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Public School Policies

From unions to vouchers, school budgets to discipline policies, we cover some of the most controversial issues affecting public schools today. Learn more about education reform and how it impacts your family. Keep current on the latest controversies regarding religion, sex-education, civil rights and more.

View the most popular articles in Public School Policies:

<麻豆果冻传媒 class="amc-article-title amc-mr-title">Are Vouchers Destroying Public Schools?
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Are Vouchers Destroying Public Schools?
Learn about the raging debate surrounding utilizing tax-funded vouchers to give students the freedom to choose their own public or private education -- and whether vouchers are indeed destroying the foundation of America's public schools.

School vouchers have been a controversial debate among community members and educators for more than a decade 鈥 and there are no signs of the debate simmering.

Vouchers are essentially a form of 鈥渢ax scholarship鈥 for public school students, wherein the educational tax (which typically is given directly to public schools) can be used to pay for alternative forms of education. With the voucher approach, taxes allow parents to send their children to a school of their choice; this money can even be used for private schools.

While many parents and educators believe that vouchers give students the freedom to seek out better educational opportunities, other individuals and experts assert that vouchers simply deprive struggling schools of receiving much-needed funding for improvement. With this great debate, one must question: are vouchers destroying or saving our public schools?

This video from NPR explains how vouchers work.

How Do Vouchers Work?

As public schools rely upon tax dollars for funding, each student who attends a public school is 鈥渨orth鈥 a certain amount of tax dollars. Each public school district or county is provided with a different 鈥渢ax worth鈥 for their students, which is determined in elections by community members.

For example, 鈥淒istrict A鈥 schools may receive $5,000 per student (annually), while 鈥淒istrict B鈥 may only be provided with $4,000 per student (annually). If 鈥淒istrict A鈥 is provided with more money and funding for each

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<麻豆果冻传媒 class="amc-article-title amc-mr-title">Are Public Schools Protecting the Environment?
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Are Public Schools Protecting the Environment?
Learn about how public schools are making their campuses greener through technology investments, policy changes, and eco-friendly student education.

Although public schools strive to teach students about conservation and environmental care, all campuses certainly produce their own waste. With classroom papers, copies, trash, packaged lunches, electricity, and other resource needs, some public school leaders are striving to reduce each campus鈥 carbon footprint.

To help schools and students embrace a more responsible environmental approach, many school leaders are implementing new 鈥済reen-focused鈥 programs to improve both the performance of schools and the education of students.

This video reports on green-friendly schools worldwide.

Greener Public School Reform

To help boost individual school responsibility, there are an array of programs and renovations that aim to 鈥済reen-ovate鈥 public schools. With 鈥済reen ovations,鈥 public schools implement environmentally friendly technologies or changes to improve the energy savings and output of the school.

For example, as reports, EcoMedia, an environmental media company, paired itself with the CBS Corporation to award three schools with new environmentally friendly makeovers. With over $600,000 dollars invested into new products and services to help revamp the three chosen schools, EcoMedia and CBS aim to help with 鈥済reen ovations鈥 such as:

  • Solar and wind projects
  • Energy-efficient lighting
  • Green roofs
  • Internal and external green upgrades

While EcoMedia and CBS sought to reward winning schools with green renovations, many experts assert that public schools across the country are striving to find ways to implement their own eco-friendly changes. Specifically, as reveals, rising energy

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<麻豆果冻传媒 class="amc-article-title amc-mr-title">What You Need to Know About Public Schools in a Recession
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What You Need to Know About Public Schools in a Recession
Learn about how public schools are impacted by an economic recession, job losses, and funding cuts.

As the economy continues to struggle, some segments of society are still feeling the financial pain. Public schools across the country are still dealing with budget cuts that have forced them to make difficult decisions in recent years. When pressure from performance-based assessments is added to the mix, finding funding to teach kids to the standards becomes an even bigger challenge. Then, throw in the very real 21st century need to bring more technology into classrooms 鈥 a need that doesn鈥檛 come cheap. How are America鈥檚 public schools coping with these changes?

Public Schools and Recessionary Funding

Public schools are funded through an array of measures, including local property taxes, state funds, and federal funds. However, as Intercultural Development Research Association explains, the majority of school funding is derived from local property taxes and state funds. The state funds for schools come from sources such as gas taxes, franchise taxes, and other additional taxes.

When a recession occurs, schools are hit by a loss from all three of these funding sources. For example, in areas with a high property tax, schools are generally provided with more funding; conversely, low property taxes usually result in schools with less funding. As many Americans report job loss and subsequent home loss, however, the amount of money taken in from property taxes is gradually decreasing. If individuals are not buying

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<麻豆果冻传媒 class="amc-article-title amc-mr-title">Private School Vouchers: The Controversy
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Private School Vouchers: The Controversy
Learn more about the debate behind private school vouchers and whether they are a viable public school alternative for your child.

Stirring up a raging political, social, and economic debate, the issue of school vouchers is a hot topic among community leaders, members, and educators. School vouchers, which essentially work as a scholarship, allow parents to redirect the trajectory of educational funding. Instead of applying tax dollars to schools directly, vouchers allow tax money to be sent to individual families. With this approach, parents and families can choose how their educational tax money is spent, allowing students to attend private or public schools, as the tax money can be used to pay for private tuition costs.

For proponents, vouchers offer students in failing schools access to greater educational opportunities in private schools. On the other side of the debate, many experts assert that vouchers, in the larger spectrum, will cause far more harm than good.

Vouchers and the Current State of Student Funding

While vouchers are still a relatively new concept and practice, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin approved of its state鈥檚 voucher program in 1998, which supported family-ownership of educational tax funds for approximately 15,000 children. With this private funding, children can choose from either public, private, or religious schools. This verdict was appealed to the United States Supreme Court after its passing, but the judges of the Supreme Court voted to not hear the appeal; therefore, Wisconsin has been able to continue its voucher approach to education for nearly a decade.

This video from The Young Turks discusses Louisiana's voucher program.

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<麻豆果冻传媒 class="amc-article-title amc-mr-title">Dealing with Behavioral Issues in Middle and High School
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Dealing with Behavioral Issues in Middle and High School
From understanding the root causes of challenging behaviors to implementing effective intervention techniques, readers will gain valuable insights into fostering a positive learning environment. With a focus on proactive approaches and collaboration between home and school, this resource equips readers with the tools needed to address behavioral concerns effectively. Whether dealing with defiance, academic apathy, or social conflicts, this article provides guidance to support students in reaching their full potential academically, socially, and emotionally.

As teens transition through middle and high school, many parents witness their children exhibiting problematic behaviors as students try to assert more freedom and independence. Behaviors such as lying, stealing, not performing well in school, skipping class, or exhibiting general disruptive actions are common among teens.

Despite these issues, however, the vast majority of students struggling with troubling behaviors can improve and advance within one year if they receive early intervention. Early intervention strategies may be the key to solving issues and problems exhibited by teens. Public schools have developed action plans to improve teen behavior to achieve this early intervention. Paired with this, parents can implement specific strategies to help their teens work through some common issues and struggles during the middle and high school years.

Teens and Troubling Behavior

The Common Behavioral Issues

While many teens in middle and high school fall prey to the temptations of peer pressure, fitting in, and the lure of popularity, these pressures can often pull teens towards disruptive and negative behaviors that are evident both in and outside of school.

According to Parenting Teens, 鈥淪truggling t"ens (and even those not struggling) tend to project their smoke screens for various reasons. You may see them behaving with studied indifference to virtually everything. They may prefer not to be seen with the family. They may be withdrawn, irritable, difficult, and downright unpleasant.鈥

Often, "these attitudes are simply a developmental 鈥減hase鈥 that "teens "exhibit as they move through puberty; however, schools and

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麻豆果冻传媒 Articles

What Is A Charter School?
What Is A Charter School?
Explore the world of charter schools in this comprehensive guide. Learn about their history, how they operate, and the pros and cons of this educational innovation. Discover key facts about charter schools, including admission policies, demographics, and funding, as well as what to look for when considering a charter school for your child.
10 Reasons Why High School Sports Benefit Students
10 Reasons Why High School Sports Benefit Students
Discover the 10 compelling reasons why high school sports are beneficial for students. This comprehensive article explores how athletics enhance academic performance, foster personal growth, and develop crucial life skills. From improved fitness and time management to leadership development and community representation, learn why participating in high school sports can be a game-changer for students' overall success and well-being.
Understanding the U.S. Department of Education: Structure, Impact, and Evolution
February 05, 2025
Understanding the U.S. Department of Education: Structure, Impact, and Evolution
We explore how the Department of Education shapes American education, from its cabinet-level leadership to its impact on millions of students, written for general audiences seeking clarity on this vital institution.

Public School Policies

EDUCATION REFORM
Education reform is in the works, and you can stay updated on the latest changes, debates, and policies here. Learn more about No Child Left Behind and how it impacts your child. Explore how federal and state government is working to improve school performance, student achievement and education standards.
TEACHERS AND UNIONS
A comprehensive look at teachers, tenure, and unions. Learn how unions impact school performance. Explore the impact of education reform on teaching qualification standards, traditional unions and controversial tenure rules.
PUBLIC SCHOOL BUDGETS
We offer an overview of public school budgets; where the money comes from, how it鈥檚 spent and what schools are doing to get more funding. Learn how schools are cutting budgets and how the cuts will impact your child. Delve into some of the creative ways school districts are trying to raise money and where the extra money is spent.
VOUCHERS
Explore both sides of the school voucher debate. Learn what your options are, how those choices are funded and the impact on your local school district. From the latest government initiatives to results from recent studies, explore vouchers and the options they provide.
SCHOOL DISCIPLINE POLICIES
Examine the various discipline methods being put to use in public schools. From detention to expulsion, spanking to handcuffing, school discipline can often be controversial. Does spanking work? Do police belong in schools? Learn more about what is being done to punish out of control students.
SCHOOL CONTROVERSIES
The most controversial issues impacting public school students today. From bullying to book bans, this is a comprehensive look at some of the most oft-debated issues. This section features articles on school segregation, religion, over-crowding, civil rights, and green technology.