Public School Policies

The debate over prayer in public schools has been raging for many years now, both in political arenas and courthouses across the country. The latest battle has been waged in Virginia, where two delegates in the state house introduced a bill to allow prayer on public property, including public schools. This bill has received plenty of attention across the state of Virginia and across the country, as other states have watched to see exactly how Virginia would handle such a controversial piece of legislation.

The Prayer on Campus Bill: HJ 593

The bill, HJ 593, would add the following to the Virginia constitution, according to a report on the Gazette Virginian:

"Amends current free exercise of religion provisions of the Virginia Constitution to permit prayer and the recognition of religious beliefs, heritage and traditions on public property, including public schools in order to secure further the people's right to acknowledge God. The amendment also prohibits (i) the composing of school prayers by the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions, and (ii) requiring persons to join in prayer or other religious activity. The current free exercise of religion provisions of the Virginia Constitution mirror those in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and provide for the free exercise of religion and prohibit compelling persons to participate in religious activity."

The bill was introduced by co-patrons Del. James E. Edmunds II and Del. Charles W. Carrico. Carrico has clearly stated that he intends for this amendment to allow for

Desegregation through busing has been a regular occurrence since 1954, when the Supreme Court declared racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. Today, many school districts across the country bus children across towns in hopes of maintaining racial and economic diversity and ensuring a higher quality of education for all students. However, one school district in North Carolina has recently come into the public spotlight because of their decision to stop the practice, leaving children to attend school in their own neighborhoods.

Wake School Board Supporting Student Reassignment

According to a report in the News and Observer, the Wake school board recently approved a plan to reassign around 3,500 students to schools closer to their homes. The proposal will have the biggest impact on Southeast Raleigh, where most students will switch to schools in their own neighborhoods, shaving up to 10 miles off bus rides in the mornings and afternoons. However, the plan will also send more students into higher poverty schools and could reduce the available spots for suburban students at the popular magnet schools in the district.

The plan is in response to a policy change that was set in motion last year, which stresses sending students to schools close to their homes, rather than using diversity as a factor in student school assignments. In addition to the students approved for the move this week, the district may move another nearly 200 students this coming fall. A public hearing is scheduled for

Although the civil rights movement played a pivotal role in this nation's history, the subject is often merely skimmed over in primary and secondary schools today. However, Mississippi hopes to change that trend by requiring civil rights lessons for all public schools, grades K-12. The lessons were signed into law five years ago by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, but implementation will go into effect for the 2011-2012 academic year. The curriculum was delayed so that it could be fit into a full revision of the state's social studies framework that goes into effect this year.

The First to Require Civil Rights Curriculum

Mississippi officials believe they may be the first state to implement such a requirement, according to a report in the Atlanta Post. Students will answer civil rights questions on state assessment exams necessary for graduation from high school. While this addition will ensure civil rights are taught in schools, how the lessons are taught will in large part be up to individual teachers.

Chauncey Spears, who works in the Mississippi Department of Education's curriculum and instruction office, said school districts can tailor textbooks and other course materials to match what will be taught. Spears added that some resources for the curriculum might be donated from a variety of sources. Teachers could also opt for class trips to historic sites or bringing former activists from the movement in to talk to students.

Jennifer Weeks, DeSoto County's associate superintendent of

School buses have traditionally been the transportation of choice for public school students across the country. These big yellow vehicles have become a mainstay in both urban and suburban communities, offering students access to school campuses that might have difficulty getting to and from school otherwise. However, budget cuts, rising gas prices, and concerns over their environmental impact have forced many school districts to take another look at the diesel-run buses that dominate most school districts today. In some cases, propane buses are providing a cheaper and more environmentally friendly option.

This video looks at propane-powered school buses.

The Cost of Diesel

The expense of running children to and from school on diesel buses is not a small one by any means. According to a report in the Christian Science Monitor, it is estimated that more than 25 million children ride the bus to school each day. In some areas, year-round schooling means no respite from gas bills over the summer months. As the number of children requiring bus transportation remains relatively consistent, the cost of fuel does not.

The National Association for Fuel Transportation estimated that in some areas two years ago, the cost of fuel shot up from $1.95 per gallon to more than $4 per gallon during a single academic year. A 100% increase was extremely tough on many school districts that were already feeling the

Drug testing has been commonplace in professions that require critical decision-making skills, ranging from police officers to civil servants. A growing number of individuals also believe that the people who spend the most time with our children should also be subject to random testing of this kind. Teachers have come under the gun in recent years over the issue of random drug testing. While some parents and education experts believe random testing is necessary to keep schools safe, teachers believe these tests violate their privacy rights. Public school teachers are not universally required to undergo drug testing in every state. No federal mandate requires drug testing for teachers, and no state laws specifically mandate it for all teachers across the United States. However, drug testing policies vary significantly by state and individual school districts.

Drug testing is one part of these policies, and it serves a necessary role in a drug-free work culture. And because of the negative impact drug use can have, especially in safety-sensitive industries, companies should consider the benefits of drug testing in the workplace when developing new safety policies. Source: PharmaChek

Why Drug Testing?

In numerous states, questions have arisen over whether teachers in public schools should undergo random drug testing as a part of their employment. The practice is shared with other professionals, and some believe teachers fall into a similar category because they work directly with students all day. They argue that teachers who fail random drug tests