Education News: April 13, 2007

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending April 13, 2007.

Michigan Gov: Tax Hike or School Cut
(Source: The Detroit News, 4/13/07) Governor Jennifer Granholm has warned Michigan residents that school funding will be cut by as much as $125 per student if lawmakers do not act immediately to raise taxes. Michigan currently has a $377 million school aid shortfall as a result of property tax and sales tax revenues not keeping pace with the rising costs of education.

Watchdog Takes Over After School Shooting
(Source: The Chicago Tribune, 4/12/07): Chicago Vocational Career Academy will now have a retired, experienced principal overseeing the school in the wake of a shooting in class last week. The school, which experienced 147 violent incidents last year, has beefed up security.

Vallas To Leave City Schools Post
(Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/12/07): Paul Vallas, the CEO of the Philadelphia school district is leaving sometime after the end of this year, citing his commitment to stay for five years. Although he was awarded a contract extension last year, Vallas was at odds with the mayor and the School Reform Commission. During his tenure, Vallas instituted a number of successful reforms such as the privatization of many schools.

Usefulness of Education Research Questioned
(Source: USA Today, 4/11/07): How do studies that affect public education get properly disseminated? Researchers are grappling with the fact that important education findings rarely make their way into the hands of teachers, principals, and superintendents.

Proposal Would Cut Gifted Programs
(Source: The Miami Herald, 4/11/07): An education bill being debated in the Florida legislature would limit use of the term “exceptional student” to students in grades 8 and under. Legislators backing the bill say that AP and IB classes already give advanced children extra support in higher grades, while opponents say that exceptional students require more enrichment than just advanced classes.

In East Harlem School Closing, Talk of a Class Divide
(Source: The New York Times, 4/10/07): In an increasingly gentrified East Harlem neighborhood, a Catholic school that has been there for decades is closing its doors. The rumor among parents is that it will reopen as a much pricier school, making it impossible for long-time residents of the neighborhood to afford it any longer.

Nation’s Largest Student-Loan Provider Settles
(Source: CNN, 4/11/07): Senator Kennedy is now leading an investigation into student loan practices because of a scandal that is rocking the industry. By citing certain loan providers as “preferred lenders,” some college officials have received stock and vacations in return. A settlement, in which Sallie Mae will pay $2 million to a fund that will educate borrowers, was reached this week.

Little Rock School Board At Odds Over Firing Superintendent
(Source: CNN, 4/11/07): The Little Rock, Arkansas, school board is divided along racial lines over whether to fire the current superintendent, who is black, for making incendiary comments and for working on prospective legislation without the school board's consent. The board’s white members want to keep the current superintendent, while the board’s black members would like him to be fired. Despite recently being taken off the federal watch-list for segregation, the district is now garnering bad press as a result of this new controversy.