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Race to Top funds critical teacher programs
By Leslie Postal
Florida needs more math and science teachers for its middle and high schools and will use Race to the Top winnings to spur the education of more of these critical instructors, according to the Florida Department of Education.
The state wants to triple the number of colleges or universities with "UTeach" programs, modeled on a University of Texas initiative.
Florida State University and the University of Florida already have UTeach programs, and the state wants to add four more. UTeach is a joint venture between teacher education and math and science departments. The goal is to graduate students who have majored in their discipline - be that biology, chemistry or math - and also have learned how to teach.
Florida wants more students to go into the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. But every year, secondary math and science teachers are on the state's "critical shortage" list, meaning there aren't enough "degreed science and math teachers to inspire students," the department said.
Florida won $700 million in the federal Race to the Top education reform competition last year. Nearly $7.6 million of that is available, in a competition, for new UTeach programs.
Continue reading this Orlando Sentinel article here. |
States Strengthening Teacher Evaluation Standards
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) - Teachers and principals' own report cards are getting a lot more attention.
The way educators are evaluated is changing across the country, with a switch from routine "satisfactory" ratings to actual proof that students are learning.
President Barack Obama's recent use of executive authority to revise the No Child Left Behind education law is one of several factors driving a trend toward using student test scores, classroom observation and potentially even input from students, among other measures, to determine just how effective educators are. A growing number of states are using these evaluations to decide critical issues such as pay, tenure, firings and the awarding of teaching licenses.
Two years ago, only four states used student achievement as a predominant influence in how teacher performance is assessed. Today, the number is 13, according to a recent report from the National Council on Teacher Quality. Ten other states count student achievement in a lesser but still significant way in teacher evaluations. In 19 states and the District of Columbia, teachers can be fired based on the results, the report said.
Even more changes are anticipated in coming months.
Read more of this New York Times article here. |
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Gov. Scott and his policies are challenged during roundtable with Osceola teachers
By Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel
Scott, holding a roundtable discussion with the teachers, said he is a strong supporter of education. "If we're going to do well as a state, if our families are going to do well, it's going to be tied to education." But he said the public views the public-education system as one unwilling to police itself. "The perception is that it's not an accountable system," he said, and too many people feel "we're not getting value for the dollars we're putting in the government." Scott said he understands that teachers work hard and knows, given budget cuts and a new merit-pay law, that "there's a lot of stress." But during the nearly two-hour long discussion with Neptune teachers, the governor made it clearly he believes firmly that public education needs to change. He said he held the event because "I'm trying to get ideas from teachers." He was in Osceola today to announce a manufacturing firm's plans to open a regional headquarters there. Read more of this Orlando Sentinel article here. |
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