Confidence in US Public Schools at Record Low

A new poll says that confidence in U.S. public schools has dropped to the lowest level in nearly four decades. Twenty-nine percent of those questioned in a Gallup poll said they had a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in public schools. Forty percent had some confidence while 30 percent expressed little or none.

When Gallup first measured confidence in public schools in 1973, 58 percent reported having a strong belief in the country's educational system. Since then, that number has steadily tracked downward. Read more >>

Public Workers Face Continued Layoffs

In California, the governor is threatening to eliminate 15,000 state jobs. When school begins in Cleveland this fall, more than 500 teachers probably will be out of work. And in Trenton — which has already cut a third of its police force, hundreds of school district employees and at least 150 other public workers — the only way the city will forestall the loss of 60 more firefighters is if a federal grant comes through.

Government payrolls grew in the early part of the recovery, largely because of federal stimulus measures. But since its postrecession peak in April 2009 (not counting temporary Census hiring), the public sector has shrunk by 657,000 jobs. The losses appeared to be tapering off earlier this year, but have accelerated for the last three months, creating the single biggest drag on the recovery in many areas. 

Fourteen states plan to resolve their budget gaps by reducing aid to local governments, according to a report by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers.  Read more >>

43 Michigan school districts operating in the red statewide

Hundreds of Michigan schools are running low on savings, and many administrators say they are unsure how they'll avoid deficits if state lawmakers cut education funding as proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder for the fiscal year starting in October.

Financial concerns are escalating from urban districts in metro Detroit to the sprawling, rural Upper Peninsula. School finances also contribute to the rising tensions between the state's largest teachers union and Republican lawmakers who dominate Michigan's Legislature.

State records show 43 Michigan school districts and charter schools were in deficits as of June 30, 2010. Roughly 150 more had fund balances at less than 5 percent of their annual operating expenditures. More...