Happiness and Expectation: Education in 2010

To offset Controversy and Worry, a summary of education happenings in 2010, here are the last months of the year, as a review. Not all of these events are completely cheery, but they do show how the revolution of the education world is changing schools for the better.

July: Equity and Excellence Commission developed. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced, "He would form a bipartisan commission to examine educational equity and promised to pursue federal policies that would advance equity in the nation's K-12 schools." Inequality in American schools (normally financial equality) is one of the largest criticisms toward NCLB and national core standards. Since property taxes fund schools, poor neighborhoods often have neglected and rundown schools.

August: Congress passes bill to provide $10 billion to support 160,000 education jobs nationwide. Over the next weeks, schools around the country hired back teachers and support staff that they previously released due to a lack of funds.

August: (The month when students return to school deserves two highlights, right?) The First-Ever Federal Summit on Bullying held. The public finally saw bullying as an unnecessary and hugely detrimental part of American culture in 2010. As the media publicized suicides associated with bullying, Americans realized that it is no longer "kids being kids." Schools and communities began implementing anti-bullying programs.

September: US Department of Education awards Promise Neighborhoods Planning Grants. Promise Neighborhoods grants are intended to break generational poverty. The idea behind the program is that when children are a community's focus, they will succeed in school and the community will better itself as well.

October: Michelle Rhee resigns. Michelle Rhee was the Chancellor of Washington, D.C. schools for a little over three years. In that time she raised teacher and student standards, created an unprecedented teachers' contract with the teacher's union, and saw student test scores climb significantly. Her controversial actions, such as frequent firings, school closings, and time spent with the media, did upset some community members and other leaders.

November: Finalized National Education Technology Plan. To remain competitive with other countries, American students must master common technology. They must also utilize the technology they use outside of school, at school. This plan will also help teachers and administrators use technology to benefit the way test and student data is applied.

December: Passage of Childhood Nutrition Bill. School lunches, a longtime shameful aspect of American schools, will no longer include hotdogs, corn nachos covered in artificial cheese, and soda. Secretary Duncan hailed this bill as making "the most significant investment in the National School Lunch program in more than 30 years." With obesity a national problem, this passage was much needed to close 2010 off right.

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