New York City Schools: Sex-Ed Mandated

With tighter budgets and fewer resources to draw from, many school districts have been forced to find more ways to trim the fat. One expense that has made its way to the chopping block in more than one district is transportation. While school buses have always been a given where students live too far to walk to school, that commodity is no longer a freebie for all school districts. In an effort to balance the books, schools are deciding to charge students for the privilege of riding a bus to and from school. However, the decision is accompanied by complaints and irate parents in most of the districts when the fees are announced. We’ll take a look at both sides of the pay-to-ride issue.

Franklin Township Now Outsourcing Transportation Needs

Franklin Township school system has been hit hard in the pocketbook with an $8 million budget shortfall for the upcoming school year. Instead of firing teachers and increasing class sizes, the school began charging parents to let students ride the bus to and from school. The charge for school bus privileges won’t be cheap – according to a report at the Indy Channel, the fee for bus service for a single student will be $475 annually. Additional children in the same family will get a discount, paying $405 per year for the same bus privileges.

The bus fee was on the table for the school district last year, but the idea was rejected after

A debate in New Jersey brought the homework controversy to light once again. The Galloway Township school district discussed whether students should be given homework-free weekends so that children could have more time with their families and for extracurricular activities and sports. At the time, the plan needed to go before the school board for a vote before it became official. In 2011, Galloway Township adopted a policy restricting weekend homework for elementary school students, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.

In 2026, the issue continues to resurface around the country as educators discuss once again how much homework is too much and whether it is actually counterproductive to the learning process. Public School Review has also explored this question in its guide to how much homework students should expect in public school.

Why Galloway Was Talking About Homework-Free Weekends

Galloway Township considered recommendations from district officials and school board members to limit the amount of homework students received. The recommendations came through research, as well as parent-teacher surveys. According to the Huffington Post, officials making the recommendations determined that less homework would allow additional time for students to focus on extracurricular activities and spend more quality time with their families.

Many parents and school officials in the district also voiced frustration over stressed students who could not seem to find enough hours in the day to complete assignments, especially when some of the homework looked like simple “busy work” on the surface.

“We really

Last September, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans to revamp the teacher tenure program in his city. This summer, Mayor Bloomberg made good on his promise, when the number of teachers receiving tenure was dramatically lower than the previous two years. While some are applauding the move, others, like the teachers’ union for the city, are voicing serious concerns over how the tenure decisions were made. We’ll take a look at both sides of the issue, as well as the potential impact these new tenure procedures will have on both teachers in the city and the quality of New York education overall.

More Teachers on “Hold”

According to a report in the Seattle Times, 5,200 teachers in the city of New York were awaiting decisions on tenure this year. Of that number, 58 percent were granted tenure and 39 percent had their tenure decisions delayed for another year. About 3 percent of teachers were denied tenure outright. These numbers vary considerably from last year, when 89 percent of teachers were granted tenure, and the previous year, when 94 percent received it.

Bloomberg explained to the Seattle Times that for the teachers who were told to wait another year for a tenure decision, it was the city’s way of telling them that “while they have shown progress, they are still developing as teachers and need to improve.” Teachers that did not receive tenure this year will have access to additional training and development to help them

As technology takes a bigger place in the professional and personal world today, it is also finding its way into more and more public classrooms across the country. From laptops to iPads, students are learning to incorporate technology into the learning process to enhance their educational experience overall. This trend does not show any signs of slowing; in fact, school districts nationwide are finding more money in already tight budgets to equip classrooms with all the gadgetry they need to bring their students effectively into the 21^st century. This article will take a look at exactly how technology is finding a place in the public school classroom today.

Online Textbooks Replacing Traditional Books

Online textbooks do not get lost or stolen, they don’t take up space in a locker or backpack, and they provide a wealth of additional resources - all with a single click of the mouse. It is no wonder that online textbooks are fast replacing traditional books today. A report in the Kingstowne Patch announced a pilot program in Fairfax County Schools to provide online social studies books for all high school and middle school students this year. To access the online books, students will be encouraged to bring their own laptops to school. Those that don’t have their own computers will be provided one by the district.

The schools are also working to ensure students will