Public School Policies

Most adults remember standardized testing, used to assess how well students were learning and retaining the core material taught to them. Today, schools still require students to take assessment tests each year, which serves as a benchmark for the performance of teachers as well as students. However, the assessments conducted today vary from state to state, since it is the state government’s responsibility to develop an appropriate evaluation process for their own schools.

However, state-governed evaluations may soon come to an end. The Obama administration would like to provide national education standards that all states would be required to follow, according to a report on VOANews.com. These national standards would offer continuity in education throughout the country and help students compete more effectively in a global economy, according to proponents of the initiative.

On the other side, opponents assert that more government involvement will not necessarily translate into higher quality education.

Let us delve into both sides of the debate to determine the pros and cons of sending educational assessments to the national level. This video offers a brief explanation.

Introducing Common Core State Standards

To address the issue of standard deviations between states, the Common Core State Standards initiative was established. This state-led effort was coordinated by the National Governor's Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

The standards were developed

A new trend in public education is sweeping the country: the introduction of teacher-led schools that put teachers in the driver's seat of both the classroom and the daily operations of the schools at large. Teacher-led schools have begun operating in cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Denver, Boston, and Milwaukee. Recently, a new teacher-led school was introduced in Detroit as well, according to an article in Detroit Free Press.

Bye-Bye Bureaucracy

The concept of teacher-led schools started with the idea that teachers were better equipped to meet the needs of students than administrators ever could be. Teachers work with children and curriculum every day, but in traditional campuses, still need to get modifications and new programs approved by principals and school supervisors before they can put them into action. By eliminating school administration, teachers put themselves in the position of adjusting curriculum and adding programs to meet the specific needs of the students in their schools.

Many of the teacher-run schools starting today have been located in low-income neighborhoods, where students already have many socioeconomic hurdles to overcome. For example, teacher-governed schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin consist of a high number of low-income Latino students, and one school in the area boasts a 100% Native American population. Another serves gay and lesbian students who were bullied in mainstream schools, according to a report at The Free Library.

This video reports on schools without principals.

Despite the budget cuts that have hit school districts nationwide over the past two years, recent numbers released for 2008 show that education was surprisingly healthy in the financial realm before the economic slowdown.

A recent analysis of U.S. Census Data by Bloomberg showed that public school systems spent more on education per student during this year than in the previous 16 years of education spending. An article in Bloomberg Businessweek recently reported that the average spending per student across the country was $ 10,259, with some districts spending more and others spending much less.

What the Numbers Show

The Bloomberg report was calculated for the 2007-2008 school year, and it included all 50 states. To get an accurate picture of education spending over the last two decades, numbers were adjusted for inflation. The results showed that this particular academic year boasted the biggest spending increase since at least 1992, the earliest year this type of data was available.

In a Georgia Education News blog report, Lisa Blumerman, chief of the Governments Division at the U.S. Census Bureau, said, "This report on public school spending shows us how taxpayer money is being spent on education. Public education is the single largest category of all state and local government expenditures. These data provide a detailed picture of how available resources are spent within the public education system."

School funding comes from various local, state, and federal sources. In 2008, public school systems received $582.1 billion in

When it comes times for public school graduates to march up the aisle to the tune of "Pomp and Circumstance," the venue for the ceremony becomes an issue. Many high schools do not boast a large enough gymnasium or auditorium to house a significant number of graduates and family members, and outdoor stadiums are always vulnerable to stormy weather. Public venues, like professional arenas, can be quite costly to rent, leading some schools to look for affordable alternatives within the community.

In some cities, the apparent solution has been to hold graduation ceremonies in large church buildings, and pastors have been more than happy to offer their spaces to neighboring schools. However, public school graduations in churches have raised questions across the country about the separation of church and state. In fact, some schools have actually found themselves in the midst of court proceedings as a result of inadvertently combining religion with public education.

This video looks at the issue of separation of church and state in our public schools.

A Fight at First Cathedral

First Cathedral, a non-denominational megachurch in Connecticut had opened its doors to no less than five high school graduations in previous years, according to an article in USA Today. The expansive church was chosen by the schools both for comfort and affordability.

However, not all the students and parents were comfortable holding a graduation ceremony in

With schools across the country facing severe budget cuts due to the current economic slowdown, some are getting creative in their money-raising efforts. As home values plummet and residents are forced to relocate, many school districts are forced to cut their budgets by as much as 10% or more. This means that many schools must choose between cutting funding for much needed supplies and programs and reducing staff.

However, by finding new ways to raise money, from partnering with local churches to selling advertising on school buses, districts are finding ways to get the money they need to provide supplies and staffing to their students.

The Church Connection

Churches have a mission to help people in need. Schools have become quite needy, with severe budget cuts that prohibit them from providing even the basics to their students. It appears that at least one public school in Florida has recognized the connection between the two.

Combee Elementary School in Lakeland, Florida, has been "adopted" by the First Baptist Church at the Mall, according to a recent report on the Wall Street Journal. The local church has stocked a resource room with $5,000 worth of supplies for the school and continues to meet with the school principal to identify additional needs and try to meet them.

In exchange for its financial assistance, the church gains access to families in the community, according to church pastors. Pastor Dave McClamma told the WSJ, "We have inroads