All summer long at The 74, we’ve been using our “Big Picture” series to offer parents a richer understanding of the nation’s public school system — maps and charts that look at specific aspects of district policy and classroom behavior. Even if it wasn’t a complete sampling of every single issue facing families, teachers, principals, and policymakers,…
Tag: Education
Pittsburgh Public Schools consider arming school police
JAMIE MARTINES Oct. 2, 2018, Pittsburgh Public Schools are exploring a possible policy change that would allow school police officers to carry guns. Pittsburgh Public Schools police Chief George Brown told the board Monday that officers need guns to do their jobs. He added that they’ve been trained to work with all students and to…
Pittsburgh Public Schools police chief wants his officers armed
PITTSBURGH — Marcie Cipriani October 3, 2018 The police chief for Pittsburgh Public Schools on Monday asked the district’s policy committee to change the policy that prevents school officers from carrying firearms. “I want to stop whatever’s coming from the outside inside,” Chief George Brown said. “We’re trying to keep the streets out of our…
Seattle Public School District Says Teacher Displacement Is Not a Race or Economic-Equity Issue
by Nathalie Graham • Oct 3, 2018 at 11:52 am SPS says recent teacher displacements don’t have anything to do with teacher strikes either. KELLY O Staffing adjustments happen every fall for Seattle Public Schools (SPS). This fall was different because of an enrollment prediction error. For the first time in 10 years, Seattle’s overall enrollment rate was lower than…
More Than Money: A Tech Giant’s Commitment to Public Schools
Caitlin Reilly October 4, 2018 Salesforce.org, the philanthropic arm of Salesforce, recently committed $15.5 million to local school districts in San Francisco and Oakland. With this gift, Salesforce has given more than $50 million to Bay Area public schools over the company’s five-year partnership with the districts. Salesforce has long been a trailblazer in corporate…
Indianapolis Public Schools continue to lag behind on ISTEP scores
Arika Herron, Oct. 3, 2018 Only one in five Indianapolis Public School students passed both the English and math portions of the ISTEP exam administered last spring, making it one of the lowest-performing school districts in the state and the lowest-performing in Marion County. IPS officials released a statement Wednesday acknowledging the challenges facing the…
Local superintendents address state of public education at forum
MIDDLETOWN — Schools are often seen as a reflection of society, as Middletown schools Superintendent Richard Del Moro put it during a town hall discussion about the state of public education Thursday evening. For example, district administrators are hiring more experts to help students cope with issues outside the classroom. These experts often include psychologists,…
Why public school funding isn’t working in Texas
By David DeMatthews and David S. Knight Sep. 27, 2018 Texas is a prosperous state, but lawmakers are failing to adequately finance public education, and communities and students are suffering the academic, physical and economic consequences. The upcoming legislative session provides a unique opportunity for our state’s elected leaders to right the past wrongs, but…
Do Public School Students Have Constitutional Rights?
The Supreme Court used to answer with a resounding yes. In recent decades, regrettably, it has changed its mind. By Justin Driver Mr. Driver is a law professor. Aug. 31, 2018 On Tuesday, as many students around the country start the school year, the eyes of the nation will turn to the Senate Judiciary Committee as…
Public schools and the push to privatize everything
By SAM OSHERSON Sunday, September 23, 2018 (New Hampshire) Despite their euphemisms about “choice” and claims about “personalizing” education, the “school choice” advocates display a surprising ignorance about public education in New Hampshire. Commissioner of Education Frank Edelblut, for example, routinely misrepresents what happens in public school classrooms, incorrectly dismisses N.H. public education as a…
Standing Strong for Public Education! 