Carney's Commentary

Tulsa World
According to an article in the Tulsa World Sunday, April 10 (E8), Salary has little impact on ‘interesting’ occupations. www.Salary.com a Needham, Mass.-based software company asked the question and found the following: Firefighters (16%), Flight Attendants (13), Chief executives (12 est.), reporters (10), interior designers (10), event planners (10), nursing (9), TEACHING (8), doctors (7), lawyers (4).

Education Week, April 6, 2005 (Vol.24, No.30)
Items making the front page of EW include the issue of armed guards, especially since Red Lake, the issue of Title IX covering ‘whistleblowers,’ the issue of states resisting K-12 spending levels ordered by the courts based on ‘constitutionality,’ and TESA is revisited (the 15 traits are presented on p.14).

p.3, New book takes aim at Charter School’s production of lower test scores (Economic Policy Institute-receives money from the AFT). The authors state that “zealots” defend Charters despite ‘evidence.’ Defenders accuse an AFT position of being ‘anti.’

p.3, The National Science Teachers Association (some 2,000 members) are to stress the importance of emphasizing evolution in K-12 classes. According to the National Center on Science Ed 19 states are involved in debates over the teaching of evolution.

p.8, How is email being used by educators? Some teachers keep in touch with the parents. The down-side is that some respond in ways they would not in person or even by voice mail or request trivial information such as, “Did he attend tutoring?” A plus has been found in the lesser amount of paper being used for communication. Some administrators have questioned the “privacy” aspect of student info. A few administrators have entered into electronic staff meetings saving much time from physical gatherings, etc.

p.20, Is education a political football? Read the report on Arizona by Joetta L. Sack.

p.24, USDE to hold summer teacher workshops. Registration info www.ed.gov/teacherinitiative