It will get tougher onstage at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center when the home-schooled girl from Woodbridge faces 277 opponents, most of whom are at least twice her age. Last year, the winning word was “cymotrichous,” which means having wavy hair. The previous winner spelled “stromuhr,” which is a medical instrument.But Speller 269, who will compete for $30,000, among other prizes, reports that she isn’t particularly nervous and isn’t cramming.“I just do as much as I can,” Lori Anne said. “I don’t stress out about it. Plus, I’m 6. I can always go back next year.” She said she hopes to win at age 8 or 9.Sorina Vlaicu Madison, Lori Anne’s mother and primary teacher, said she and her daughter have no problem ... Continue reading →
They have had early experiences of college life, taking full-on college courses as high school seniors in Montgomery County to get a glimpse of what lies ahead: fewer scheduled hours of class, more independent work and less hand-holding from instructors.They reflect a growing interest in many areas of the country to go beyond work that is college-level and try college itself.At their school, Gaithersburg High, that’s easier to do than at most places, with eight courses taught this spring by professors in the same classrooms where students take high school English and algebra. More than a third of the class of 2012 has taken at least one college course. “It’s a boost of confidence when they say, ‘Oh, I can do this,’ ” said Principal ... Continue reading →
Confession: I don’t remember who spoke at my college graduation. I vaguely remember that it was a guy, but I can’t tell you what he said. When I asked my Facebook friends and followers about their memories, several were able to name the speaker but few could recall the message. Sure, there are commencement speakers who deliver truly memorable addresses that resonate with graduates. But I think we can all agree that most commencement speeches sound exactly the same. At Boston College’s commencement on Monday, one grad napped while another yawned. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) (Stephan Savoia - AP) Therefore, I have compiled a commencement speech that could be given to any Class of 2012 anywhere using cherry-picked quotes from real (and, actually, quite wonderful) speeches. ... Continue reading →
Okay. Maybe I’m not totally unbiased. One of the three high school rankings that just came out is mine. But I had something to do with the other two. One was partly inspired by a friendly argument I had with other education experts and the other was created to replace my list when I moved it to the Post last year. All three lists are produced by good people waving the tattered but still proud flag of American accountability journalism. They are the Washington Post High School Challenge using my Challenge Index, and lists by U.S. News and Newsweek using different methodologies. If your school is on any of these lists, you should be happy. They recognize schools with many admirable features. But still, the ... Continue reading →
Ashley Dixon, a sophomore at George Mason University, anticipated more work in college than in high school. Instead, she has less. In a typical week, Dixon spends 18 hours in classes and another 12 in study. All told, college course work occupies 30 hours of her week. Dixon is a full-time student, but college, for her, is a part-time job.“I was expecting it to be a lot harder,” said Dixon, 20, of Haymarket. “I thought I was going to be miserable, trying to get good grades. And I do get good grades, and I’m not working very hard.”Declining study time is a discomfiting truth about the vaunted U.S. higher-education system. The trend is generating debate over how much students really learn, even as colleges raise ... Continue reading →
In the fall of 2009, Chris Shumway paid a visit to his old grade school in Vienna, Wolftrap Elementary. He had been a student there in the 1970s, and then had grown up and gone off to New York to work on Wall Street. By 2009, he was managing his own multibillion-dollar hedge fund, Shumway Capital. He visited Wolftrap with the idea of donating something to the school in honor of his third grade teacher, Candace Leyton, who died in 2003 at age 54 of breast cancer. Wolftrap’s principal, Anita Blain, said she told Shumway that the school had established a beautiful courtyard. Would he like to donate a bench? Or perhaps a tree? “He said, ‘I’m really thinking more substantial,’ ” Blain said, recalling ... Continue reading →
As the nation strives to increase the rigor of math instruction, educators are cleaning up their math vocabulary. Gone are those friendly, metaphorical words — squares don’t have “corners,” they have “vertices.” And we’re not talking about “number sentences”; these are “equations.”The updated vocab is more technical and specific. The point is to use words that are closer to their mathematical meanings and better able to translate into higher math.Terms long used at the secondary or graduate level have been trickling into lower grades over the years by way of updated learning standards.“We are all now speaking the same language,” said Spencer Jamieson, elementary mathematics specialist for Fairfax County public schools, which is implementing tougher Virginia math standards this year.National math standards, which have been ... Continue reading →
I always say “please” and “thank you.” I tip at least 20 percent. I never abuse editors or waiters. Many people have told me that I am a nice guy. So why do so many private schools these days treat me like a loathsome intruder? They don’t actually say they wish I would drop dead, but it is clear that they don’t want to hear from me. I am asking them for information — how many graduates and Advanced Placement tests they had last year — that they consider none of my business. Thousands of public schools have provided the same data to me for the past 14 years. For the first time, I am including a sampling of private schools in my annual high ... Continue reading →
Class Struggle Jay Matthews What's Right and Wrong With Our Schools D.C. Schools Insider Bill Turque Covering the District's public schools The Answer Sheet Valerie Strauss A School Survival Guide for Parents (And Everyone Else) Campus Overload Jenna Johnson Juggle Everything. Achieve. And Still have fun. Continue reading →
