May 4, 1983
Education Week, Vol. 02, Issue 32
Education
E.D. Civil-Rights Employees Will Face Security Investigations
The federal government's civil-service agency has begun investigating more than half of the Education Department's civil-rights workers, over the objections of the department's civil-rights chief and the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights.
Education
Court Impact on Education of Handicapped Termed 'Enormous'
The involvement of the courts in resolving disputes over the education of handicapped children has had an "enormous" effect on local policymaking and, at the same time, has imposed little or no burden on the civil-justice system, according to a new study.
Education
Publishing Column
An agreement was reached last month in the copyright-infringement suit brought by nine publishers against New York University and eight of its faculty members. Under the agreement, the publishers, who claimed the faculty members had violated federal copyright laws by improperly photocopying materials for classroom use, withdrew the suit and the university agreed to adopt specific policies relating to the photocopying of copyrighted material.
Education
Injured Athlete's Case Raises New Concerns About Liability
A District of Columbia jury's award of $1.5 million to a partially paralyzed former high-school football player has increased anxiety about the liability of school officials for injuries sustained in interscholastic sports.
Ed-Tech Policy
Stress on Computer Drills Diminishing
Schools that use computers tend to give greater emphasis to programming and less to computer-assisted instruction as they gain experience with and knowledge of the technology, a new survey by a research organization at The Johns Hopkins University has found.
Education
Tax-Credit Debate Shaped by Report Of Bell Committee
The Senate Finance Committee, in a replay of action that took place less than a year ago, last week heard debate over the Reagan Administration's proposal to establish federal tax credits for parents who pay private-school tuition.
Education
Schools Slow In Inspecting For Asbestos
With two months left until the deadline by which school officials must inspect their buildings for asbestos, about 70 percent of districts nationwide have completed the inspection, according to an Environmental Protection Agency official who testified last week before a House subcommittee.
Education
Comic Book Helps Federal Anti-Drug Campaign
A 15-year-old drug abuser cuts short a crime-fighter who is giving him and his friends a lecture about the dangers of drugs: "Go back where you came from. You're nothin' but big-shot super-heroes. You don't know anything about this."
Education
Federal Judge Promises Early Ruling On Linking Diplomas to Florida Test
After the second of two hearings on the question, a federal judge here has promised to decide before May 19 whether Florida educators can legally withhold high-school diplomas from students who cannot pass a functional-literacy examination.
Education
Chicago Schools Seek State Tax Hike
City school officials here are lobbying state legislators for an increase in both state income taxes and local property taxes to erase a projected $202.5-million deficit for the 1982-83 school year.
Education
Handicapped-Rights Groups Wary of New U.S. Rule
Handicapped-rights advocates are claiming that the Reagan Administration is reneging on its promise not to tamper with existing regulations prohibiting discrimination against handicapped students and adults.
Education
States News Roundup
The South Carolina Department of Education has announced that it will implement a new screening program to assess the skills of prospective school principals in 20 districts throughout the state.
In announcing the program, which was developed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, Charlie G. Williams, state superintendent, said the quality of educational leaders and managers at the school-building level would improve as the selection process does so.
Education
Librarians Boycott Children's Book They Claim Is Racist
A heated debate is taking place in libraries, publishing houses, and library journals across the country over the publicized decision of three major public-library systems not to purchase an allegedly racist children's book written by an award-winning author-illustrator.
Education
Scholar Suggests 'Real-World' Approach to Mathematics Teaching
By Maureen Fleming Special to Education Week
Education
Schools Given Good Mark on Metric Conversion
Schools are doing a good job of introducing young people to the metric system, business and government officials meeting here last week to assess the status of the nation's metric-conversion effort generally agreed, but the adult society has been slow to adapt.
Education
Mich. Governor Seeks Major Rise in School Aid
Michigan schools came out winners in the $5.3-billon general-fund budget proposed on April 22 by Gov. James J. Blanchard.
Education
Minn. Commissioner Search Continues
The Minnesota Board of Education is continuing its search for a new commissioner of education despite the efforts of Gov. Rudy Perpich to have the selection process removed from the jurisdiction of the state board and transferred to the Governor.
Education
Schools Join For Training Of Teachers
School districts in six regions around the nation have formed a teleconferencing network that will enable them to conduct inservice-training programs jointly via satellite.
Education
Choice for N.Y.C. School Chief Rejected By State Superintendent
In a surprise decision late last month, New York State's chief education official refused to approve the selection of the deputy mayor of New York City to be chancellor of the city's public schools, even though the candidate had the backing of the mayor and the approval of the school board.
Education
Bell Favors Church Groups' School Use
Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell last week gave strong Administration support to the concept of "equal-access" legislation that would permit voluntary religious activity on public-school property.
Education
For The Record
Following are excerpts from President Reagan's remarks to the members of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, during a ceremony on April 26 at which the commission presented its final report.
Education
War? Nyet. Come to Camp.
A Manchester, Me., 5th-grader who last week received a letter from the Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov "feels somewhat safer now," but she does not know whether she will be able to take up Mr. Andropov's offer to attend summer camp in the Soviet Union.
Education
Battling for Boosters Along Highways And Byways
An effort to advertise the strengths of a struggling school district has turned into the battle of the billboards.
Education
District News Roundup
A security guard employed by the Bibb County, Ga., school district was shot to death on April 22 by a man suspected of trying to sell drugs in a school parking lot.
Education
News Update
The federal district judge overseeing the upcoming trial of the New Jersey law requiring a "period of silence" at the beginning of each school day has decided to consider newspaper accounts of legislators' statements as evidence when he decides if the law was intended to restore prayer to public schools.
Judge Dickinson R. Debevoise, who will hear the case on May 13, made his decision after reviewing over 100 articles, editorials, and letters to the editor submitted by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey for use in the case.
Ed-Tech Policy
Congressman Proposes Center On Schools' Use of Computers
Representative Thomas J. Downey, Democrat of New York, has introduced a bill that would establish a grant program for one or more national research centers for the use of microcomputers in education.
Education
National News Roundup
Keith R. Finch, a high-school junior from Blacksburg, Va., won the top prize--a $16,000 college scholarship--at the finals of the American Legion's 46th annual National High School Oratorical Contest last week.
The competition, held at the U.S. Naval Academy, was the culmina-tion of a series of contests begun in January at American Legion posts across the country.
Education
'Teen Titans' Warn of Drug Cycle
The anti-drug comic book being promoted by the Education Department features "The New Teen Titans," stars of what is currently the best-selling comic book produced by D.C. Comics, the company that also publishes "Superman."
Education
Federal File: Galluping to Conclusions; Asbestos in Education; A New Director
In his statement upon receiving the report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education last week, President Reagan demonstrated that just about any political viewpoint can be reinforced by the selective use of statistics.
In his statement upon receiving the report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education last week, President Reagan demonstrated that just about any political viewpoint can be reinforced by the selective use of statistics.