Jobs for the Future Report: Graduating America

Did you know that there are just 2,000 high schools that produce more than half of the U.S. dropouts? These schools graduate just 2/3rds of their student body. We all recognize that there are pockets of excellence and pockets of discouragement in our school system. There are also tiny gems hidden within the worst situations imaginable.

The education system has yet to find systematic solutions for the "repeat offenders" in part, because there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Reports like this one from the Jobs for the Future foundation help identify the underlying causes and not only fix them but avoid perpetuating them.

WSJ Article - An Apple for Your Teacher (Really about tech funding)

Don't be misled by the title. This article explains the complexities in funding that are hobbling some districts. EETT funds are back but some districts are getting new tech (that is great) but still losing critical things like TEACHERS!

These WSJ links are only live for 7 days but if you want a copy of the article past that time, email me and I'll forward a pdf.

http://online.wsj.com/wsjgate?subURI=%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052970204900904574304140278264598-email.html&nonsubURI=%2Farticle_email%2FSB10001424052970204900904574304140278264598-lMyQjAxMDA5MDIwMzEyNDMyWj.html

Wall Street Journal, July 22, 2009

By ANNE MARIE CHAKER

It’s shaping up to be a grim year for the Spokane Public School district in Washington state. Like so many others, it is making deep cuts in everything from teaching staff to school supplies this coming school year. But there’s one bright spot for the district: The amount of federal dollars to incorporate technology in the classroom—and to train teachers to use it—is expected to double to about $160,000 from the previous year.

At the same time school districts around the nation are bracing for a round of severe belt-tightening as a result of strained state and local budgets, they’re also getting a significant bump in federal funding to make their classrooms more tech-savvy, which they hope will help improve student performance.