SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California education budget is coming into balance for the first time in years, according to the state’s Legislative Analyst Office (LAO). The LAO is a nonpartisan fiscal and policy advisory agency that gives budget projections to the state legislature and analyzes the fiscal impact of various budget proposals, voter initiatives and policy trends.
DULUTH, Minn. — Hurricane Sandy damaged sixty-five schools in New York City alone, along with dozens more across the affected region. Catastrophe risk modeling firm EQECAT said total damage from the storm could be up to $50 billion, second only to Hurricane Katrina. But the millions of dollars of government money that will flow to contractors for rebuilding schools come with strings attached. The Davis-Bacon act requires contractors receiving government money to fill out forms proving they paid prevailing wages.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Megan Smith, vice president of new business development at Google, has announced the creation of a fund to advocate for girls education and empowerment. The funding effort is called the MalalaFund, in honor of Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old student and education activist in Pakistan who survived an assassination attempt by a Taliban gunman who shot her in the head and neck while she was riding home in a school bus in early October.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and state superintendent of public instruction Tom Torlakson, recently announced they are co-sponsoring a new Civic Learning Award for public high schools in the state. The award will recognize schools that develop successful models for engaging students in civic learning that can be replicated in other schools.
Schools are no longer educational establishments where teachers lecture and pupils sit still and listen in silence. Instead, they are increasingly turning into institutions that “move people” and that adhere to principles of holistic learning and living.
ELK GROVE, Ill. — A new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) argues that cheerleaders need to be treated like other athletes, not just as a matter of respect, but for their safety. If groups like the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) are convinced to recognize the activity as a sport, it could lead to an increase in spending on facilities and equipment. A similar boom in athletic facilities occurred when Title Nine was instituted on a national level, forcing schools to fund women’s athletics at a closer level to men’s sports.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Though the state has had difficulty balancing its budget, California’s economy continues to rival those of many countries in terms of overall production. The San Francisco Bay Area has also managed to maintain a mini housing and tech bubble. The sheer size of the state’s economy means most industries perk up their ears when California residents head to the polls.
LONDON — The British government released guidelines for a new direction in education infrastructure in early October. Officials say the change will result in a reduction of cost, with average funding required for new schools dropping to $22.4 million (U.S. dollars), after that number sat around $33.6 million under the previous administration. The government has informed builders to expect school projects to be approximately 15 percent smaller than under the previous administration.
HOLLAND, Mich. — Fleetwood Group Inc. is responsible for the design of mobile and flexible furniture, especially for the classroom. A recent contract with the Charleston County School District in South Carolina has reassured the company’s position in the school furniture industry.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento Unified School District (SUSD) has done its research and is now counting on county voters to help them receive needed funding.
By voting to support measure Q and R on the November ballot, voters would be passing bonds to increase funding for construction, repairs and classroom operations at schools within SUSD.
