Mesa County parent Elizabeth Chiono received letters from some of her son’s teachers at the beginning of the school year informing her that he would not get textbooks in history and science classes, the Denver Post reports. The school district instead offers parents a link to online materials, causing the Chionos to have to rush to the school library before tests or to locate another computer whenever the outdated software on their own computer does not allow them to view schoolwork. It’s a growing problem that has complicated the family’s access to educational resources, but Chiono said other families face much more difficult situations. “I know kids that live in trailers who don’t have any access to computers. They barely have food on the table,” Chiono said. “If you don’t have Internet, that puts your kiddos behind.”
…Read MorePodcast Series: Innovations in Education
Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.
Stolen laptop makes it from DC school to Louisiana pastor in 10 days
A month before last Christmas, a church pastor in Louisiana found the gift his wife wanted: a Hewlett-Packard Elitebook laptop computer, selling on eBay for $500, reports the Denver Post. The Rev. Elijah Teh-Teh bought it, hid it and when the holidays came, he wrapped the box and put it under the tree. But his wife’s elation was short-lived. After a few sputtering starts, the computer stopped working. An internal security program had been activated and an ominous message flashed on the screen. The laptop was stolen. “She was disappointed,” Teh-Teh said. “My wife is an educator, and she desperately wanted a laptop.” Lawanda Teh-Teh’s gift from her husband had been taken in a burglary of a D.C. high school on Nov. 16, 2012, just 10 days before the pastor bought it from the popular internet shopping site. How this computer sped from Room 220 of Luke C. Moore Academy in Northeast Washington to the pastor’s bungalow-style house near Shreveport’s airport is a testament to the speed and efficiency of the underground pipeline that drives crime, including the District’s stubbornly high number of robberies…
…Read MoreIs Common Core cutting-edge education or just use of a dull blade?
Talk to Melissa Colsman and you know she’s a teacher, even before she tells you she once taught math, the Denver Post reports. The executive director of the Colorado Department of Education’s Teaching and Learning Unit makes a compelling case for what public schools need. But discourse is one thing. Execution is another — execution, as in blindfolds and firing squads, nooses and scaffolds. That’s where “school accountability” invariably leads despite the loftiest of sentiments. In physics we have action, reaction. In school reform we have action, overreaction…
…Read MoreJudge declares Colorado public school funding unconstitutional
According to the Denver Post, a court ruling against Colorado over its funding of public schools could have multibillion-dollar consequences for the state’s budget, Yahoo! News reports. In a 183-page ruling on the Lobato vs. State of Colorado case, District Judge Sheila Rappaport called the state’s school funding system “unconscionable.” Here are some of the highlights of the ruling.
* The state’s new educational goals linking school readiness and postsecondary and workforce readiness were mandated, and sanctions against failures were implemented against school districts, Rappaport’s ruling stated. However, there was not enough money in the system to permit school districts to properly implement the standards and meet the requirements of state law and regulation. These changes have occurred during a time when Colorado has faced demographic changes that have resulted in higher numbers and concentrations of English language learners, ethnic minorities and children of poverty…
George W. Bush to speak at Get Smart Schools education reform event in Denver, Thursday
Former President George W. Bush will be taking part in a discussion about education with non-profit Get Smart Schools as well as Mayor Michael Hancock and Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg at the Get Smart headquarters in Denver on Thursday, the Denver Post reports. Bush will give brief remarks at the event. Fox31 reports that the panel discussion is sponsored by the Bush Institute, a branch of the George W. Bush Presidential Center…
…Read MoreDenver teachers pen historic biographies for students
Teachers struggled for years to find books on local historical figures written for young students. After three years of work, nine Denver Public Schools teachers have published 13 biographies to help third- and fourth-graders connect with Colorado’s distant past, the Denver Post reports.
“I think they learned a lot about Colorado history, but the personal piece was missing, of hearing a story through the eyes of someone who lived through it here, in Colorado,” said Martha Biery, a fourth-grade teacher at Cory Elementary who wrote one of the books…