#tellEWA Member Stories (June 30-July 6)

Here’s what we’re reading by EWA members this week.

As two Colorado charter school networks planned to merge, chaos ensued: Opposition mounted over a new leader; hundreds of employees fled. Now, it remains to be seen if the new unified network will operate as promised. Amid external challenges, it seeks to better support nearly 5,000 students, including English learners and students with disabilities, Ann Schimke reports for Chalkbeat Colorado.

Fast food restaurants pay more than an Idaho school district that struggles to stay fully staffed. A recently approved multimillion-dollar supplemental property tax levy is expected to help this district boost its hourly wages. State school districts depend on levies to pay personnel costs, which carries risks, explains Kevin Richert for Idaho Education News. “The current way that we fund schools is not keeping up with the modern context of educating a kid.”

About 45,000 teens and young adults are not in school, college or the workforce in Chicago. City leaders, school districts and nonprofits are concerned about the rising number of disconnected youth and have created programs to address a decade-long problem. Chalkbeat Chicago’s Mila Koumpilova evaluates these programs and details the challenges disconnected youth face.

A Nevada school district’s tech specialist is retiring after more than 30 years. The career of LeAnn Morris has been filled with various job titles – including teacher – and amazing moments, such as the time she was honored by President George W. Bush as State Teacher of the Year. The former president had Morris’ back when a guard mispronounced “Nevada,” a common mistake by those outside the Silver State. Jessica Garcia profiles the staffer for Nevada Appeal.

Four Colorado board members decided not to settle a lawsuit in which they were accused of violating the state’s open meetings law. The state representative who sued the board members won the lawsuit, and state law requires the defendants to cover his attorney fees. In deciding against paying the $93,000 settlement offer, it is possible these board members could incur more legal fees, Suzie Glassman reports for NewsBreak Denver.

Alabama students spent two weeks fundraising to ensure an author who wrote about the Holocaust could speak at their school. Their enthusiasm to learn more about the subject prompted their teacher to seek and get additional training in a state where teaching about the Holocaust isn’t mandated, explains Jemma Stephenson for Alabama Reflector. “I think students want to learn about every hard history.”

x
Latest
Podcast
badge-arrow
Podcast
Donate