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3 Biggest Losses for K-12 Education in 2015

All in all, 2015 was a good year for K-12 education. However, for all the great wins we experienced, we also had some major losses. Let’s look back at just a few of these disappointments. In 23 states, poor students see less school funding. Poverty makes it more difficult for children to succeed in school, and they come to school at a disadvantage. These students tend to have more needs than their middle-class and well-off peers. Children from poor families are behind their counterparts on nearly every measure of academic achievement. In 23 states, state and local governments together spend …

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2 Biggest K-12 Education Wins of 2015

2015 was a good year for K-12 education, and we had some great wins. Let’s look back at a couple of these accomplishments: Social programs keep child poverty rates from doubling. More children are living in poverty conditions in the U.S. than official numbers present, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Measuring Access to Opportunity in the United States Report uses the Supplemental Poverty Measure, a standard first implemented by the U.S. Census in 2011 that measures the impact of important social programs like SNAP and the Earned Income Tax Credit on true poverty …

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The 4 Biggest Ed Tech Stories of 2015

As expected, ed tech continued to be a hot topic of discussion in 2015. Because of its increased coverage, The Edvocate decided to create a list of the top 4 ed tech stories of 2015. Are MOOCs the biggest ed tech story of 2015? With a steady stream of reporting that the price of college is quickly becoming too high for many Americans to afford, an alternative form of higher education seemed to be how some future students would learn. MOOCs, or massive open online classes, offer free lectures and web-based courses by some of the world’s best universities. But …

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2 Bold Moves Made By Pearson Education in 2015

Depending on your view of Pearson, described as “the world’s largest education company” by the Washington Post, any news about the company may serve as good or bad. Love it or hate it, Pearson is the top education company in the world. During 2015, Pearson made a series of bold moves, which are chronicled below. Pearson picked education as its sole focus. In July, the Washington Post reported that Pearson was making a move to focus solely on education. “The company is selling its stake in the Financial Times to Nikkei Inc., a leading Japanese media organization, for $1.3 billion, …

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4 ways HBCUs can prepare students for the lack of workplace diversity

Historically Black Colleges and Universities have always been places that encourage greater diversity when it comes to higher education, both on their campuses and in the greater college landscape. From their origins as being the only places people of color could go for a college education to their role today as welcoming all students and instilling cultural awareness, HBCUs stand as models of multicultural learning at its best. Are HBCUs doing enough to prepare their students for the real workplace, though? The reason so many college administrators, myself included, stand firmly by the necessity of HBCUs in contemporary college education …

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Ask Dr. Lynch: The Trayvon Martin Tragedy as a Teachable Moment

Question: I am an 8th-grade Social Studies teacher and want to discuss the Trayvon Martin tragedy with my students, but I am having difficulty coming up with ideas. I especially want to touch upon the topic of racial profiling and the part that it may have played in this tragedy. In addition, I want my students to develop a sense of social justice, but I also want them to learn that in America, you are innocent until proven guilty. Do you have any suggestions? Answer: Thanks well-articulated question. As readers may know, George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, admitted to …

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The Rachael Ray Show surprises Kindergarten teacher with Redcat Audio Systems

I just love a heartwarming holiday story – especially when teachers and students are the beneficiaries. Kindergarten teacher Heidi Solivan got an early Christmas present when the classroom technology she was fundraising to buy was donated instead. Solivan had four Redcat audio systems from Lightspeed Technologies at the top of her classroom wishlist and was surprised with the fully-donated systems on an episode of The Rachael Ray Show that aired on November 24. Producers from the show contacted Lightspeed Technologies, a leading provider of classroom audio solutions, after they found Solivan’s GoFundMe page that had about $775 raised so far in …

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Can charter schools fix education in America?

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.** A guest post by Ashley Catt  Most would agree that our education system is of utmost importance in the U.S. Yearly we spend $810 billion on education, yet lag behind our counterparts at 17th in reading and 32nd in math globally. With the amount of assets spent on education, no child should be left behind. Unfortunately, …

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Learning to think or to work?

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.** A guest column by Edgar Wilson Why are we learning this? The anthem of disengaged students takes on new meaning when applied to America’s universities. It isn’t merely a question of individual lessons or trivial facts; when hyper-expensive degrees and all but unavoidable student loans are as much a rite of passage as walking the line …

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Is use of technology necessary in classrooms?

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.** A guest column by Lucy Brown There has been a dramatic change in the use of technologies in the last few decades and particularly in classrooms. Schools have had to invest heavily in the purchase of hardwares and softwares; set up internet access and train teachers to use technology. This has made the young people …

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