Local School Topics

The New York City Department of Education oversees the largest school district in the United States. This system has been responsible for the public schools in all five city boroughs for the past four decades. It is one of the few school systems in the country that is controlled by the city's mayor rather than an appointed school board. In addition to being the largest school network, it is also one of the most segregated in the country, which leads to numerous challenges in ensuring the many students in the system that come from a huge range of backgrounds all receive the same opportunities and education within the city limits.

How it Started

According to Wikipedia, the New York City Department of Education started in 1969. At that time, the mayor of the city, John Lindsay, organized the department of education to oversee high schools, while 32 individual school boards managed all the elementary and middle schools. This system continued in this manner until 2002, when full control of the school system was given to the city's mayor.

The Board of Education became the Panel for Education Policy – an office managed by 12 members appointed by the mayor. The Panel for Education Policy was responsible for 10 regions created by the mayor and took the place of the 32 districts that had been in place previously. Those regions were short-lived, however. In 2007, when Mayor Michael Bloomberg took office, the regions were completely dissolved; instead,

As discussion continues over how to fix Chicago’s troubled school system, one topic remains conspicuously absent from the equation – the truancy trend in Chicago’s youth. A recent investigative report by the Chicago Tribune found that during the previous school year, 32,000 students in the Chicago school system missed four weeks of class or more. Those statistics have many educators concerned since truancy affects students and schools on many different levels.

This video reports on truancy in the Chicago Schools.

The Impact of School Truancy

According to the Advantage Press, truancy can impact students and communities in a variety of ways. Statistics from the newsletter show:

• A recent sampling of Miami court records showed that nearly three-quarters of prosecuted teens had been truants.
• Two-thirds of teens arrested for truancy have also tested positive for drug usage.
• A large portion of violent crimes in San Diego (44%) occurs during school hours.
• Nearly 10 percent of 15-year-olds are truant at least once a week in this country.
• Minneapolis was able to cut daytime crime by more than two-thirds when police began going after truant students.

There is little doubt that truancy impact both students and communities in many negative ways. However, keeping kids in school can be easier said than done – particularly in areas of extreme poverty where parents are more interested in keeping food on the table than keeping kids in school. In

School holidays have become a focal point in some Florida school districts of late, as a Muslim organization has asked school administrators to consider adding two Muslim holidays to the school calendar next year. The request, which is under serious consideration by the school board, is not without its share of controversy. This is particularly true in light of the fact that many schools have done away with all holidays containing religious roots. Should Muslim holidays be recognized by U.S. public schools? Read on for information from both sides of the issue.

Details of the Request

The request to add Muslim holidays to the Florida school calendar was made by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). The request has been directed to the Broward School District Diversity Committee. CBS Miami reports that two holidays are included in the request: Eid al-Fitr (the end of Ramadan) and Eid-al-Adha (the end of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca). Both of the holidays fall on different days each year, depending on the lunar calendar.

Members of CAIR argue that Muslim students who celebrate these holidays with their families are forced to choose between their religion and their academic responsibilities. In some cases, students must miss examinations or other important classwork to stay home for the holiday. The school district currently allows students an excused absence if they take off days for the holidays. However, those urging for school closure say the excused absence does little to

A new trend appears to be sweeping some public school districts despite the alarm by a handful of parents. Yoga has recently been introduced into several school systems nationwide, allowing students to stretch, breathe, and focus their bodies and minds during a busy school day. While many tout the new program as a healthy way for students of all ages to gain additional fitness benefits, some are concerned that the religion attached to the movements violates the separation of church and state in public schools.

Introducing Yoga to California Students

One school district that has fully embraced the health benefits of yoga in public schools is Encinitas Union School District in North San Diego County, California. The North County Times reports that the yoga program has been going strong in some district schools over the past three years. Thanks to a $533,000 grant from the K.P. Jois USA Foundation this year, the program has expanded throughout the district.

The publication reports that approximately half the schools in Encinitas now offer yoga instruction for 30 to 40 minutes twice a week. Yoga joins other enrichment programs offered in the district, including music, reading, and gardening. The additional classes serve a dual purpose: instructing students in new subjects while freeing up teacher time for planning and other duties.

The schools, which claim to have removed all religious references from their yoga program, assert that the yoga sessions provide valuable physical fitness to students. Yoga is

As states struggle to find ways to improve academic performance in their public schools and obtain waivers to the pending No Child Left Behind benchmarks, one state has come up with a controversial method for setting student standards. The new benchmarks will be broken down into categories that primarily run along ethnic lines. This leaves some ethnic groups, such as white and Asian students, held to a much higher standard than minority groups like black, Hispanic, and Native American students. As one might expect, this new policy has raised the ire of parents, students, educators, and civil rights groups.

The New Benchmarks

The Examiner reports that the Florida State Board of Education has proposed setting academic benchmarks in math and reading according to the following subgroups:

Proficiency rating for reading by 2018 –

• Asians 90%
• Whites 88%
• Native Americans 82%
• Hispanics 81%
• African Americans 74%

Proficiency rating for mathematics by 2018 –

• Asians 92%
• Whites 86%
• Native Americans 81%
• Hispanics 80%
• African Americans 74%

According to the Daily Caller, students with disabilities, those learning English as a second language and economically disadvantaged students will be left out of the new benchmarks completely. While this is the short-term goal proposed by the state board, members quickly point out that the long-term goal is to have 100 percent proficiency in all subgroups for math and reading by the 2022-2023 school year. That long-term goal hasn’t smoothed the feathers of many who were significantly ruffled after hearing the breakdown of the subgroups for the six-year