Community colleges make a difference
Getting the U.S. back to the top of the international college attainment rankings requires a focus on our community colleges. This is because the U.S. ranks second in the world in four-year degree attainment but ranks 18th when looking at two-year degree attainment rates. So there is certainly significant room for improvement when it comes [...] |
Do charter schools receive their fair share of funding?
While a recent study funded by the Walton Family Foundation found that traditional public schools in five large urban cities received, on average, $4,000 more per student than charter schools within those cities, does this prove that charter schools are being short changed as the authors’ suggest? The answer is simply, no. This latest study [...] |
Blinding us with science
Nanophysicists, as their name suggests, spend their days looking at really tiny stuff — atoms, electrons and other particles whose smallness can hardly be imagined by most of us non-nanos. Now IBM scientists have given us a glimpse of their microworld in what is billed as the World’s Smallest Movie. The plot may leave a [...] |
“Teacher villages” breaking ground in many communities
The press releases, the Facebook messages and the e-reminders began in earnest last week: Teacher Appreciation Week was coming soon. And so it has arrived on Monday, along with a bevy of recommendations and ideas on how to recognize and honor the work of these everyday unsung heroes. Forget the apples and the baked goods, [...] |
Exciting possibilities: Coursera and professional development courses
Coursera, an organization currently facilitating free online access to courses taught by college professors, has announced it will be dipping its toes into the professional development arena. I have to admit that when I read this headline, I was thrilled. For teachers to have free, online access to courses offered by experts on education research [...] |