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¶ … successful redistricting efforts of the Kentwood schools as originated by Mary Leiker. Her plans, while somewhat idealistic, did address some marked needs in Kentwood and indeed in the United States as a whole. Redistricting, according to Leiker, would address the community's needs on various levels. Firstly, it would address the needs of the children involved. On the one hand, no American community is homogeneous, and this needs to be reflected in the school community. Leiker's justification for this view is that greater diversity in the school community would prepare them for diversity issues they would face as adults, both in the workplace and in the general community. Furthermore, giving children of diverse ethnic backgrounds and intellectual abilities the chance to work and learn together would be beneficial to both. What Leiker refers to as "at risk" children would benefit from the opportunity to learn from their peers, while intellectually stronger children would benefit from acknowledging the diversity of the learning community. These children could further develop their leadership skills by engaging in helping children with lower learning abilities. Friendships and learning communities would thus be enhanced by greater tolerance among children. These are all very laudable and community-oriented ideals, and it is understandable that the plans for redistricting were ultimately a success.
However, the way in which the plans were implemented and presented to...
The community resistance offered to the proposal was considerable and caused a large amount of unhealthy bickering among community members and board officials. According to the events presented in the article, it appears that the issue could have been handled with much more sensitivity. It is true that change is almost always somewhat painful and that a degree of resistance should be expected. However, such resistance should be dealt with by an open and honest relationship with those affected.
The planning and development phase of Leiker's ideals are perfectly logical, taking to heart the needs of the community, its children and its future in terms of the American ideal of equality and freedom. Further in her favor is the fact that she is obviously qualified as both a superintendent and educator to implement the kind of changes she deemed necessary for the redistricting process. Her passion and dedication to her job are also qualities that suits her well to the job at hand. The plans she wished to implement for Kentwood were well thought out, taking into account many complex issues and situations.
A great part of the problems she faced later when attempting to win community support for the project was due to elements beyond her control. The unfortunate timing forced by elements such as the mine and building the extra school, along with funding, was the main challenge.
Leiker however seemed…
In suburban areas, on the other hand, the economic opportunities are diverse and the population is less dense. Here parents are motivated to educate their child and the child gets higher individual attention from the teachers than those in the urban areas where population density is very high (Broomhall and Johnson, 1994; and Hanson and Ginsburg, 1988). Since educational aspirations of parents, students and teachers differ by population density
Most states have provisions somewhat similar to that of the NCLB, where funding to districts and specific institutions is specifically allocated and comes with certain requirements (Galvin & Robins 2000; U.S. DOE 2009). Advantages of receiving funding at the state level are increased localization and attention to differences in districts (U.S. DOE 2009). Disadvantages, however, are that the state is subject to even more extreme budgetary and taxation fluctuations,
LCFF Position Statement School funding structure and allocation is something that is very controversial. It summons discussions and specters of class warfare, the haves vs. The have-not's equity in opportunity, equity in outcomes and many other hot-button topics in the political, cultural and public lexicons. The current school funding structure in the state of California is to be jettisoned in favor of the new Local Control Funding Formula, whereby funding for
Special Education Given the diverse needs and universal education needs of students with exceptionalities, what is one of the most significant fiduciary responsibilities of the school leader? Why are these significant? It is important to note, from the onset, that the school leader oversees not only student placement, but also staff assignment and management of the education al programs of schools. In general, school leaders in a special education setting have a
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the school funding approaches of the state of Illinois and the District of Columbia. It shows that in Illinois there is a far greater problem of how to achieve a more equitable distribution of funds, though the state is currently setting a course to try to make this happen with its evidence-based model funding formula recently passed this year. In DC on the other hand,
The trial lasted seven months and Justice Leland Degrasse rendered his decision, 719 N.Y.S.2d 475 on January 10, 2001, in favor of plaintiffs and ordered the state to ensure that all public schools provide the opportunity for a sound basic education to their students." (Hunter, 2004) Entered, as part of this decision was a "costing-out study as the threshold task in developing a new school funding system." (Hunter, 2004)