www.newrivervalley.com

I received a "media advisory" today about a school-to-prison pipeline conference that the ACLU plans to host in New York next week.  Here's some of what the union has to say.

The conference notice conveniently came after an e-mail discussion with fellow education reporters about the assertion that prison populations are based on the number of students who can't read by the end of third grade.

Some of you may remember that Montgomery County School Board member Phyllis Albritton ran for election with the issue of making sure students can read on level by the end of the thirdgrade as the priority of her campaign.  She's also mentioned it at public hearings and other meetings.

The validity of that statement is up for debate, although Albritton isn't alone in her thinking. As an education reporter, I've heard the same thing numerous times. Others apparently have, too.

But, after taking it to the U.S.Department of Education, no one can back up the statement. Some people think it may have originiated years ago out of a conference in California.

Either way, Tom Snyder with the DOE's Institute of Education Science, said this to a colleague,

"I don't think we have anything to support this statement since we do not have a longitudinal study that covers this age range. We do have a longitudinal study that began with 8th graders in 1988 and ended in 2000, when they were in their mid 20s. An analysis of this data set could give you some information about student pathways, but it does not provide any linkage lower than grade 8. We also have a longitudinal study of kindergarten students that covers 3rd grade, but only goes has high as 8th grade."

What do you think?

Three elementary school children were struck by a car this morning in Pulaski, but none of them were badly hurt, police said.

The children, two 6-year-old girls and an 8-year-old girl, were hit about 7:50 a.m. as they waited for the school bus at the intersection of Commerce and Bertha Streets S.W., Pulaski police Chief Gary Roche said.

A rescue squad checked out the children, Roche said. Two were unhurt, he said, and the third was taken to Pulaski Community Hospital with a minor knee injury.
The 16-year-old driver of the vehicle had failed to adequately clear icy frost from the windows and didn’t see the children in the street as she made a right turn onto Bertha, Roche said.

The vehicle was moving slowly when it struck the children, he said.
The children were being watched by at least two of their guardians at the time, Roche said.

The driver, whom Roche didn’t name becuase of her age, was charged with having defective equipment and could face another charge.

-- Shawna Morrison

Students in Fairlawn spent their final day at the old Riverlawn Elementary School today. For the last hour of the day, the more than 300 students at the school traveled by bus to the new school, which is slated to open for classes on Monday.

Teachers already have started moving in their belongings, but today the students toted desks' full of books and materials to their new classroom.

Students have the day off school Friday, and school officials will spend Friday and the weekend putting finishing touches on the building. Superintendent Don Stowers said today that he expects some work to continue while students are in the new school.

An open house for parents and students is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, with a separate open house for the public next week.

Barring a special meeting, it looks like the board won't be taking up how to replace Tiffany Anderson, whose final day is June 30, until sometime next month.

In the past, Montgomery County school board members have asked the community what they want to see in a school chief. They'll likely do the same, board member Wat Hopkins said today.

In the meantime, tell us what you think is important in a leader.  What do you want to see in a new school superintendent?

Some people already are saying that Anderson's departure is a positive move for the community.

What did you like about Anderson, and what do you think her successor could improve upon?

For about two hours, both Shawsville Elementary School and Shawsville Middle School have been without power. The schools' facilities department has notified American Electric Power, which said they had outages reported elsewhere in the community.

Some after-school activities at the school have been canceled.

RADFORD — Radford City’s school board would eliminate three part-time positions, cut back hours for others and eliminate summer school under a $13.5 million draft operating budget finally reviewed Tuesday.
The school division expects to lose $650,000 in funding in the coming year, according to Superintendent Chuck Bishop.

And that includes federal stimulus money, which he said isn’t the remedy that was expected.
“The reality is, it will save a few jobs, it’s not going to save ‘em all.” Bishop said.
Most of that money is for the current year, not the coming years, he said, and no one knows how divisions can use the money that will be available in the next biennium, he said.
Vice-chairman G. Lynn Burriss told Bishop he might have to look at requiring employees to pay $40 each month for single health insurance. Right now, the district picks up 100 percent of the basic “Key Advantage 500” plan.

The proposed budget also leaves two special education spots vacant, reduces the hours of library aides and five bus drivers, cuts part-time music and physical education instructors, cuts Stanford 9/10 student exams.

The budget has “no wiggle room,” Bishop said. He told board members if a teachers became ill and the district had to pay both medical leave and a long-term substitute, it will mean a deficit.

The board’s next meeting is 6 p.m. March 24.