New S Dakota law: schools can arm teachers
A new law in S. Dakota will allow school boards to give teachers permission to carry guns in school. Debate continues in Texas on several similar bills this week.
Staff & Reporter Archive
Paul Katula
Paul Katula is the executive editor of the Voxitatis Research Foundation, which publishes this blog. For more information, see the About page.
Stories by Paul Katula
ISBE extends accommodations for Dixon teachers’ strike
By Paul Katula
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The teachers' strike in Dixon, Ill., now in its 9th day, has forced school officials, all the way up to the Assessment Division at the Illinois State Board of Education, to make special accommodations to give students every chance to complete state testing.
Baltimore's Northwestern High steps toward closure
By Paul Katula
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A claim by one Baltimore high school's alumni association is that the closure of the school violates civil rights. We disagree and explain.
Late ISAT testing window extended for striking teachers
By Paul Katula
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A teachers' strike in Dixon, Ill., has collided with the ISAT testing window, which opened last week. The strike enters its 8th day Monday. The board proposed a cooling off period to get students back in class.
Chicago schools spiral toward inevitable closure
By Paul Katula
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I think the school closings in Chicago are evidence of a violation of the civil rights of African-American residents of our communities, but the violations happened a long time ago. The closings are just the inevitable result of the district doing a thorough cleaning.
Special ed report causes trouble in Arlington Heights
By Paul Katula
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Special ed is one of the biggest parts of running a public school. One Arlington Heights district just received a report identifying some ways it might make special ed programs better. Some disagreement ensued.
2 schools, a public & a charter, use the same building
By Paul Katula
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The Chicago Tribune examines an increase in violent tendencies when a national charter chain school takes over space in a neighborhood school doomed to be closed.
The New Freedom excerpt by Woodrow Wilson
By Paul Katula
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We dig into the archives to find a beautiful expression of what our public schools should be, which in a timeless way, opposes what they are becoming in many communities.
Sadly, Philadelphia will close 23 schools
By Paul Katula
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Months of heated debate have finally come to an end in Philadelphia, as the School Reform Commission approved a plan by the district to close 23 schools, saving (they hope) $122 million.
New York Times tells the story of the Higgs boson
By Paul Katula
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One of the greatest science stories a newspaper has ever told is the inside look at the pursuit of a subatomic particle, the Higgs boson, and the perfect demonstration of the methods of science.