The author's journey as a strategic staffing principal in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has been one of ups and downs, scary turns and some great success for students. It began in May 2008 when she was asked to move to Devonshire Elementary School with marching orders to "turn the school around." Because of its failure to meet annual…

The current rhetoric about accountability, making adequate yearly progress, and focusing on quality classroom instruction obfuscates the core challenge in becoming a superintendent: How does one use the entry and transition process to learn what the real challenges and issues are in a school district? Can entry be used as a time for personal and…

America is at an important crossroad in education. With the pending reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly referred to as NCLB, Americans need to examine with fierce honesty the impact it has had on schools, not just on the test scores, but the toll it has taken on the people: principals, teachers and students. For…

Section 504 is civil rights legislation that is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 directly affects public schools, prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities. More specifically to students with disabilities, Section 504 provides various procedural protections and, for students, an entitlement to…

Describes key provisions of two recent federal program for rural schools: The Rural and Small Schools Achievement Program for rural districts with fewer than 600 students and the Rural and Low Income School Program for larger, high-poverty rural districts. (PKP)

According to William Raspberry, U.S. schools are already doing a good job of teaching children who come to school ready for learning. The problem with America 2000 is that the $700-800 million price tag is too small; billions are needed for establishing child service centers and other support services to ensure optimal learning. (MLH)

Outlines five intervention strategies for improving disabled students' educational outcomes: ensuring appropriate interventions for all handicapped toddlers, ensuring success in primary grades, intervening early with children experiencing significant behavior and reading difficulties, providing access to the general curriculum, and encouraging all…

Noting the dim employment prospects for youth and the economic plight of young American families, a recent Grant Foundation report calls for more experience-based schooling. Also recommended is better funding for existing Head Start, Chapter 1, and federal job training programs and for new legislation--the Fair Chance/Youth Opportunities Act. (MLH)

About 1,500 schools nationwide pay an estimated $200 million in federal funds to private enterprises claiming to provide better literacy instruction than the disappointing Title I results of the past 34 years. Programs run by Kaplan Inc., Success for All Foundation, Sylvan Learning Systems, and Reading Recovery Council are described. (MLH)

This article describes the rapidly deteriorating conditions of innercity schools as a result of reductions in federal expenditures for public education during the Reagan Administration. It is argued that "excellence," in the Reagan agenda, has become a code word for retreat from equity. (TE)

Surveys the consequences of the United States Supreme Court's recent ruling that public school teachers may not be sent into private schools to provide compensatory services to children under Chapter 1. Reviews alternative responses currently under discussion. (PGD)

After completing an audit of Chapter 1 allocations in five states, the U.S. Department of Education's inspector general suggested that authorizing legislation be amended to substitute some measure of membership for average daily attendance. States are also having trouble reporting current expenditures in conformance with the originally prescribed…

A study of Chapter 2 first-year implementation in nine states found that administrators like the flexibility of the block grants. Problems remain concerning the participation of private school students, service to special populations, and the continued use of state advisory councils. (MLF)

A school administrator, who became minority staff director for the United States Senate Subcommittee on Education, Arts, and Humanities, forecasts that early childhood programs will achieve funding at the expense of the block grants of Chapter 2. (MLF)