Latest news with #DepartmentofPublicInstruction
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New and damning school voucher data confirm worst fears
Ever since North Carolina legislators established the so-called 'Opportunity Scholarships' school voucher program, sponsors and proponents have pitched it as a means of helping low-income students escape struggling public schools. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, a new report from the Department of Public Instruction shows that this was all baloney. The DPI researchers found that just sixty-seven hundred of the state's eighty-thousand-plus vouchers in the current school year went to students who had attended a North Carolina public school in the prior year. And while the data for kindergartners were not yet available, it's clear that as much as ninety percent or more of new vouchers in 24-25 were for students who have never attended a public school. In other words, the vast majority of voucher money is going to parents – most of them well-off – who never had any intention of sending their kids to public schools. The bottom line: School vouchers in our state have nothing to do with quote 'opportunity' and everything to do with undermining and privatizing public education. Other explanations are simply false. For NC Newsline, I'm Rob Schofield.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
MLA urges NGO to extend support in upgrading govt. schools
Chamarajanagar MLA C. Puttarangashetty on Friday said that NGOs should extend cooperation and support in revival and upgradation of government schools. Speaking at the inauguration of a newly constructed school building of the upgraded Government Higher Primary School in PWD Colony, he said that government has taken the initiative to upgrade schools, and this should be supported by NGOs. The school has been adopted and supported by Basava Rajendra Medical Trust. Ramachandraraje Urs, Deputy Director of the Department of Public Instruction, said many initiatives such as Nanna Shaale, Nanna Koduge (My School, My Contribution), have been launched, and alumni continue to contribute to improve amenities at schools. The official said the enrollment in the school was 62 in 2021–22, which rose to 119 in 2022–23 and 210 in 2023–24. In the current academic year 2025–26, 320 children have been enrolled, he said. The school, which earlier had classes from 1 to 8, will now be extended from LKG to 9th standard. It will have class 10 in the next academic year, said Mr. Urs. The Basava Rajendra Medical Trust has provided eight classrooms, a school vehicle, a borewell, furniture, books, uniforms, and computers to the school. The school will be developed in to a model school, he said. M. Basavarajendra, managing director of the trust, said that donation alone will not suffice in upgradation of schools, and the need of the hour was its proper utilisation. He said it is important to learn English, along with Kannada. 'In today's world, learning other languages, along with the mother tongue, is necessary for professional life. Hence, facilities should be provided to teach English in government schools,' said Mr. Basavarajendra. Members of the School Development Management Committee were present.
The Hindu
31-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Siddaramaiah directs CS to issue notices to DDPIs for poor show in SSLC results
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday ordered the issue of notices to the Deputy Directors of Public Instruction (DDPIs) in districts where the pass percentage in the SSLC examination in 2025 was below 60. Mr. Siddaramaiah, who continued the review of progress of all department works for the second day on Saturday with all Deputy Commissioners and zilla panchayat chief executive officers (CEOs), asked Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh to issue notices to the DDPIs. 'If their replies are not satisfactory, initiate further action against them,' the Chief Minister told Ms. Rajneesh. The DDPIs head the Education Department in districts and their supervisory role is vital in ensuring higher pass percentage of students. Kalyana Karnataka The pass percentage of students in government schools in the 2025 SSLC exam was below 60 in many districts. The seven districts of Kalyana Karnataka region recorded a dismal show in the examination, occupying the lowest ranks in the State. Of the bottom seven districts, six belong to the Kalyana Karnataka region, while the seventh, Vijayapura, from the Kittur Karnataka region, ranked 34th, just one place above the last. Kalaburagi district has slipped to the bottom — 35th rank — with a pass percentage of just 42.43, far below the State average of 66.14%. Kalaburagi's decline has been consistent over the past three years, dropping from 29th place in 2023 to 34th in 2024, and now 35th in 2025. The pass percentage in Vijayapura was 49.58, Yadgir 51.6, Raichur 52.05, Bidar 53.25, and Koppal 57.32. Notably, none of the 22 students in the State who achieved a perfect score of 625 out of 625 are from the Kalyana Karnataka region. Despite continued efforts by the Department of Public Instruction and the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB), the region continues to lag behind others in educational outcomes. Noting good results in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, in contrast, the Chief Minister asked officials not to give excuses like teacher shortage. Mr. Siddaramaiah asked officials in the backward Kalyana Karnataka region to provide extra attention to SSLC results. He said a sum of ₹906.64 crore was released to build new classrooms under the Viveka scheme. He questioned the Deputy Commissioners of districts where classrooms have not been completed despite fund release. 'Why are DCs not showing interest?' he asked. Visit schools 'The DDPIs should shoulder their responsibilities seriously. The DDPIs, along with secretaries in charge of districts, must visit schools and review the performance of teachers. 'If teachers and the DDPIs show interest, then good results can be achieved,' the Chief Minister said. Noting the falling admissions in government schools, he said, 'This is not a good development. The government is supplying eggs, milk, ragi malt, and soap, and providing hostel facility. Still, why are admissions falling?' he sought to know. Mr. Siddaramaiah said there was a need for teachers and officials to hold talks with parents and stop students from dropping out from schools.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MPS misses financial reporting deadline; superintendent weighs in
The Brief Milwaukee Public Schools is once again at risk of losing funding as it missed a financial reporting deadline. A finance committee meeting was held on Tuesday night, May 20, but the issue was not on the agenda. MPS is working to meet a new May 30 deadline. MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Public Schools is yet again facing financial problems. What we know MPS schools risk losing state money, because the state said MPS is late turning in financial reports – again. Without those reports, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction said school districts everywhere else can't budget for next year. The state needs the district's 2024 financial reports, which help calculate how funding is distributed across school districts statewide. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android MPS missed the Friday, May 16 deadline. A finance committee meeting was held on Tuesday night, May 20, but the issue was not on the agenda. However, FOX6 News was able to ask MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius if she has been able to pinpoint the problem. What they're saying "The issue is really about our systems, talking to the systems, talking to the state systems, and we have to make sure we're doing that so we prevent that from accounting errors we are having, and it's the accounting errors we're continuing to see unravel within the systems for the very many years we are trying to fix," Cassellius said. "My job here is to address what is right in front of us but also plan for the future." What's next It is still unclear how much money DPI will withhold from MPS for missing last week's deadline. MPS is working to meet a new May 30 deadline. The Source FOX6 News was in attendance at the MPS finance committee meeting.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Only one Brown County school district graduating class saw 100% of students walk. How do other districts fare?
Last spring, nearly 60,000 students graduated from high school across Wisconsin. But 8.9% of the students who were expected to complete school didn't — almost 6,000 high schoolers. Most Green Bay area school districts' four-year graduation rates are over the state average of 91.1% in 2023-24 — and have been since at least 2020, according to the state Department of Public Instruction. But few have graduated all their students; in fact, since 2020, only one graduating class in Brown County saw every student graduate who was expected to complete school that year. Some school districts don't see those numbers even after seven years of a graduating class. being given the opportunity to complete their high school education. The data on graduation rates for the class of 2025 isn't in yet, and private school graduation data isn't readily available. But as students get ready to celebrate, here's what we do know about graduation and high school completion rates in the Green Bay area. Most districts have graduated more students, percentagewise, than the state average since at least 2020. The only district that's been consistently below that is Green Bay, whose graduation rate was 3.5% lower than the state average in 2024. De Pere, West De Pere, Denmark and Wrightstown's graduation rates have all increased since 2020, while Green Bay, Ashwaubenon and Pulaski have seen a decrease. Howard-Suamico has stayed about the same, with a 0.5% decrease overall. The state average has increased slightly, by 0.7%, but hasn't fluctuated much in the past four years. Only one district, Green Bay, has been consistently below the state average. Here are the four-year graduation rates for Green Bay area students in 2024: Green Bay: 87.6% De Pere: 97.9% Ashwaubenon: 92.1% Howard-Suamico: 93.4% West De Pere: 98.6% Pulaski: 95.2% Denmark: 98.2% Wrightstown: 96.2% Graduation rate refers to students who have received a regular diploma in four years or less. In 2024, that was just over 91% of students statewide. Only one Green Bay area school district, Wrightstown, has graduated every student in four years. It achieved that just once since 2020: In 2023, 100% of students expected to complete school that year graduated. The DPI also tracks completion and non-completion rates for its students. Students who don't receive either their GED or a high school equivalency diploma within seven years are considered non-completers. Here are seven-year high school completion rates for Green Bay area students in 2024: Green Bay: 90.1% De Pere: 97.6% Ashwaubenon: 95.3% Howard-Suamico: 97.3% West De Pere: 99.6% Pulaski: 99.2% Denmark: 99.0% Wrightstown: 99.1% Students who haven't completed their degree within seven years can still continue within the school district until they turn 21. Students who graduate from high school earn more on average and are less likely to face unemployment than those without. At the end of 2024, full-time workers older than 25 with high school diplomas earned about $950 per week, while those without a high school diploma earned about $735 per week, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate for those without a diploma was 6.2%, versus 4.0% for those with a diploma. Contact Green Bay education reporter Nadia Scharf at nscharf@ or on X at @nadiaascharf. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: How many students actually graduate from Green Bay area high schools?
