Opinion
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Court Avoided in Affirmative Action Case
Opinion -A coalition of civil rights groups helped raise over $300,000 of a $433,500 out-of-court settlement to an eight-year-old affirmative action case brought by a white New Jersey teacher who was laid off by the Piscataway Board of Education while a black -
EPA Says Mercury Levels in Fish Are Too High
Opinion -In a report issued December 19, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has raised alarms over mercury levels in fish and the risks faced by humans who consume it. -
Deep Wells a Safe Haven for Hazardous Waste
Opinion -Most Americans would be surprised to know that there is a waste management system already in operation in the United States that has no emissions into the air, no discharges to surface water, and no off-site transfers, and exposes people and the -
Renewable Energy Not Living Up To Expectations
Opinion -A multi-billion-dollar government crusade to promote renewable energy for electricity generation, now in its third decade, “has resulted in major economic costs and unintended environmental consequences,” according to Robert L. -
Global Warming Policies Will Hurt Low-Income Americans the Most: Study
Opinion -Even before the ink was dry on the recently signed Kyoto Protocol, evidence was mounting that the far-reaching initiative could cause devastating economic dislocations. According to Mary Novak, senior vice president of WEFA, Inc. -
How to Make Charter Schools Fail
Opinion -Although the advocates of charter schools see them as a way to foster competition and improvement in the public education system, those goals are threatened by the compromises reached by state legislators in getting charter school laws approved, -
Universal Tax Credit Proposed for Michigan Schools
Opinion -With a universal tuition tax credit for K-12 education, Michigan taxpayers could save as much as $3. -
Michigan Voters Dissatisfied with Public Schools
Opinion -While Michigan’s recent dramatic switch from local property taxes to state sales taxes for the support of public education has attracted the attention of other states, it has not resulted in increased support of the public education system by Michigan -
Illinois Funding Reform Approved
Opinion -A compromise bill that reforms schools and school funding in Illinois was approved 83-31 by House lawmakers in Springfield on December 2 in a special session called by GOP Governor Jim Edgar. -
Illinois Legislature Approves Tuition Tax Credit
Opinion -Taking action on a tuition tax credit bill passed last spring by the Democrat-controlled Illinois House, the Republican-controlled Senate voted 38-14 on November 14 to approve House Bill 999, which provides a $500 tax credit for K-12 education expenses. -
Half of NYC Parents Would Flee Public Schools
Opinion -Education is emerging as the most serious problem confronting New York City residents, according to the 1997 Empire State Survey on Education. -
Ohio Graduation Rates Tumble as School Spending Grows
Opinion -Although the Ohio Supreme Court argued in DeRolph v. -
Where New Yorkers Would Use Vouchers
Opinion -When the 1997 Empire State Survey asked New York City residents where they would use a Milwaukee-style voucher worth $3,500, 36 percent said they would enroll their child in a private school, 18 percent in a church-related school, 6 percent in another -
Texas Voucher Effort Gains Democratic Support
Opinion -Just as the November issue of NEA Today was rejoicing that “intense lobbying” by Texas teacher union members had killed all voucher legislation last year in Austin, Lt. -
School Choice Roundup
Opinion -Arizona * California * Florida * Hawaii Illinois * Missouri * New York ARIZONA Retirees Balk at Higher School Taxes Having retired there to enjoy the sunny climate and low taxes, senior citizens in Arizona have consistently rejected property -
Biodiversity Prospecting No Savior for Species
Opinion -Biodiversity prospecting is the search for new chemicals produced by wild organisms. -
Florida Superintendent Faces Class Action Suit
Opinion -Calling for an immediate investigation into the forced retirement of Dr. -
Thousands Join Blacks in Denver Suit
Opinion -A class action lawsuit brought by a few hundred black parents against the Denver Public Schools has been joined by nearly 3,500 new plaintiffs, including about one-third that are Hispanic and some that are white. -
California Teachers Can Resign from Union
Opinion -Teachers in California who want to resign from their union will now be able to do so without being forced to pay full union dues until the end of their current multi-year bargaining contract, according to the settlement terms of a major class-action -
Pennsylvania Charter Plan Treated Badly
Opinion -After a group in the Souderton School District near Philadelphia spent thousands of hours crafting a charter school proposal, which attracted the interest of 100 potential students, they were denied the opportunity to review the school district’s -
Teachers on Tape Expand Their Classrooms
Opinion -While good teachers are difficult to find, it’s even more difficult to find an empty seat in a good teacher’s classroom. -
Agenda for New Mexico School Reform
Opinion -New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson’s school reform plan includes the following elements: A five year phase-in of school choice for every child, starting with the poorest families, with scholarships valid at public, private or religious schools. -
California Arbitrator Keeps Books Closed
Opinion -An arbitrator paid by the California Teacher Association put an end to 10 months of hearings and deliberation in late November by ruling against 1,250 teachers who challenged the union’s claim about how it spends compulsory union dues collected from -
Charter Plan Denied Airing at Ill. Public Hearing
Opinion -When the petitioners for the Liberty Hall Charter School went into a November 24 public hearing on their proposal for a charter school in Libertyville, Illinois, they expected to explain their plan to the public and then respond to questions.