Arkansas moves up in education ranking; achievement gap persists
Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Jan 12, 2012 at 6:13 PMThe public school system in Arkansas received a promotion in Education Week’s annual ranking of state education policies, moving from sixth in the nation to fifth. Arkansas was praised for aligning its education standards, so that learning is consistent as…
Sec. of Education: No Child Left Behind “still has flaws that need to be fixed”
Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Jan 9, 2012 at 4:22 PMThe controversial No Child Left Behind education law made progress toward school reform but has its own flaws that must be fixed, according to the U.S. secretary of education. Secretary Arne Duncan credits the law with exposing achievement gaps among…
Student test scores: Kids of color, low-income kids, and kids with disabilities still being left behind
Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Dec 8, 2011 at 5:05 PMWe’ve just released the second in our series of education reports looking at student test scores. This report focuses on disparities in our education system, and shows that our system is still leaving behind kids of color, kids from low-income…
Statement: Voices applauds Senate committee passage of education bill
Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Oct 21, 2011 at 1:31 PMThe Senate is making progress on a long overdue renewal and reform of No Child Left Behind (also known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act). After passing the Senate education committee, the bill will now be considered by the…
New report: 37 states scaled back child care aid last year
Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Oct 14, 2011 at 12:53 PMThirty-seven states last year scaled back their child care services, according to a new report by our friends at the National Women’s Law Center. “Families are not only worse off in 2011 than they were in 2010, but are…
Nobel Laureate explains the importance of early education
Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Sep 23, 2011 at 12:29 PMThe U.S. deficit problem is really a child development problem, argues Nobel Laureate James Heckman. In a letter to the congressional “super committee,” Heckman explains that our long term prosperity relies on developing a more skilled workforce, and “deficits…
Breakfast in the classroom?
Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Sep 9, 2011 at 1:19 PMSome education and health experts are dismayed by the higher numbers of children who are eligible for free and reduced-price breakfast but aren’t taking advantage. They cite busy schedules and social stigma as possible reasons for kids missing breakfast. Their…
Arizona member leads successful education town hall meeting
Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Aug 29, 2011 at 2:04 PMChildren’s Action Alliance, our Arizona member, just had a very successful town hall meeting with a member of Congress on education issues. Our member reports that Congressman Raul Grijalva was well engaged by the crowd on importance of education reform…
Pell Grants targeted for cuts, hurting college chances for kids
Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Jun 13, 2011 at 6:07 PMWe’ve talked a lot about proposed budget cuts for the very young, but the college-bound could also suffer. The House budget plan would cut almost $6 billion from Pell Grants, the popular financial assistance program that helps low-income college students…
NJ Supreme Court orders state to increase education funding
Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on May 26, 2011 at 5:16 PMIt seems New Jersey has been underfunding some schools so badly that they’re violating students’ rights. In a 3-2 decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court ordered Governor Chris Christie to fund an additional $500 million for some of the…
