Recently in Schools K-12 Category

Source: By Paul E. Peterson and Matthew M. Chingos, Working Paper Number:RWP07-055. Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, Submitted: 11/13/2007

Abstract
Using individual student test-score data from the School District of Philadelphia, we estimated the impact of for-profit and non-profit school management on student achievement by tracking the performance of students in math and reading from 2001 to 2006. After four years, the average student at schools managed by for-profit firms learned roughly two-thirds of a year more in math than would be expected had the schools remained under district management. However, the positive impact of for-profit management on average reading gains was smaller and not statistically significant. For non-profits, we found mainly negative impacts on student performance in both math and reading, but none were statistically significant. Treatment effects were identified using a quasi-experimental research design known as "difference-in-differences" analysis. We used as a control group the 71 schools under regular district management at which students were performing below the district median.

Source: By Jeff Christman, The Morning Call (PA), October 29, 2007

A proposal to outsource Pleasant Valley School District transportation and food service probably would result in unreliable bus service, empty promises of savings and more than 140 district employees without jobs, according to a union leader.

Scott Carpenter and Paul Shemansky of the Pennsylvania State Education Association lobbied the school board Thursday to reconsider the ''monumental move'' of contracting with private, profit-driven companies to provide the services.

''Essentially you're firing more than 140 people and offering their jobs to people who will be paid low wages without health benefits,'' Shemansky said.

Source: By ALAN J. BORSUK, Journal Sentinel (WI), Oct. 24, 2007

A study being released today suggests that school choice isn't a powerful tool for driving educational improvement in Milwaukee Public Schools.

But more surprising than the conclusion is the organization issuing the study: the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, a conservative think tank that has supported school choice for almost two decades, when Milwaukee became the nation's premier center for trying the idea. The institute is funded in large part by the Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, an advocate of school choice.

Source: By Simon Shifrin, Times Herald-Record (NY)m October 12, 2007

They're tired of riding three to a seat. Some sit in the aisle with seat belts wrapped across their bodies because they don't fit on the packed seats. So yesterday, some of these Pine Bush High School students took a stand.

"C'mon. C'mon. C'mon," one girl yelled. "C'mon let's go. Let's get off the bus!"

A group of students who attend afternoon classes at Orange-Ulster BOCES filed off their two, typically packed buses in protest.

....... That's why, Stark said, administrators put in a request back on Sept. 12 with the district's bus company, First Student Inc., for an additional vehicle at noon. But she said the bus company had been unable to hire an additional driver.

Source: By George Diepenbrock, Journal News, October 2, 2007

Lawrence's yellow school buses will soon get a name change with the announcement of a multi-billion-dollar acquisition today by a Scottish bus and rail operating company.

Lawrence's yellow school buses will soon get a name change with the announcement of a multi-billion-dollar acquisition today by a Scottish bus and rail operating company. Watch

Yellow school buses in Lawrence and across the nation will soon have a new name on the side, but company and school district leaders expect no major changes.

First Group PLC of the United Kingdom on Monday announced completion of its $3.4 billion acquisition of Laidlaw International Inc., which includes Laidlaw Education Services and Greyhound Lines. The Lawrence school district has a contract for transportation services through 2011 with Laidlaw, which is now called First Student.

Source: By Susan Snyder, Philadelphia Inquirer (PA), Wed, Sep. 26, 2007

The Philadelphia School District will end its contract with Aramark to run full-service cafeterias in 115 of the district's 267 schools, officials announced yesterday.

As of Oct. 1, the school district will take back the operations and run the cafeterias, which Aramark has run for the last two years.

District officials said earlier this month that they were unhappy that the company had not helped the district erase a long-standing deficit in its full-service cafeteria operations and were considering terminating the five-year contract - renewable annually - after the first two full years.

Source: By Susan Snyder, Philadelphia Inquirer (PA), Fri, Sep. 28, 2007

Two national unions that represent cafeteria and custodial employees in the Philadelphia School District yesterday called on Gov. Rendell to appoint an independent auditor to investigate the state-run district's recently severed contract with the Aramark food-service company. The unions said the district's full-service cafeterias continued to operate in the red under Aramark, finishing with a $4 million deficit in 2005-06 - the first year they were managed by Aramark - and a nearly $7 million shortfall last June.

...... "The community has the right to know why Aramark was not able to live up to its proposed sales and expense projections, which resulted in continued deficits for the school district," said the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Unite Here.

Source: By Adam Wise, Daily Tribune (WI), September 26, 2007

The Wisconsin Rapids School Board elected Tuesday night to fill current custodial vacancies with non-union employees on its own, a change from its recent plan. For the past month, the School Board has contemplated outsourcing its custodians as another measure to cut spending in the district.

This past summer, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local No. 1075 bargained language into its latest contract that limited the school district's ability to outsource only through attrition.

Source: WTAP News (OH), 11:22 PM Sep 24, 2007

The Ohio Association of Public School Employees, or OAPSE, says the Marietta City Schools Board of Education is considering outsourcing bus drivers and custodial staff to cut costs.

People were saying this is a trend that has happened in larger cities in Ohio but here staff members are afraid if this happens, they will be out of jobs. Nearly one hundred employees, students, and parents lined the driveway of Marietta High School carrying placards in support of long-time employees.

Source: By Susan Snyder, Philadelphia Inquirer (PA), Wed, Sep. 5, 2007

The Philadelphia School District in 2005 hired Aramark to help it erase a long-standing deficit in its full-service cafeterias.

But the Philadelphia-based company hasn't closed that deficit, and school officials, none too happy, are now prepared to end the contract with the company if new terms can't be reached.