By Eli Yokely | Missouri News Horizon
ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis County circuit court judge has ruled Missouri’s school transfer law unconstitutional.
Tag Archive | "education"
IL politicos push for detailed math curriculum
April 25, 2012
By Stephanie Fryer | Illinois Statehouse News
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois lawmakers approved a proposal Wednesday that could increase the number of courses counting toward a high school math requirement.
High school students could use vocational courses, such as drafting or wood shop, as math credits under Senate Bill 3244, which requires a detailed math curriculum.
“Math is not just a college need. Math is required for manufacturing careers … agriculture careers,” said Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, who spoke for the bill during a House committee hearing.
Simon said her support for the bill stems from her statewide tour of community colleges.
“It came up at every single community college — that far too many students are not ready for college-level math,” she said.
The new legislation requires the Illinois State Board of Education to provide educators with specific skills, content and samples of lessons to teach students.
Current curriculum has been criticized for being too broad. It states that to graduate, students need three years of math, of which two courses must be algebra and geometry. The curriculum allows teachers and school administrators to decide what to teach and how to teach it.
School districts can use all or portions of the new curriculum.
“If a school has a particular geographic location with careers, they might adapt it in a different way that fits their school district,” Simon said.
The House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee approved the measure in a 20-0 vote. It now heads to the full House.
The Senate passed the bill in March.
IL moves to boot 2 school boards from office
April 24, 2012
By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois State Board of Education is set to oust the boards of two urban school districts characterized by pitiful academic performance and, in at least one case, corrupt leadership.
The removal of the unpaid but elected school board members would be a first for the state.
State Superintendent of Education Chris Koch made this announcement last week, but the earliest the school boards could be booted is May, said Matt Vanover, state BOE spokesman.
“It has been very difficult and challenging working with these local boards,” Vanover said.
The current school boards can appeal Koch’s decision before the state BOE, which next meets May 16.
Years of poor academic performance led the state to intervene in North Chicago in 2010 and East St. Louis in 2011. In addition, allegations of corruption and fraud surrounded both school districts.
In North Chicago School District 187, the federal government charged former school board president Gloria Harper in 2011 with taking at least $800,000 in kickbacks from school bus companies that contracted with the district.
A court has not ruled in that case, but Harper was found guilty in a second fraud case involving kickbacks to schools officials and employees in Illinois, Louisiana and Arkansas tasked with procuring Internet access. Harper is serving a 30-month sentence in Louisiana for the multi-state scheme.
In East St. Louis School District 189, the state appointed former U.S. Attorney A. Courtney Cox to investigate the district’s finances. Cox delivered his findings to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Stephen Wigginton this week.
Neither Cox nor Wigginton are commenting on the findings.
If the school districts’ boards are removed, the state will appoint a panel to take over until the schools can meet still-to-be-determined academic benchmarks, said Vanover.
“I will work to ensure that both these communities still have a strong voice in running their schools, looking first locally for a pool of candidates to assume control under a new independent authority,” Koch said Monday in his weekly newsletter.
Illinois Statehouse News reached out to Lonzo Greenwood and Kenneth Robinson, presidents of the East St. Louis and North Chicago school boards, respectively, for comment, but neither returned calls.
The removal of the North Chicago school board comes after that board denied an application to open a charter school in the impoverished area, a plan which Illinois U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin, Democrat, and Mark Kirk, Republican, supported.
LEARN Charter School Network of public, college preparatory elementary schools operates five charter schools in the Chicago area, and it wants to open a North Chicago campus.
Koch reversed the school board’s decision in a March 15 order that clears the way for LEARN’s North Chicago campus.
“It’s all about providing a choice for parents where to send their children for school,” LEARN President Greg White said.
David From is the Illinois state director for Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group that advocates for smaller government.
From said a charter school in the North Chicago or East St. Louis school districts not only provides another option for parents.
“I think that giving people options creates competition and causes people to innovate and improve the organizations they represent,” From said.
Governor’s report calls for more science, engineering skills to meet job demand
April 23, 2012
By Carten Cordell | Virginia Statehouse News
ALEXANDRIA — Gov. Bob McDonnell on Monday released a report calling for more science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, skills for Virginia students to meet expected growth in the aviation and space industries.
Vaccine bill injects drama into CA Capitol hearing
April 18, 2012
By Katy Grimes | CalWatchdog
SACRAMENTO — Debate over a vaccine bill injected drama into a hearing of the Assembly Health Committee in the California Legislature Tuesday. Legislators ignored parental concerns. And the Capitol sergeants brutalized parents holding infants.
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