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Teacher unions have been a part of American education for well over a century, beginning with grassroots efforts to support teachers through improved salaries, benefits, and working conditions. The two national organizations, the s (AFT) and the (NEA), have paved the way for dozens of state and local teacher associations, often referred to as Independent Education Associations (IEAs). In light of education reform gaining speed nationwide, these teacher unions have recently been put in the spotlight – either as the major hurdle standing in the way of true reform, or a potentially valuable tool in bringing about the sort of change needed in education today.

This video offers an overview of the National Education Association.

History of the Teacher Union

According to the , the early beginnings of the teacher union can be traced all the way back to the early years of the 20^th century, when city boards of education began the first efforts at education reform. While this early focus was positive in some respects - including raising the standards of teaching, ensuring student achievement, and rooting out corruption - teachers at the time did not feel like a significant part of the reform process. Teachers rebelled against the changes implemented by business leaders and education bureaucrats, and they began forming local associations that eventually grew into the

With the Mega Millions craze sweeping the country in recent weeks, how have public schools benefited? According to lottery advertising, one of the benefits of this form of gambling is generating funding for public schools. While it sounds good on paper, how much benefit do lotteries really offer to public school systems? It turns out the answer to that question may be much more complex than it appears on the surface.

An Overview of Lotteries

According to the website for the system, lottery is a “game of chance in which players have an equal opportunity to win prizes.” The first American lottery was held in Jamestown in 1612, and it made up half the entire budget the early settlers needed to build their colony. Lotteries were used by President George Washington to support the Revolutionary War, and Thomas Jefferson used them to fund a variety of public projects.

Lotteries have traditionally been used to support public works projects like building and street construction, as well as education and environmental projects. Today’s lotteries utilize the latest technology to allow players the choice between instant tickets, online games, and the standard lottery drawing games. Prizes for lotteries have also become more extravagant, as evidenced by the recent Mega Millions game that has made headlines in states like Virginia, California, and North Carolina.

Where does Lottery Money Go?

The proceeds from lotteries can

Amidst numerous allegations of sexual misconduct among staff members, the New York City Department of Education is taking another look at disciplinary procedures and policies regarding teachers in their schools. A recent arrest of a Brooklyn gym teacher brings the grand total of school employees facing potential criminal charges to more than a dozen during 2012 alone. Now the questions become what to do about the teachers that have been identified as possible sex offenders and how to prevent these types of problems from occurring in the future.

Latest Arrest May Result in Firing

The New York Daily News reports on the recent arrest of Esran Boothe, a gym teacher at Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment, who was accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old female student. Boothe, who has worked in New York schools since 2003, was charged with third-degree sex abuse and forcible touching. Currently, Boothe has been removed from the classroom, and the chancellor of NYC schools, Dennis Walcott, is looking into having the instructor fired.

“A staff member who violates the trust of our students and families does not deserve to work in our schools – period,” Walcott told the New York Daily News. “Anyone who does will be removed and we will do everything in our power to make sure they never work here again.”

This video reports on the sexual abuse situation in NYC schools.

As Louisiana Governor Jindal Fights to Reform Louisiana Schools, Teachers Push Back

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has taken his sweeping education reform to state lawmakers, while educators in the state who are more than a little unhappy with Jindal’s proposals are finding ways to push back. Jindal’s plans would usher in some of the most significant education reforms in the country, with Jindal tackling sticky issues like teacher tenure and retirement plans, charter schools, and a voucher program that would impact half the children in the state. While Jindal’s proposals are garnering support from many state lawmakers and residents, others are downright furious with Jindal’s ideas on how to transform the state’s education system.

Teacher Tenure Tied to Job Performance

One of Jindal’s proposals that has won the ire of local teachers’ unions involves how teachers are hired and granted tenure. According to the Daily Comet, the bill would shift hiring new teachers to principals and superintendents rather than school boards. The bill would also make significant changes to current teacher tenure procedures, which are tied to annual evaluations for three years. Current evaluations rank teachers as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory, which makes it challenging to weed ineffective teachers out from the rest.

Under Jindal’s new tenure proposal, teachers would be subject to annual five-year reviews under a more complex rating system. Teachers who received “highly effective” ratings for five years straight would be eligible for tenure. “Ineffective” ratings would result in loss of

Utah may boast the most restrictive sexual education laws in the country if a new bill passed through the state legislature is signed into law. The new law would restrict schools from teaching any type of sex ed in public schools outside of abstinence and would prohibit discussion on contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. Despite the fact that this bill has passed in both the state House and Senate, there is plenty of opposition to the bill with state lawmakers, educators, and even parents.

About the Bill

Referred to as HB363 and sponsored by Bill Wright (R-Holden), this bill would define sex education in the state of Utah as abstinence-only and would ban schools from providing instruction on sexual intercourse, homosexuality, contraceptive methods, and sexually transmitted diseases. According to , Wright sponsored the bill as a response to what he called “inappropriate material” presented in classrooms. Specifically, Wright was opposed to material produced by Planned Parenthood being distributed to students. Wright said he believes sex education is something that should take place in the home, rather than the school.

Currently, Utah schools are allowed to offer sex-education courses with some restrictions attached. Schools are allowed to provide instruction about sexual intercourse and contraception without advocating for it. The classes are offered on an elective basis, so parents can choose not to have children take the course if they don’t want them to.

“A lot of our schools are already teaching abstinence,” Wright told