Topic: Private Education

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Maria Montessori and 10 famous graduates from her schools

Maria Montessori stands in many ways as the mother of alternative education. The Italian physician and teacher invented a new kind of school, one with self-directed learning, classrooms with mixed age groups, and no grades. Now, on what would have been her 142 birthday, thousands of schools bear her name. These Montessori schools have some very famous alumni, many of which credit the free-flowing classes with teaching them to think differently and allowing them to change the world. Here are 10 of the most prominent.
Election 101: Where the GOP candidates stand on immigration, abortion and other social issues
Tired of 'Twilight' clones? 5 young adult books to try instead
5 finalists for the 2011 National Book Award for Young People's Literature (with one title dropped)
Getting bin Laden and five other boosts to Obama's reelection bid

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Olive Press Saudi Arabia sanctions sports for girls for the first time

The move only applies to private schools, perhaps as a test of social receptivity before a possible expansion to public schools. But it's still worth cheering for.
Pakistan's education crisis: What ever happened to Malala's friends?

Almost half a year after Malala Yousafzai was attacked on her school bus, the two girls injured alongside her also symbolize Pakistan's uphill battle with girls' education.
Youth villages give Israeli immigrant children a place to belong

Israel's youth villages, first created in the country's earliest years for Holocaust survivors, are now tasked with integrating children from places as disparate as Ethiopia and Russia.
Big East breakup: Who's leaving next?

The Big East breakup is picking up speed: A coalition of seven Catholic schools announced Thursday that their new conference will be up and running for the 2013-2014 school year.
Judge blocks Gov. Bobby Jindal's signature school voucher program

The nation's boldest school voucher program made nearly half of Louisiana's students eligible for taxpayer-funded vouchers to attend private schools. A state judge ruled the plan unconstitutional, setting up a funding fight in an age of austerity.
Drive for education drives South Korean families into the red

Students took the all-important college entrance exam this week. Many households in South Korea are deeply in debt, and analysts point to high family spending on private education as a key culprit.
Maria Montessori: Is the Montessori method any good?

Google celebrates the 142nd birthday of Italian physician Maria Montessori. Does Montessori's 'child-centered' method work?
Maria Montessori and 10 famous graduates from her schools

Maria Montessori stands in many ways as the mother of alternative education. The Italian physician and teacher invented a new kind of school, one with self-directed learning, classrooms with mixed age groups, and no grades. Now, on what would have been her 142 birthday, thousands of schools bear her name. These Montessori schools have some very famous alumni, many of which credit the free-flowing classes with teaching them to think differently and allowing them to change the world. Here are 10 of the most prominent.
Do private school vouchers help? New study offers data.

African-American students who used private school vouchers were 24 percent more likely to go on to college than blacks in a control group, the study says. But debate over vouchers has followed.
In Israel, a push to learn Arabic

The current decline in the study of Arabic in Israeli schools could compromise coexistence efforts and the military's ability to gather intelligence. But one program is countering that trend.
Opinion: Evangelicals now vote for Catholics. Will they also vote for a Mormon?

Defying a history of anti-Catholicism, evangelical leaders recently endorsed GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum (a Catholic), and South Carolina Evangelicals voted Catholic Newt Gingrich to victory in their primary. Will Mormon Mitt Romney be next to win them over?
UC Berkeley's gift to middle-class families: a cap on college costs

UC Berkeley's plan, similar to tuition caps at elite private institutions, is the first such initiative at a public university. It will cap costs at 15 percent of household income for families earning between $80,000 and $140,000.
Election 101: Where the GOP candidates stand on immigration, abortion and other social issues

Social policies are a defining issue in this, or any, Republican race. With the GOP electorate increasingly focused on social issues in recent decades, their leaders' views have shifted in kind. At stake: the support of the powerful evangelical conservatives, so-called values voters for whom social issues like abortion are deciding factors. While they have their differences, all the main candidates espouse conservative social values. Take a look at where each of them stands.
Tired of 'Twilight' clones? 5 young adult books to try instead

For those who browse young adult shelves, the choices may be starting to blur: girl meets supernatural boy, then must choose between two boys. Or – for a little variety – supernatural girl meets human boy, then must choose between two boys. Vampires, fairies, angels – they're all over the young adult section. So, in the spirit of Teen Read Week, here are five gripping young adult titles that manage to keep otherworldly creatures and dramatic love triangles well out of sight.
5 finalists for the 2011 National Book Award for Young People's Literature (with one title dropped)

It was apparently a mistake when they announced six titles this year instead of the usual five nominated for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. But then, said Harold Augebraum, executive director of the National Book Foundation, "We decided that it was better to add a sixth one as an exception, because they're all good books." Which of these six finalists do you think will win the 2011 National Book Award for Young People's Literature on Nov. 17? UPDATE: One of the six finalists – "Shine" by Lauren Myracle – was removed from the list of 2011 nominees on Oct. 17.
Sports to Share teaches teamwork, fair play, and tolerance

Youth sports program in Mexico fights obesity through fun and games.
Beijing school closures leave thousands of migrant children without classrooms

Chinese officials in Beijing shut down 24 illegal schools for migrant children over the summer in a move that highlights the institutionalized discrimination facing the migrant workforce.
Americans love teachers but split over teachers’ unions, poll shows

Americans show strong support for public-school teachers, according to a new poll. But a partisan divide exists over the role of teachers' unions.
Opinion: States must cut red tape to attract more qualified teachers

Rigid standards are shutting out aspiring teachers. States must evaluate potential teachers without traditional certification in ways that don't push needed talent away.
Public-school losses: private schools' gain

As public school teachers face what may be the longest string of layoffs ever, the private sector gets a boost. Transport and janitorial contractors, online tutoring companies, and private schools are among those seeing a more talented workforce or an uptick in business.
Jobs picture gloomy. Where are bright spots for hiring?

The US created 54,000 jobs in May, the smallest gain in eight months. But in some sectors, hiring is booming.
Getting bin Laden and five other boosts to Obama's reelection bid

"Yes We Can” was so 2008. Now President Obama is the incumbent, with a record to defend. More than whom the Republicans nominate to run against him in 2012, how voters perceive Mr. Obama’s accomplishments and liabilities – two highly subjective categories, at times overlapping – will determine whether he gets four more years. Here are his top six accomplishments, including the killing of Osama bin Laden:
Any difference between tax breaks and spending programs?

The Supreme Court recently ruled that state tax breaks are different from spending programs, but the effect of each is the same
How Speaker Boehner brought a recalcitrant tea party to the budget deal

The budget deal marks the debut of an 87-member GOP freshman class committed to deep spending cuts. Speaker John Boehner defied his critics to rally his caucus and produce an agreement, without shutting down government.
The Monitor's View: In Arizona ruling, Justice Kennedy tips his hand on health-care mandate

The health-care law's 'individual mandate' is vulnerable to the Supreme Court deciding that Americans cannot be forced to buy health insurance. Kennedy's reasoning in a decision issued Monday hints at his worries. His vote will be pivotal.