May 4, 2011
Teachers from across the Fox Valley will board buses to Springfield this morning. And while the Illinois Education Association’s lobby day happens every year, an education reform bill making its way through the House and murmurs of pension reform this year are adding to the annual pleas to send more money to schools. About 40 […]
May 4, 2011
Some parents see the frequent test prep as much-needed help and reinforcement for their kids; others say it hurts the learning process. This week, New York City students in grades 3 through 8 are taking the annual standardi zed tests that will measure their achievement in math and reading. The New York Daily News reports […]
May 3, 2011
TALLAHASSEE — The Republican-dominated Florida Legislature is poised this week to pass its blueprint for economic recovery — a budget that slashes nearly $4 billion from schools, employee benefits, health care and environmental programs. Although budget writers were still ironing out differences, the final picture was sharpening as this Friday’s constitutional deadline nears. The $67 […]
May 3, 2011
Wisconsin lawmakers have introduced a bill that would allow students with disabilities living anywhere in the state to attend private schools at taxpayers’ expense. Legislators based the Special Needs Scholarship Program on a decades-old initiative in Florida that provides state money ranging from $5,000 to $21,000 each for more than 20,000 students with disabilities to […]
May 3, 2011
Since leaving office in 2007, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has dedicated his time to edu cation reform, writes Carol Cain for the Detroit Free Press. Although his name has been floated as a possibility for the 2012 Republican ticket, he’s dismissed such speculations and continues to focus on running his Foundation for Excellence in […]
May 3, 2011
Neither side in the litigation challenging the constitutionality of the reductions in state aid to education broke any new ground in recent oral arguments before the State Supreme Court. The Education Law Center reiterated its position that anything less than full funding of the aid formula violated the Supreme Court ruling of three years ago […]
May 3, 2011
St. Paul, Minn. — Supporters of state-sponsored mental health services say they’ll be rallying all week at the Capitol to try to stop budget cuts. Supporters say health bills in the Sena te would cut $40 million for things like school-based mental health care, health care for kids in juvenile detention, and mobile crisis teams […]
May 3, 2011
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.–Legislative negotiations over Missouri’s proposed $23 billion budget stalled soon after starting Monday because of a disagreement over how much the state can afford to spend on education and services for the elderly and disabled. Lawmakers face a Friday deadline, set by the state constitution, to complete action on the state operating budget […]
May 3, 2011
Teachers, one of whom “often” wakes at 3 a.m. to grade papers, puts on a public display of their work to protest cuts to their benefits. Palm Beach County school teachers opted for an unusual tactic to protest a new budget deal that would require them to contribute 3% of their salary towards their retirement, […]
May 2, 2011
On November 9, 2010, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan addressed the annual forum of the State Educational Technology Directors Association to announce the Department of Education’s National Te chnology Plan. Duncan opened his remarks saying, “Our nation’s schools have yet to unleash technology’s full potential to transform learning. We’re at an important transition point. […]