Possible School Closures Lead to Parent Protests

Parents can play a significant role in the academic success of their children. Unfortunately, many parents don’t realize the importance of involvement in a child’s school career and are not sure how to get involved constructively. Too much or too little parental involvement sometimes becomes detrimental to the child – a difficult obstacle for many to overcome. The good news is that you can take relatively easy steps to show your child you are interested in his or her school work and offer the necessary help and support along the way.

The Parent-Child Relationship

A successful school experience begins at home, with the relationship between the parent and child. This process involves developing good habits at home that your child will easily adapt to during the school year. It also incorporates nurturing a comfortable, trusting relationship with your child that will make him more willing to come to you when problems and challenges in the school environment do occur. Some of the ways to encourage your child’s success in school include:

This TED Talk discusses 5 Parenting Tips for Raising Resilient, Self-Reliant Kids.

Good Habits

Good home habits will limit distractions and put schoolwork at the forefront throughout the academic year. First, instill a love of reading in your child, by keeping plenty of interesting books at home and reading together on a regular basis. Let your child see you sit down with

Immigration is a hot topic on both sides of the congressional floor in this country, as lawmakers continue to debate the legal, ethical and moral issues surrounding undocumented persons living in the United States. In the center of the battle are undocumented students who came to this country with their parents and now face high school graduation with little hope for the future. This past week, the state of New York made a move to change the fate of the thousands of undocumented students living there, with a vote by the Board of Regents to allow undocumented students access to state financial aid for higher education.

Vote First Step in Immigration Reform for State

According to a report in the New York Daily News, the vote by the state Board of Regents does not officially change the status of undocumented students who wish to pursue higher education in the United States – yet. The hope is that this positive vote will spur lawmakers to extend financial aid to these students through their means. The bill, referred to as the Education Equity for DREAMers Act, has not yet been brought before the legislature for any sort of decision or vote. However, the preliminary vote by the Board of Regents may be the push state lawmakers need to put this bill on their table as well.

“These are students who are attending our

The big yellow school bus that lumbers through residential streets throughout the school year is a sight often taken for granted by parents and students alike. However, those buses may become scarce in New York if dire predictions about a transportation strike in New York City ring true. A union representing city school bus drivers has warned of an impending strike if their labor demands are not met soon.

The Dispute Leading Up to Strike Talk

According to a New York Daily News report, local 1181 of the Amalgamated Transit Union is the group threatening the strike. The primary point of contention is a demand by the union that pre-kindergarten bus drivers receive seniority-based job protection like other school bus drivers in the city. The union wants these bus drivers to receive protection, even if their current company does not win a new contract. The concern arose when city officials began talking about collecting bids for a new transportation company when the contract expires in June of next year.

The president of the drivers’ union, Michael Cordiello, told the Wall Street Journal that if the city did away with senior protections for experienced drivers, the result could be many more unprepared bus drivers on the streets of New York City. He mentioned a charter bus accident in the Bronx that occurred in May, killing 15 people.

This video reports on the 2013 school bus strike in New York City.

With the expectation of losing accreditation in January 2012, Kansas City Public Schools are dealing with turbulence both within and outside their ranks. The school district’s accreditation was revoked in September after a vote from Missouri education officials. The decision was based on the fact that for several years, the district has failed to meet academic performance standards established by the state. With many questions about what will happen next, many within the district are reacting to the coming changes with fear, concern, and even panic.

The Decision is Made

According to a report in the Huffington Post, Missouri school officials decided to revoke the district’s accreditation less than a month after the current superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools, John Covington, left the district to take a job in Michigan helping poorly performing schools in that state. The interim superintendent, R. Stephen Green, told the Huffington Post that while the district was disappointed in the state’s decision, they would rely on community involvement to help bring schools back up to state standards.

This is not the first time Kansas City Public Schools has lost accreditation. The first vote to this effect took effect in 2000. After two years of work to get the district's schools back up to par, Kansas City has been granted provisional accreditation since 2002. However, after years of failing to make the grade, education officials decided it was time again to take matters into their own hands.

“We’ve