Local School Topics

Churches that have been meeting in public schools in the city of New York in recent years will now have to find a new place to worship, according to a decision by a New York circuit court on an appeal to let churches stay. The decision was prompted by the New York Department of Education, which had sought for many years to have churches removed from their schools, even if the churches in question only met on Sundays, when the schools were closed to students. The controversy in New York has opened up a rather complex can of worms in the ongoing battle between Free Speech and separation of church and state.

The Board of Education and the Ongoing Battle

The question of whether churches should be allowed to meet in public schools is not a new one to the city of New York. For decades there has been a ban against such a practice, through a city regulation that is supported by state law. Many other school districts nationwide currently allow religious groups to meet in schools when school is not in session, so decisions made in this courtroom do not necessarily apply to them at this time. However, as the battle continues, it could be carried over into other school districts across the country, if enough parents begin to protest the practice and seek legal action to end it.

This video offers a look at the landmark cases that have helped defined the role religion

If Governor Rick Scott has his way, Florida schools will see a boost to their budget this year. That is good news for schools pinching their pennies as budgets have dwindled in recent years due to increased students and falling property values. However, the additional money won’t come without a cost, as Scott wants to move funds from the prison system and Medicaid program to offer more funding for the public school system.

Education aTop Priority in Florida

According to a report at Tampa Bay Online, Scott is making a dramatic shift in policy by citing education as one of the top priorities for the state of Florida this year. Last year, the governor was criticized by Florida residents for slashing the education budget by $1.3 billion, which amounted to over $500 per student. The total cut was less than the governor had requested, decreasing from a 10-percent cut in his initial request to an eight-percent cut approved by the Florida legislature.

This year, Scott wants to boost the public school budget by $1 billion, bringing it closer to what it was prior to last year’s decreases. The change of heart by the governor may be attributed to a number of factors. First, in town meetings across the state, Scott heard time and time again how important education was to Florida residents.

“They [Floridians] want education to be a priority,” Scott explained to HT Politics. “I’m committed to act on what I’ve heard.”

The state is currently

Immigration is a hot topic on both sides of the congressional floor in this country, as lawmakers continue to debate the legal, ethical and moral issues surrounding undocumented persons living in the United States. In the center of the battle are undocumented students who came to this country with their parents and now face high school graduation with little hope for the future. This past week, the state of New York made a move to change the fate of the thousands of undocumented students living there, with a vote by the Board of Regents to allow undocumented students access to state financial aid for higher education.

Vote First Step in Immigration Reform for State

According to a report in the New York Daily News, the vote by the state Board of Regents does not officially change the status of undocumented students who wish to pursue higher education in the United States – yet. The hope is that this positive vote will spur lawmakers to extend financial aid to these students through their means. The bill, referred to as the Education Equity for DREAMers Act, has not yet been brought before the legislature for any sort of decision or vote. However, the preliminary vote by the Board of Regents may be the push state lawmakers need to put this bill on their table as well.

“These are students who are attending our

With the expectation of losing accreditation in January 2012, Kansas City Public Schools are dealing with turbulence both within and outside their ranks. The school district’s accreditation was revoked in September after a vote from Missouri education officials. The decision was based on the fact that for several years, the district has failed to meet academic performance standards established by the state. With many questions about what will happen next, many within the district are reacting to the coming changes with fear, concern, and even panic.

The Decision is Made

According to a report in the Huffington Post, Missouri school officials decided to revoke the district’s accreditation less than a month after the current superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools, John Covington, left the district to take a job in Michigan helping poorly performing schools in that state. The interim superintendent, R. Stephen Green, told the Huffington Post that while the district was disappointed in the state’s decision, they would rely on community involvement to help bring schools back up to state standards.

This is not the first time Kansas City Public Schools has lost accreditation. The first vote to this effect took effect in 2000. After two years of work to get the district's schools back up to par, Kansas City has been granted provisional accreditation since 2002. However, after years of failing to make the grade, education officials decided it was time again to take matters into their own hands.

“We’ve

Online learning has become a convenient way for many students of all ages to meet academic requirements today. However, as more of the world goes virtual, some states are beginning to require secondary students to spend at least some of their academic experience online. Idaho is the latest state to join the trend, with even stricter online requirements than their three predecessors: Michigan, Florida, and Alabama. Although Idaho legislators believe online education is the best way to prepare students for life in the 21^st century, not everyone in the state is on board with the idea.

The Advent of Online Learning

Online learning is not a new concept. College courses have been available online for some time, with some universities going entirely virtual for the convenience of students. High schools have also seen an increase in online learning, which is a helpful option for students who perform better in school when they can go at their own pace. It is also essential for some students who cannot quickly get to a classroom daily due to a physical disability or other challenge.

As virtual learning continues to grow globally, it has become touted as the education wave of the future. With the ability to earn degrees online, students can now study from anywhere in the world, as long as they have a computer or comparable device and an Internet connection. Undoubtedly, online courses are reshaping how we look at academics today. However, controversy arose when legislators began