Topic: Education

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What kind of an eater are you?

From locavores to femivores, to fast food junkies and punk domestics, here are 11 labels for every kind of person at the dinner table.
Five ways to improve Obama's pre-k plan

President Obama’s Preschool for All plan is well intentioned but includes features that are not justified by research and won’t help it pass in Congress. The plan must make the following five adjustments.
5 reasons graphic novels are the next big thing at your library

The book format is everywhere, from ESL classrooms to Ivy League libraries.
E.L. Konigsburg: 6 best moments from her books

Check out our favorite moments from these E.L. Konigsburg stories.
2013 Pulitzer Prize winners: 4 excellent books

Months before the Pulitzer Prize committee got there, the Monitor's book critics had already let readers know that these four books were something special. Here's why.

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Fired for word: 'Negro' in Spanish class

Fired for word 'negro'? A Bronx teacher has filed a lawsuit claiming she was fired for using the word 'negro' in class. 'Negro' is the Spanish word for the color black.
Opinion: How Moore, Okla., can cut through FEMA's red tape and build safer schools

On March 1, 2007, an EF4 tornado killed eight students at Enterprise High School in Alabama, where I was principal at the time. I would urge Moore, Okla., officials to assess how they handled Monday's tornado, yes, but also look forward to how they can rebuild safer schools.
Oklahoma tornado choice: Trust school building integrity or retrieve kids?

After the Moore Public School District in Oklahoma let parents know via text alert their kids were being held inside the school building, parents had to make a quick choice: Trust that the buildings would stand or race to pick them up before the tornado hit.
Oklahoma tornado's aftermath: How safe were schools in Moore?

Two schools were directly hit by the EF5 tornado in Moore, Okla., on Monday, and seven students at one were killed. Neither school had a safe room, but with storms this powerful, experts say there are no guarantees.
Progress Watch Latinos head to college at a record rate, now on par with white students

The push to keep Latino students on track for college seems to be paying off. The college enrollment rate for Hispanics is up 20 percent since 2000, narrowing the 'education gap.'
Modern Parenthood The end of school 'Whoosh Zone': Plan for how you'd like to look back

With the last day of school in sight, kids (and parents) start acting odd. Crankiness, restlessness, and nostalgia are all symptoms of the 'Whoosh Zone'. Prepare yourselves.
Spain's controversial educational reform: Will the Green Tide wash it away?

New government reforms aim to reduce Spain's dropout rate. But they are opposed by green-shirted protesters from the education sector, known as the Green Tide.
Colleges offer discounts, but you have to look

Colleges offer discounts as enrollments fall short, according to Forbes report. Among the colleges still seeking students for the fall term: Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, the University of Maryland, College Park, The New School in New York City, and Arizona State University in Tempe.
Why O.J. Simpson was so eager to take stand in new trial (+video)

O.J. Simpson wants a new trial to reconsider his 2008 conviction on charges of armed robbery and kidnapping, saying he was misled by a bad lawyer. It's a common problem, legal experts say.
Homeward Bound

The 'new domesticity' is persuading many mothers to stay home. But is that really the best answer for moms – or their children?
What kind of an eater are you?

From locavores to femivores, to fast food junkies and punk domestics, here are 11 labels for every kind of person at the dinner table.
Focus Education reform's next big thing: Common Core standards ramp up

Common Core standards are aimed at building students' critical thinking skills, and 46 states have adopted them. But critics say the methods are unproven and the education reform is moving too fast.
Left at hospital with a note: Drunk student got a Post-it

An ASU student was left at a hospital, unconscious, with a note informing doctors that he'd consumed 20 shots of tequila. He may be charged with underage drinking, but the friends who left him at the hospital with a note will likely avoid prosecution, police say.
My mandate to be bold

A Monitor photographer gets over shyness to be the eyes of a readership.
The Monitor's View: IRS scandal as a lesson in civic values

The IRS targeting of conservative political groups may not have been political itself. But it shows a serious need for more civics education in America about basic freedoms like the First Amendment.
Five ways to improve Obama's pre-k plan

President Obama’s Preschool for All plan is well intentioned but includes features that are not justified by research and won’t help it pass in Congress. The plan must make the following five adjustments.
The dog is my homework: Attentive pups listen, help students read

Students in Alabama learned to love reading because of who was listening — a dog. Once a week, Maggie, a German shepherd, comes to class to hear the kids read books.
Readers Write: A smart alternative to school suspensions

Letter to the Editor for the May 13, 2013 weekly print issue: Suspensions lead to wasted educational opportunities and increasing absenteeism, truancy, and dropout rates. A holistic approach where trained community members and counselors work with students on a one-on-one basis keeps students in school, so they have a better chance of graduating and becoming productive citizens.
Student loans: Could GOP, White House strike a compromise on interest rates?

The interest rates set for student loans expire July 1 – one year after Congress took action. Now, there’s a growing desire to come up with a longer-term plan.
Chapter & Verse Is the unabridged 'Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl' too much of a good thing?

The unabridged version of 'Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl' includes passages in which Frank writes about her own anatomy – leading to a call for the book's removal from a 7th-grade classroom.
Despite new director, FAMU Marching 100 struggles to shed hazing legacy

The Florida A&M University Marching 100 band hired a new director but remains suspended. Administrators say they want to root out the culture of hazing that led to Robert Champion's death.
Study: Community colleges lack rigor, but incoming students ill prepared

Standards are too low both in high schools and at America's community colleges, if students are to be prepared for the careers they hope to have, says the author of a report on first-year community college requirements.
Latin America Monitor Study abroad in Mexico? Fewer US students make the trek.

One announcement from Obama's Mexico trip was a bilateral forum on higher education. Educational exchanges between the US and Mexico have stagnated or fallen over the past decade.
Former Ed secretary: Only 4 percent of colleges worth the money. Families: Pick value.

Former Education Secretary Bennett argues that most of America's 3,500 colleges aren't worth the investment. As costs rise, more families are taking a harder look at a college's value instead of its reputation.
Opinion: Why America's 'hacker generation' can thrive as teachers

Many teachers aren’t feeling much love this Teacher Appreciation Day. But I still believe it is possible to be a good teacher in America – and worth the effort to try. The shift toward data-driven instruction and innovation creates an environment where the 'hacker generation' can thrive.