Should Schools Be Rewarded for Gains For Poor and Minority Students?

This is a good question, don't you think? Even if your on the fence about affirmative action and you, of course, support government funding for education...do you think it's fair to give MORE to schools that have more of a minority population? Is that fair to other schools? And how do you think that changes the educational system?

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School restructuring costs spark concerns

Mainland firms reap most of the benefits from the No Child Left Behind law

Courtesy of: Alexandre Da Silva, Star Bulletin – Honululu, Hawaii
www.Starbulletin.com

It takes more than $65 million to turn around failing schools.

The tab for the past four years helped scores of public schools unable to keep up with the demands of the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Districts have used funds to offer extra support or hire private educational agencies to work with struggling schools.

But the growing price tag to fix problem schools is concerning some state Board of Education members.


"We are sending an awful lot of money out of state," school board member John Penebacker said about contracts awarded to mainland firms. "We need to build the expertise in state."

This academic year, Hawaii is spending $27.2 million to assist 75 schools. The campuses have failed to meet annual progress goals of the federal law, which requires every student to be proficient in reading and math by 2014.

Most of the money, $14.9 million, is paying for three companies to assist 42 schools target lessons to students needing the most help. Another $12.3 million is going to administrators to support 33 schools. Some principals are defending the value of educational consultants, saying it takes time to improve schools.

Costs of helping Hawaii public schools failing the No Child Left Behind law have more than doubled from last year to $27.2 million as a record number of campuses flunked annual goals for reading and math.

So far, results have been mixed about whether the infusion of cash over the years has led to better grades.

Read the rest of the story at: http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20090208_School_restructuring_costs_spark_concerns.html#fullstory