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This article reveal that when the new school year begins in Iraq in October 2006, Iraqis will not be receiving any financial or technical help from the U.S. government to improve what goes on in the classroom, for the first time since Saddam Hussein's regime was ousted by American-led coalition forces. INSET: Iraqi Claims American Boss Created Divisions.

The article presents information on the State of the State addresses given by various U.S. state governors in January 2011 and their significance for education policy in the U.S. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer spoke about the shooting in Tucson, Arizona on January 8, 2011 and posted information about her education plan on her web site. Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie and Michigan Governor Richard D. Snyder discussed their states' economic conditions and education finance plans.

The article examines state funding in Arizona for English-language-learner (ELL) education. Particular focus is given to the federal court case Flores v. Arizona which addressed the state's insufficient funding for ELLs in connection with the Equal Educational Opportunity Act (EEOA) of 1974. Distinctions between EEOA and the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act regarding ELLs are explored.

The author reports on financial problems which states are having in regards to funding education. Various causes for educational fiscal problems are mentioned, including slack property tax receipts and a poor economy. Ways in which state lawmakers are trying to raise more money to fund education are discussed.

The article reports that U.S. public schools will continue a 10-year enrollment increase trend with the 2007-2008 school year, based on numbers from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Information on the geographic ares of the country that are expected to see the highest increases is included, as is information on demographic trends and district patterns within geographic areas. Financial implications for high enrollment areas is discussed.

This article reports that Governor Janet Napolitano has broken the legislative stalemate over how to pay for the education of English-language learners in Arizona. The governor decided to let a bill spelling out how to finance English-acquisition programs become law without her signature, essentially thrusting the issue back into the hands of a federal judge. On the same day, at Ms. Napolitano's request, state Attorney General Terry Goddard filed a motion in the U.S. District Court in Phoenix, asking the court to speed up its decision on whether the measure satisfies its earlier rulings.

The article reports that Arizona began accruing fines of $500,000 per day last week after Governor Janet Napolitano and state legislators failed to meet a federal court's deadline for reaching an agreement on how to increase funding in public schools for the education of English-language learners. Also last week, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard was investigated by legislators during a Jan. 26 House appropriations hearing regarding his involvement in the Flores vs. Arizona lawsuit.

The article reports that Arizona legislators and Governor Janet Napolitano have come up with a plan to provide more money for teaching English-language learners or face fines of up to $2 million a day. In February 2000, the U.S. District court ruled that the state's method of funding programs for English-language learners was inadequate and violated the Equal Educational Opportunity Act of 1974, which requires school districts to take actions to overcome students' language barriers in educational programs.

The article reports that Arizona's state superintendent of public instruction is seeking a state takeover of the finances of a school district that mainly serves members of a religious community. A petition that Tom Home filed on August 12 with the state board of education says officials of the 350-student Colorado City Unified School District have engaged in a pattern and practice of systemic and egregious mismanagement of district property, materials, supplies, funds, and facilities. The board could consider the petition 35 days after its filing.

The U.S. Department of Education is asking the Dallas Independent School District to give back $1.8 million of a federal grant for bilingual education because it claims the school district didn't spend the money on what it said it would. The Education Department had already refused to give the district the final installment — $523,500 — of the five-year, $2.6 million grant because the department concluded that the district had not achieved "substantial progress" with the grant funds. A final audit report issued by the Education Department's inspector general's office contends that the Texas district delivered only 18 percent of the approved grant "services and products" over a grant period from 1999 to 2003. The department did, however, slightly reduce the amount of money it called for the district to repay to the $1.8 million requested in the August 4 final report.

Montana's American Indians have for decades argued that local public schools aren't complying with a state constitutional requirement to teach students about Indian history and culture. Now, a judge, ruling in a high-profile school finance case, agrees. Montana is the only state that has such a requirement addressing Indian education in its constitution, according to a legal brief filed by the Montana Indian Education Association in the recent school finance case. But Montana has violated that mandate, according to Judge Jeffrey M. Sherlock of the first judicial district in Lewis and Clark County.

Pennsylvania's system for subsidizing private schools that are eligible to receive public money for serving children with severe disabilities has broken down—and state leaders are struggling to come up with solutions to fix it. The state has fallen behind by at least $23 million—and possibly as much as $16 million more, depending on the interpretation of audits of schools' expenditures—in reimbursing the 30 "approved private schools" and four charter schools that educate some 4,000 Pennsylvania children with severe disabilities. Pennsylvania provides 60 percent and the local school district antes up 40 percent of the money to pay for a special education student to attend an approved private school.

Mary C. McDonald, the superintendent of Roman Catholic schools in Memphis, Tennessee, describes the reopening of seven Catholic elementary schools over the past four years in some of this city's poorest neighborhoods. The anonymous donors also agreed to provide scholarships to cover most of the tuition for needy students. Other private donors have also stepped in to pay for scholarships. The donors are so pleased with the schools that they've agreed to pay for the reopening of two more schools by 2005. The seven schools enroll nearly 600 students, while Memphis public schools enroll 66,400 students in its elementary schools.

Reports on the lawsuit, DeRolph versus State of Ohio, filed in 1991 by the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy in School Funding which argues that the state's system of paying for K-12 schooling violates the state constitution. Allegation on the disparity of funding; Arguments of the state of Ohio that the education financing system is constitutionally sound; Reference to September 18, 2002 issue of 'Education Week.'

Reports that the local teachers' union, school districts, and a group of parents in Montana have filed a lawsuit against the state for allegedly not spending enough on schools for students to receive the high-quality education guaranteed by the state constitution. Districts that are plaintiffs in the lawsuit; Move by the state to cut back on spending on kindergarten to 12th-grade education because of declining revenues.

Focuses on the consensus of the New Hampshire House and Senate on how to resolve the state's education funding crisis. Information on the plan of the state's House; Comments from Paul W. Krohne, executive director of the New Hampshire School Boards Association; Ruling made by the New Hampshire Supreme Court in December 1997 concerning the state's reliance on local property taxes.

Reports on efforts of New Hampshire legislators to find the best way to fix the state's school finance system. New Hampshire Supreme Court ruling that system of paying for education with local property taxes was inequitable; Supreme Court's possible imposition of its own tax system; Consequences if legislature fails to meet deadline on settling the issue; Combination income tax and property tax.

Features news and issues affecting education in states across the United States. Call of Illinois governor Jim Edgar for school finance reform; Advocation for technology partnership between schools and the private sector by Hawaiian governor Benjamin Cayetano; Funding for school construction projects in Maryland.

The article discusses 2011 cuts in U.S. federal funds supporting foreign language education despite emphasis on the importance of bilingualism by U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Organizations such as the University of California, Los Angeles, which sponsors an effort encouraging bilingualism in heritage speakers, and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages express dismay about the cuts at a time when government needs for bilingual workers.

The article discusses "Free Fall: Education Opportunity in 2011," a study from researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles regarding how state budget cuts to education funding have impacted the educational programs offered for high-income and low-income students in California.

The article presents information on the topic of school finance in the U.S., which was discussed at a meeting of the U.S. Department of Education's Equity and Excellence Commission.

The article discusses magnet schools, whose supporters say they are unfairly getting less attention than charter schools. Magnet schools, it states, are run by school districts and usually have a special theme to attract a broad socio-economic spectrum. Charter schools have more flexibility to choose curriculum and set policy. It quotes Gary Orfield, co-director of the Civil Rights Project, supporting an open field for grants that could go to public schools as well as charter or magnet schools.

The article reports on the report "Global Monitoring Report 2009," by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, which found that aid for basic education in developing countries during the year 2006 to 2007 declined by almost 22%. The decline in world aid for education indicates that countries won't meet the goals that the international community agreed to at a meeting in Dakar, Senegal in 2000 that all children would have access to primary education by the year 2015.

The article discusses educational reform and change in Ohio. Reforms proposed by Ohio governor Ted Strickland include a modified school funding formula, higher standards for teacher tenure, and replacing the high school exit test with the ACT college-entrance examination. Other topics include property taxes as a foundation for school funding and for-profit companies running charter schools.

The article reports on educational initiatives in a speech by New Mexico governor Bill Richardson. Richardson supports state funding for small and rural schools, increasing the math requirement for elementary and middle school teachers, and restricting the school calendar to focus on student learning. Other topics include educational accountability, the achievement gap, and educational aspects of employment.

The article reports on documentation issued by the U.S. Department of Education in October 2008 clarifying and asserting the proper use of federal funding directed towards English-language learning programs. Details are given citing concerns over school districts possibly redirecting the funds towards other educational funding deficit issues and the Department of Education's firm stance against such measures.

The article reports that the state of Pennsylvania plans to spend $9.6 billion for elementary and secondary education in the 2008 fiscal year. The funding includes a 5.5 percent hike in basic funds for schools and accompanies legislation aimed at assuring more funding equity between school districts.

The article focuses on education in the state of Ohio. It discusses the work of the states' governor, Ted Strickland, in collecting school improvement ideas from citizens. Information about other state governors' work in education is provided and the financial difficulty of implementing change is addressed.

The article reports that the Virginia legislature has approved a bill that would direct the state board of education to decide whether to withdraw from participation in the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Governor Timothy M. Kaine who had yet to sign the bill does not support withdrawing Virginia from the No Child Left Behind Act. According to data released by the U.S. Department of Education, Virginia is set to receive $416 million in federal education funding.

The article focuses on a report which warns of slowdowns in the growth of U.S. state revenue collections and spending for the 2008 fiscal year due to slowdowns in the housing market. The article discusses educational budget cuts planned by some states in response to the projections, sales-tax revenue, and the impact of property tax revenue on school budgets.

Information on educational funding for fiscal year 2008 in Arizona is presented. In the session ending in June 2007, legislators approved increases to teachers' salaries, renewed voucher programs that benefit students with disabilities and foster children, and funded one pilot program for school use of technology in innovative ways and programs supporting the federal Reading First initiative. Information on proposals legislators rejected proposals also is reported.

The article reports that plaintiffs in the "Flores v. Arizona" federal court case have requested that the court fine the state for missing a deadline in the case. In March 2007 U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins ordered the Arizona Legislature to find a way to fund an adequate education for the limited English-proficient students in the state. The request for a fine is based on the fact that the legislature adjourned in June without having resolved the issue.

The article presents information on legislation in New Mexico that affects education. In early 2007 the New Mexico legislature passed bills affecting public schools; they give teachers and school staff raises, increase funding for preschool programs, raises the dropout age, stiffen high school graduation requirements, and provide funding for an online academy. The legislation also lengthens the school year for children in high-needs schools serving kindergarten through grade 3..

This article reports that Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry highlighted the importance of early-childhood education in his Feb. 5, 2007, State of the State address, proposing that Oklahoma extend the state's voluntary preschool programs, which now serve only 4-year-olds, to include 3-year-olds. The governor has asked for $15 million in the fiscal 2008 budget for a pilot program to expand preschool to 3-year-olds, according to Paul Sund, the governor's communications director.

The article reports that a U.S. federal appeals court in Arizona ruled that the state will no longer have to pay $21 million in fines for failing to come up with a way to provide adequate funding for the education of English-language learners by a deadline set by a lower court. The U.S. Court of Appeals reversed the fines previously ordered by a U.S. district judge who had also ordered the state to not require English-language learners to pass the state's high school exit exam.

The article presents information on a court case related to the funding for English-language learners in Arizona. The judge ruled that a law passed in March 2006 by the Arizona legislature that increased funding for English-language learners falls short of a previous court order. Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, opposed the Republican-led measure. Arizona accrued $21 million in fines before lawmakers approved the measure in March 2006. U.S. District Judge Raner Collins ruled that the law comes up short because the $77 increase in funding for each English-learner doesn't bear any rational relationship to the cost of providing an ELL program.

The article reports that the state lawmakers are becoming embroiled in debates over what public services to provide the newcomers among them living in the United States illegally, as immigrants have moved into new territory in growing numbers. In several states, legislators are pushing laws that would give undocumented students in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. At the same time, lawmakers in Kansas and Oklahoma have introduced bills to reverse laws that offer the in-state rates.

This article focuses on a report by the Washington-based Education Trust, which found that on average, states spend about $900 less per pupil on students educated in the U.S.'s poorest school districts than on students in the nation's wealthiest school districts. That gap in funding has stayed virtually the same over the six years that the Education Trust has studied state and local funding for schools, according to the 11-page report.

The article reports that Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana has signed into law a measure that he believes will satisfy a court order requiring the state to find a new school aid formula. In a special legislative session called last month by Schweitzer, a Democrat, lawmakers authorized $71 million in additional K-12 funding for fiscal 2006.

The article reports that there has been an approval by the Arizona state board of education to an agreement concerning the take over of the Colorado City Unified School District. According to Vince Yanez, the executive director of the board, the administrators have charged the 350-student system with financial mismanagement.

The article reports that Timothy M. Hogan, a public-interest lawyer advocating more funds for schools in Arizona, recently had a chance to name in court public officials who he believed deserve to be imprisoned. A hearing was conducted by U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins on Hogan's request that the federal government withhold funding for highway construction because state legislature has not provided adequate funding for schools. Hogan mentioned individuals who he thought deserved to go to jail after some prying from the judge.

The article reports that for the second budget year in a row, Governor Janet Napolitano has persuaded Arizona legislators to provide funding for voluntary full-day kindergarten so that the program, which enrolled 10,000 children in the 2004-05 school year, can expand. Overall, lawmakers increased K-12 spending from $3.9 billion in fiscal 2005 to $4.3 billion in fiscal 2006, or a jump of 10 percent. Besides paying for full-day kindergarten, some of that new money will go for pay raises for teachers. As the 2005 legislative session closed, lawmakers passed a bill intended to address how the state would provide adequate funding for the education of English-language learners.

The article reports that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has released a statement focusing on what it sees as a need for the Roman Catholic community and the broader society to support Catholic schooling. The bishops issued the 17-page statement June 17, 2005 at a meeting in Chicago, Illinois. According to Bill Ryan, a spokesman for the Washington-based bishops' conference said that they began drafting it four years ago. The statement describes the financial challenges of keeping Catholic schools open, particularly in low-income neighborhoods.

The article reports that Brian Schweitzer, who in November 2004 became the first Democrat to be elected governor of Montana since 1988, has signed a two-year budget that significantly increases spending for elementary and secondary education. Montana legislature closed its session by partially satisfying a court ruling that requires it to fix the state's school aid system. Montana's budget includes a first-ever appropriation of $3.4 million to carry out the Indian Education for All Act, which was passed in 1999 but never funded. The recent state Supreme Court rulings also said that Montana had not met its constitutional duty to teach students about Native Americans in the state.

This article informs that the U.S. Department of Education has denied the California board of education's request to waive a requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act on testing kindergartners and 1st graders with limited English skills in reading and writing.

The article focuses on Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer who acknowledged that how the state decides to pay for public education is a huge issue. The Montana Supreme Court, after all, has ruled that the state's current funding system violates the state constitution and that the legislature must fix the problem. Schweitzer also proposed in his January 19, 2005 speech a program to provide scholarships of at least $1,000 a year to 970 Montana students who attend instate public colleges. Schweitzer was expected to release final figures for his two-year budget for the 2006 and 2007 fiscal years late last week.