I have to share a cartoon that made its way to me last week (yes, I’m as behind in my blogging as I am in my day job, my spring yard work, and virtually every other aspect of my life) and then give a bit of thought to thestory out of the UK that the cartoon satirizes.
United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan held a conference call Wednesday with reporters from across the nation to discuss President Obama’s educational reform plans. Duncan quickly summarized Obama’s plans before accepting questions from the press. He spoke about the need for expanding educational access to youth across America, increasing the number of high school and college graduates and retaining teachers by promoting excellence among them and how Obama’s budget provided for these new initiatives. “[Education] is the way to a better economy and this budget understands how critically important that link is,” Duncan said. Obama plans to double funding for charter schools across the nation for students kindergarten through the 12th grade, according to Obama’s educational agenda on the White House’s Web site. “Barack Obama and [Vice President] Joe Biden will double funding for the Federal Charter School Program to support the creation of more successful charter schools,” the site states. “The Obama-Biden administration will provide this expanded charter school funding only to states that improve accountability for charter schools, allow for interventions in struggling charter schools and have a clear process for closing down chronically underperforming charter schools. Obama and Biden will also prioritize supporting states that help the most successful charter schools to expand to serve more students.”Read more: "Secretary of Education Outlines Plans for Schools | The Hoya" -http://www.thehoya.com/node/18576#ixzz0AwKlppK4
Board to vote on $3.2 million in cuts, larger class sizes
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com
"It's a sad day for education."
Pleasant Valley School Board member Patty Lerner's lament summed up much of what was felt by her and the district's other top officials when it was determined late last week that 27 teaching positions in Pleasant Valley School District will likely be eliminated in 2009-10.
The Pleasant Valley School Board must approve $3.2 million in cuts at its March 19 meeting.
The district is expected to cut about 20 percent of its teaching force next year, due to a budget shortfall. There are 357 full-time teachers in the district. The board will probably vote to increase class sizes for kindergarten through third grade from 20 students per teacher to 24 per teacher, which will save the district $622,000.
"It's all very aggravating and sad," Lerner said. "Going 24 to 1, students will still receive a high education."
Superintendent Luis Villegas said that his staff briefly considered going to a 30to1 studentteacher ratio.
"Our board would not support that," he said. "I would not support that."
Villegas said he is perturbed that mostly younger teachers, many of them just beginning their careers, will be the first to be released.
Many schools have seen their student population dwindle as people have lost their savings that were set aside for college. But with a little planning and research, attending school doesn’t have to be a pipe dream.
According to a survey conducted by Sallie Mae and Gallup, 25% of families did not complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) last year. The FAFSA is your first and best resource to see how much you qualify for in federal aid.
Colleges and lenders alike agree that it's best to fill out the FAFSA as early as possible to get an idea of what you qualify for. Sallie Mae even has a web site with free tools and information on grants and scholarships available to students.
I'm finishing up my degree in Forensic Psychology—extremely different from finance, I know—and the Sallie Mae site has been a great starting place for finding funds to pay for school...I assure you, a credit union salary and freelance writing won't pay the tuition alone. So, if you want to go to school in 2009, but are afraid of the costs, start with the FAFSA. You can fill it out anytime after January 1st, but the earlier the better. Also be sure to check with your school's financial aid department for other resources and information.
The State Board of Education has appointed a committee to lead its search for a new Commissioner of Education, a spokesman for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said in a news release.
The board approved the committee during its meeting last week in Jefferson City.
The board hopes to select a new Commissioner of Education by mid-summer to replace D. Kent King, who died early in January. The Commissioner serves as director of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and as the state’s top official for public schools (pre-kindergarten-grade 12).
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