School Funding Reinstated in Colorado, Judge’s Ruling Appealed

Earlier this year, the Obama administration predicted that nearly 80 percent of all public schools nationwide would miss the benchmarks required by the No Child Left Behind Act by the end of 2011. Now that the numbers are in from the Center on Education Policy, the number of schools failing No Child Left Behind is considerably lower than original predictions. However, at a failure rate of almost 50 percent, there is still plenty of concern over what needs to be done to revamp NCLB to make it a more effective means of evaluating school performance across the country.

What is No Child Left Behind?

According to an article at Great Schools, the No Child Left Behind Act was enacted in 2002 and has demonstrated “sweeping impact” in public schools across the country. This piece of legislation has been instrumental in determining what students would learn, the tests they would take, and the training teachers received. The original intent of the law was to hold all public schools to a national standard, so that students in all locations and from all demographics would receive the same quality education. Targets are established, and schools that meet the targets receive their maximum funding allowance, while schools that fail to make the grade may lose funding and even be subject to closure.

A report at CNN explains that states are required to set proficiency goals, develop testing to accurately assess their progress toward those goals, and report their

In one of their final actions of the current calendar year, the Fairfax County School Board in Virginia voted to allow schools to install indoor surveillance cameras in their buildings. The request for such cameras became a primary talking point during the first half of this school year after massive food fights and other disciplinary problems came to light. While some parents and school board members argue that surveillance cameras will help to curb some of the behavior issues in schools, others worry that the new cameras will be a flagrant violation of student privacy rights.

An Overview of New School Policy

The Fairfax County School Board’s vote allows schools to install surveillance cameras, but it does not require them. Each school within the county will be able to engage in public discussion between faculty, students, and parents about whether cameras would help or hinder discipline issues. Principals would be responsible for making the final decisions in their own schools, ensuring that each administrator would determine the need for surveillance cameras based on their own unique situations.

If a school decides to install surveillance cameras, they will only be allowed in public venues like cafeterias, hallways, and school lobbies. No school will be required to install surveillance devices, and they will not be allowed in locker rooms, restrooms, or classrooms in the schools that do decide to use them.

According to the Washington Post, the vote occurred earlier in December, with eight board

Churches that have been meeting in public schools in the city of New York in recent years will now have to find a new place to worship, according to a decision by a New York circuit court on an appeal to let churches stay. The decision was prompted by the New York Department of Education, which had sought for many years to have churches removed from their schools, even if the churches in question only met on Sundays, when the schools were closed to students. The controversy in New York has opened up a rather complex can of worms in the ongoing battle between Free Speech and separation of church and state.

The Board of Education and the Ongoing Battle

The question of whether churches should be allowed to meet in public schools is not a new one to the city of New York. For decades there has been a ban against such a practice, through a city regulation that is supported by state law. Many other school districts nationwide currently allow religious groups to meet in schools when school is not in session, so decisions made in this courtroom do not necessarily apply to them at this time. However, as the battle continues, it could be carried over into other school districts across the country, if enough parents begin to protest the practice and seek legal action to end it.

This video offers a look at the landmark cases that have helped defined the role religion

If Governor Rick Scott has his way, Florida schools will see a boost to their budget this year. That is good news for schools pinching their pennies as budgets have dwindled in recent years due to increased students and falling property values. However, the additional money won’t come without a cost, as Scott wants to move funds from the prison system and Medicaid program to offer more funding for the public school system.

Education aTop Priority in Florida

According to a report at Tampa Bay Online, Scott is making a dramatic shift in policy by citing education as one of the top priorities for the state of Florida this year. Last year, the governor was criticized by Florida residents for slashing the education budget by $1.3 billion, which amounted to over $500 per student. The total cut was less than the governor had requested, decreasing from a 10-percent cut in his initial request to an eight-percent cut approved by the Florida legislature.

This year, Scott wants to boost the public school budget by $1 billion, bringing it closer to what it was prior to last year’s decreases. The change of heart by the governor may be attributed to a number of factors. First, in town meetings across the state, Scott heard time and time again how important education was to Florida residents.

“They [Floridians] want education to be a priority,” Scott explained to HT Politics. “I’m committed to act on what I’ve heard.”

The state is currently