Stateline Headlines about 85899391875http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/new-hampshire-school-fight-may-end-states-tax-taboo-85899391875For nearly three decades, pledging to veto broad-based taxes has been a rite of passage for New Hampshire governors. No one spurning the pledge has ever won the state's highest office, and Gov. Jeanne Shaheen was no exception in winning her second term last November. But New Hampshire's status as one of two states without a general income or sales tax - Alaska is the other -- is in jeopardy despite Shaheen's promise because of a court-ordered reexamination of public school financing.1999-01-26T00:00:00-05:0085899391872http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/hearings-on-federal-school-aid-begin-with-calls-for-fewer-strings-85899391872As Congress begins working on another five-year extension of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the legislation that funnels federal funds to public schools, state and local leaders are telling Washington in effect: give us the money and stay off our backs. "Education policies and initiatives historically have been the domain of the states and their local school districts, not the federal government," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge told the House Committee on Education and the Workforce this week.1999-01-29T00:00:00-05:0085899391568http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/young-artists-mark-californias-changing-of-the-guard-85899391568According to California schoolchildren, the same things that have historically drawn more people to the Golden State than to any other part of the country will propel it into the 21st Century -- the Pacific Ocean, dreams of fame, and a diverse culture and landscape. Artwork that incorporates those images was assembled into a mosaic and used as a decoration at California Gov. Gray Davis' inaugural events. The "Millennium Mosaic," a compellation of 21 works of art by school kids throughout the state, was also printed on commemorative t-shirts and banners.1999-02-02T00:00:00-05:0085899391869http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/florida-republicans-focus-on-tax-cuts-education-85899391869As Republicans take over Florida government for the first time since Reconstruction, the talk is all of tax cuts and education. Gov. Jeb Bush is giving those issues high priority in his first budget. The GOP now controls both houses of the legislature, the governor's office and the elected state cabinet - a first for any southern state. It is out to make a good impression, and ready to do something voters will remember.1999-02-02T00:00:00-05:0085899391866http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-scramble-to-upgrade-schools-85899391866From Maine to California, improving education is far and away the top priority of the states this year, and governors have all kinds of ideas about how to do it. The focus on schools is partly driven by pressure from voters who want their kids to learn more, but even more so by the intense competitiveness of today's economy. Ray Scheppach, executive director of the National Governor's Association says governors are looking at how to position their states to attract better firms and higher paying jobs, and realize it all boils down to education.1999-02-04T00:00:00-05:0085899391862http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/california-gov-aggressive-on-education-reform-85899391862With public opinion polls showing education far and away the top issue among California voters, Governor Gray Davis began his new administration by calling a special session of the Legislature to enact his school overhaul package. "My first priority - in fact, my first, second and third priority - is education," the 56-year-old Democrat said in his State of the State speech." Davis' proposals would place more stress on reading, demand greater accountability from teachers and administrators and otherwise tighten standards. Click On Headline To Read Full Story1999-02-10T00:00:00-05:0085899391857http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/drive-to-improve-schools-sparks-hunt-for-teachers-85899391857States and school districts across the nation might be headed for a bidding war as they compete with each other and private industry for men and women who have a flair for teaching. The first shot was fired by Massachusetts, which in the past month has gone hunting for people with outstanding instructional skills with $20,000 signing bonuses. "We have thrown out a challenge. This signing bonus has struck a national chord," Massachusetts Interim Education Commissioner David Driscoll told stateline.org. But the Bay State isn't alone in aggressively recruiting teachers. Click On Headline To Read Full Story1999-02-16T00:00:00-05:0085899391855http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/governors-set-the-table-for-washington-conference-85899391855Education, children's health, welfare reform and public safety top the agenda at the annual winter meeting of the nation's governors, which will take place in Washington Feb. 20-23 in a climate of cooperation and bipartisanship. Mindful of the distrust surrounding politics in the nation's capital in the aftermath of President Clinton's impeachment trial, Republican and Democratic state leaders have chosen "Progress Through Partnerships" as the theme of their four-day meeting.1999-02-18T00:00:00-05:0085899391846http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/education-experts-clash-over-reform-proposals-85899391846To the dismay of the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers' union, and many U.S. educational experts, a growing number of America's governors want to subsidize parents who send their children to private schools. Pilot voucher programs are underway in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Tax credits are available in Iowa and Arizona. And at least 24 states are considering similar legislation. At a meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures last weekend, officials debated the pros and cons of this approach to education reform.1999-03-02T00:00:00-05:0085899391827http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/internet-good-source-of-info-on-new-hampshire-school-crisis-85899391827With the New Hampshire state government fast approaching a court-imposed April 1 deadline to find a new way to finance public schools, it's easy for the public to learn about the crisis and find out how proposed fixes will affect them. There's a wealth of information on the Internet. In this report, stateline.org identifies some Web sites focusing on the crisis and tells you what you will find on each of them.1999-03-22T00:00:00-05:0085899391826http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/no-deal-in-sight-on-new-hampshire-school-funding-85899391826Finding a fairer way to pay for schools in New Hampshire as the state Supreme Court insists has evolved into a high stakes poker game, with no one yet holding a winning hand. Income tax backers hold the most aces, but Gov. Jeanne Shaheen believes she has the only card needed to trump them - a promise to veto the tax. Meantime, the court's April 1 deadline for action is fast appoaching. A look at the impasse in this stateline.org special report.1999-03-23T00:00:00-05:0085899391822http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/early-legislative-sessions-focus-on-taxes-education-cooperation-85899391822From cutting the food tax in Virginia to establishing a Megan's law in New Mexico to attempting to repeal the prohibition on polygamy in Utah, states with early legislative sessions addressed a passel of issues and earned generally positive marks for avoiding partisan conflict. In this special report, stateline.org looks at the work of the eight legislatures that have now adjourned.1999-03-29T00:00:00-05:0085899391820http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/us-teachers-protest-serb-attacks-85899391820As many as 20 Kosovar teachers and a headmaster were murdered in front of their students by Serb forces at the close of last week, according to the United States' two largest educators unions. Read about the educators letter to President Clinton in this special report by stateline.org.1999-03-29T00:00:00-05:0085899391821http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/new-hampshire-not-alone-in-school-finance-headaches-85899391821On the eve of a court-imposed April 1 deadline, New Hampshire legislators are trying to find a formula to solve the state's public school financing crisis. But it isn't the only state struggling with the problem. Since a wave of lawsuits designed to equalize education spending in rich and poor school districts began in California in 1971, only a few states have not had to deal with the issue.1999-03-31T00:00:00-05:0085899391811http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/school-test-probes-raise-concern-85899391811The movement across the states to use testing to measure school reform is causing a stir. Complaints of sinking morale among educators and students, growing corruption of test results and flawed new tests, are beginning to surface. Read more in this stateline.org report.1999-04-07T00:00:00-04:0085899391803http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/gov-davis-makes-education-top-priority-for-california-85899391803California is about to embark on a new way to run public education. Gray Davis, the state's new Democratic governor, has signed four bills he proposed in January, when he called a special session of the Legislature to deal with what he calls his "first, second and third priority" - public education. Although rewritten, sometimes substantially, by the Democratically controlled Legislature, the bills are largely what Davis sought. Read more about Davis' education plan in this stateline.org exclusive report.1999-04-20T00:00:00-04:0085899391802http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/national-teacher-certification-what-the-new-rage-is-all-about-85899391802In a bid to improve the performance of public schools, a number of states are offering teachers financial bonuses and grants to gain national certification. The recognition is conferred by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), a non-profit organization based in Southfield, MI. While it supposedly establishes that an educator is professionally proficient, becoming certified is pricey - and some lawmakers are critical of the process. In this report, stateline.org takes a closer look.1999-04-21T00:00:00-04:0085899391579http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/education-jobs-account-for-increase-in-state-local-government-85899391579State and local governments continued to create new jobs in 1998, but at a slightly slower pace than the year before. The biggest gains came in California, Florida and Texas. Read more detail in this stateline.org report.1999-04-22T00:00:00-04:0085899391796http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/eye-opening-maine-survey-samples-student-attitudes-85899391796An innovative program in Maine that tries to learn what adolescents are buoyed and bothered by could be one way to identify and deal with the kind of student alienation that all too often of late has resulted in tragedies like last week's high school massacre in Littleton, Colo. In this report from Orono, Maine, stateline.org special writer Sandor M. Polster takes a look at the program.1999-04-28T00:00:00-04:0085899391771http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/school-violence-spurs-new-policy-debates-85899391771Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold helped redefine the national agenda when they opened fire on their classmates at Columbine High School, sweeping gun control measures, school safety and media bills through a number of America's state legislatures. The two young gunmen have ignited fresh controversy on an issue that is expected to be a focus of the year 2000 election campaign: youth violence. For more information, click on1999-05-26T00:00:00-04:0085899391764http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-tuition-savings-plans-face-tough-competition-from-wall-street-85899391764By the end of this year, 42 states are expected to have some form of prepaid college tuition plan. But with the stock market well above 10,000, many Americans are looking at a better return on their money. In Wisconsin, this is forcing adjustments in the college savings plan known as EdVest Wisconsin as Jeff Mayers of the Wisconsin State Journal explains in this special report. To read more, click on1999-06-02T00:00:00-04:0085899391753http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-give-school-construction-top-dollar-priority-85899391753Noting the urgent repair needs of aging schools buildings, Nevada has earmarked money to help school districts rebuild or renovate schools that are unsafe. The $16 million grant was signed by Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn last Thursday, just two working days before the Census Bureau announced that national school construction expenditures topped $18 billion in 1996, the latest year for which the federal government has statistics. To learn more about the Annual Survey of Local Government Finances, click on1999-06-16T00:00:00-04:0085899391747http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/connecticut-tops-in-teacher-pay-educators-union-says-85899391747Teachers in Connecticut continue to earn more than their peers in other states, a survey by the American Federation of Teachers, a union that represents more than one million educators, shows. The average Connecticut teacher's salary during the 1997-1998 school year - the latest time period for which there are figures - was $51, 727. South Dakota had the lowest average teacher salary -- $27, 839. The national average teacher's salary was $39,347, the AFT said.1999-06-23T00:00:00-04:0085899391739http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/funding-gap-plagues-new-hampshires-new-school-financing-system-85899391739New Hampshire has a new public school financing system that supposedly assures that students who live in poor communities will receive an education comparable to what kids in richer school districts get. But there's still no relief in sight for the headaches of Granite State lawmakers, who've been grappling with this issue since the state supreme court ruled in December, 1997 that an adequately funded education was a fundamental right of every New Hampshire child. In this special report, Norma Love, who covers the legislature for the Associated Press, spells out the remaining problems.1999-06-30T00:00:00-04:0085899391733http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/schools-giving-more-weight-to-character-education-85899391733Hanging the Ten Commandments in classrooms as some in Congress propose, or requiring public elementary school students to say "Yes, Sir" and "Yes Ma'am" to teachers as a new law in Louisiana mandates -- these are some of the ways America's lawmakers are addressing a perceived lack of standards among young people. The focus on values arises from the recent spate of school violence. But there has been a movement in U.S. schools since the late 1980's called "character education," a secular approach to imbedding ethics, values and morals into school curriculum. To learn more about it, click on1999-07-07T00:00:00-04:0085899391553http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/alliance-forms-over-innovative-school-reform-85899391553An innovative school reform experiment aimed at the lowest performing schools in Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco and St. Louis was launched in Washington yesterday. The Ford Foundation is providing a $500,000 grant to help support labor-management partnerships with local school personnel, parents and a host of education associations. The alliance is being formed at a time when the public is impatient with school reforms and some mayors have taken over failing schools, as recently occurred in Detroit.1999-07-08T00:00:00-04:0085899391715http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/higher-ed-funding-likely-to-suffer-in-recession-study-says-85899391715State higher education budgets have enjoyed prosperity in the past five years but would likely face heavy cuts in even a mild recession, according to a report issued today (Tuesday) by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, a non-partisan organization studying state and federal policies affecting education beyond high school. For more information, click on1999-07-27T00:00:00-04:0085899391711http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/massachusetts-leads-high-tech-states-mississippi-trails-85899391711Massachusetts, not California or Washington, leads the nation in adapting to and taking advantage of the national transition to a high-tech "new economy," according to a study by the Progressive Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank associated with the centrist Democratic Leadership Council.1999-08-03T00:00:00-04:0085899391709http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-a-source-of-cash-for-college-students-with-high-marks-85899391709In 1993, Georgia started a trend when it offered graduating high school students with good marks scholarships to go to in-state colleges. The legislature pumped lottery money into the "Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally," or HOPE scholarship program. Since then, Georgia's program has been copied throughout the United States. This year, at least seven states approved bills that offer A and B students similar incentives.1999-08-04T00:00:00-04:0085899391550http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/school-violence-down-survey-says-85899391550In a year when a mass murder at Columbine High School left 15 dead and brought a surge of anti-gun sentiment, it seems ironic that researchers should find that students are behaving less violently than in the past. In a number of states, lawmakers have reacted to the Colorado shootings with zero tolerance laws, school dress codes, draconian punishment of those who make bomb threats, and a new look at gun laws.1999-08-10T00:00:00-04:0085899391703http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/ohio-school-voucher-program-challenged-in-court-85899391703Thirty-eight hundred voucher students in Cleveland, Ohio could lose their scholarships less than two weeks before the start of the new school year. The teachers unions and two liberal public policy organizations have asked a federal court for a preliminary injunction against the program, charging that it violates the constitutional doctrine of separation of church and state.1999-08-13T00:00:00-04:0085899391694http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/officials-go-all-out-to-limit-potential-for-school-violence-85899391694While students enjoyed summer break, lawmakers and education officials worked overtime to prevent further outbursts of school violence like the one that stunned Columbine High School in suburban Denver. As a result, many students returning from vacation are encountering security badges, demands to carry see-through book bags -- even newly created web sites for placing tips about weapons and bombs.1999-08-24T00:00:00-04:0085899391693http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/back-to-school-time-brings-frantic-search-for-teachers-85899391693As public schools open for the 1999-2000 academic year, a shortage of teachers is causing headaches in Texas, California and other states. But the problem has been overshadowed by the extraordinary steps being taken to prevent further outbreaks of school violence like last April's shooting spree at a Colorado high school.1999-08-25T00:00:00-04:0085899391690http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/maines-contrasting-statistics-on-children-85899391690The Children's Rights Council recently declared Maine as the best state to raise a child. However, a closer look at all available statistics show the state lagging behind in several important categories. In the words of one key official: "We may start them out right but they don't end right."1999-08-31T00:00:00-04:0085899391687http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/secretary-riley-praises-north-carolina-schools-on-5-state-tour-85899391687Richard Riley, the secretary of education, received a rousing reception Thursday during stops in North Carolina as part of a 5-state swing through Southern states. On his annual back-to-school tour, Riley told North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt and other officials that he frequently cited that state's strong commitment to public education. Challenging other governors to a contest, Hunt said North Carolina aimed to be first in education by 2010. During his stops, Riley stressed that it was a critical time in Washington for education with decisions ahead on school construction, class size, a national teacher shortage and after-school programs. Riley urged parents to "slow down" their lives and help their children grow.1999-09-03T00:00:00-04:0085899391544http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/academic-business-coalition-unveils-test-of-computer-savvy-85899391544Next month, liberal arts students at universities in 23 states who want to pursue a career in the high tech industry will be able to take an exam that will test their computer and problem solving skills. Those who pass will certified by the Virginia Foundation For Independent Colleges (VFIC), a bragging right likely to impress would-be employers.1999-09-16T00:00:00-04:0085899391666http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/computer-learning-no-panacea-yet-study-shows-85899391666With more than 90 percent of the nation's schools connected to the Internet and number of students per computer dropping from 21 in 1997 to 5.7 in 1999, the issue for educators is no longer how to bring technology to the classroom. The question now is how to best put it to use. According to a report released Thursday by the national news journal Education Week, schools and teachers have a long way to go before the Internet and computers become critical tools in improving student learning.1999-09-23T00:00:00-04:0085899391541http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/gov-bush-briefs-congress-on-florida-voucher-program-85899391541Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the younger brother of Republican presidential contender George W. Bush, administers the nation's first statewide education voucher program. Bush was in Washington Thursday to brief Congress on how the politically controversial program works, and stateline.orgcovered his appearance.1999-09-23T00:00:00-04:0085899391539http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/education-summit-opens-in-new-york-85899391539More than 30 state governors and leaders of dozens of big corporations gather in New York's Hudson River Valley today for the third National Education Summit. President Clinton is the conference's keynote speaker, and Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Bill Goodling, who chairs the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee, will address a breakfast meeting.1999-09-30T00:00:00-04:0085899391661http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/wisconsin-budget-stalemate-goes-on-85899391661Three months ago today (Friday), the Wisconsin Legislature should have been putting the finishing touches on a two-year, $41 billion state budget. But top legislators still are at it, and for the second budget cycle in a row the budget is delayed far past the July 1 start of the new fiscal year. There's no budget crisis, because unlike the federal government when lawmakers fail to act, Wisconsin government doesn't shut down. It continues to run at previously set budget levels, as the state discovered in 1997.1999-10-01T00:00:00-04:0085899391651http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/floridas-virtual-high-school-breaks-the-mold-85899391651Florida has a high school that breaks all the rules of what the term "high school" implies. There is no school building, there are no bells between classes, and the school population is not drawn from normal geographical boundaries. This unique new school is an online statewide virtual place of learning where class begins when the kids click on.1999-10-08T00:00:00-04:0085899391648http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/massachusetts-budget-near-delaware-sets-special-session-85899391648Massachusetts lawmakers appear poised to approve a state budget after a three and one-half month long stalemate. Senate President Thomas Birmingham and House Speaker Thomas Finneran announced last Wednesday they finally agreed on a spending plan after months of deliberations that froze millions in new spending since July 1, the start of the 2000 fiscal year. And in Delaware, lawmakers are preparing for a special session on education.1999-10-15T00:00:00-04:0085899391642http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/legislatures-continue-to-wrestle-with-school-prayer-85899391642The U.S. constitutional tension between the right to freedom of religious expression and its limits has long posed thorny policy questions for politicians and educational officials, but in the last year those questions have grown more acute. The debate over rights and limits exploded with new force after last April 20 when two youths carried out the most violent and deadly school house massacre in the nation's history at Colorado's Columbine High School, killing 15 people including themselves.1999-10-18T00:00:00-04:0085899391643http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/louisiana-election-looks-like-no-contest-for-governor-85899391643Louisiana voters go to the polls on Saturday to begin the process of electing a governor. Incumbent Republican Mike Foster seems a shoo-in for a second term. Until this week, the only question mark was whether Foster would be pushed into a Nov. 20 runoff with his Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, because of the crowded field of candidates competing for votes. But the latest polls suggest the race will be a runaway even though Foster has not had a scandal-free first four years in office.1999-10-20T00:00:00-04:0085899391641http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/ohio-politicians-merge-state-agencies-new-hampshire-tackles-school-funding-85899391641Lawmakers in Ohio spent the week grappling with issues ranging from state agency mergers to education vouchers, while New Hampshire legislators confronted a funding crisis after the state's highest court deemed a new method of funding public schools unconstitutional.1999-10-22T00:00:00-04:0085899391632http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/western-state-reporters-say-taxes-education-top-2000-agenda-85899391632Reporters from eight Western states identified tax policy, education funding, health care reforms and apportionment of the states' tobacco settlement funds as the most pressing issues likely to be addressed by their states in the next legislative year. Over 50 journalists from Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming repeatedly mentioned those topics during a recent statehouse reporters' conference in Boise, Idaho.1999-10-25T00:00:00-04:0085899391626http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/texas-north-carolina-seen-as-models-of-education-reform-85899391626Texas and North Carolina continue to be pace-setter states in the public school standards and accountability movement. This was the consensus opinion at the National Education Summit which was held in New York's Hudson Valley last month, and it is supported by student achievement test results.1999-11-02T00:00:00-05:0085899391617http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/chicago-school-takeover-seen-as-model-for-urban-reform-85899391617Just over a decade ago, then-Education Secretary William Bennett condemned Chicago as having "the worst school system in the country." Today, the Windy City is acclaimed for school reform. What happened was a school takeover seen as a model for cities with troubled schools.1999-11-11T00:00:00-05:0085899391606http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/an-urban-ed-reform-that-challenges-students-85899391606A spate of International Baccalaureate programs have sprung up in Chicago as part of an effort to turn around low performing schools and draw the middle class back into the public school system. Attractive because it offers rigorous college-level course work in 11th and 12th grades, IB course work stresses critical thinking and integrates subjects to enhance learning. Students must know a second language and be familiar with world literature.1999-11-23T00:00:00-05:0085899391530http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-legislators-told-school-management-crisis-looms-85899391530The United States faces not only an impending teacher shortage, but candidates for school principals are becoming scarce, experts told the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures Thursday.1999-12-02T00:00:00-05:0085899391593http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/education-issues-had-top-billing-in-1999-85899391593Improving U.S. public education was a top policy priority in 1999 with governors and legislators working on setting standards, raising accountability, dealing with teacher quality, and equalizing school funding. The issue of school violence also became a major part of the policy agenda after two gun-toting youths went on a murderous rampage in their Colorado high school.1999-12-09T00:00:00-05:0085899391927http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/priorities-2000-a-utah-view-85899391927When Utah's legislature convenes later this month, Gov. Mike Leavitt will be pressing for more education reform. Leavitt, a second-term Republican and chairman of the National Governors' Association, has proposed that 95 percent of the state's new money be earmarked for education and has called for more accountability from everyone involved in the state's school system. For more on Leavitt's agenda -- in his own words.2000-01-04T00:00:00-05:0085899392233http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/gov-fosters-commitment-to-education-continues-85899392233In his inaugural speech, Gov. Foster called for a continued commitment to education. "As we begin this new era, we must tackle the occurrence of the old riddle: how does a relatively impoverished state like Louisiana educate its children, train its workforce, invest in its infrastructure and do those things only government can do with limited resources? Over the coming days, I will ask our legislative leaders, educational leaders, business leaders, and others to join with me in answering this question and responding to this challenge." he said.2000-01-10T00:00:00-05:0085899392239http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-faulted-for-lax-teacher-standards-85899392239Higher learning standards require better-educated teachers to instruct students, but a new report released by Quality Counts 2000 finds that states are not doing enough to attract good teaching candidates.2000-01-13T00:00:00-05:0085899392211http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/a-q-a-with-president-clinton-85899392211President Clinton says e-government via the Internet will strengthen democracy by increasing citizen participation in public affairs and save taxpayers money by making the delivery of public services more efficient. In a Q. & A., the president also said that in his State of the Union address, he will urge expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit to help the working poor. Clinton said his new budget will call for $110 billion to provide health insurance to low income families and small businesses.2000-01-26T00:00:00-05:0085899392225http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/uphill-battle-seen-for-clinton-school-renovation-plan-85899392225President Clinton asked Congress in his State of the Union address to approve a $1.3 billion emergency renovation fund to pay for school construction in the states. Analysts say prospects for approval, at least in the form the White House wants, appear slim.2000-01-31T00:00:00-05:0085899392220http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/clinton-posting-mediocre-domestic-record-scholars-say-85899392220President Clinton sent his budget for the 2001 fiscal year -- the last of his presidency -- to Capitol Hill Monday (2/7), with the expectation that lawmakers will consider a host of spending increases in his favorite domestic programs: public education, health care, middle-class tax cuts and welfare. The Clinton budget, like his State of the Union speech, is expected to be short on grand designs. Many scholars say Clinton's style of incrementalism may deprive him of an enduring legacy. For a review of Clinton's domestic policy achievements, click on2000-02-04T00:00:00-05:0085899392215http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/education-reform-preoccupies-governors-legislators-85899392215America's governors are sprinkling this year's State of the State speeches with phrases like "teacher quality," "exit exams" and other education buzz words, making them sound like so many schoolmasters. What's going on? And why is progress so slow?2000-02-11T00:00:00-05:0085899392210http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/classrooms-largely-unaffected-by-standards-survey-shows-85899392210States have been rushing to embrace standards all but Iowa have joined the movement to raise academic expectations for the nations youth, but a survey released today shows a big gap between policy and reality. Fewer than half of the teachers who responded to the Reality Check survey said they expect more from their students because of new guidelines.2000-02-16T00:00:00-05:0085899392201http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-confronting-school-superintendent-shortage-85899392201State educators and lawmakers devote so much time and attention to dealing with teacher shortages that a looming deficit of qualified school superintendents has gone practically unnoticed, according to education expert Bruce Cooper.2000-02-24T00:00:00-05:0085899392195http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/push-for-ten-commandments-to-return-to-schools-85899392195The Ten Commandments are experiencing a renaissance in states debating bills that would display the Big 10 in schools alongside historical documents. Emphasizing history, not religion, is a strategy that Commandments backers hope will skirt court challenges.2000-03-02T00:00:00-05:0085899392188http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/black-student-voucher-performance-bias-experiences-studied-85899392188Black students using school vouchers in Dayton, Ohio, and the District of Columbia are getting higher scores on math and reading tests after only six months in private school, according to a Harvard University study. Meanwhile, another study finds that African-American students tend to be disciplined at a higher rate than whites and Asian, and are not given equal opportunities to pursue advanced placement courses.2000-03-08T00:00:00-05:0085899392189http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/vermont-lawmakers-weigh-crackdown-on-campus-hazing-85899392189Because of what happened to a would-be University of Vermont hockey player, the Green Mountain state may become the 42d state to make collegiate hazing illegal. But even with such laws, hazing is a widespread problem on U.S. campuses.2000-03-09T00:00:00-05:0085899391924http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/public-education-sees-booming-employment-85899391924In the 1990s, public education created 1.8 million new jobs, raising the total number of people employed in this sector to 9.4 million, a study by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government shows. The increase exceeded expansion of private sector jobs during the same period and made public education a major growth industry.2000-03-15T00:00:00-05:0085899391905http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/florida-school-voucher-ruling-hits-states-85899391905When Florida Judge Ralph L. Smith, Jr. struck down the first-ever statewide school voucher program last Tuesday, his ruling hit states considering similar programs like a bombshell. Teachers union officials and other voucher opponents see it as a stake driven through the heart of the movement.2000-03-16T00:00:00-05:0085899392152http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-cooling-on-unfettered-gun-rights-85899392152When two young men shot their way through Columbine High School in a Denver suburb last April 20, wounding 20 and killing 13 before they killed themselves, pro-gun bills then wending their way through many state legislatures were at least temporarily shelved. Was the worst occurrence of school violence in U.S. history a turning point that will bring about change in America's traditional hostility to restrictions on gun ownership and possession? Or was it an enormous tragedy, but one with little long-term political significance in a country where gun violence is as much a part of the culture as sex, drugs and rock n' roll? Stateline.org looks at the issue in a special report.2000-04-11T00:00:00-04:0085899392144http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-experiment-with-schoolhouse-safety-85899392144Despite the fact that the violent loss of life at American high schools declined as the 1990s came to a close, the recurrence of jarring multiple shootings has forced policy makers to tackle an assignment that none of them ever wanted: how best to ensure student safety and prevent future massacres. Prior to the attack at Colorados Columbine High School in April 1999, mass shootings like those in Paducah, Ky., and Jonesboro, Ark., prompted bursts of legislative activity on the issue. Columbine brought these concerns to the national level. Analysts say that, in the year since, state lawmakers have climbed a steep learning curve toward comprehensive, preventive solutions already experimented with in states like California, Kentucky and North Carolina.2000-04-12T00:00:00-04:0085899392142http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-reconsider-parental-responsibility-in-school-violence-cases-85899392142Since the shootings at Columbine High School, policymakers have learned that state government can do only so much to curb youth violence without the help of parents. Two days after Columbine, Utah Governor Mike Leavitt set the tone of the debate when he said "Government is not a good substitute," for families. In the last year, state lawmakers have begun dusting off negligence laws, long on the books, that hold parents responsible for their childrens actions and many argue that these laws are sufficient for locking up parents whose firearms are used to kill others.2000-04-12T00:00:00-04:0085899392151http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/legislators-weigh-morality-bills-to-deter-school-violence-85899392151Ten high-profile school shootings in three years, the most horrific the Columbine High School massacre, have many adult Americans fearful that schools and the nations youth are engulfed in a moral vacuum. In many of the fifty statehouses, this clamor has translated into a reawakened interest in morality-based legislation.2000-04-12T00:00:00-04:0085899392145http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/parental-fears-heightened-by-columbine-poll-shows-85899392145With a full year to reflect on the most startling school shooting in history, nearly three out of four American parents say they are more concerned about school safety than they were before two Colorado youths gunned down twelve of their classmates and a teacher on April 20, 1999. In fact, only forty percent of parents express strong confidence in their childs safety at school, according to a new national poll.2000-04-20T00:00:00-04:0085899391903http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/new-survey-shows-college-more-in-demand-than-ever-85899391903The days when a high school diploma was the key to unlocking the American dream of social and financial success are over. Most Americans now believe a college degree is the only way to make it into the middle class, according to a new survey released by Public Agenda.2000-05-02T00:00:00-04:0085899392121http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/massachusetts-leads-revolt-against-graduation-tests-85899392121The state that gave us the Boston Tea Party is again on the leading edge of a growing national rebellion. This time, high school graduation exams are the enemy and the rabble-rousers are Massachusetts teenagers. On Monday hundreds of them skipped out on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test and traveled to the state capital to hold a MCAS protest rally.2000-05-18T00:00:00-04:0085899392112http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/more-respect-please-teachers-say-85899392112America's top teachers are grateful for the higher salaries that more and more state legislatures are approving to make public education a more attractive profession, but the maestros of the classroom also want greater respect, a new survey shows.2000-05-31T00:00:00-04:0085899391899http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/ed-flex-applicants-stymied-by-title-1-strings-85899391899Anyone wondering why more states havent applied for the much ballyhooed Ed-Flex waivers need not look any further than the 1994 Elementary and Secondary Education Acts requirements for $8 billion in Title 1 funding. Complying with the Title 1 program to aid poor children is a prerequisite for applying for Ed-Flex.2000-06-02T00:00:00-04:0085899392095http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/officials-launch-bid-to-reinvent-high-school-85899392095America's high schools, which were molded by the Industrial Revolution, need to be restructured to meet the needs of the 21st Century, education experts said Thursday. They told a Washington D.C. conference the present structure leaves students unprepared to join the work force or enter college.2000-06-16T00:00:00-04:0085899392094http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/florida-voucher-plan-stirs-continuing-controversy-85899392094No one ever said running the first-ever statewide voucher plan would be easy and Florida's has certainly experienced its share of problems. The battle over the controversial education program is being waged on financial and legal fronts. A Florida judge who ruled the voucher plan unconstitutional in April denied a bid by voucher foes to halt the program while his decision is appealed.2000-06-19T00:00:00-04:0085899391896http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/new-jersey-tops-in-education-spending-per-student-85899391896New Jersey led states in the amount of money spent per student on elementary and secondary education for 1997, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In a report entitled The 1997 Census of Governments, Public Education Finances, the Garden State beat out New York, Alaska and Connecticut. States that ranked lowest in public grade and high school spending per student were Idaho, South Dakota, Arizona, Mississippi and Utah.2000-06-26T00:00:00-04:0085899392080http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/teacher-salaries-vary-widely-survey-shows-85899392080Teachers in New Jersey, Connecticut and New York are the best paid in the nation, according to a survey by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), a national teachers union. The New Jersey average was $51,692, Connecticut $50,277 and New York $49,686. South Dakota teachers earned the lowest average salary, the survey showed -- $28,386.2000-07-05T00:00:00-04:0085899392073http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/rural-schools-struggle-with-declining-enrollment-85899392073While most of the nation is seeing a record rise in student populations, rural areas in 22 states have been losing students, laying off teachers and closing schools. Downsizing a school system -- a process known as consolidation -- is a wrenching experience for the communities involved, causing all kinds of political and emotional turmoil. Allegany County, Md., a scenic patchwork of Blue Ridge mountain farm towns in a corner of the state wedged between Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia, is a case in point.2000-07-13T00:00:00-04:0085899392059http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/california-tries-landmark-school-reform-plan-85899392059Faced with the need to hire 300,000 new teachers by 2010 California Gov. Gray Davis used his State-of-the-State speech in January to call the legislature to action. As it turns out, Davis got everything he asked for and then some. This month, Davis signed a $99.4 billion budget that funds one of the most comprehensive education reform packages in the Union. The $1.35 billion reform plan focuses on teachers, technology and raising student achievement.2000-07-27T00:00:00-04:0085899392058http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/california-michigan-voters-to-decide-voucher-debates-85899392058The school voucher debate is no place for the rhetorically faint of heart. Supporters claim they would breathe some much-needed life into failing public school systems and provide an escape route for poor children. Foes claim vouchers would drive another nail into the coffins of poorly performing public schools. This November 7, voters in California and Michigan will decide whom to believe as they cast ballots to vote on one of the year's more fiercely contested school reform measures.2000-07-28T00:00:00-04:0085899392043http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/special-education-costs-soar-into-campaign-arena-85899392043Pressured by rising costs of special education, states are urging the federal government to honor its pledge to pay 40 percent of the expense of schooling learning and physically disabled children. That would more than treble what Washington now contributes in an area of public education that collectively costs $49.2 billion annually. The issue has reached such a level that the major party presidential candidates, Texas Gov. George Bush and Vice President Al Gore, have promised more funding.2000-08-14T00:00:00-04:0085899392041http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/model-policies-help-south-recast-image-85899392041Once regarded nationally as branches of a regional backwater with few high-paying jobs or modern conveniences, several Southern states are now seen as political trailblazers, leading the way with innovative education, healthcare and economic development policies. Florida, Texas, Georgia and North Carolina are all in the forefront of education reform; Tennessee has pioneered a new approach to health insurance coverage; and Virginia portrays itself as a model for high tech development.2000-08-16T00:00:00-04:0085899391895http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/think-tank-urges-federal-pay-scale-for-teachers-85899391895The federal government can help improve U.S. public education by establishing a national pay scale and set of standards for teachers, a New York-based research group says. The nonprofit, nonpartisan Century Foundation (formerly the Twentieth Century Fund) hopes to help shape the debate on education and other issues in this year's election campaign with a series of proposals called Ideas2000: New Ideas for a New Century.2000-08-18T00:00:00-04:0085899392039http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/help-wanted-school-bus-drivers-85899392039As U.S, public schools reopen, a shortage looms on the education front almost as problematic as the growing dearth of teachers -- a lack of school bus drivers. Driving schoolchildren to and from class is "a critically important education job. We need employees. If we cant get children to school then it is pretty tough for the teachers to teach them," Karen Finkel of the National School Transportation Association, a federal lobbying group, told Stateline.org.2000-08-21T00:00:00-04:0085899391894http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/us-student-population-in-growth-spurt-report-says-85899391894While student enrollment has dropped so low in some states that officials have had to combine schools, nationally there is a record number of students. The growth is concentrated in the South and West and shows no sign of abating, putting pressure on already inadequate school buildings, a new report by the U.S. Department of Education says.2000-08-22T00:00:00-04:0085899391892http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/naep-scores-show-improvement-in-mathematics-85899391892A new review of U.S. student achievement shows that elementary and secondary school students have steadily improved in mathematics since National Assessment of Education Progress tests were first administered in 1973. The gains began in the 1980s and were maintained in the 1990s, the review shows. It also examined student progress on reading and science, but the mastery of those subjects was not as great as that of math.2000-08-24T00:00:00-04:0085899392025http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/rural-schools-shortchanged-study-says-85899392025More than one quarter of American students attend rural public schools, yet policy makers have failed to address the particular needs of these smaller, usually impoverished schools, according to the Rural School and Community Trust, an advocacy group funded by the Annenberg Foundation.2000-09-08T00:00:00-04:0085899392019http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/studies-assess-school-technology-funds-effect-85899392019Most teachers have computers in their classrooms and they arent afraid to use them.But teachers in schools with lots of disadvantaged students dont share the same quick, easy access, even though a three-year-old government program has provided billions to get schools wired, according to two new U.S. Department of Education (DOE) studies.2000-09-14T00:00:00-04:0085899391890http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/schools-welcome-lawmakers-85899391890Students in Massachusetts, where the state house sits on Beacon Hill, played "Who Wants to be a Beacon Hillionaire," with state Senator Richard T. Moore, on Friday (9/15). If they answered all 15 multiple-choice questions correctly and didn't use more than three lifelines, they graduated from Intern level to Governor of Massachusetts.2000-09-15T00:00:00-04:0085899392015http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-could-get-25-billion-in-school-construction-funds-85899392015School construction is a national priority as the presidential race heads for the home stretch. Despite partisan wrangling in Washington, D.C. over funding, there's a chance states could get as much as $25 billion to fix dilapidated schools and build new ones.2000-09-21T00:00:00-04:0085899392006http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/education-on-the-ballot-in-several-states-85899392006November 7 isn't just about electing the next President, Congress, governors or state legislature. It is also the day Americans vote on ballot initiatives that often show what issues have priority among citizens. In at least seven states, education is on the ballot.2000-10-03T00:00:00-04:0085899392003http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/parental-opposition-to-school-standards-exaggerated-group-says-85899392003A nonprofit policy research organization says it has a poll that pokes holes in the notion that most parents abhor standards-based education reform. On the other hand, Public Policy says parental hostility is quite prevalent when the topic is high-stakes testing.2000-10-05T00:00:00-04:0085899392000http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/california-adopts-sweeping-new-college-aid-plan-85899392000In what backers say is the greatest increase in access to higher education since the GI bill, California has created an entitlement program that guarantees poor kids with good enough grades financial aid for college. Starting next year, the state's neediest students scoring a 3.0 or 2.0 grade point average have the right to receive a grant from the state for community colleges, California State University, University of California or a private four-year college.2000-10-10T00:00:00-04:0085899391996http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/state-education-leaders-question-banning-social-promotion-85899391996In an effort to elevate public school learning standards, a number of states have banned social promotion, the practice of passing failing students onto the next grade. But the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) says holding students back rarely works and often causes them to drop out of school altogether.2000-10-12T00:00:00-04:0085899391997http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/school-pesticide-question-challenges-policymakers-85899391997To spray or not to spray? That's the dilemma facing increasing numbers of school districts engaged in perennial battles with six-legged classroom intruders and harmful campus weeds. It's also a question state and federal officials are under mounting pressure to answer.2000-10-13T00:00:00-04:0085899391995http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/western-states-launch-virtual-university-85899391995Out West, where vast prairie lands and expansive desert highways bring new meaning to the term distance learning, governors have hopped on the bandwidth wagon and created an 18-state virtual university to bring higher education to far-flung populations at a reasonable price.2000-10-16T00:00:00-04:0085899391986http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/bullying-contributes-to-school-shootings-report-says-85899391986Metal detectors, student profiles and police officers patrolling school hallways are less likely to prevent school shootings than anti-bullying programs like one conducted in Delaware, a study by the Secret Service and the US Department of Education (DOE) concludes. In three fourths of the cases studied for the "Interim Report on the Prevention of Targeted Violence in School," student shooters reacted violently to being bullied by fellow students, researchers found.2000-10-25T00:00:00-04:0085899391978http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/six-states-to-elect-state-schools-chiefs-85899391978Election 2000 may be remembered as the education election. The issue has dominated the campaign for Presidency and many races for Congress too, but in six states, campaigns are being waged for an office that will have a lot more impact on schools -- superintendent of education.2000-11-03T00:00:00-05:0085899391974http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/voters-decide-initiatives-ranging-from-gambling-to-gun-control-85899391974Holding to a traditional pattern, voters appear to have rejected just over half the citizen initiatives put to them Nov. 7, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Voters in 42 states faced a total of 204 ballot measures, some written by legislators, but many -- including the most controversial -- spawned by activists and interest groups.2000-11-09T00:00:00-05:00