Texas has had its share of headaches when it comes to testing.  Does anyone else remember the TECAT?  That was a test that every Texas teacher had to take to keep on trucking.  It was an absurd, expensive ordeal where teachers were treated like cattle because lawmakers weren't sure that they were educated enough ...

In an effort to help teachers facing problems with low performing students, the state of Rhode Island has placed step by step lesson plans on a Web site available to teachers and everyone else.   The article on boston.com also explains that using the plans is voluntary. The materials include more than 70 lesson plans, ...

The U.S. Department of Education threatened yesterday to take ''enforcement action''  against Virginia if any school districts defy a federal mandate to give reading tests to thousands of immigrant students.  An update to this story on washingtonpost.com shows that some districts aren't backing down regardless of possible ...

The superintendent for Anne Arundel is making an entire staff of a high school reapply for their jobs.  This includes teachers, administrators, custodians, and secretaries.  Get out the broom, and get ready for a clean sweep.  Annapolis High School has failed to meet No Child Left Behind guidelines for four ...

Everyone wants to blame teachers for low test scores.  After all, teachers are the easiest targets.  I have to wonder how much money is being spent on all of the research studies about improving teacher quality.  What about the time and effort spent on discussions about the No Child Left Behind Law?  Are ...

Students are actively working towards gaining admittance into prestigious public high schools around the country.  On washingtonpost.com the story of thirteen year old Nathan Saunders is one of a young man who is working extremely hard to gain admittance to the science and technology program at Eleanor Roosevelt in Greenbelt.  His ...

President Bush plans to seek renewal of the No Child Left Behind law for another five years.  An article on CNN.com reminds us that education will be a big focus when lawmakers meet on Monday.  Bush expects to have support from both Democrats and Republicans. The law aims to ensure that all children can read and do math at ...

The ongoing dilemma about where to house and how to motivate middle school students is back in the news on newyorktimes.com.  As any parent with a child this age will tell you, middle school students are an unusual lot.  They come in a variety of sizes with all sorts of interesting personalities.  If you teach them ...

I knew it would happen.  Yet another committee has decided that teachers are the ones to blame when students don't do well.  After all, they can't do anything about the parents or living situations that some of these children might have, so according to dallasnews.com a new report stresses the improvement of ...