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Weekly News Round-Up for June 15th
posted by: Melissa | June 15, 2018, 05:43 PM   

NYC’s Courts Controversy with Changes to Elite Schools: Recently, New York City’s mayor Bill DeBlasio announced a change to how the city’s elite and selective high schools choose which students will be enrolled. Previously, all students in NYC took an entrance exam and the students who did best were offered a place at the specialized schools. However, this system resulted in a wide disparity between who was and wasn’t allowed to enroll in the schools. Enrollment in these select schools can be life changing for gifted students from poor neighborhoods, but these are the very students who are often blocked from enrolling. The new proposal would offer spots to each middle school’s top seven-percent. This has caused anger in communities who feel they are the ones being sidelined now, including the city’s Asian families.


Parkland Students Shine at Tony Awards: Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School honored at this year’s Tony Awards. Drama Teacher Melody Herzfeld, who had sheltered 65 students during the school’s shooting, was given the Tony’s Excellence in Theatre Education Award. The award includes a $10,000 prize, which will go to the school’s theater program. During the presentation, Ms. Herzfeld was surprised by her drama students who performed “Seasons of Love” from the musical Rent.


Controversy over How to Protect Schools Continues in Texas: As communities continue to deal with the fall out after a uniquely violent school year, controversy continues. Texas is one such state, where they are exploring whether to harden schools. There, a newly created senate committee is exploring measures such as metal detectors.  Critics worry that these measures will cause schools to feel like prisons and will have a detrimental effect on learning. They would like the money spent on other measures. Those opposed to hardening measures includes the National PTA, National School Boards Association, American Counseling Association, and the Girl Scouts.


Happening Elsewhere:

Where Boys Outperform Girls in Math: Rich, White and Suburban Districts

Colorado Board of Education debates what to teach fourth-graders about guns

Class action settlement reached for special education students against Hawaii’s Department of Education

FBI investigating Ohio-based Discovery Tours after school trips are cancelled

Suburban Illinois school districts pay penalties for giving raises over 6 percent

Little Rock charter school’s revisions going to hearing

Foreign teachers in Baltimore schools at risk of losing visas

Teacher who tackled Indiana school shooter will return to classroom in fall

Student with autism who rarely speaks gives inspirational graduation speech

Student used quote in yearbook. ‘Horrified’ principal learned of its origins, Mass. officials say


What’s going on where you are?

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