By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 25A With a quick plug into an electrical outlet, the most visual signal of the impending holidays will get switched on Wednesday. At noon in downtown Dallas, the “Global Peace Tree” will be officially lighted at City Hall Plaza. The 18-foot-tall tree will be decked with 2,000 lights and […]
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A TOKYO – From American shores, it’s hard to imagine that anything is wrong with Japanese schools. Japan has finished ahead of the United States through decades of test-score comparisons. And educational success has played a role in building the world’s second-largest economy. But Japanese leaders think their system […]
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1J When the White House’s elaborate taping system was revealed during Watergate, the immediate benefit was to enemies of Richard Nixon. The long-term beneficiaries, however, have proved to be presidential historians. Michael Beschloss’ new book, Reaching for Glory, is the second part of his trilogy examining the secret tapes […]
Read More… from Q&A with Michael Beschloss: Tapes provide record of Johnson’s Vietnam dilemma
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 36A Barely half of all high school students in Dallas and Fort Worth schools graduate, according to a new study by a conservative think tank. That includes less than 40 percent of Latino students. Those numbers are sharply different from the numbers reported by the Texas Education Agency, which […]
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1G One of the drawbacks of a life in ministry is that Sunday morning television – with all its political debates, spin doctoring, and ideological posing – is generally off-limits. “I’m usually busy on Sundays,” jokes the Rev. Tom Plumbley, senior minister at First Christian Church in Fort Worth. […]
By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Page 1A It’s that time of year again. The leaves are changing, Friday nights are for football, and small, sad-eyed children are asking you to buy a candy bar. Or some cookie dough. Or a roll of wrapping paper. “My gosh, how many candles or mugs does a person need?” […]
Saturday, October 20, 2001 Page 33A New study shakes up school rating system Researchers put higher value on ‘proficiency,’ level playing field By Joshua Benton Staff Writer By most standards, Flower Mound Elementary School is doing an excellent job. State officials have labeled it “exemplary.” More than 90 percent of its students pass the Texas […]
Saturday, October 13, 2001 Page 1A The GED is easy? Wait until Jan. 1 Students have to pass existing sections soon or face tougher exam By Joshua Benton Staff Writer Potential dropouts will have another reason to stay in school starting Jan. 1. On that day, a tougher version of the General Educational Development test […]
Tuesday, October 9, 2001 Page 19A The front lines of young fear Curriculums shifting to address students’ questions about war By Katie Menzer and Joshua Benton Staff Writers Adam Cislo asked only one question in his fifth-grade social studies class Monday: “I would say the big question is: ‘Is this the start of World War […]
Tuesday, October 2, 2001 Page 1A Fearing earth science’s erosion As schools reduce role of subject, some worry key fields are at risk As much as any state, Texas has prospered from the bounty of the earth. Oil and gas have built staggering fortunes and shining skylines. But a group of geologists, academics, and corporate […]