July 19th 2018
June July 2018 NewsBlast
SOS NEWSBLAST
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    North Carolina
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Washington
Oklahoma
Kansas
North Carolina
New Jersey
   
THE WEST
Washington      
Seattle Times Education Lab     Thursday, July 5, 2018
By Dahlia Bazzaz       Seattle Times staff reporter
The new superintendent of Seattle Public Schools has a busy six months ahead.
Denise Juneau plans to spend her first few months of her job on a listening tour, meeting with labor unions and getting a crash course in district operations and finances, according to a 2,100-word transition plan published recently on the district's website.
THE SOUTHWEST
Okalahoma
   
 
 
Declining State Aid, enrollment prompting 'tough conversations' at Tulsa public schools
 
 
Tulsa public schools staffing isn't sustainable said Superintendent Debra Gist after the school board passed the budget for the next fiscal year. But instead of cutting staff, the district will use some 6.2 million in reserve funds to offset declining state aid. "We have the balance funds that allow us to do that. It allows us to keep stability in our schools." Enrollment is expected to decline to 36,393 students for 2019-2020, so using reserve funds cannot continue, hence the tough conversations.
 
THE MIDWEST  
Kansas

Kansas high court again orders state to boost school funding   

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Kansas Supreme Court Monday ruled for the third time in two years that the state's spending on public schools is inadequate despite an increase approved earlier this year, but gave the state another year to come up with more money.

The high court rejected arguments from the state that a new law phasing in a $548 million increase in funding over five years is enough to provide a "suitable" education for every child as specified in the state constitution. But in a nod to the Legislature's efforts, the court delayed its mandate until June 30, 2019, or until further order of the court.
Its decision allows Kansas schools to remain open for the upcoming school year.

THE SOUTHEAST
North Carolina

North Carolina passes charter school law that critics say is intended to promote segregation     Valerie Strauss            June 14, 2018 
 
The North Carolina legislature has passed a controversial measure permitting four towns with mostly white populations to create their own charter schools, a move that critics say is intended to promote segregation.
THE NORTHEAST
New Jersey
 
"I Can't Be Silent': a high school student's ode to protest"
 
 Sadie Price-Elliott, a 16-year-old rising senior who lives in Newton, N.J., just won a national award expressing her strong belief in the power of the First Amendment and the right of all Americans to protest.
Price-Elliott, who attends Sussex Technical High School in Sparta, created a four-minute film, titled "I Can't Be Silent" (https://ncac.org/news/blog/why-your-protest-matters-film-contest-semi-finalists), that was selected as the best of 278 submissions in the National Coalition Against Censorship's annual contest.

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