November 2004 NEA Today
Table of Contents

Cover Story

Curtain Call

With pressure mounting to demonstrate "adequate yearly progress" under the so-called No Child Left Behind law, more and more schools have cut back on art, music, theater, and dance to make way for "core subjects" like math and reading. But when the curtain falls, what else is lost?

Features

Parent Teacher Conference

When students take charge at a new kind of parent conference, they take responsibility for their own learning. At the same time, educators find more parents in attendance.

Storm Season

After four hurricanes slammed into Florida, leaving dozens of your colleagues homeless, it took an all-hands effort to get school started again.

Classroom Management

With a few keystrokes, clever grade-grabbers can use modern technology to find essays and test answers at their fingertips. But you can use the same sophisticated strategies to catch them.

Departments

Spotlight

After years of pain, educators and parents in a tiny Wisconsin town decide they've had enough. In 10-degree weather, they march to the polls and mount an educational revolution.

ESP

With concerns over "respect, money, and job demands," nearly 3,000 education support professionals voted for Pennsylvania State Education Association representation.

Health & Fitness

Consider the chalk dust, the runny noses, and the strain on your voice. It's no surprise that educators have a higher rate of some medical problems than other professionals. Take our advice to stay healthy! 

People

When a tornado struck his school, eighth-grade teacher Phil Severson's first thoughts were for his students. His second? "How the hell am I going to get out of here!" Also, meet children's author Alice Faye Duncan.

Last Bell

Sure, kids and families move. But should their report cards be so hard to nail down? In the name of fairness and accuracy, a mother and NEA student member calls for standardized report cards.

Editor’s Note

UpFront

Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, more schools miss the federal mark.

Leading the Way

State Report

Debate

Should teachers allow students to use profanity in their writing ?

Resources

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