Education News: May 25, 2007

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending May 25, 2007.

High School Essay Writer in the Clear
(Source: The Chicago Tribune, 5/24/07): Charges against a high school senior in Illinois who wrote an essay about killing his schoolmates and teacher have been dropped. District officials stated they had carefully reviewed the incident and decided not to pursue further action.

New York’s Schools for Pregnant Girls Will Close
(Source: The New York Times, 5/24/07): Special schools for pregnant girls in New York City will close at the end of this school year because a study of the schools found that they were not providing quality education to their students.

Alaska City, Village Kids Trade Places
(Source: The New York Times, 5/23/07): The Rose Urban Rural Exchange program in Alaska enables students from city and rural environments to switch places with each other and learn about different ways of life.

Seattle Plans New System for Student Assignment
(Source: The Seattle Times, 5/23/07): The Seattle school district is reexamining its policy of allowing students to select which high school they attend. The district has reached a crisis point as some schools are very oversubscribed and some are facing rapidly declining enrollment.

Recovering District Offers Bonuses
(Source: The Times-Picayune, 5/22/07): The New Orleans school district will offer a $5,000 bonus to all certified and licensed teachers who receive a positive evaluation at the midway point next year. This bonus will be used to recruit teachers to stay in the troubled school district.

Ad Limits Seen as Way to Curb Youth Smoking and Drinking
(Source: The New York Times, 5/22/07): Recent studies show that alcohol and tobacco advertising has a measurable effect on underage experimentation with these substances. Students who own items with alcohol or cigarette advertisements on them are more likely to have tried using these substances.

Parents Don’t Need Lawyer in Education Cases
(Source: The Washington Post, 5/21/07): The Supreme Court ruled this week that parents have the right to be provided with a lawyer in court when they are contesting the education of their disabled children. The ruling stems from a case filed by parents who were unable to hire a lawyer and therefore denied a hearing over the status of their autistic son’s education.