March 1, 2010
Two east Sacramento schools sit just five blocks apart, but the desirable neighborhood has been the only thing they had in common. Phoebe Hearst Elementary is among the area’s most sought-after elementary schools. Kit Carson Middle School, on the other hand, has routinely been threatened with closure because of low enrollment and poor test scores. […]
March 1, 2010
Forty-four Napa Valley Unified School District teachers kept their jobs this year thanks to federal stimulus funding. But next year will be different. So-called stimulus dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 reached all the public schools in the county to varying degrees last year, buying time against the full impact of […]
March 1, 2010
Districtwide salary reductions, nine layoffs and dipping into reserves are among the measures Fallbrook Union High School District administrators are considering to close a projected $1.8 million budget shortfall for the school year starting July 1. Laying off seven teachers, a counselor, an assistant principal and all tempor ary teachers would save the district an […]
March 1, 2010
The debate leading to a school-tax referendum in Sarasota County has generated a lot of questions, including many focused on the broader topic of education funding in Florida. Writing about this topic has its risks. It’s complicated, numbers change from year to year and county to county. And, unless the writer is prepared to produce […]
March 1, 2010
Desperate times may call for desperate measures, but they should be taken only after careful thought and planning. Collaboration between Pueblo County’s two school districts may have seemed unthinkable a few years ago, but combining some functions could improve services and each district’s bottom line. That was the consensus Friday during a congenial […]
March 1, 2010
President Obama plans Monday to outline a get-tough str ategy for turning around persistently struggling schools, offering increased federal funding to local school systems that shake up their lowest-achieving campuses. Obama was expected to promote his initiative in a 10 a.m. appearance Monday before an organization called America’s Promise Alliance, founded by former secretary of […]
March 1, 2010
Once again, facts are getting in the way of those who would question the success of charter schools. Critics often claim that charter schools are more effective than district-run public schools only because they are better funded. In fact, according to a new report, New York City’s chart er schools are thriving despite receiving fewer […]
March 1, 2010
The mass firing of teachers at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island on Tuesday, February 23, was greeted with predictable enthusiasm by the Obama administration. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, declared, “I applaud Commissioner Gist and Superintendent Gallo for showing courage and doing the right thing for kids.” Duncan was referring to events at the […]
March 1, 2010
Joyce Haldeman, the district’s associate superintendent of government relations, could not provide figures on potential teacher layoffs but said the number would not be many if teachers union officials would agree to salary reductions of 2 percent to 4 percent. "We have talked about the need for a ‘shared sacrifice,’" Haldeman said. "We could save […]
March 1, 2010
The Lucia Mar school district is planning to issue layoff notices for 80 full-time-equivalent teaching, counseling and administrative posts that could be cut in the next academic year to help close a $5 million budget gap. Three full-time management positions, plus three that are now vacant, could also be cut. The separate plans are up […]