NEA Today Features Archive
2006 - 2007
September 2006
Then and Now
Find yourself wishing for the "good old days"? Seriously, how much have schools and teaching changed in the last 30 years? Your colleagues reflect on the professions gains (no more mimeographs!) and losses (not as much respect).
Confronting Controversy
Wire-tapping, war, and the aftermath of 9/11 - educators wrestle with how to cover these hot topics and other headline news in the classroom.
Where We Teach: Las Vegas - Playing the Odds
Booming Las Vegas draws thousands of new teachers each year, but many of them will leave the profession within the first five eyars. What's behind this exodus? Hint: It's not the kids.
October 2006
Election 06: The E-Mail That Roared
The art of ‘pajama politics’ lets educators become activists anywhere, anytime.
Getting WIKI With It
Could an encyclopedia that anyone can edit be a reliable source? It depends. Find out how to turn Wikipedia and similar sites into an object lesson for students.
Meet the Student Press
As school publications struggle with the issues of limited resources and censorship, many students may be losing interest in the power of the press—and their own rights.
November 2006
Culturally Responsive Teaching: Talk About It
Race and poverty can be powerful reference points to reach students from all backgrounds, but educators must first reach beyond their comfort zones. To learn how, we visit a school in Seattle that’s embraced culturally responsive teaching in a big way.
Professional Pay: Why Money Matters
Despite sacrifices and second jobs, it’s still tough to make ends meet. Meet six hard-working educators who deserve professional pay.
Bilingual Education: Something to Talk About
As more states adopt English-only education laws, the ways in which teachers connect with English-language learners is often getting lost in translation.
Where We Teach: Pioneer Spirit
A two-room school has been at the heart of rural Baldwin, North Dakota, for nearly 100 years. If the school is forced to close, will the town survive?
Student Gardens: Taking Root
Do your students cheer for broccoli? One California district uses gardening to help cultivate green thumbs and healthy habits.
January 2007
Can We Compete?
In the face of new global rivalries, the answer is still yes—and American math and science education has the world watching.
State of the Arts
When tap shoes are silenced and paintbrush bristles left to harden, student achievement suffers—often at the schools where the arts are needed the most.
Where We Teach: Rules of Engagement
Their morning starts with a military checkpoint, but it’s all part of the routine for the teachers serving the children of those who serve our country.
Student Health: A Band-Aid Solution
Fewer school nurses often mean more medical responsibilities for teacher’s aides, secretaries, and other education support professionals.
February 2007
Advancing the Middle Ground
Eighth-graders...they aren't like us, and increasingly, they’re no longer like eighth-graders. As middle school students are guided into taking more rigorous classes and even choosing majors, eighth grade is becoming the new 10th grade.
The End of the Line
When an auto plant closes, schools feel the pain, too. With at least six states facing plant shutdowns or cutbacks, what’s happening in Flint, Michigan, might soon be happening in your area.
NCLB: The Sequel
The current incarnation of the federal education law expires this year. Armed with members’ stories and input, NEA is launching a grassroots effort for change.
The Discipline Dean
Steven Johnston doesn't send unruly students to the principal's office. He's one of a growing number of teachers whose job it is to set the tone for students at his school.
March 2007
New Money Moves
Some days, it feels like you keep rolling the dice and losing a turn. But there are ways to succeed at the money game! Learn the winning strategies of your colleagues as they ask for (and get) higher pay and fight to protect their health care and retirement benefits.
Drug Use: Home Field Disadvantages
With steroid use among high school students doubling since the early 1990s, educators need to know how to detect and discourage the use of these drugs.
Classroom Tech: Podcasting the 1600s
You don’t have to be a Thomas Edison to figure out this newfangled broadcast technology. Tune in to the latest teaching tool that helps bring learning to life.
Field Trips: Over the River and Through the Woods
Is the field trip dead? Despite mounting money issues and testing pressure, teachers are finding ways to get out of the classroom.
Where We Teach: Academy Rewards
As the “Dynamo of Dixie” makes an economic comeback, its schools follow suit, with vocational ed leading the way.
April 2007
Testing: How the Sausage is Made
How do standards become test scores? What do “proficient” and “grade level” really mean? And how are high-stakes tests dumbing down education? You won’t see these questions on any test, but the answers might surprise you.
Military Recruiting: Uncle Sam Wants ... You?
As educators and community members join forces to limit military recruiting in schools, the armed forces redouble their efforts to win the hearts and minds of educators.
Dropout Prevention: Making it Personal
As the movement to keep kids in school takes on new urgency, NEA Today asked educators across the country to share how they’ve made a difference in the life of a would-be dropout.
Online Connections: I Need MySpace!
MySpace, the popular social networking site, has become the modern answer to the ‘50s soda shop. While perils abound, schools focus on making it a safe place for students.
May 2007
What's Next: The Future of Public Education
As NEA prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary, we asked innovators in education, the arts, architecture, politics—and, of course, educators—to dish about what the future might hold for public education.
Where We Teach: Eye of the Storm
It’s been over 18 months since Hurricane Katrina devastated St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. Teachers and support professionals there explain why life is far from back to normal.
She's Gonna Need a Sub
For two decades, students paid close attention to teacher Barbara Morgan. Now a new group will be following her every move at work—ground control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Almost From Scratch
Learning a new language is hard enough. For some refugee students, coming to America means stepping foot in a classroom for the first time.
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