Credits emerge as part of Illinois school funding debate

Amid the ongoing battle in Springfield over education funding, a new twist has emerged as tuition tax credits may become part of the negotiations. A potential bargaining chip has emerged in the form of a pilot program that would give tax credits to parents who send their children to private schools. Read more>>

Hundreds of schools have a growing teacher shortage, especially in math and special education. Some schools, such as in New York City, are being forced to increase class sizes. The Learning Policy Institute estimated last year that if trends continue, there could be a nationwide shortfall of 112,000 teachers by 2018. Read more>>

New Jersey Department of Education data shows enrollment has dipped in a little more than 50 percent of the state’s school districts since the 2010-11 school year, especially in Northwest New Jersey and on barrier islands along the Jersey Shore. But overall enrollment is holding flat. Read more>>

Dallas schools are preparing for the return of students with no chance of extra cash in the near future from taxpayers. Dallas ISD trustees just rejected several options for tax rate increases. Read more>>

Members of the Oklahoma City Public School board have decided to move forward with a lawsuit over educational funding. The measure stems from school funding cuts amid budget shortfalls. The district has had to cut upwards of $45 million from the budget over the past two years. Read more>>

During the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit 2017 this past summer, analyst Earl Perkins, research vice president, explained four top trends. Read more>>

Throughout the U.S., children from low-income families are less likely than their advantaged peers to go to preschool and more prone to spend their days at home or with relatives until kindergarten begins. Faced with this preschool shortage, districts across the country have turned to a cheaper, briefer alternative: preschool crash courses. Read more>>

Studies show that those students taking a “gap” year between high school and college work more seriously when they return to school; do better academically; and add to their employability in future years. National service would help in a similar way. Perhaps more significantly, national service would force those who don’t think alike to live, work and coexist. Read more>>

It would be a mistake to allow extreme caution and fear to prevent students from being exposed to biotechnology that allows for precise genetic engineering. Withholding knowledge inhibits their ability to develop a well-considered approach to technological and medical changes and places them at a future disadvantage. Read more>>

Triumph Learning, LLC is set to be acquired by School Specialty, Inc., a distributor of supplies, furniture and learning resources. Triumph Learning is a publisher of state-specific test preparation, and supplemental and intervention curriculum products for the K12 education market, including its Coach flagship product. Read more>>

The comment and announcement features within the FreshGrade digital portfolio platform and mobile app are now integrated with Google Translate, enabling teachers, parents and students to both give and receive feedback and other information in their preferred language. Read more>>

Gryphon House, Inc. launched Picturing the Project Approach, a guide to creative explorations through projects in early learning. The project approach helps preschool and kindergarten teachers develop their students’ understanding of real-world interests, while sharpening their problem-solving skills. Read more>>

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Brian Uplinger, currently the superintendent of Central Greene School District, was named to lead Hazleton Area School District. He replaces Superintendent Craig Butler, who left to take the top job in the Saucon Valley School District. Read more>>

David Jones has been selected as the new Bonsall USD superintendent, replacing retiring Superintendent Justin Cunningham. Jones has spent the past six years as the superintendent of the Vallecitos School District and the principal of Vallecitos School. Read more>>

The New Jersey district is preparing to welcome Jennifer Montesano as its new superintendent of schools in November. She is currently the superintendent of schools in Haworth. Read more>>