NBC News held its very first Education Nation Summit in 2010, bringing together scores of parents, teachers, school officials, businesses, politicians, and others committed to addressing current issues in U.S. education and securing a bright future for American students. Since that first summit, Education Nation has gone on annual national tours throughout different cities, started
Understanding the Chicago Teacher’s Strike
The nearly two-week-long Chicago teachers’ strike has finally come to a close. The results: “a ‘half-loaf’ kind of day,” according to CNN, with educators and city officials not completely satisfied with the results of settled negotiations. What caused the teachers of the third-largest school district in the United States to strike? The main impetus behind it had to do with a newly proposed teacher evaluation system, job security and several other issues.
Sex Education Vs. Abstinence Education: Part 2
Sex education is an issue of much debate, as people on both sides struggle to decide how to address adolescent sexuality. To shed some light on the issue, Teach.com interviewed educators from either side of the debate. In this section, we spoke to Abby Rosenstein, program manager of School Health Equity at Advocates for Youth, an organization that promotes policies and programs that support young people’s sexual health and rights. Advocates for Youth was founded as the Center for Population Options in 1980 and works in partnership with youth at the local, state, national and inter…
Sex Education Vs. Abstinence Education: Part 1
In middle school and high school, students begin to face complex issues that go beyond the classroom but still impact their education. The way schools should handle topics regarding sexuality is one such issue at the center of ongoing debate. How do we teach students about sex? Do we teach students about sex? Where does the parents’ job end and the schools’ begin?
From this issue arise two oppositional viewpoints, both of which have students’ best intentions at heart: sex education, in which students are taught about safe sex practices, and abstinence education, in which students are encouraged to abstain until marriage. The effects, implications and success o…
7 Free Online Resources for Teachers Heading Back to School
Every year, more and more teachers are taking advantage of the wealth of information available online. Teacher blogs, education sites, social networking tools and lesson plans are all available on the Internet, and each can provide a tremendous boost for teachers getting back into the swing of things at the start of the school year.
While the breadth of information can be a blessing, it also leaves teachers with a lot to sift through before they can find the most helpful resources out there. To help make your transition back to school as smooth and successful as possible, we've ass…
Year Round School Debate: Is a Longer School Year the Answer to America’s Education Woes?
To certain parties, the idea of adding more days to the academic calendar may be highly unpopular. Few students would willingly give up the freedom of a lengthy summer vacation. Many teachers also rely on this time to plan for the upcoming school year and take a much-needed deep breath.
Nonetheless, schools nationwide are finding that the benefits of such a plan outweigh the inconveniences. The National Center on Time & Learning, a non-profit research group based in Boston, hosts a database of the nation’s schools and the length of their school year. Today, more than 170 schools have moved to 190-plus-day school years, as com…