four-year college receive a degree from that institution within six years. While that...http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/the_college_dropout_crisis.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/BSzGXAH2_Sg/lessons_learned_from_asians_je.htmlEducationJulie MackSat, 06 Jun 2009 19:12:53 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.2949782 ]]>This column by Nicholas Kristof, titled "Rising Above IQ," is worth a read. Column talks about the success of Asians, Jews and West Indian blacks in America. Conclusion: What's the policy lesson from these three success stories? It's that the...http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/lessons_learned_from_asians_je.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/HxuY3aY15XQ/why_are_all_the_valedictorians.htmlEducationJulie Mack / Kalamazoo GazetteFri, 05 Jun 2009 15:47:36 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.2942880 ]]>An editor who was going over a list of area high school valedictorians asked me this question: Why are they all girls? Well, not exactly. I know of at least one male valedictorian. But my editor has a point....http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/why_are_all_the_valedictorians.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/-EbZlYXs8t0/the_125000_teacher.htmlEducationJulie Mack / KalamazooFri, 05 Jun 2009 15:44:25 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.2942851 ]]>Here's a school putting their money where their mouth is when it comes the value of a top-notch teacher....http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/the_125000_teacher.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/xIjdSWQ0-Zc/kcentral_graduation.htmlEducationJulie Mack / Kalamazoo GazetteWed, 03 Jun 2009 20:04:30 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.2926003 ]]>Went to Kalamazoo Central High School's commencement tonight. Two observations: -- First, I wish someone would ban air-horns at graduation. They are beyond annoying. -- For all the longtime concerns about black graduation rates, it appeared blacks may have outnumbers...http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/kcentral_graduation.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/76g4wF8Cet0/portage_report_card_on_custome.htmlEducationJulie Mack | Kalamazoo GazetteWed, 03 Jun 2009 12:26:54 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.2922206 ]]>Portage parents give high marks to their district's communications and customer service, according to a new survey. It looks like about 3,000 surveys were sent out and 360 people responded. See the press release below....http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/portage_report_card_on_custome.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/schoolzone/~3/F3d4My3OexQ/portage_school_board_same_song.htmlEducationJulie Mack | Kalamazoo GazetteMon, 01 Jun 2009 20:55:53 PDTtag:blog.mlive.com,2009:/schoolzone//2322.2907760 ]]>Are we surprised that things got a bit tense during Monday's Portage school board meeting? No. Are we surprised the squabbling was sparked by whether Melanie Kurdys, in the opinion of her fellow board members, was trying to micromanage? No...http://blog.mlive.com/schoolzone/2009/06/portage_school_board_same_song.htmlnonadult