Local School Topics

Many of the students in Detroit Public Schools live below the poverty line, which means they qualify for free meals at school. However, some will skip those free meals to avoid the stigma of a “low-income” student, according to some school officials. To combat the problem, the city will take part in a pilot program that offers free meals to all students in Detroit Public Schools, beginning in the upcoming school year.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Community Eligibility Option Program

The Community Eligibility Option Program introduced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is designed for schools in high-poverty areas, allowing them to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students and eliminating the need for excessive paperwork.

“Community eligibility is a great way for schools to cut through burdensome red tape for themselves and low-income families so that children in high-poverty areas have access to the nutrition they need to learn and thrive,” Agriculture Under Secretary Kevin Concannon stated in a press release on the USDA website. “Schools will benefit from reduced paperwork, parents will not have to fill out duplicative forms, and children in need will get better access to healthy school meals.”

The USDA selected three states to launch the pilot program during the 2011-2012 school year - Michigan, Illinois, and Kentucky - according to a report at ABC12. Detroit is the only city in Michigan that has officially signed on with the program. However, other school districts in

When Rahm Emanuel was running for mayor of Chicago, one of his campaign promises was to avoid raising taxes as a means of dealing with a major city budget shortfall. Instead, Emanuel pledged to find the waste at City Hall and eliminate it to put the city back in the black. However, Emanuel was careful not to mention how he would fund Chicago schools while on the campaign trail. Mayor Emanuel recently supported a property-tax increase proposed by Chicago Public Schools. Mayor Emanuel defended his decision, but some lawmakers and taxpayers are up in arms about a new city leader who is seemingly so quick to go back on his word.

What the Tax Increase will Mean

According to a report at WBEZ, Mayor Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools are asking taxpayers to fork over about $84 additional property tax dollars a year for a $250,000 home – the maximum amount of a tax increase allowed by law. The additional $150 million in revenue generated from the hike would go to close the $710 million shortfall the school district is currently facing. Additional budget balancing has already come from district officials, who managed to trim $400 million off of the original budget proposal, without increasing classroom sizes or hurting students in other ways.

The tax increase was initially proposed by the school district and will have to be approved by the Chicago Board of Education. However, the school board is stacked with plenty of

It has been nearly two decades since sex education was a requirement in New York City schools. However, an alarming rise in teen pregnancy rates throughout the city has prompted the Bloomberg administration to mandate sex-ed classes in the city school district once again. As schools across New York get ready to deliver the new curriculum to students, many parents and taxpayers are up in arms about the idea of forced sex education for middle and high schoolers.

This video reports on sex-education in New York City schools.

Why Sex Ed?

The Huffington Post reports statistics from the Department of Health that show 83 out of every 1,000 New York City teens become pregnant. This is much higher than the national average of 72 out of every 1,000 teen girls. The figures come from a 2011 study conducted by the Guttmacher Institute. The institute also found that other developed nations around the globe had even lower rates of teen pregnancy, with 31 per 1,000 girls in Sweden and 28 per 1,000 teens in Canada.

“We have students who are having sex before the age of 13; students who have had multiple sexual partners, and students who aren’t protecting themselves against sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS,” New York City School’s Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott told ABC News. “I believe the school system has an important role to play with regard

Last September, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans to revamp the teacher tenure program in his city. This summer, Mayor Bloomberg made good on his promise, when the number of teachers receiving tenure was dramatically lower than the previous two years. While some are applauding the move, others, like the teachers’ union for the city, are voicing serious concerns over how the tenure decisions were made. We’ll take a look at both sides of the issue, as well as the potential impact these new tenure procedures will have on both teachers in the city and the quality of New York education overall.

More Teachers on “Hold”

According to a report in the Seattle Times, 5,200 teachers in the city of New York were awaiting decisions on tenure this year. Of that number, 58 percent were granted tenure and 39 percent had their tenure decisions delayed for another year. About 3 percent of teachers were denied tenure outright. These numbers vary considerably from last year, when 89 percent of teachers were granted tenure, and the previous year, when 94 percent received it.

Bloomberg explained to the Seattle Times that for the teachers who were told to wait another year for a tenure decision, it was the city’s way of telling them that “while they have shown progress, they are still developing as teachers and need to improve.” Teachers that did not receive tenure this year will have access to additional training and development to help them

Weight issues among children have become such a problem in this country that some experts are mulling over whether to deem obesity an actual epidemic. According to a report at Explorer News, the number of overweight children in the United States has doubled over the past three decades. Nearly 25 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11 are considered obese by current standards. When children gain too much weight during their younger years, they are at much higher risk for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Schools have recognized the obesity problem in this country, and many are taking steps to address it right in their school lunchrooms.

Bringing Nutrition to the Classroom

From coast to coast, schools across the country have taken the necessary steps to ensure their students are treated to nutritious foods throughout the school day. From removing sugar-laden drinks and snacks from vending machines to stocking school cafeterias with an array of healthy fare, these learning institutions are taking the obesity scare to heart. Some even provide their students with home-grown produce, thanks to agreements with local farmers or gardens on school property.

Students are learning to make healthier food choices and discovering that nutrition-packed fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can make for a tasty meal. Some schools are incorporating taste tests or time in the garden with their classrooms to encourage students to try new foods and