Durham Public Schools to combat suspensions with restorative practices

BY GREG CHILDRESS July 06, 2018 06:38 PM   DURHAM  About four years ago, Grace Marsh’s presentation to Durham principals touting the benefits of restorative practices in schools landed with a thud. “At the time, the principals didn’t seem too excited,” said Marsh, executive director of the Elna B. Spaulding Conflict Resolution Center, a community…

Free handheld metal detectors available for all Indiana schools

JULY 9, 2018, BY FOX59 WEB, INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.– Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb provided an update Monday in the state’s efforts to improve school safety, and announced a new program for schools to get handheld metal detectors. The metal detectors will be made available to any public, charter and non-public school that wants them and will not…

School District Pays $1.3 Million To Settle Landmark Special Ed Case

by Ann Schimke, Chalkbeat Colorado June 25, 2018 The Douglas County School District outside Denver has paid $1.32 million to settle a long-running special education case brought by a couple who sought reimbursement from the district for their son’s education at a private school for students with autism. The payment, made to the law firm…

Trump Administration Delays Special Ed Rule

by Michelle Diament | July 10, 2018 The Trump administration is officially postponing implementation of an Obama-era rule designed to prevent kids from certain backgrounds from being wrongly placed in special education. In a final rule published July 3 in the Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Education halted the so-called “significant disproportionality” rule, which was supposed to…

Janus rallying cry for public school employees

KATHI GRIFFIN July 10, 2018 With the 5-4 decision in Janus v AFSCME, the U.S. Supreme Court delivers a rallying cry to America’s working men and women, including our public school employees.   Those who pushed the Janus lawsuit, including Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Illinois Policy Institute, will be disappointed to learn the court’s…

Why Republicans are now bragging about their investments in education

By Michael Scherer March 25, 2018 Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who made his name attacking unions and slashing school funding, is promising a “historic investment” in public schools as he campaigns for reelection. Florida Gov. Rick Scott, another proud cost-cutter, is bragging about his more recent increases to school funding as he prepares to launch a…