Rushed Attempt to Combine Education Departments Bad for Missouri’s Children
www.benchmarkemail.com
The Missouri House Higher Education Committee heard testimony on SJR 44 and SJR 45. These two measures would place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot to combine the Boards and Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Higher Education (DHE). The proposal, in its current form, is a bad idea for Missouri’s children and should be opposed in the Missouri House of Representatives.
Instead of this “ready, fire, aim” approach, the state should seriously review how combining two large bureaucracies into one mega- bureaucracy would affect education for individual children in our state. These critical questions just scratch the surface of what must be answered before discussion of combining these two departments can move forward.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Charting a New Course
Virginia’s educational landscape may finally grow to include charter schools.
Options for parents are growing...PARENTS everywhere NEED to get involved.
Options for parents are growing...PARENTS everywhere NEED to get involved.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Illinois House kills school voucher bill
Fervent lobbying by unions sinks idea to give students $3,700 to switch to private or parochial schools.
The landmark legislation would have made Chicago Public Schools the site of what experts said would be the nation's largest voucher program. Up to 30,000 of the district's 400,000 students could have left the weak schools they now attend, setting up competition for public schools.
Illinois House kills school voucher bill
Fervent lobbying by unions sinks idea to give students $3,700 to switch to private or parochial schools.
The landmark legislation would have made Chicago Public Schools the site of what experts said would be the nation's largest voucher program. Up to 30,000 of the district's 400,000 students could have left the weak schools they now attend, setting up competition for public schools.
Mo. Virtual Schools Program Could See More Funding
PLATTE CITY, Mo. -- One program is actually receiving money during a time of cutbacks in the Missouri budget. Hundreds of students in Missouri attend school through a Web camera. The Missouri Virtual Schools Program look like it will gain funding after an already financially rocky year.
At the start of the current school year, there was $4.8 million in state funds for the program to cover the cost of 1,600 students statewide. Missouri's loss of revenue meant funding for the second semester was almost entirely wiped out. That meant school districts and parents had to come up with the cash to pay for their students to go to virtual school.
The state budget passed last week gave virtual schools more than $600,000 for next year -- far less than the $4.9 million last year. Fuchs said it will be used for infrastructure and to pay more student enrollment fees. Final funding for the schools is now in Gov. Jay Nixon's hands.
At the start of the current school year, there was $4.8 million in state funds for the program to cover the cost of 1,600 students statewide. Missouri's loss of revenue meant funding for the second semester was almost entirely wiped out. That meant school districts and parents had to come up with the cash to pay for their students to go to virtual school.
The state budget passed last week gave virtual schools more than $600,000 for next year -- far less than the $4.9 million last year. Fuchs said it will be used for infrastructure and to pay more student enrollment fees. Final funding for the schools is now in Gov. Jay Nixon's hands.
Legislative Update - Week 17
SB 815 - Allows school districts to adopt a year-round educational program, implement multiple start dates for kindergarten students, and expands the Teacher Choice Compensation Package statewide.
Legislative Update - Week 17
May 3 – May 6, 2010 There have been three bills that have become targets for legislation that will potentially pass with a large number of education provisions. Since last week’s update, the language in SB 815 that would require charter schools to go through the MSIP process has been removed and some changes to the potential funding stream for summer school have also changed. Please note that these bills are all still in draft form and still have more deliberations in front of them. Legislative session ends on Friday, May 14 at 6:00 pm. A final wrap-up of all legislative activity will be sent out after that time.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
SB 943
VISIT for more information-
http://www.votervoice.net/link/clickthrough/ext/106141.aspx
This bill contains modifications to the foundation formula including a mechanism to prorate the formula. Where the bill previously specified that summer school programs would have to have a strict academic focus to be funded, changes have been made to that language. The bill now would require schools with a free and reduced lunch count of over 60% to cap their funding for the program at 7% of the weighted Average Daily Attendance (ADA). For schools with less than 60% free and reduced lunch rates, the cap would be instated at 3% of the weighted ADA. This bill was passed out of committee last night.
http://www.votervoice.net/link/clickthrough/ext/106141.aspx
This bill contains modifications to the foundation formula including a mechanism to prorate the formula. Where the bill previously specified that summer school programs would have to have a strict academic focus to be funded, changes have been made to that language. The bill now would require schools with a free and reduced lunch count of over 60% to cap their funding for the program at 7% of the weighted Average Daily Attendance (ADA). For schools with less than 60% free and reduced lunch rates, the cap would be instated at 3% of the weighted ADA. This bill was passed out of committee last night.
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