Tag Archive

america business california children city college colleges congress country democratic department district Education facebook family follow-yahoo government kids life loans money News obama pc pro school pc pro schools people president school school-district schools Science secretary state student students summer Tech time topstories united-states university Video white yahoo york

With divided Congress, tough road for ed reform (AP)

Published on November 16, 2010 By

The Obama administration has pushed an ambitious education agenda in the last two years, sending $100 billion to states thorough the stimulus package and spurring reform in many locations through the Race to the Top competition. But none of the major initiatives pushed by President Barack Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan have been bipartisan. Most were approved through large spending bills that Republicans opposed

Senators spar over for-profit education (Reuters)

Published on September 30, 2010 By

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. Senate committee probing allegations that some for-profit schools push students into big debt and fail to educate them will likely introduce a bill tightening rules next year, Sen. Tom Harkin said on Thursday.

Worker decries for-profit school tactics, to testify (Reuters)

Published on September 29, 2010 By rohit

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An employee at a for-profit college, due to testify before a senate committee this week, told lawmakers in a letter that she was pressured to twist information about former students to make them look more successful than they were. In the latest blast in a battle that could lead to some schools losing access to federal funds, Kathleen Bittel wrote on September 15 that she was pushed to portray graduates of a “residential planning diploma”, a sort of interior design program, as working in their field even though they were working in small restaurants. “I was coerced into calling them to convince them that they were using their learned skills by possibly redecorating the restaurant and/or by rearranging the tables for banquets and parties being held there,” Bittel wrote to Senator Tom Harkin and others looking into possible abuses at for-profit schools.

Online Degrees: Learn More Before You Enroll (U.S. News & World Report)

Published on September 22, 2010 By rohit

Enrollment at online programs jumped from 229,363 to 2,139,714–an 832 percent increase–from 2001 to 2009 according to higher education consultancy Eduventures. An explosion of that magnitude has not only caught the eye of potential students, but of Congress and regulators, who in recent months have been critical of for-profit online programs’ recruiting practices, transparency, and ability to provide their students an education that will enable them to find adequate employment once their degree is in hand. “Far too many for-profit schools are saddling students with debt they cannot afford in exchange for degrees and certificates they cannot use,” U.S

School Uses Anti-bullying App After Suicide (PC World)

Published on September 4, 2010 By

A school district in South Hadley, Massachusetts, is hoping a specialized software application will help stop tragedies like the one that befell Phoebe Prince, an Irish-born teen who committed suicide in January after an alleged bullying campaign by fellow students . In the wake of her death, the Massachusetts state legislature passed a law mandating that schools create formal anti-bullying plans, as well as provide an anonymous way of reporting bullying incidents .

Discounts spur surprising Aug. retail sales gains (AP)

Published on September 2, 2010 By

NEW YORK – American shoppers, taking advantage of deep discounts and tax-free holidays, opened up their wallets a little more for back-to-school spending compared with last year, giving some retailers better-than expected gains for August. The results provided a sliver of hope for the recovery amid an unrelenting batch of bad news, from slumping home prices and high unemployment, that have pointed to a stalling economy and set up dire expectations for the back-to-school shopping season. Still, the retailers’ gains mask underlying weakness in consumer spending as they’re being compared with declines a year ago and worries still abound about the critical holiday season.

NJ Gov fires education chief over $400 mln typo (Reuters)

Published on August 27, 2010 By rohit

NEW YORK (Reuters) – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican whose deep budget cuts have won wide praise, on Friday fired his education commissioner after a clerical error cost the state $400 million in federal education dollars. Just two days ago, Christie defended the handling of New Jersey’s request for Race to the Top federal aid, saying the Obama administration’s refusal to let the cash-poor state fix its error exemplified Washington’s problems

How ‘Race to the Top’ is rewriting U.S. education (McClatchy Newspapers)

Published on August 8, 2010 By

WASHINGTON — When Education Secretary Arne Duncan inserted a half-page program description into the economic stimulus act last year, few except top Democratic leaders knew that it would create Race to the Top, a multibillion-dollar sweepstakes to overhaul U.S. schools that gave Duncan’s department unprecedented power.

U.S. report ties militancy to Pakistan school woes (Reuters)

Published on June 21, 2010 By rohit

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Pakistan ’s poor public education system helps stoke militancy , while the religious schools often cited as a cause of extremism appear not to be a major risk factor , says a report by a Washington think tank. The report, set to be released by the Brookings Institution on Wednesday, examined a raft of studies to assess links between militancy and education , a priority area for the Obama administration as it boosts development aid to Islamabad

Job and Stock Market Woes Could Linger for Retirees (U.S. News & World Report)

Published on June 16, 2010 By

The state of the job market and stock market in the year you retire could affect how much income you receive a decade or more into your retirement. A stock market decline in the years leading up to retirement typically causes a reduction in investment income that can still be felt 10 years later, according to new Wellesley College research . High unemployment around the time of retirement means some older workers may be pushed out of the workforce earlier than planned, which also generally reduces retirement income.