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Education news for Friday, June 9

Poor kids’ teachers are off the subject – One in five teachers of core subjects like math, science and English in poor public middle and high schools across the state lack sufficient training in the field they teach, according to a study released yesterday. (more)

Proposal: tell parents about failing kids – Parents whose kids are underperforming in school would get a mandatory phone call or e-mail from the teacher, under a bill backed by Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and to be introduced this month. (more)

Texas law allows for school turnovers – Nonprofit foundations run by the leaders of high-tech giants such as Dell and Microsoft could be in line to take control of low-performing Texas schools, under a law signed last week by Republican Gov. Rick Perry. (more)

Denver archdiocese offers vouchers – The Archdiocese of Denver is offering vouchers to 250 low-income students to let them attend Catholic schools. About 2,500 seats are vacant at 33 of the archdiocese’s 39 schools in Denver. (more)

Update:
Vouchers Abused, State Says – Legal or not, ethical or not, some private-school parents are enrolling their children in struggling public schools they don’t intend to send them to, in hopes of using state money to pay tuition. The Ohio Department of Education is seeking legal advice after hearing that parents of private-school students are taking that approach to the voucher program. (more)

New Law Provides Schools Money To Teach Basic Values – Minnesota will spend $1.5 million to finance "character education" programs in public schools designed to reinforce basic values such as being on time and telling the truth. Character education is increasingly common in schools nationwide as teachers mix in discussions about obedience, self-control, politeness and dependability with the usual academic fare. The programs can involve simply discussing values as they arise in other subjects to full-blown courses of study. (more)

Black, Hispanic Students Cite Problems in Their Schools – African-American and Hispanic teenagers are more likely to say serious academic and social problems exist in their schools than are their white peers, a Public Agenda survey has found. Teenagers share similar views on some aspects of education regardless of their race or ethnic background. For instance, more than seven in 10 report that their teachers have high expectations for them, and more than two-thirds say they have had at least one teacher who got them interested in a subject they usually hate. (more)

GOP hopefuls for lieutenant governor meet in last debate -The three Republican candidates for lieutenant governor met for a final time Thursday evening in a wide-ranging debate that marked the trio’s last joint appearance before Tuesday’s vote. (more)

saying GOODBYE TO PUBLIC SCHOOL is a sad necessity -The eighth-graders, in their yearbook photos, share a conspiratorial look, like maybe they know something the rest of us haven’t figured out yet.  The teachers at Foreign Language Academy always said this class was special. From kindergarten on, the children treated each another with unusual care and respect. There wasn’t a mean kid in the group. (more)

Archdiocese offers vouchers – The Archdiocese of Denver is offering vouchers to 250 low-income students to let them attend Catholic schools.  About 2,500 seats are vacant at 33 of the archdiocese’s 39 schools in Denver. (more)

Schools have another year to do better– If the Putnam County School District does not meet federally and state mandated Adequate Yearly Progress guidelines next year, the district would be subject to a state takeover, the district’s director of federal programs said Thursday. (more)

Transfer policy up for overhaul – The future of Portland Public Schools’ school transfer system is on shaky ground after an audit of the system blasted it for being too complex, poorly managed and not transparent enough, and for not serving lower-income students equitably. (more)

Public school families slow to sign up for education alternative – State school officials will give students at some of Ohio’s most troubled public schools a second opportunity to sign up for vouchers this summer after the first chance at free money for private education generated lukewarm interest. (more)