Local School Topics

Students in New York public schools are enjoying an uptick in graduation rates in recent years. The largest school system in the country has hit an all-time high in graduation rates, with its 10^th consecutive year of gains in high school completion. While graduation rates have improved nationwide, New York City is particularly proud of its improvements that indicate the massive school system might be on the right track in the area of public education.

More NYC Students Graduating, Fewer Dropping Out

ABC Local News reports that the four-year graduation rate for NYC students in 2011 was 65 percent, which is an increase of 19 percentage points since 2005. In 2005, the city began to use a new methodology for calculating graduation and dropout rates. Since that new methodology was implemented, graduation rates have risen from just over 40 percent to 65 percent. At the same time, dropout rates have decreased from 22 percent in 2005 to 12 percent in 2011.

“More students are succeeding in our schools than ever before,” NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg told ABC Local. “Our students, teachers and school administrators should be proud, and while we still have more work to do, we are certainly on the right track.”

New York Follows National Trend

The upswing in New York City follows a national trend, according to My Fox NY. The news station reports that national graduation rates in 2010 were at their highest level since 1976 and down around three

The announcement of school closures is typically met with a high degree of emotion and concern. In Philadelphia, the proposal has also been met with plenty of protests, from the formation of zombie flash mobs to marches throughout the city. Many are opposed to the proposed school closures in one of the largest school districts in the country. However, district officials assert that closing schools is the only way to balance a school budget in dire straits.

Closing Philadelphia Schools

According to a report in the Philadelphia Public Schools Notebook, district superintendent William Hite has recommended the closure of 37 city schools. Hite has claimed that the closures are a necessary step toward saving the school district a significant amount of money. The district estimates the closures would result in savings of around $28 million annually. It would also be a positive move toward a more competitive school system since more resources could be poured into the remaining schools.

This video explains why the city council cannot stop school closings.

However, opponents to the closure plan say the savings to the district would be minimal since district officials were not currently factoring in the cost of transportation and transition expenses. Protesters also note that the closures could fuel additional charter school growth, which had already taken a significant bite out of the school district’s budget. Students and parents of the schools cited

For many months, the District of Columbia Public Schools has been weighing a reorganization plan that would include the closure of some historic schools in the district. Feedback was gathered from parents, students, community members, and other stakeholders in the closure plan. Local neighborhoods came together to save their schools, while school officials pushed for money-saving ideas to save the beleaguered district from more budget woes. As one of the largest school districts in the country, other districts have been watching the ongoing negotiations in D.C. with significant interest.

Strong Reaction to Original Plan

According to the District of Columbia Public Schools website, the original school closure plan announced in November was met with responses from numerous members of the D.C. community.

“The proposal we put out in early November evoked strong reactions from the community,” DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson stated on the district website. “We heard from people across the city that have never reached out or offered feedback before. People spoke up at meetings, they sent emails, they called, and we made sure to track everything they said.”

This video illustrates the strong community reaction to school closing.

Henderson added that she and her staff were “inspired and encouraged” by the feedback they received from parents, students, school staff, and community members. The district encouraged input by hosting four community meetings and meeting with education committees in three district wards.

School security has been a high-priority topic in schools nationwide, since the Sandy Hook tragedy in Connecticut took the lives of 26, including 20 young children. In Fairfax County, one of the largest counties in Virginia and the U.S., the majority of teachers say that more guns in schools are not the answer. Instead, Fairfax educators are urging administrators in the district to take another look at current security procedures to see where improvements can be made.

Fairfax Teachers Survey Results

NBC Washington reports that the majority of Fairfax teachers do not support the idea of more guns in school, according to a recent survey. The survey found that 59 percent of Fairfax educators said they do not want guns in the school environment. Only five percent of teachers surveyed said they would support the idea of allowing teachers and staff to carry guns into public schools.

At the same time, most teachers in the county – 65 percent - would support armed police officers in the schools, if school budgets could accommodate that addition. Thirty-seven percent said they would support the addition of unarmed security guards to schools across the county. Currently, many high schools and a few middle schools within the county do have armed police officers at school during regular class hours.

The recent survey was conducted by the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, which represents around 4,200 Fairfax teachers, according to WTOP. The union surveyed 483

The Dallas Independent School District is the second-largest school district in Texas and the 12 largest in the United States. The district serves most of the city of Dallas and several surrounding cities, including Addison, Hutchins, and Wilmer. The Dallas Independent School District boasts a long and colorful history, which has brought it its current state today. While some would say the district still has a long way to go, with one of the highest dropout rates in the country, Dallas Independent School District also has a number of features of which it can be proud.

The Beginnings of Dallas Independent School District

Although Dallas Independent School District was not officially established until 1884, the Texas State Historical Association states that private schools and academies were present in the city prior to that date. Six schools were also in existence at the time the district was established: four for white students and two for “colored” students, as segregation was very much in existence at that time. One of those schools is still in existence today, operating now as Booker T. Washington High School. The organization of the school district was done about the same time that the state of Texas created an education law that established school districts within the state.

Throughout its history, Dallas Independent School District has grown in part by absorbing other districts into its system, according to Wikipedia. At the same time, the district added more