Amid Pandemic, DeVos Announces One-Year Testing and Accountability Waiver. Here’s a Look at What to Expect March 20 update: In light of the coronavirus pandemic, 24 states have decided to postpone or cancel spring testing. To address this issue, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has announced that the U.S. Department of Education will grant a one-year waiver for standardized testing to any state that submits a proper request. DeVos explained in a press release that students should be focusing on their health and education, while teachers need to be able to concentrate on remote learning and other necessary adjustments. Therefore, high-stakes tests should not be a priority during this difficult time.…

Analysis: In 2008, the NEA Demanded a Limited Federal Role in Education. Its Policy Wish List for 2021 Is Very Different Mike Antonucci’s Union Report is published weekly, and you can access the complete archive at any time. Shortly after the recent Election Day, the National Education Association (NEA) released its "Policy Playbook" for the incoming Biden administration. This publication attracted attention from conservative news outlets due to its extensive list of recommendations, which included the following: 1. Temporarily suspend federal academic testing requirements until the COVID-19 crisis is resolved. 2. Oppose any expansion of charter schools that undermines traditional public schools. 3. Reject charter schools that operate exclusively online.…

Newcomers to Dodson Elementary School often question if they have arrived at the correct place. They were enticed to this 983-student K-6 school on the outskirts of Nashville with the promise of witnessing the technologically advanced classroom of the future. Most assume they will see students seated individually at their desks, fixated on computer screens and diligently typing away on keyboards in solitary study. However, what they discover are large and fairly traditional open classrooms filled with books, where children of different grades work collaboratively on projects with their peers and teachers. When computers are utilized—which happens extensively for tasks such as word processing and research—they are mostly used cooperatively,…

Kevin R. Burnette, previously a math teacher, now works as a mentor to motivate high school seniors who are at risk of dropping out. By analyzing attendance records and standardized-test scores, Burnette identifies students at West-Oak Senior High School who require additional support. He reaches out to these students in order to find ways to assist them in passing their classes and obtaining their diplomas. West-Oak High is situated in Oconee County, a rural area in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the northwest region of South Carolina. This academic year, the Oconee County school district, with 10,400 students, decided to utilize federal economic-stimulus funds to hire "adequate-yearly-progress coaches,"…

Engaged in a quest to gain insight into the inner workings of public schools, Vice President Al Gore finds himself seated uncomfortably at a small table in a kindergarten classroom, attempting to engage a reserved, dark-haired boy in conversation. However, the boy remains unresponsive, so Mr. Gore turns his attention to a lively, toothless girl in the class. It becomes apparent that she has recently received $5 from the tooth fairy, causing the vice president to exclaim, "Oh, the rate’s going up!" This comment elicits nervous laughter from a few adult observers in the quiet room. Similar scenes unfold during Mr. Gore’s visit to Avondale Elementary School on April 11,…

The upcoming session of the U.S. Supreme Court will involve several important issues, including the relationship between church and state, the rights of students against unreasonable searches, and the rights of teachers facing dismissal. One of the cases the Court will consider is Wallace v. Jaffree and Smith v. Jaffree, which will address the constitutionality of laws allowing "moments of silence" in public schools. These cases involve an Alabama law that permits teachers to announce a one-minute period of silence for meditation or voluntary prayer, with no other activities allowed during that time. Similar laws have been enacted in twenty-three other states. In a controversial ruling in January 1983, U.S.…

In northeast Washington recently, Michelle A. Rhee, the chancellor of the District of Columbia schools, faced a challenging audience of over 250 angry parents. These parents had just found out that their children’s schools might be closed next fall. They were not interested in explanations of underutilized space or declining enrollment. They wanted answers directly from Ms. Rhee. They questioned why seven schools in their neighborhood were targeted while no schools in a predominantly white, more affluent area of the city were included on the list. They also questioned the decision to move students from John Burroughs Elementary, which has a successful autism program, to a campus with older students.…