Cuts to public education will leave some kids stranded at home.

All over the U.S., leaders have made cuts in education spending in order to get their state’s fiscal house in order. That has meant the loss of extra programs, such as sports and music. Spending on special needs and other support services have also taken a hit.

In California, the governor’s budget pulled the all funds for transportation for the rest of this year. Next year, funding for transportation could be eliminated all together. The result in urban areas is bad enough –  kids who relied on free school busing to get to magnet schools will have to return to their neighborhood schools.

For a small but significant number of rural kids, these cuts mean they won’t be able to go to school at all. Continue reading »

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I use Facebook.  And Twitter.  And YouTube.  And now, Google+ too.  I use them for work and for play.  For the first time,  my children’s school is putting a ‘School Privacy’ policy in place that limits how I might use these technology tools as they relate to kids and the school.  Citing respect and privacy, the new policy is in reference to photos and video taken at school events and effects all students and staff.

And not just kids and staff on school premises, but anything related to the school at all.  (think soccer games, plays, Halloween) And the policy doesn’t say I have to have the other parent’s permission to post video or pictures (assuming I have taken video at a soccer game), I have to have the SCHOOL’S written permission.

Now…. I do live in the same state that recently banned Teacher-Student friendships on social networking sites… and there are recent studies that say Facebook can actually ruin your kid’s grades, so is this any surprise?

My thoughts, naturally, in the video.

What say you, Internets?  Does your school have a similar policy?  Should they?

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I guess this girl couldn't attend public school in Lake County.

According to My Fox Orlando, Lake County school officials want to ban extreme makeup and hairstyles from their schools.  Their reasons are that it’s distracting and it’s a safety issue.  They think that banning extreme hairdos will cut down on distractions in the classroom.

For real?  I had pink and purple hair back in high school.  I’m pretty sure it had no effect on my (or anyone else’s learning).  I got good grades.  Well, except in math, but that wasn’t because of my hair; it was because it was math.  Anyone who was in school with me and failed your classes due to my “extreme hair” feel free to set me straight here.

Students are used to seeing other students with crazy hair, makeup, and/or clothing. According to my experts (my own teens), no one cares. It doesn’t distract them. It doesn’t hinder their learning experience. It’s a non-issue.

Continue reading »

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Public school: for something so wholesome, it sure does stir up a lot of controversy. There are constantly battles being waged about what to teach, how to teach it and how much money is needed to do it right. Everyone has an opinion, whether they have kids or not.

For parents, there’s a much more immediate concern that comes up when considering public schools: will you send your kids there? The choice between public, private and homeschooling is one a lot of parents wrestle with. Admittedly, it’s a privileged choice: most parents don’t have the resources or time to homeschool their kids, or the disposable income for private school.

For those lucky enough to be faced with a decision, deciding what to do about your child’s schooling can be agonizing. It was for Stella McCartney and her family.

Continue reading »

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Um, what she meant to say was ...

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended Cathie Black, the city’s new schools chancellor. She was at a public forum with parents last week when she joked that solving school overcrowding could be solved by having fewer kids. (Genius!)

Though the joke got some chuckles, it fell pretty flat once the media got a hold of it. Black was hardly the parents’ top choice for leading the nation’s largest public school district — educating her children in private schools all the way. The joke made her come across as insensitive and tone-deaf. (It wasn’t even that funny!) Continue reading »

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Is teaming up with Old Navy a hive five for NYC public schools?

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg launched a task force this summer to combat chronic absenteeism in public schools.  According to statistics provided by the city, “over 40 percent of children in the juvenile justice system have been chronically absent,” and “absenteeism rates are highest in low-income communities.”  Additionally, research shows that three out of four students who are chronically absent in the sixth grade never graduate from high school.  New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly stresses that curbing truancy and chronic absenteeism is a matter of public safety.  He says, “When children and teens are truant during school hours, they are more likely to be the victims of and commit crimes.  The risk of drug use, gang activity, and criminal behavior increases significantly when students are on the street instead of in the classroom.”

It’s inarguable that students belong in school, but how far should we go to encourage kids not to cut class?  The Task Force on Truancy and Chronic Absenteeism teamed up with affordable retail favorite Old Navy to award the 300 students with the best and most improved attendance from the 25 participating schools with a $50 gift card, along with a surprise winter coat and visit from Mets shortstop, Jose Reyes.
 
While I appreciate Old Navy’s interest in students receiving a quality education, it hardly seems like $15,000 worth of free clothes is going to save at-risk youth.  That $15,000 could probably have been better spent elsewhere: on books, technology or staff training.  But why donate books to a school when you can get 300 hip, urban teenage models to wear your clothes on the streets of New York for free? Continue reading »

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If you judge by test scores only, my kid attends a pretty good public school.  But at the end of the day, she rarely returns from those hallowed halls of learning excited about anything other than no longer being in those hallowed halls of learning.  She’s a bright and curious girl who used to be excited about school.  But after several years in the public school system, she’s frustrated, exhausted and completely uninspired.

I don’t blame her teachers.  I blame the system. We know it’s broken and our kids are paying the price, but does anyone know how to fix it?

Some award-winning teachers profiled in CNN’s “Fix Our Schools” series think they do. Continue reading »

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