Public schools

May 31, 2009 -- As legislative conferees continue talking about the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, it’s important they and the public know the facts about education funding. For school year 2009-2010, our K-12 schools will receive nearly $200 million more than they have ever received in any fiscal year, a 7.8 percent increase over the previous highest year’s funding and a 10.6 percent increase over the funding public education actually received last year.    » read more »

June 1, 2009 -- HONOLULU – Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle and State School Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto today announced Hawaii’s participation in a nationwide program led by the states to ensure public school students have the knowledge and skills they need to compete in the global economy.

Governor Lingle and Superintendent Hamamoto have co-signed a Memorandum of Agreement that commits Hawaii to participate in the process of developing a common core of state standards that are internationally benchmarked. The national effort will be led by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices.    » read more »

PHOENIX – During a bill signing ceremony at the State Capitol, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer today signed HB2001 into law. HB 2001 will allow parents of disabled and foster children to continue to choose and utilize the school that best serves the needs of their children.

“I am so honored and proud to sign into law this important legislation,” Governor Brewer stated. “These foster parents and parents of disabled students selected an educational environment that is best suited for their children, and this bill will allow them to continue on the educational path that they have chosen."    » read more »

May 31, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced that the State of Alaska has chosen to monitor but not yet actively participate in the upcoming initiative to create nationwide common core state standards in reading and math.

The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers have announced they intend to work with states to formulate standards in English and math for kindergarten through grade 12 by December 2009.    » read more »

May 28, 2009 -- TRENTON - In a victory for all of New Jersey's children, New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine today praised the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court affirming the constitutionality of the School Funding Reform Act of 2008.

"I am deeply gratified on behalf of the state and all of our children. This is a truly historic ruling that brings to conclusion decades of conflict and litigation that many thought would never end," Governor Corzine said.

"By agreeing that the new funding formula is constitutional and that the prior Abbott remedies are no longer necessary, the court has allowed us to focus in a unified and predictable way on meeting our obligation to all of our children while in no way prejudicing those who have benefited from the Abbott rulings in the past."    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- SAN FRANCISCO -- Three days after California voters rejected ballot measures to restore state funding for public schools, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan visited the state today and told more than 500 business, education, political, philanthropic, and community leaders not to retreat from their responsibilities to prepare all children to graduate high school college- and career-ready.

Even as California's 2008 Academic Performance Index data was released showing some improvement, Secretary Duncan challenged the audience at the San Francisco School Alliance luncheon to rebuild its public school system and again be the envy of the world.    » read more »

Washington, D.C. -- May 24, 2009 -- Today, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) wrote President Barack Obama urging him to clarify the decision made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to terminate the Philadelphia School District’s Universal Feeding pilot program.

“While I appreciate the administration’s offers of assistance to the Philadelphia School District as it transitions out of the pilot program, the unacceptable result of the transition to paper applications will be children missing meals,” Senator Specter wrote. “If your administration does, in fact, intend to end the program this school year, I would appreciate a clear statement to that effect, so that I and others can introduce immediate legislation to extend the program.”    » read more »

Grants Will Focus on Disadvantaged Schools, While Creating Jobs Nationally

May 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today introduced legislation that will help public schools fix their deteriorating school buildings. The School Building Fairness Act of 2009 would authorize $6 billion a year for a new program that would provide grants for the repair, renovation and construction of elementary and secondary schools as well as early learning facilities. The national legislation is modeled on a program initiated by Harkin for Iowa schools.    » read more »

New laws will increase graduation rates, help secure federal education funding

May 21, 2009 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter today signed into law a comprehensive package of education-reform measures, including bills to help reduce the dropout rate, allow students to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and a college associate's degree, and give Colorado a better chance of landing federal "Race to the Top" funds.

"In my first State of the State Address, I set out aggressive and bold objectives for education, including cutting Colorado's dropout rate and achievement gap in half over the next 10 years and doubling the number of college degrees earned by Colorado residents," Gov. Ritter said.    » read more »

May 19, 2009 -- BISMARCK, N.D. - North Dakota Governor John Hoeven today was joined by Lt. Gov. Jack Dalrymple, legislators, members of the Governor's Commission on Education Improvement, educators and students to sign House Bill 1400, a historic K-12 education funding bill that invests $1.3 billion in North Dakota's schools.    » read more »

Additional Funding Would Improve Educational Guidance for Students and Families

May 18, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold is leading efforts in the Senate to increase funding for school counseling programs that are crucial to the academic and social success of students. In a letter to Senate appropriators, Feingold and thirteen of his Senate colleagues called for increased funding for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) so elementary schools, as well as our nation’s high schools, are provided with expanded school counseling services.    » read more »

May 15, 2009 -- “This evening I was informed by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg that New York City has made a decision to close an additional three schools due to high absenteeism and reports of influenza-like illnesses. The three schools are:

o JHS 74Q - Nathanial Hawthorne School, 1021 students in Bayside: 26 students with documented flu-like symptoms.
o P.S. 107Q - Thomas A. Dooley, 891 students in Flushing: Flu-like symptoms were documented as being persistently high this week and 49 students were documented with flu-like symptoms.
o I.S. 318K - Eugenio Maria De Hostos, 1517 students in Williamsburg: 53 students were documented with flu-like symptoms this week.    » read more »

May 15, 2009 -- LAKEWOOD -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter today visited hundreds of students at Foothills Elementary School to sign into law three major New Energy Economy bills, including one that will help schools invest in solar panels, wind turbines and hybrid or electric buses.

House Bill 1312, sponsored by Rep. Andy Kerr and Sens. Gail Schwartz and Chris Romer, creates an innovative "Renewables for Schools" loan program to help schools afford clean-energy projects and electric or hybrid buses so they can reduce utility costs and invest those savings back where they belong -- in the classroom. In January, with the help of the Governor's Energy Office, Foothills Elementary installed a 9.5 kilowatt solar system on its roof.    » read more »

11 additional schools receive grants to boost AP enrollment and achievement

May 14, 2009 -- RICHMOND – Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine today joined Virginia Advanced Study Strategies (VASS) to announce the selection of 11 additional schools to receive five-year Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program grants designed to increase students' enrollment and qualifying scores in Advanced Placement courses in mathematics, science and English.

Governor Kaine also commended VASS for its initial success in the 14 schools announced last March. In this first group of schools chosen to participate, student enrollment in AP math, science, and English courses has increased from 1100 in 2007-2008 to more than 2600 in 2008-2009.    » read more »

May 14, 2009 -- “Today, I joined New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to announce that the New York City Health Department has recommended closing three schools in Queens after documenting unusually high levels of influenza-like illness. The schools will close tomorrow and remain closed for at least five school days.

“We will continue to work closely with New York City officials to monitor the situation at these three schools and schools across the State to ensure that we are taking all necessary precautions to protect our children and families. I continue to urge residents across New York to remain alert, but not alarmed.”

The three schools that closed in Queens include:    » read more »