Florida Schools: Are Muslim Holidays Coming to Florida Schools?

When a child struggles academically, the problem may be out of a parent’s scope of expertise. This may be the time to consider a tutor to help a student over the rough patch. How do you know which tutor will be able to offer the most help to your child? Ask these ten questions before determining which professional best meets your child’s needs.

Which subject is causing the most difficulty?

Before considering a tutor for your child, it is important to identify the specific areas in which your child needs help. This typically involves a conference with the teacher to determine which subjects are causing your child the most difficulty. Reading should be evaluated first since reading troubles can also cross into other subjects. According to Education News Colorado, math and science are also common subjects requiring tutoring.

Does my child face organizational or academic challenges?

For some students, school issues are pointedly academic, such as the child who is struggling with reading or sums. However, if you notice your child is performing well on tests but showing more difficulty with homework, the cause of the problem could be more organizational than academic. Does your child have trouble keeping track of assignments? Does he complete assignments but fail to turn them in? Organizational issues may require a different type of tutoring than academic problems.

This video sets out criteria you should look for when choosing a tutor.

School districts across the country have recently brought disciplinary measures by schools into focus, in an effort to determine the best way to address discipline problems in schools today. While the large majority of school districts still favor methods like suspension and expulsion for a wide range of infractions, evidence continues to show these methods are not the most effective option. Should suspension and expulsion be used in public schools today? And if these methods are not appropriate, what are the alternatives? Check out ways some experts and school officials are approaching the issue of discipline in public schools.

The Cost of Discipline

One survey recently conducted on discipline in public schools weighed the cost of such procedures. The non-profit organization Texas Appleseed recently released its findings after surveying 11 school districts in Texas to determine how much is spent on disciplinary programs and school security. According to the Statesman, the survey found that those school districts, which make up about one-fourth of all Texas schools, spend around $227 million annually on disciplinary procedures and security. This number includes spending on expulsions, suspensions, policing and alternative schools.

The survey comes at a time when Texas schools are facing significant funding cuts from the state. It was also released in anticipation of a senate meeting involving how to deal with problematic students in public schools. The survey was meant to open discussion on the most effective, and most budget-friendly, ways to deal

The hurricane that ripped through the Northeast October 22 through November 2, 2012, left a trail of destruction that impacted every aspect of the lives of the residents there, including the children. Many students and teachers were left without a school to return to since the storm-ravaged school buildings to the point where they were not considered inhabitable. In addition to the challenges of the storm clean-up, schools that were currently being used as shelters had to find a way to allow students and strangers to live together harmoniously, at least for a short period of time. How did schools recover from unprecedented Hurricane Sandy? Very slowly, in some areas.

This video describes how Storm Sandy evolved.

Challenges Schools Faced

To understand the many challenges facing schools that were in the path of Hurricane Sandy, the Wall Street Journal went inside the thought process of one of New Jersey’s superintendents. Dr. James A. Crisfield, the superintendent of Milburn Township Public Schools, explained to the publication that many factors had to be considered before children could be allowed back into schools, including:

• Electricity - Many schools were still without power and they could not reopen until electricity was back on.
• Gasoline – Gasoline shortages across the region made it difficult to get sufficient emergency personnel and school buses running. In addition, faculty and administration were unable to make it to school due to fuel shortages.
• Damage

Moving from middle to high school can be traumatic for some freshmen. The changes involved in that move can sometimes be overwhelming, whether social, academic, or physical. Suddenly, students who were guided through the academic process by parents and teachers are expected to perform much more independently than ever before. At the same time, high school is often a period where friendships change as students struggle to figure out where they belong. The good news is that there are plenty of ways parents can help their new high school students adjust to the transition.

Understand Potential Stressors

According to well-known pediatrician Dr. Paul, there are many factors that can cause stress at this time of life, including:

• Changes to school structure, including more teachers, larger school building, and a faster pace
• Changes to body image, as students begin attending school with others who are basically young adults
• Changes in friends, as students head to different schools and different classes than those they grew up with

With these changes comes the fear of not fitting in, not keeping up, and not meeting parental expectations. While many students may not voice these fears to their parents, that doesn’t mean the anxiety doesn’t exist. Parents need to tune into potential stressors in their child’s life during this time to help the child work through those anxieties and concerns proactively.

Provide Reassurance

Once parents understand the factors that contribute to the stress of the high school transition, they can provide reassurances to their child