Educational News

Educator urges mobility for degrees, proof of skills

So instead of just saying a student got a B+ in "environmental design," for example, an electronic card would summarize the course requirements, highlight special projects the student did outside class and mention her study abroad. Adelman said the system would give students a lifelong transparent and certified summary of accomplishments for employers and other schools.

In Philadelphia


The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers plans to call for a moratorium on the creation of charter schools in the district to help ease the budget crunch.

"I think it's a bad idea because charters are working," Hardy said. "The parents like them. The kids like them. I think charters are something that's here to stay. And every time there's a financial hiccup, you can't put charters on the table. Why don't they close some of these bad [traditional] public schools?"

Study: Virtual-school enrollment explodes NACOL symposium states the case for online learning By Corey Murray, Senior Editor, eSchool News

Virtual schooling, and its potential to increase student achievement, was the focus in Plano, Texas, as more than 500 educators from across the nation gathered for the annual Virtual School Symposium Nov. 5-7. The three-day event featured the release of a study detailing a dramatic surge in online enrollment among school-age children--up to a 50-percent increase in some states, researchers said--as well as a new guide for teaching online courses, among other resources.

Charter Schools are Not the Same as Homeschooling

The director of school communications said virtual charter schools are not the same as home schooling. "We supply the computer, printer, we reimburse for the internet connection and we supply the curriculum, the text and that sort of thing," explained Joe Lyons.

California Threatens Homeschoolers

The information provided by the school district regarding their investigatory powers has been considered by some homeschoolers as an implied threat, and the conclusion is, you should enroll your children in a public-school-at-home program.