May 9, 2011
As states and cities debate whether benefits can or should be cut back for public workers, a new study suggests some of those workers have a lot more to fight for than others. The study found that public school teachers’ retirement benefits — at least the part taxpayers pay for — are smaller than those […]
May 9, 2011
A last-minute feud over a Senate move to help a Jacksonville greyhound track sent the Florida legislature into overtime Friday as the planned smooth finish to the 60-day session dissolved with the Senate president sending members home at 1 a.m. Saturday. It wasn’t until 3:35 a.m., when the Senate adjourned, that the session officially came […]
May 9, 2011
May 6 (Bloomberg) — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a $65.7 billion fiscal 2012 budget to the City Council that includes cutting more than 6,000 teaching positions. Reductions in state and federal funding will mean fewer jobs and services, the mayor said. Although 10 rounds of agency cost-controls since 2008 have trimmed spending […]
May 9, 2011
Described as passionate and stubborn, charismatic and calculating, Jean-Claude Brizard is the new face of reform for Chicago’s distressed public school system. Shaped by his humble roots in Haiti and forged in battles with school boards, parents and unions over a 25-year career in New York public schools, Brizard is accustomed to taking on challenges. […]
May 9, 2011
A group made up largely of conservatives has issued a “manifesto” arguing against development of shared curriculum and tests for the common standards. The manifesto, issued today and signed by more than 100 leaders in education, business, and politics, is a response to a document issued in March by the Alber t Shanker Institute, which […]
May 6, 2011
New Orleans won’t move any closer to having neighborhood schools in the coming year, despite a new state policy that allows most of the city’s charter schools to set aside a portion of their slots for students who live nearby. Last month, the state board of education gave the nearly 40 charter elementary and middle […]
May 6, 2011
Governor Jerry Brown’s plan to fix California’s budget woes without cutting K-12 spending has gone awry, Education Week reports. When he took office, Brown proposed a two-pronged solution that would close part of the state’s budget deficit via reduction in spending, and would allow residents to vote on tax increases to cover the short fall […]
May 6, 2011
AUSTIN, Texas — Republicans pushed the next two-year budget through the Texas Senate on Wednesday by using a loophole to bypass Democrats, clearing the path for negotiations to begin with the House on the $176.5 billion spending plan. After a week of delay, Senate leaders used a procedural maneuver to get around a long-held Senate […]
May 6, 2011
It’s the fifth annual “L.A. on the Hill” week when local political and business leaders meet with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. The new boss at the L.A. Unified School District came east looking for money – and some flexibility with the federal dollars he already has. L.A. Unified Superintendent John Deasy says Congress OK’d a […]
May 6, 2011
With more children being diagnosed with disabilities and the goal of inclusive classrooms firmly in place, the special education landscape continues to progress. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 1 in every 110 children in the United States is diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Additionally there is a wide range of other […]