Education
Back-door school handouts
“Rolled into the usual state aid sent to districts, the subsidies are all but hidden and have been skyrocketing, starting at $46 million and increasing more than 1,000 percent in the years since lawmakers approved them, state data show. At its peak in 2008, the program cost taxpayers $805 million, with the majority of school…
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: OSHA ignores slow and silent killers, corporate influence reaches court, back-door school handouts
As OSHA Emphasizes Safety, Long-Term Health Risks Fester | The New York TimesThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the agency that many Americans love to hate and industry calls overzealous, has largely ignored the slow, silent killers that claim the most lives. Corporations, pro-business nonprofits foot bill for judicial seminars | Center for Public IntegrityConservative…
Read MoreMany Low-Income Students May Fail Because of Reading Law
“Among thousands of Oklahoma students who could be held back in third grade for failing a state reading test next year, a disproportionate share will likely be low-income children, anOklahoma Watch analysis of state data found.” Read Oklahoma Watch’s story here,
Read MoreMaking the grade: Inside the college admissions process
“During the last month, on two occasions, The Inquirer has spent a total of about eight hours in the room with Lehigh staff members as they made sometimes difficult and agonizing decisions. It was a window into a highly competitive, emotionally charged process, often kept secret. The Inquirer agreed not to identify applicants.” Read the…
Read MoreMinnesota public schools struggle with staggering costs of special education
According to a report from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a sharp rise in students diagnosed with major disabilities is forcing many Minnesota schools to take difficult and at times divisive new steps to tailor classrooms to the disabled students’ needs, no matter how expensive that gets. Even as overall school enrollment declined over the past…
Read MoreThousands of California teachers missing needed credentials
According to an analysis from California Watch, nearly 1 in 10 teachers lack the necessary credentials for their positions. Using data from the state Commission on Teacher Credentialing, California Watch found more than 32,000 school employees lacked proper authorization between 2007 and 2011. According to the report, “The problem is greater at low-performing schools, where…
Read MoreWorker shortages drive calls for high school curriculum changes
It is what much of Austin’s manufacturing looks and sounds like today. Advanced machinery producing precision products. A computer monitor at virtually every workstation. And a workforce with an increasingly advanced set of technical skills. The difficulty is finding workers with the skills to make it all go.
Read MoreThe bank, the school and the 38-year loan
In early 2008, residents of Placentia and Yorba Linda approved a $200 million school construction bond after reading those fliers and being assured repeatedly that ‘their money will be spent wisely.’ What happened instead was that Measure A led to a debt so large and long lasting that it mortgaged the future of their children’s…
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: Public schools lose millions to crooks, radon hotbeds, campaign-finance funded luxury
Center for Investigative Reporting/EsquireThe Shooter“The man who shot and killed Osama bin Laden sat in a wicker chair in my backyard, wondering how he was going to feed his wife and kids or pay for their medical care.” The Tampa Bay TimesPublic schools lose millions to crooks and cheaters“Axson’s case points to a larger problem with…
Read MorePublic schools lose millions to crooks and cheaters
“Axson’s case points to a larger problem with mandated tutoring in Florida: The program pays public money to people with criminal records, and to cheaters and profiteers who operate virtually unchecked by state regulators,” the Tampa Bay Times reports.
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