February 11, 2005

I.  Teachers and Teaching

1. Teachers Won't Have to Prove Qualifications

The U.S. Department of Education officials reversed an earlier mandate requiring North Dakota elementary and middle school teachers to prove they are qualified to do the job they are already doing.

2. Detroit Teachers Asked to Agree to a Pay Cut

Detroit school officials have asked most of the district's 21,000 workers to agree to a 5- to 10- percent pay cut -- some just a day before the district was supposed to file a plan to eliminate its $200-million budget shortfall.

3. The First Network of Teacher Education is Established in Sichuan Province

The Forum of Schoolteachers in Sichuan was held recently and prompted the establishment of a network for teacher education. This is the first non-government organization at the provincial level that unites teachers and teacher education institutes.

4. More than a Thousand Teachers of Minority Group are Trained in Xinjiang

More than a thousand teachers of the minority group in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region have been trained in the programs of language (Mandarin) and teaching techniques.

II. Learners and Learning

1. Most Young Adults Have Positive View of College

Young adults value college, but many haven't enrolled because of money woes, poor preparation, low expectations at home or sheer laziness, a survey finds.

2. Learning with Increasing Technology Resources in Beijing

Beginning in 2005, more technology resources will be available for classrooms in Beijing. The resources will be shared by students both in the suburban areas of Beijing and those in the city.

III. Leaders and Leadership

1. Spellings: Testing to Remain at Core of School Reform

The woman who helped craft the No Child Left Behind law, Margaret Spellings, is now its chief enforcer. To the new Education Secretary, testing is at the heart of the plan to ensure that all students can read and do math. Her mission is to lead President Bush's drive to expand testing in high school.

2. President's FY 2006 Budget Focuses Resources on Students Who Need Them the Most

President Bush proposes a new high school initiative that provides more assistance to help students pay for college.

3. Education Development Strategy in 2005, Beijing

The mayor of Beijing publicized the Working Report of the Government, including the educational development strategies for 2005.  Education funding will be increased and the quality of education will be improved. The new curriculum will continue to be enacted and school teachers will be provided with professional development opportunities.

IV.Curriculum

1. An Open Letter: Recommendations for Reforming the American High School

Reforms need to be directed in ways that benefit all students in high school today, not just those students for whom schools must now be accountable.

2. Analysis on New Curriculum: What Kind of Classroom do We Need?

A new curriculum has been piloted for four years in China, and more than 90% of the K-12 schools nationwide are involved. However, there are some arguments on what kind of activities should be designed.  The Central Education Research Institute provides insight into the new curriculum.

3. New Curriculum, Old Examination

Though Chinese schools advocate independent study, team work, and exploratory study according to the requirements of the new curriculum reform, examinations have never been changed. Students still need large amounts of drill before taking examinations.

V. Family and Community

1. Class Seeks to Rid Kids of Appalachian Accents

A new class that seeks to teach youngsters how to lose their Appalachian accents has set off an age-old phonetic debate: Should mountain natives drop the drawl or hold tightly to their twang?

2. More Communication is a Good Gift for Children’s Winter Break

It is suggested to Chinese parents that more communication in a democratic and understanding way will create a more supportive environment for children’s winter break at home.

3. Class for Parents to Communicate with Their Children was Open in Dalian

The education research center of a counseling company in Dalian opened a class for parents to help them communicate with their children more effectively.