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In the News on December 18, 2007
Congressional leaders pessimistic about NCLB's renewal in 2008 * Democrats propose a bill that would increase federal education spending * States implement tiered licensing systems to improve teacher quality
Federal/NCLB
Rep. Miller, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, sounds pessimistic about NCLB’s prospects for renewal in 2008 and he is blaming President Bush
Democrats propose a bill that would increase federal education spending by 3.2 percent in fiscal 2008, but advocates are disappointed about the modest gains projected for K-12 programs
Other News
States implement tiered licensing systems to improve teacher quality
School Funding Litigation/Policy
NV educators scramble to identify the cost and the consequences of a new decision to include schools in statewide budget reductions that could lead to cuts of $96 million
SD Senate leaders say K-12 education funding is a top priority this year, but other areas are perhaps more likely to see changes in the 2008 Legislature
State Roundup
AK dropout program shows early signs of success, efforts include identifying at-risk students early on
Push to make FL charter schools more academically and financially accountable gains legislative support
GA joins push to set stiffer requirements for administrators with the intent of better preparing them to lead schools in an era of accountability
GA districts take advantage of a new state law that allows public school systems to convert entirely to charter schools, exempting them from many regulations and giving them more freedom to choose how they meet federal standards
NCLB will shut down a UT school, forcing students from the Northern Ute tribe to attend a nearly exclusively white school; parents are concerned about long bus rides and racial issues, but superintendent says his school will welcome the students with more opportunities and open arms
More high school students pass the Washington Assessment of Student Learning required for graduation, after the legislature delays the math portion of the exam as a requisite
In the News on December 17, 2007
Federal/NCLB
Calls grow for a broader yardstick for schools: The debate over the formula for rating public schools stalls efforts in Congress to revise NCLB
Researchers say that a gap in teacher preparation coupled with curricular differences, could explain achievement disparities between American students and their peers in other industrialized nations
Study concluding that teachers entering the profession today have higher academic qualifications than their counterparts a decade ago is credible and significant, but not cause for resting on laurels, teacher experts say
School Funding Litigation/Policy
Finance officials predict that
Some IL school districts will soon start receiving less money from their twice-a-month state funding payments because they have experienced “great changes”
More than 170 MT school districts will face budget cuts and potential layoffs beginning in July, despite over $100 million in new education money approved earlier this year, analysts predict
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New year brings new school funding fight in NH
Former NJ governors support Corzine’s new school funding proposal, but say the idea will be a tough sell
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State Roundup
Critics will try to weaken FL’s class-size amendment: Educators say limiting class sizes will require money the cash-strapped state does not have, leave them no flexibility to handle enrollment changes and lead to more portable classrooms
GA's new special needs scholarship program, a voucher program for disabled students, is popular but limited
IN report says bigger is better when it comes to school consolidation, but educators disagree
NV charter schools hit snag after a decade
NY school districts in outlying suburbs seek ways to help the increasing number of Hispanic students of immigrant parents improve performance
Published Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008