August, 2007

I. Teachers and Teaching

1.With Turnover High, Schools Fight for Teachers

Mon, Aug 27, 2007 from The New York Times

The retirement of thousands of baby boomer teachers coupled with the departure of younger teachers frustrated by the stress of working in low-performing schools is fueling a crisis in teacher turnover that is costing school districts substantial amounts of money as they scramble to fill their ranks for the fall term.

2. Volunteer college graduates to teach in rural China

Mon, Aug 27, 2007 from Xinhua

Fifty-nine volunteer graduates from 22 Chinese colleges and universities set out yesterday for 29 rural primary schools on one-year teaching mission. Most of the volunteers are graduates of prestigious universities like Peking University, Beijing Normal University and Renmin University.

II. Learners and Learning

1. 1. Final exams will do high school students some good

Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007 by Herald-dispatch.com

This year, Cabell County high school students will get another taste of what life after high school is like, particularly for those going on to college or other educational opportunities. The county Board of Education last week approved a new final exam policy that requires all students to take a comprehensive final exam that will account for 13 percent of their grades. Superintendent William Smith said he felt students should take finals because he wants them to understand what they face if they choose to attend a post-secondary school.

2. China mulls medical insurance scheme for college students

Saturday, Aug 25, 2007 by Xinhua

A senior official said the Chinese government is considering setting up medical insurance plans specially designed for college students, who now have the only choice of more expensive commercial insurance plans if not being insured at all.

III. Leaders and Leadership

1. School Bans Tag After Parents Complain

Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007 by abc7 news

A Colorado Springs elementary school is banning the game of tag on its playground -- after some children complained that they'd been chased or harassed against their will.

2. Official: Cross-strait educational exchanges remain vibrant

Thursday, August 16, 2007 by chinaview.cn

Cross-strait educational exchanges is one of the most vibrant fields in the exchanges between Chinese mainland and Taiwan, a senior official has said.

IV. Curriculum

The do-gooder's MBA

Wednesday, August 22, 2007 by Business 2.0 Magazine

Yaqub, fresh out of the University of Alberta, was sent to Nigeria by MBAs Without Borders (MWB), an organization founded in Canada on the premise that First World marketing skills can help solve the Third World's problems. The three-year-old nonprofit has sent graduates to enroll HIV-positive women and children in Rwanda's national health insurance plan, write a business plan for a dried-fruit wholesaler in rural Ecuador, and bring professional accounting standards to a remote hospital in Haiti. MWB is one of several organizations, including for-profits, that give B-school graduates real-world experience in the trendy and growing field of social entrepreneurship. The pay is lousy, but the benefits to the host countries and the graduates are worth a fortune.

2.English classes cut to ease burden on students

Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 by www.chinaview.cn

Primary schools in the city will offer fewer English classes in the upcoming fall semester, and the education commission will also scrap an English test to ease the burden on students. From this September, pupils in the first and second years will take only two English classes a week, down from three previously, the Shanghai Education Commission announced yesterday.

V. Family and Community

1. In Troubled District, School Starts With Enough Books but Not Enough Money

Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007 by The New York Times

Students returning to school here can expect to find some things they have learned to do without in the five years their district has been under state control: enough textbooks for everyone, correct class assignments, even toilet paper in the bathrooms. But after hiring new teachers and adding Advanced Placement classes, the 2,800-student district in Nassau County faces an $8 million debt.

2. "Library on the lake" opens to public

Thursday?August 30, 2007 by www.chinaview.cn

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