Local news in Education Week

This search for the key word "Oregon" on Edweek.org brings up over seven articles linked to Oregon education. There is so much going on around the nation that it is surprising to see that much information on the local level. Everything from new laws being enacted to policies to the reactions of certain political parties to specific teachers political activism.

The first one that caught my eye, is the one about charter schools. I am particularly interested in them so I try and read everything I can. This one had an alarming title stating that the house voted down a charter school bill. But after reading the short article I think that the right thing was done. To much regulation has been a trend lately just for the sake of doing something different. I wonder how much money is wasted on trying to introduce new laws that never make it past the house? Especially when it is trying to "fix" something that is not broken.

The other article that I thought could have a huge impact on the future generations is the one from December that talks about Oregon setting a precedence by allowing the use of spell checks on writing exams. Now I am probably not one to speak because I am a terrible speller but I do believe that where maybe I failed as a student to learn how to spell. Students today should not learn to rely on technology to   get around learning a basic skill. I use spell check constantly, almost every day. Without it I would not be able to do my job, but I think students should learn to spell correctly then be allowed to use spell check. Similarly they should learn to do long division before being able to use a calculator. These are just basic skills and if we get a generation or two that don't know them. They will become the property of an elite few and we will get generations that will lose their independence.

I am happy that Oregon is staying in the news with regards to education because it means we are at least not staying stagnant. I will continue to keep up to date on not just national educational news but local news that will have a great impact on me in the next few years.