A Philadelphia sixth-grader died last September after suffering from an asthma attack at school and failing to receive the medical attention she needed. According to an article published last week in Philadelphia Magazine, which contains a copy of the lawsuit filed on September 2, a sixth grade student began having an asthma attack at school, …
Teacher Evaluations and Student Growth
The new school year marks the first year of full implementation of the state’s new Teacher Excellence and Support System, a state-wide, mandatory teacher evaluation system intended to standardize comprehensive teacher evaluations and support. School districts piloted the program last year, but this will be the first year of mandatory implementation, as well as the …
College Resources for Arkansas Students
Open Education Database (OEDb.org) recently contacted me regarding an online comprehensive college resource guide they’ve put together for Arkansas. OEDb.org is a website that compiles information about online college offerings by state, and also contains a comprehensive listing of free online classes and lectures in a variety of subjects, such as business, education, liberal arts, and …
The Battle Over Common Core Continues
The State of Louisiana is in the news once again, and it’s certainly not a glowing endorsement of the current status of the state’s public education system. Not one, but two lawsuits have been filed this week alone regarding the State’s implementation of the common core state standards. Initially, forty-five states plus the District of …
Special Session Starts Today
I’ve written briefly about the problems with teacher health insurance in Arkansas in the past here, here, and here. Last fall, Governor Beebe called a special session in order to find a solution to the projected 50% increase in premiums for teachers that was slated to begin this past January. A short-term solution was implemented, …
Why Inappropriate Relationships Between Teachers and Students are Still Prohibited.
I’ve received a few questions lately from school administrators and educators concerning the current state of the law with regards to student-teacher relationships. Specifically, I’ve been asked if criminal charges can be filed against a teacher who has a sexual relationship with a student over the age of 18. If you remember, the Arkansas Supreme …
An Overview of the Teacher Fair Dismissal Act
This time each year, I often get questions from readers and clients regarding the requirements of the Arkansas Teacher Fair Dismissal Act (TFDA). As teachers, many of my readers and clients want to know exactly how the TFDA protects them, so I’ve decided to do a brief overview of what the TFDA requires and a summary …
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Prohibition on Racial Preferences
Race-based admissions in higher education is a hot button issue, and I’ve written about this subject in the past here and here. Colleges and universities continue to struggle as they balance their desire for a diverse student body with the necessity that every student be given an equal opportunity for admission regardless of their race. There …
Corporal Punishment Upheld Once Again
I often get questions from parents regarding the current state of corporal punishment, both in Arkansas and across the country. Corporal punishment in public schools, as antiquated as it may seem to some, is still alive and well in 19 states, with Arkansas being one of them. Though many education and child advocacy groups continue …
California Tenure Law Challenged
A hotly contested lawsuit in California could pave the way for teacher tenure law reform across the country. The education advocacy group, Students Matter, filed suit in 2012 against the State of California on behalf of nine California public school students seeking to strike down five state teacher tenure statutes. The plaintiffs, in Vergara v. …