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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis:
Budget Time
School leaders across the nation are in the process of developing budgets for the next school year. They do this work within the churning that characterizes school funding nearly everywhere. Whether the fights are played out in courtrooms or legislative bodies, there is often little certainty about revenues when budgets are constructed. While Race to the Top demands are changing how everyone is doing business, federal and state aid is diminishing and tax caps limit local contribution. And, the fiscal drain of charter schools further exacerbates the issue. Frustration builds at all levels. The challenge is to be credible when predictability is illusive. That is no easy task. (Education Week – Leadership 360)
Wis. Appeals Court Refuses to Reinstate Union Law
A Wisconsin appeals court on Tuesday refused to put on hold a judge’s decision repealing major parts of Gov. Scott Walker’s law that effectively ending collective bargaining for most public workers. (Education Week)
No Division Required in This School Problem
While school officials and parents here were debating how to assign students to Boston’s public schools, a lanky young man was quietly observing their public proceedings. (New York Times)
Waiting for recovery: U.S. public schools continue to lose jobs
Nicole Lyons gave up. After she was laid off from her job teaching at a public elementary school she bounced through longer-term substitute postings and held a part-time job, all the while hoping she would land a permanent placement. (Reuters)
Where do city teachers’ union dues go? A detailed breakdown
Every two weeks, $49.89 is taken out of teachers’ paychecks as UFT dues. Depending on their jobs, other members of the UFT contribute different amounts, ranging from $24.95 for paraprofessionals to $51.08 for psychologists and social workers. For all union members, dues are a flat fee determined by position, not a percentage of their salary. (Gotham Schools)
New York:
Mayoral candidates help launch citywide school policy bus tour
A coalition hoping to rid the city of Mayor Bloomberg’s favored education policies launched an ambitious voter registration drive today — with the help of the four Democrats vying to become the next mayor. (Gotham Schools)
View Point:
Why NYC Should Make Diversity a School Choice
Across the country, a growing number of white, well-educated young professionals are choosing to live in cities such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. Although these so-called “gentrifiers” grew up in mostly white suburbs and attended predominantly white schools, they are choosing to live in more diverse, cosmopolitan, and global communities. (SchoolBook)