Local School Topics

Like other states, Colorado has seen more than its share of budget cuts that have impacted public services throughout the state. Unfortunately, many cuts have trickled down to Colorado’s public education system, which some argue has shortchanged the students who attend Colorado schools. In recent years, many school districts have decided to take matters into their own hands by suing the state government responsible for ensuring their funding. In an exciting turn of events, a court ruling and a budget windfall have occurred nearly simultaneously in the state, providing a reason for some to be slightly more optimistic about the state of public education in Colorado.

This TED Talk discusses school funding as it is tied to student attendance.

Lobato vs. the State of Colorado

In 2005, a lawsuit was filed against the state of Colorado by one of the state’s school districts. The lawsuit, initiated by the San Luis Valley School District, claimed that the state had shortchanged the public education system by $2 to $4 billion per year, leaving educators grappling with how to meet state and federal standards in education without appropriate resources from which to draw. Other school districts across the state joined the lawsuit as more educators hopped on the bandwagon to urge state lawmakers to give schools what districts believe is their constitutional due.

Recently, the judge overseeing the Lobato vs. State of Colorado lawsuit gave

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

Immigration is a hot topic on both sides of the congressional floor in this country, as lawmakers continue to debate the legal, ethical and moral issues surrounding undocumented persons living in the United States. In the center of the battle are undocumented students who came to this country with their parents and now face high school graduation with little hope for the future. This past week, the state of New York made a move to change the fate of the thousands of undocumented students living there, with a vote by the Board of Regents to allow undocumented students access to state financial aid for higher education.

Vote First Step in Immigration Reform for State

According to a report in the New York Daily News, the vote by the state Board of Regents does not officially change the status of undocumented students who wish to pursue higher education in the United States – yet. The hope is that this positive vote will spur lawmakers to extend financial aid to these students through their means. The bill, referred to as the Education Equity for DREAMers Act, has not yet been brought before the legislature for any sort of decision or vote. However, the preliminary vote by the Board of Regents may be the push state lawmakers need to put this bill on their table as well.

“These are students who are attending our