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 […]
February 25, 2010
Charter schools receive less public funding per student than their district school peers, according to a report released today by the city’s Independent Budget Office. But the size of that disparity varies widely according to whether the charter school is housed in a city-owned building, the report said. Charter schools that are housed in public […]
February 25, 2010
The Lawrence School Board faces the daunting task of cutting $5 million in funding before next school year. Deciding where those cuts will come from remains a difficult decision and one that deserves careful deliberation. Although the Board needs to consider a wide range of viable options, closing neighborhood schools falls far outside that range. […]
February 25, 2010
COLUMBIA — Columbia Public Schools could use some good financial news. But as the saying goes, there’s good news and bad news. The Good News Despite three consecutive years of budget cuts by the district, things could have been worse: Federal st imulus money for Missouri supported key public school programs, including Title I preschool […]
February 25, 2010
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ? Officials feared the closure of a Natomas elementary school would be inevitable, but a new array of creative ideas may provide alternatives. D uring a Wednesday night board workshop packed with parents, a parent’s group proposed to cut back on custodians and secretaries throughout the Natomas Unified School District as a way […]
February 25, 2010
DeKalb County schools’ superintendent is calling for 148 central office employees to be laid off to help meet an anticipated $88 million deficit. Those cuts are just the beginning of an across-the-board slashing of programs, personnel and school closings to meet the growing deficit in next year’s budget, Superintendent Crawford Lewis said. Hundreds more school […]
February 25, 2010
Arts groups are fighting back against a proposal by the House Appropriations Committee to eliminate state funding for the Virginia Commission for the Arts. At stake is a state appropriation of about $4.4 million in each of the next two fiscal years to fund the arts agency, which distributes grants to hundreds of arts groups […]