Price of a School Lunch on the Rise Nationwide

School districts nationwide have been dealing with smaller budgets and fewer resources since the economy came to a grinding halt just a few short years ago. In most cases, this meant less to go around for teachers and administrators. In Tacoma, Washington, teachers have determined that the proposed cuts by the school district simply didn’t “cut it” as far as they were concerned. To make their disapproval of the pending changes plainly known, the Tacoma teachers union called a strike, which is now in its second week of the brand new school year.

The Strike Unfolds

As the district grappled with various issues before the start of this school year, some of the decisions that were made did not go over well with the teachers who work in Tacoma. There are three basic issues on the table: teacher pay cuts, increases in class sizes, and the way the district wants to handle teacher transfers. All of these issues are still in discussion, and no agreement has been reached on any of them.

According to the News Tribune, teachers who request transfers have their requests processed based solely on teacher seniority. The district has proposed that future decisions entail seniority, teacher evaluations, and assessments. Adding the additional criteria ensures that the most effective teachers in the district will get the first pick of teaching assignments. The union has argued that this process would be subjective and unfair to teachers who have worked in the district for many years

SAT scores have traditionally been used as more than simply a means for getting into college; they are also an effective benchmark to determine college readiness among high school students today. Unfortunately, a steady decline in SAT scores over a number of decades has some worried that the next generation to enter college and the workforce will not be as well prepared as previous generations. As these numbers get a closer look by educators and politicians across the country, many are voicing concern that the United States’ place in the global marketplace may be at stake as well. What is the reason for the decline?

How the Benchmark Works

A recent report by College Board shows that only 43 percent of high school seniors met SAT college and career readiness benchmarks this year. This benchmark offers insight into the level of academic readiness exhibited by high school seniors, which typically translates to their level of success in a college environment. The benchmark was developed by educators and policymakers interested in finding the best ways to prepare students for higher education at the secondary level.

The Washington Post explains the significance of the SAT benchmark and how the numbers shake out. The benchmark combines scores in reading, writing, and mathematics, with a possible cumulative score of 1550 out of a total of 2400 points possible. Students who achieve the benchmark are thought to have a 65 percent likelihood of earning an average grade

Social media has become a prevalent component of today’s society, shaping relationships on both a professional and personal level. Unfortunately, the advent of social websites did not come equipped with a handbook to guide users with ethical boundaries in the use of these media outlets. Instead, this job has been a reactive one, left to whoever might see potentially offensive posts and take the necessary steps to discipline those responsible. In the case of students, that job is often taken on by the public school system – much to the chagrin of many who believe the line between public school and private life must remain strong and consistent.

This video from PBS looks at the issue of schools and social media.

According to a recent article at Eurasia Review, the age of the Internet is forcing many to reexamine constitutional liberties – primarily those protected under the First Amendment. Public schools have been flung directly into the fray, as they attempt to make the distinction between a student’s private life and the impact of the choices they make outside of school on the school environment overall. Currently, a number of questions have arisen over the use of social media by both students and teachers. Three cases, in particular, have forced public school officials, and even the court system, to take a second look at what constitutes “appropriate” behavior on social websites.

School

People in America need jobs. Students need modernized school buildings that promote learning. President Obama put the two together in his recent job package, asking Congress to approve billions of dollars for infrastructure projects – including modernizing and repairing schools across the country. However, asking for money and actually getting funding are two very different things in today’s polarized political climate overshadowed by grave concern for the current state of the country’s economy.

How School Modernization Could Help America

According to a report at Think Progress, school modernization is touted by the current administration as good for education and beneficial to the economy. Vice President Joe Biden’s former chief economist Jared Bernstein asserted that school modernization is a “smart way to get a lot of people who really need jobs back to work, fix a critical part of our institutional infrastructure, save energy costs, provide kids with a better, healthier learning environment, and do so in a way that everyone can see and feel good about each morning when they drop their kids off at school.”

This video from the National Education Association makes the point that Education Support Professional workers say "Safe and healthy schools mean better learning and working conditions for students and school employees".

There is data to support the idea that students learn better in updated facilities. Valerie Strauss in her column, “Answer Sheet,” provides studies that show