New York City Schools: Less Tenure for Teachers

As technology takes a bigger place in the professional and personal world today, it is also finding its way into more and more public classrooms across the country. From laptops to iPads, students are learning to incorporate technology into the learning process to enhance their educational experience overall. This trend does not show any signs of slowing; in fact, school districts nationwide are finding more money in already tight budgets to equip classrooms with all the gadgetry they need to bring their students effectively into the 21^st century. This article will take a look at exactly how technology is finding a place in the public school classroom today.

Online Textbooks Replacing Traditional Books

Online textbooks do not get lost or stolen, they don’t take up space in a locker or backpack, and they provide a wealth of additional resources - all with a single click of the mouse. It is no wonder that online textbooks are fast replacing traditional books today. A report in the Kingstowne Patch announced a pilot program in Fairfax County Schools to provide online social studies books for all high school and middle school students this year. To access the online books, students will be encouraged to bring their own laptops to school. Those that don’t have their own computers will be provided one by the district.

The schools are also working to ensure students will

The heatwave that has swept much of the country this summer has become a big problem for many school districts that typically offer remedial courses and a host of activities throughout the summer vacation. With triple digits over many days in the Midwest and other areas of the country, schools without air conditioning are grappling with ways to keep kids cool inside buildings and during outdoor activities. In some cases, the heat has simply become too much, and schools have been forced to cancel many of the popular summer activities they offer. The heat is definitely on this summer, and we’ll take a look at how schools are surviving the extreme weather conditions.

This video shows how students cope with a summer heatwave.

Hottest Temperatures in Years

A recent article on Reuters reports that the triple-digit temperatures the Midwest is facing are some of the hottest in recent history. The National Weather Service, which has been busy posting extreme heat warnings for much of the country’s mid-section, has said that this will be the most significant heatwave this region has seen in five years. One senior meteorologist at the service predicted the heatwave will affect as many as 40 states across the country, although the hardest-hit areas appear to be in northern Midwest cities like Rapid City, South Dakota; Springfield, Illinois; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. In some places, heat indexes have been

The Atlanta Public School system has had more than its share of publicity this past year. When allegations of cheating on standardized tests arose in Atlanta Public Schools, an investigation was launched. The investigation resulted in the implication of many teachers and principals throughout the district in what quickly became a widespread cheating scandal. Once the facts began to materialize, the new acting superintendent became wrapped up in the foray. Today, the fallout from the scandal is continuing, as the teachers involved in cheating have been given an ultimatum from the top: resign or face termination.

Beginnings of a Scandal

Beverly Hall took over as superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools just before the turn of the century, when concern over the quality of education in Atlanta was at an all-time high. Hall worked hard to improve test scores in schools across the district and even received national accolades when the scores began to rise. However, the higher test scores began to gain the attention of the media and school officials, who wondered exactly how some schools were able to register such large improvements.

When an internal investigation was launched, an abnormally high number of erasures were discovered on many of the standardized tests in a handful of schools in the district. This discovery led to additional investigations, and the cycle continued for many months until the full scope of the cheating scandal could be identified. Currently, the district has implicated 178 teachers and

Virtual learning may seem like a relatively new concept in the world of education, but distance learning via correspondence schools and other sources has actually been around for centuries. Virtual schools offer students the ability to get at least a portion of their education online, from the comfort of home. Some students even enroll in virtual schools full time, graduating without ever setting foot in a brick-and-mortar classroom! We’ll take a look at how the virtual school has evolved, what the benefits might be, and some areas of the country that are now actively promoting their virtual schools for struggling and overachieving students alike.

What is Virtual School?

According to WhatIs.com, virtual learning involves the use of computers and the Internet to create a classroom environment right at home. The core components of a successful virtual learning experience include:

• Curriculum mapping that breaks curriculum down into assessable segments
• The ability to track student progress
• Sufficient online support for both students and faculty
• Access to electronic communication like email, online chat, and video conferencing
• Links via the Internet to outside resources that enhance the learning experience

When all of these components are included in the virtual learning environment, virtual schools can be just as effective, if not more so, than the traditional classroom for many students today. Virtual schools are available on both the public and private school levels, so parents can often search out the best online learning environment for their child’s unique needs and abilities.

The Benefits