Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
States rush to leave No Child law behind
States are rushing for the No Child Left Behind exit door. Published August 9, 2011
Duncan ready to use waivers to evade NCLB
Education Secretary Arne Duncan had harsh words for Congress on Monday, calling it "dysfunctional" as he announced plans to bypass lawmakers and implement sweeping education reform through a waiver system for states. Published August 8, 2011
Duncan scolds Congress, announces bypass plan
Education Secretary Arne Duncan had harsh words for Congress on Monday, calling it "dysfunctional" and announcing plans to bypass lawmakers and institute sweeping education reform through a waiver system for states. Published August 8, 2011
Democrats seek to pin credit downgrade on tea party
While continuing to cast doubt on the credibility of Standard & Poor's, several Democrats on Sunday said there is an even greater culprit in the downgrade of the nation's credit rating: the tea party. Published August 7, 2011
Kerry blames the tea party for credit downgrade
Sen. John Kerry on Sunday laid the blame for the recent downgrade of the nation's credit rating at the feet of conservative House Republicans. Published August 7, 2011
Budget chairman dubious of ‘supercommittee’
Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, expressed skepticism Sunday morning that the so-called "supercommittee" charged with finding trillions of dollars in debt reduction will accomplish its goal. Published August 7, 2011
Teachers can’t ‘friend’ students in Missouri
Missouri students will soon be unfriended by their teachers. Under a new law that takes effect Aug. 28, teachers in the Show-Me State will no longer be able to "friend" students on popular social networking sites like Facebook. Instructors can still set up public pages or groups to post homework assignments or share resources, but individual friendships or communication will be illegal. Published August 4, 2011
UNVA students fear worst after raid
Students at the University of Northern Virginia say they are increasingly worried the school will close its doors forever after a raid by federal officials last week, but university officials said Wednesday they're open for business and cooperating with investigators. Published August 3, 2011
Schools scramble to stop cheating scandals
In the wake of school cheating scandals across the country, several states are racing to implement new testing protocols before classes resume. Published August 2, 2011
Dropout grants raise issue of college’s value
Christopher Rueth blew off college for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: a $100,000 grant to work on wireless Internet technology. Published August 1, 2011
Maine studies 5-year high school program
High school may seem like the longest four years of a teenager's life. For students in Maine, it soon could be even longer. Published August 1, 2011
Duncan cites Pell Grants in 13.3% budget rise
With the attention of lawmakers focused squarely on reducing the nation's debt, Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Wednesday defended his department's request for a budget increase in fiscal 2012. Published July 27, 2011
Duncan seeks more education money in a belt-tightening time
With the attention of the lawmakers focused squarely on reducing the nation's debt, Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Wednesday defended his department's request for a budget increase in fiscal year 2012. Published July 27, 2011
14 states slow to ask for federal rewards for pre-K upgrades
Fourteen states are still undecided about applying for the Obama administration's $500 million Early Learning Challenge, a grant program that will reward states for improvements to prekindergarten education. Published July 24, 2011
Colleges raise tuition as much as 22 percent
Parents and students are bracing for a new round of sticker shock this fall as public colleges and universities are hiking prices again, this time to make up for massive cuts in state budgets. Published July 20, 2011
S. Korea leads way for paperless classroom
By 2015, the nation's schools will abandon traditional textbooks in favor of digital learning. Over the next four years, the nation's government will spend more than $2 billion to provide every student with a tablet and, in the process, become the first country in the world to go paperless in its schools. Published July 18, 2011
Durbin wants wider hacking probe
The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate on Sunday called for a congressional investigation into the phone-hacking scandal that has rocked Rupert Murdoch's media behemoth News Corp. Published July 17, 2011
Many states celebrate surpluses as Congress struggles with debt
As Washington stares at rising national debt and projected deficits for years to come, many states are faced with the opposite problem: whether to spend their budget surpluses and, if so, on what. Published July 17, 2011
Markets watcher: ‘Starting to get spooked’ over delay in debt deal
While Congress and the White House still have more than two weeks to raise the debt ceiling before the Treasury Department's early August deadline, the financial markets are getting jittery, fearing they won't reach a deal in time. Published July 17, 2011
GOP wants amendment for balanced budget
With the debt-limit deadline only 16 days away, congressional Republicans on Sunday reiterated their support for a balanced-budget amendment as the answer to the nation's fiscal woes. Published July 17, 2011
