| Driver's ed costs rising
Facing declining enrollment and increased competition from private industry, Saginaw School District leaders are considering a quick exit out of the driver education business. Meanwhile, driver training costs will nearly double for Frankenmuth High School students this summer, and students in the Hemlock Public School District also will pay more for driver education. Frankenmuth Board of Education members voted 6-1 this week to increase the fee to $300 from $175 for segments I and II. Those who take only segment II will owe $40. Joseph Cramer was the only board member to vote against the increase, but he declined comment. Hemlock Board of Education members this week approved increases to $300 for segment I and $50 for segment II.
Free Childcare Rollout Disaster, Say Nats
National is calling Labour's 20-hours free preschool education policy a disaster after education officials could not tell MPs today how many parents and centres will take it up.The 2004 Budget promise to offer three- and four-year-olds 20 hours of free early childhood education comes into force in July. Last June Labour said it would benefit around 92,000 children.Many preschool centres complain the funding will not be enough to cover their costs and some are threatening not to sign up rather than charge parents top-up fees.Officials briefed Parliament's education and science select committee today on how the scheme would work but said it would be May before they had an idea of how many centres would be taking part.National MPs Katherine Rich and Paula Bennett, party spokespeople for education and early childhood education respectively, protested when officials could not tell them how many children and parents would be getting the free hours in July and how many centres would sign up.“That's a bit of a disaster given this scheme is rolling out in a matter of months," Ms Rich said.
Students not products on an assembly line
I am a teacher here in Broward County. I have been teaching for 13 years and I have never even remotely considered leaving the field of education. I work with a wide range of students, teaching all of them equally how to read and write at a higher level. I am hard-working, respectful of my administrators, dedicated to my students and I am special.
I am special for a number of reasons, none of which will be determined by the Florida Department of Education, the FCAT, or my students' scores. Because, in all honesty, none of that really matters to me.
On a daily basis, I enrich the lives of 120 students regardless of what they look like, where they come from, how much money they have, or how high or low their academic skills are. I make them smile and laugh, I make them want to come to school and be successful in spite of the immense pressure placed on them by state mandates and the over-testing by the district.
New effort to bolster workforce training
School districts in Central Texas are getting some help from regional planners to prepare the next generation of Austin's workforce. The Capital Area Council of Governments, or CAPCOG, and the Rural Capital Area Workforce Development Board have launched a new program to help school districts implement Achieve Texas, a Texas Education Agency initiative to redesign career and technology education programs by 2012. The program uses so-called career clusters and pathways, recommended course sequences based on student interests, to prepare graduates for careers in the 21st century global economy. .
Kernersville Health Calendar
BLOOD-PRESSURE SCREENING: Noon to1 p.m. second Tuesday of each month at the Senior Enrichment Center. The center is in the basement of the Paddison Memorial Library Building. 130 E. Mountain St. Call 992-3180. JAZZERCISE: 5:45 p.m. each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at the Senior Enrichment Center. The introductory fee is four classes for $4. Call 993-6070. LINE DANCING: 2 to 4 p.m. each Monday at the Senior Enrichment Center. The class is taught in eight-week sessions. Beginners must start at the beginning of a session to be able to keep up with the pace of the class. Pre-registration suggested. The cost of each session is $40. Call 992-3180. LOW-IMPACT AEROBICS: 10 a.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at the Senior Enrichment Center. This class is geared specifically to seniors.
|
