Education
Ohio schools rely heavily upon student fees to pay for sports programs
A report by The Plain Dealer reveals that Cleveland State University charges its students “about $600 a year for intercollegiate sports, even if you do not attend a single game.” However, the school is not the only university in Ohio to rely heavily upon student fees to support their sports program. “As students and parents…
Read MorePhiladelphia school police need policing
An investigation by the Philadelphia Inquirer identified “more than a dozen school police officers who have been arrested on drug, assault, theft, and other charges in recent years – either before they were employed by the district or while they were on active duty.” “In Philadelphia, officers undergo Federal Bureau of Investigation, child abuse, and…
Read MoreStimulus money for Florida school districts misused
President Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus package granted “millions of federal dollars” to public school districts in Florida. As part of the President’s vision “to accelerate improvement in schools,” the money was meant to provide a means to improve low performing schools and prevent teacher layoffs. However, this investigation by Mc Nelly Torres of the Florida Center for…
Read MoreElectrolux plan holds “hidden concessions” for Memphis taxpayers
When appliance giant Electrolux annouced plans to build a factory in Memphis, Tenn., it seemed like a great economic boost for the region. However, a closer investigation by reporters Daniel Connolly and Amos Maki of The Commercial Appeal reveals that the plan may cost taxpayers a lot more than it appears. “Government officials approved a massive package…
Read MoreCollege athletics: losing site of the game?
At a time when most college sports corruption cases are about athletes, Taylor Branch reveals that the big money is being harvested by the universities. “In 2010, despite the faltering economy, a single college athletic league, the football-crazed Southeastern Conference (SEC), became the first to crack the billion-dollar barrier in athletic receipts. The Big Ten pursued…
Read MoreConstruction halted for independent schools in south Dallas-closings may not be far behind
Matt Haag from The Dallas Morning News reports that several schools (most in southern Dallas) in the Independent School District (ISD) have halted their construction projects. One school, Pearl C. Anderson, already paid $400,000 for renovations before the construction was called off, said District spokesman Jon Dahlander. But he said some of the money went…
Read MoreCalifornia schools struggle with restraint training programs
Restraint training for teachers who deal with unruly students has become a bigger need than ever in some California counties, reports the Bay Citizen. Negative “behavioral episodes in California schools more than doubled to 21,076 between the 2005-6 and 2009-10 school years, according to California Department of Education figures.” Instances of the restraint or seclusion…
Read MoreFL schools closing the gaping divide amongst low and high-income students
Sharona Coutts and Jennifer LaFleur of ProPublica lay out, flawlessly, data previously unreleased by the federal government that shows “Florida leads the nation in the percentage of high-school students enrolled in high-level classes—Advanced Placement and advanced math. That holds true across rich and poor districts.” LaFleur, Coutts, Al Shaw, and Jeff Larson also put together a…
Read MoreBusiness College undergrads rack up criminal convictions
This investigation by The Gazette reveals that more than 18 percent of students graduating from the “University of Iowa’s prestigious Tippie College of Business” have “at least one non-traffic criminal conviction.” The percentage of convictions possessed by students of the Business College is 6 percent higher than any other University of Iowa undergraduate. Some of…
Read MoreElizabeth school board uses teachers as fundraising base
This four-month investigation by The Star-Ledger reveals questionable practices by the Elizabeth Board of Education. The Elizabeth school district is the largest in New Jersey, and seen as one of the “top” districts to some. Reporter Ted Sherman found that members of the school board often contacted teachers soliciting donations and various other types of…
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