Mar
30
2008
St. Louis Schools Sensitive to Needs of Alternative Students
Posted by admin in Middle School Article, tags: Elementary Schools, Middle Schools, Student Population, Teacher Quality, Vision And Mission StatementsThe efforts of St. Louis Schools to serve the needs of its alternative schools are admirable. Through the implementation of new summer schools programs, a virtual school, and 3 new alternative campuses, the district of St. Louis Schools strives to serve all students throughout the city. The district Vision and Mission Statements, as stated on the St. Louis Schools website are as follows:
Vision
The St. Louis Public Schools are the district of choice for families in the St. Louis region [and] provide a world-class education and are nationally recognized as a leader in student achievement & teacher quality.
Mission
We will provide a quality education for all students and enable them to realize their full academic potential.
St. Louis Schools consist of 56 elementary schools, 22 middle schools, 10 high schools,
5 alternative/special schools, with a total of 93 in all. The student population is 39,554, and has a drop-out rate of 18.7%. St. Louis Schools employ 4,333 full-time staff, and has a total operating budget of over $342 million.
St. Louis Schools plan to launch a new K-12 initiative at the start of the 2007-2008 school year. It is designed specifically for disruptive students. Enrollment at each school will be limited to 150 students. Bonita Jamison has been named principal of Des Peres Elementary; Sean Nichols will be principal of Turner Middle School; and Kacy Seals will take the reins of Kottmeyer High School. “We have hired instructional leaders with a strong understanding of the needs of alternative students,” said Diana M. Bourisaw, Superintendent of St. Louis Schools. “Our goal is to offer curriculum that encourages students at all levels to achieve academically and socially.” This new initiative is being implemented with assistance from The Big Picture Company. This is an organization that specializes in developing Continue Reading
Mar
30
2008
Home Schooling on the Rise in Virginia Schools
Posted by admin in Middle School Article, tags: Home Schooling, Horror, Religious Beliefs, School Environments, Virginia SchoolsOver the years, the Virginia schools (like many school systems across the nation) have been losing their public school students to home schooling. Henry County, for example, has seen an increase in home-schooled students from eight to 99 over the past 11 years.
In April 1999, the nation watched in horror the news reports on Colorado’s Columbine High School shootings, where 12 students and one teacher were fatally shot and 24 others were wounded by two teens who then killed themselves. Afterwards, the Virginia schools saw a steady increase of applications from parents who wished to home school their children.
Though the number of children who are home schooled has continued to increase within the Virginia schools, the reasons have changed. Though school violence and security remains to be a primary concern of Virginia schools’ parents, they now have a variety of other reasons, including:
• Too much emphasis on the standardized testing now required within the Virginia schools, fearing their children are being taught only to pass tests rather than a focus on actual learning that is retained and useful later in life; home-schooled children are not required to take the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests;
• The ability of Virginia schools’ children to adjust to the middle and high school environments; many parents home school their children during the middle school years and place them back into the Virginia schools for high school;
• Virginia schools’ parents’ perception of negative influences within the traditional school environment; this is especially true for families with strong religious beliefs; and
• Some Virginia schools’ parents simply want to keep their children at home for a longer period, placing them back within the Virginia schools for high school.
Religious Exemption. If a parent applies for release of their child from Continue Reading