Fantasia Barrino has finally graduated from High school. Ms. Barrino reportedly passed her GED exam. A local high school, High Point Academy in North Carolina, allowed her to walk alongside the students during their graduation to commemorate her accomplishment.

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Via: News14.com

Durham public school officials held a special work session Monday ahead of a court hearing surrounding their repeatedly low-performing schools.

The school board heard ideas from curriculum and instruction leaders about what steps could be taken to help reform the system.

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R&B diva Patti LaBelle, with a singing career that expands a four-decade making her a veteran of the music industry, will pick up an honorary degree next month from Temple University in her hometown of Philadelphia. The big day will take place May 13 at Temple’s commencement ceremony.

LaBelle will add a doctorate in humane letters to her list of career achievements, several hit records and two Grammy Awards. She has also written four books, two of which are cookbooks. and philanthropic work in diabetes.

LaBelle served as a spokeswoman for the American Diabetes Association after being diagnosed with the condition. Two years ago, she partnered with Temple to raise awareness of diabetes. The Light salutes you Patti LaBelle, congratulations!

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Via: WRAL.com

School board members and the public alike were shocked Tuesday when Wake County Public School Superintendent Del Burns announced he will resign from his post effective June 30.

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It’s preschool season. Applications are being accepted for next fall and here are some tips on things to look for. It’s been a while since I looked for preschools for my kids, but I remember the concerns that I had in my search. In today’s N&O they gave suggested advice by parents and experts of what to look for in your search of the best preschool for your child.

1. Visit the school. Get a feel for it. You are the best judge on how your child would feel in this environment.

2. Create a list with key details. Details should include: Distance, cost, teacher/student ratio, start/end times, application due date, other observations.

3. Notice their safety measures. Is the entry monitored? Updated play areas, toys, boxes etc… Are there background checks for teachers?

4. Is there a Curriculum? Look for a mix of activities, from group time to centers to individual play.

5. Check out classroom surroundings. Look at the art on the wall and other craft activities.

6. Make sure the school is clean. Check out bathrooms, hand-washing policy and how food is handled.

7. Check staffs education. All staff should have some formal early childhood training. Observe how the teacher interacts with children. Who fills in when they are sick.

8. Check out the playground areas. Safe? What do they do if it’s raining or cold?

9. Are there in special classes offered like dance, Spanish, music etc….

10. Is it affordable? Check other fees like application, late charges for picking up late and is there a discount for siblings?

11. Look into the food policies and be sure this is not a concern for your child.

12. Some schools require Potty Training before entering. What happens if there is an accident?

13. Learn about their discipline policy.

14. Again check the start and end times and nap times for children.

15. Communication. How does the school stay in touch with parents? And what is expected from you other than tuition?

Sources: N&O, parents on momscharlotte.com and trianglemom2mom; Patricia Collins, Director of Calvary child development center in Charlotte, Kelly Maxwell, researcher and associate director at the FPG child development institute at UNC Chapel Hill.

Via: NYTIMES.Com

While law schools added about 3,000 seats for first-year students from 1993 to 2008, both the percentage and the number of black and Mexican-American law students declined in that period, according to a study by a Columbia Law School professor.

What makes the declines particularly troubling, said the professor, Conrad Johnson, is that in that same period, both groups improved their college grade-point averages and their scores on the Law School Admission Test, or L.S.A.T.

“Even though their scores and grades are improving, and are very close to those of white applicants, African-Americans and Mexican-Americans are increasingly being shut out of law schools,” said Mr. Johnson, who oversees the Lawyering in the Digital Age Clinic at Columbia, which collaborated with the Society of American Law Teachers to examine minority enrollment rates at American law schools.

However, Hispanics other than Mexicans and Puerto Ricans made slight gains in law school enrollment.

The number of black and Mexican-American students applying to law school has been relatively constant, or growing slightly, for two decades. But from 2003 to 2008, 61 percent of black applicants and 46 percent of Mexican-American applicants were denied acceptance at all of the law schools to which they applied, compared with 34 percent of white applicants.

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Wake County Board of Education yesterday approved a resolution ending mandatory year-round assignments beginning with the 2010-11 school year. The resolution reads that “there will be no mandatory year-round assignments.

Via: Wral.Com

In the Wake County Public School System, parents don’t have to wait until the end of a semester to see how their children are doing. They can check grades, attendance and discipline records any time on the Student/Parent Access Network, also known as SPAN.

When a school fully implements SPAN, students and parents can view the following information online: schedules, daily grades, academic progress reports for current classes, report cards and historical grades, attendance records and discipline records, according to school officials.

After being sworn in, the newly elected Wake County Board of Education began to make changes. It quickly passed eight resolutions including doing away with “early-release Wednesdays,” which allowed teachers to come together for planning sessions once a week. They also included a resolution to review the effectiveness of Year-Round schools. Many including some current board members feel that the newly elected members should take time to become more familiar with the district before making hasty changes.

Via: Wral.Com

The Wake County school system needs to cut $20 million from its central services budget for the 2010-11 school year to erase a projected deficit. District officials anticipate the state will cut its funding by $8 million as part of the state budget approved in August. Meanwhile, employee retirement, hospitalization, dental insurance and local salary supplements likely will go up by $6 million. There will also be $3 million less in reserve funds to balance this year’s budget, Growth and the opening of four new schools next fall also will add to the district’s expenses. About 3,800 more student students are expected.