October 20, 2010
In an election year dominated by the pitched battle for Congress and major governors’ races, state ballot measures involving education are largely tied to a similar theme: the burden of funding K-12 programs when state finances are shaky. “It’s all funding,” said Jennie Drage Bowser, a senior fellow in the Legislative Management Program at the […]
October 20, 2010
Georgia’s largest school system has won the nation’s top prize in public education, which will provide $1 million in college scholarships for needy students in the district. Gwinnett County Public Schools snagged the Broad Prize for Urban Education, an award the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation gives annually to urban districts that show the most […]
October 20, 2010
Illinois has been cutting the number of points required to pass annual achievement exams, allowing children to flub more questions but still be deemed "proficient." Back in 2006, it took 36 of 56 points — about 64 percent — to pass the fifth-grade reading test. Now, it’s 31 points, or 55 percent. The third- and […]
October 20, 2010
Secondary students in the Prior Lake-Savage district will choose from fewer elective courses and see a variety of other changes next fall if the school board approves a plan to change daily schedules at their schools. The plan calls for Prior Lake High School and the district’s two middle schools to switch from seven daily […]
October 20, 2010
Despite its decision on House Bill 3393, TPS says it’s heard the complaints of parents loud and clear. The district says it’s taking this opportunity to further develop its special education department. TPS stands by its special education programs, saying they are excellent. But administrators admit there’s always room for improvement. "Public schools, private schools. […]
October 19, 2010
Congress adjourned for the November elections without reauthorizing the federal law that controls the nation’s school meals program. But school nutrition and anti-hunger advocates say that delay could be a blessing in disguise. Two competing versions of the Child Nutrition Act were introduced in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, but the Senate […]
October 19, 2010
Officials with the state Department of Education said Monday that a veto of $6.8 million in state funding for a student data tracking system could hurt California’s compliance with federal regulations and make it difficult to track dropouts. Earlier this month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed nearly $1 billion in spending, including some funding earmarked for […]
October 19, 2010
When work crews went to inspect the city’s schools this summer, they knew years of neglect had taken a toll. But the damage still took them aback. Roofs were leaking, ceiling tiles had collapsed, mold had infected three classrooms, and 100 toilet seats were broken. Trees and brush blocked emergency exits. The inspections, the first […]
October 19, 2010
Alabama has joined Iowa, Kansas, South Carolina and West Virginia in requesting that the U.S. Department of Education allow the state to reduce the amount of money spent on special education due to an "unforeseen decline in the financial resources" of the st ate. The one-page letter was submitted on Sept. 30, according to a […]
October 19, 2010
Michelle A. Rhee may be on her way out as chancellor of D.C. Public Schools, but the fi ghts she waged over the city’s education policies are likely to linger long after she is gone. For City Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray, Ms. Rhee’s most prominent critic and the all-but-elected next mayor of the city, […]