Saying Ni Hao to Chinese Charter Schools

Although the civil rights movement played a pivotal role in this nation's history, the subject is often merely skimmed over in primary and secondary schools today. However, Mississippi hopes to change that trend by requiring civil rights lessons for all public schools, grades K-12. The lessons were signed into law five years ago by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, but implementation will go into effect for the 2011-2012 academic year. The curriculum was delayed so that it could be fit into a full revision of the state's social studies framework that goes into effect this year.

The First to Require Civil Rights Curriculum

Mississippi officials believe they may be the first state to implement such a requirement, according to a report in the Atlanta Post. Students will answer civil rights questions on state assessment exams necessary for graduation from high school. While this addition will ensure civil rights are taught in schools, how the lessons are taught will in large part be up to individual teachers.

Chauncey Spears, who works in the Mississippi Department of Education's curriculum and instruction office, said school districts can tailor textbooks and other course materials to match what will be taught. Spears added that some resources for the curriculum might be donated from a variety of sources. Teachers could also opt for class trips to historic sites or bringing former activists from the movement in to talk to students.

Jennifer Weeks, DeSoto County's associate superintendent of

School buses have traditionally been the transportation of choice for public school students across the country. These big yellow vehicles have become a mainstay in both urban and suburban communities, offering students access to school campuses that might have difficulty getting to and from school otherwise. However, budget cuts, rising gas prices, and concerns over their environmental impact have forced many school districts to take another look at the diesel-run buses that dominate most school districts today. In some cases, propane buses are providing a cheaper and more environmentally friendly option.

This video looks at propane-powered school buses.

The Cost of Diesel

The expense of running children to and from school on diesel buses is not a small one by any means. According to a report in the Christian Science Monitor, it is estimated that more than 25 million children ride the bus to school each day. In some areas, year-round schooling means no respite from gas bills over the summer months. As the number of children requiring bus transportation remains relatively consistent, the cost of fuel does not.

The National Association for Fuel Transportation estimated that in some areas two years ago, the cost of fuel shot up from $1.95 per gallon to more than $4 per gallon during a single academic year. A 100% increase was extremely tough on many school districts that were already feeling the

Drug testing has been commonplace in professions that require critical decision-making skills, ranging from police officers to civil servants. A growing number of individuals also believe that the people who spend the most time with our children should also be subject to random testing of this kind. Teachers have come under the gun in recent years over the issue of random drug testing. While some parents and education experts believe random testing is necessary to keep schools safe, teachers believe these tests violate their privacy rights. Public school teachers are not universally required to undergo drug testing in every state. No federal mandate requires drug testing for teachers, and no state laws specifically mandate it for all teachers across the United States. However, drug testing policies vary significantly by state and individual school districts.

Drug testing is one part of these policies, and it serves a necessary role in a drug-free work culture. And because of the negative impact drug use can have, especially in safety-sensitive industries, companies should consider the benefits of drug testing in the workplace when developing new safety policies. Source: PharmaChek

Why Drug Testing?

In numerous states, questions have arisen over whether teachers in public schools should undergo random drug testing as a part of their employment. The practice is shared with other professionals, and some believe teachers fall into a similar category because they work directly with students all day. They argue that teachers who fail random drug tests

A troubling report by the Government Accountability Office shows that individuals with a history of sexual misconduct are working in some neighborhood schools. In fact, some have been able to land new teaching or staff jobs after behaving inappropriately towards children in other school districts. The report by GAO cites a number of breaks in the system that allow these individuals back into schools, due to incomplete background checks or other administrative loopholes.

The GAO Report

The recently released GAO report examined 15 case studies in public schools that employed questionable individuals, according to a report at the Christian Science Monitor. Of these 15 cases, 11 of the teachers or staff members had previously victimized children with inappropriate sexual conduct. In six cases, the individuals went on to abuse children again at their new posts.

This video from Action News lays out the issue facing schools.

The report was in part a response to another report released by the Department of Education in 2004, which estimated that millions of students in the public school system are victims of sexual misconduct by school employees between kindergarten and 12^th grade. The GAO compared a national database of sexual offenders with employment records in 19 states from 2008 to 2009. The agency also reviewed public records and interviewed officials involved in dozen of sexual misconduct cases from 2000 to 2010.

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