A new study has been released that indicates the monetary influence good teachers can play in the future lives of their students.
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The other day I read an article about teachers in a school district in Georgia who had sent their students home to work on a math worksheet referencing slavery and beatings in the story problems. I was appalled after reading it and critical towards the decision these teachers thought was appropriate. But today my faith in educators was restored after reading about educators in Pennsylvania who’s district has fallen on hard times, yet they still continue to work without pay.
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When Michelle Rhee was chancellor of the DC school district (2007-10) she implemented a system that rewarded students with monetary incentives if they continuously received good grades. It was an extremely controversial policy which, like Rhee, no longer exists in Washington. However, new monetary incentives are being peddled by the DC district once more. But this time teachers, rather than students, are being targeted. This new move to increase teacher’s wages and offer bonuses based on consistent performance may be a turning point in the teaching profession.
Read more about Teachers in DC making big bucks
There may be a better way for teachers to help their students ace those pesky standardized tests and improve in their overall academics, and thus enable educators to remain employed, based on their students’ high performance.
Read more about May be in best interest for educators to teach social and emotional education
If you were fresh out of college 2011, maybe you had a difficult period trying to find work. Well, things are looking up for college graduates in 2012, hopefully a trend that will continue into the future.
Read more about Job outlook for grads in 2012
When my daughter was in the NICU, the nurses couldn’t stress enough how I would be her first teacher. The same thing occurred when we went through First Steps therapy for her premature development, as well as Parents as Teachers via the local school district. Now that we are homeschooling, I think the term should be applied so much more liberally; my daughter’s relatives, peers, music and taekwondo instructors, and even her pets are her teachers.
Scoff if you like; I truly believe that anyone you meet is a type of teacher, and that perhaps school teachers should be referred to something more professional in order to distinguish between them, if they prefer. I do know many who prefer the term educator, and perhaps that works better. Read more about The Definition of a Teacher
It’s so sad to hear that across the country, librarians are taking huge cuts in schools as they attempt to save money. In New York, a district recently cut a whopping 15 out of 20 librarians across the district in order to, according to the superintendent, save all-day kindergarten. In another district in Oregon, every librarian there—48 people—are at risk of losing their jobs as well.
Honestly, librarians are likely of more worth to children than full day kindergarten is; half-day or no kindergarten at all would certainly better fuel their imaginations and creativity levels, as would better access to books and librarians who can help children find them.
Read more about Librarians Being Cut Again 
Are you looking for a position in the democratic education sector, where you will be working to ensure that all children receive a meaningful education? IDEA, The Institute for Democratic Education in America, is seeking interns to help bring their mission more fully to life.
Interns will be working 20 to 40 hours per week throughout a 12-week period. During this time they will be treated like paid staff, and work in areas such as marketing, development, curation, and administration. They will have the opportunity to be mentored, develop professional skills, and receive a letter listing their skills once their internships are complete.
To find out more about the position or to apply, click here. Read more about Intern with IDEA
The schools aren’t calling it demoting, of course, and perhaps it’s not technically so, either; but a district of community colleges in Texas is “reclassifying” librarians as professional staff rather than faculty members in order to cut costs. The thing is, the costs haven’t even been added yet, since the move was made as a preemptive strike to combat a potential $25 million loss from state funding. Read more about Texas Schools Demote Librarians to Save Money