Though public schools across the nation are improving their school environments for students, the New York schools are falling behind, according to the National Education Association (NEA). In a recently posted web page, the NEA cited many failings of the New York schools. Here are some of the challenges that the New York schools continue to face during the 2006-2007 school year. Average Sizes for Schools and Classes The elementary and secondary New York schools continu...

The 2005-2006 school year was a tremendous success for the Florida schools, especially at the middle school level. The Florida schools? educators across the state worked hard to improve student academic achievement levels and were rewarded for their efforts. The state of Florida awarded grades of A or B to 75 percent of its public schools. Not only did this show extraordinary progress for the Florida schools, but it also was a new record for the state. The strongest gains ...

Davidson IB Middle Wins Schools of Distinction Award The science program at Davidson IB Middle, one of the schools in the Charlotte ? Mecklenburg area, has been recognized as a School of Distinction by Intel and Scholastic. Intel, the world renowned computer chip maker, and Scholastic, a leader in textbooks and educational materials, chose Davidson for honors in the field of science achievement, bringing both pride and bragging rights to Charlotte schools. As the principal...

This summer saw the creation of the Cincinnati Schools ? Parent Leadership Institute. The program reflects the changing role that parents play in public education. As Vanessa White, the Board President of the Parents for Public Schools (PPS) stated: ?The days of bake sales are long gone. Today, parents need a new set of skills and knowledge if they are to realize their full potential to impact student achievement and drive school improvement.? Organizations such as PPS wor...

Homeschooling is one alternative that is becoming really popular these days, growing at about seven to 15 percent every year since it has broken ground several years ago. To date, there are about two million children undergoing the program. Although there have been arguments against it, children who have undergone the program actually do well on standardized tests and even do well in college and universities. They are even commended for their abilities to learn on their ow...

There are many benefits to homeschooling children: as costs of private schools continue to climb, homeschooling is a more affordable option; homeschooling allows more educational flexibility and can be scheduled conveniently around other family activities; and the curriculum and learning environment can be tailored to suit your child's individual needs. When you decide to homeschool your child, you must have a clear curriculum, plan and goals. Homeschooling allows you a gr...

A brief history of home schooling During the settlement of this country, home schooling was accepted as the primary means of educating children. Surprisingly, this led to a literacy rate of almost 98%. Of course, as the nation's population grew, so did the number of schools, both public and religious (private). This trend continued at a growth rate of nearly 15% per year. However, driven in part due to the Supreme Court decisions relating to the practice of religion in pub...

1) Ask about their success rates. A quality program should have a systematic way of measuring success and should be able to provide information to interested parents about that success. If a school is reluctant about telling you their success rates or can only provide anecdotal evidence of program effectiveness, this is a fairly good indicator that the results aren?t too impressive. If you are quoted a statistic, be sure you understand what the number means. Some schools defi...

In an unprecedented move in April, the Boston schools launched an initiative to convert all the charter schools within the city over to their school system as pilot schools. The move was in response to the millions of funding dollars lost each year for the children who attend the charter schools. Converting the schools to pilot schools, under the jurisdiction of the Boston schools, would reclaim future dollars, as well as expand the Boston schools? portfolio of experimental s...

If you choose to become a home schooler for the flexibility it allows then you likely value the philosophy that learning does not begin or end when a school bell rings. You understand the necessity and benefits of incorporating learning activities into life as a whole. The flexibility of home schooling also allows you the time to devote one on one with your child and assist him in learning in a manner that suits him best and to the best of his abilities. Remember the ol...