Dec 30, 2018, Lowell (MA) Sun: School leaders to push for changes in state funding http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_32357433/school-leaders-push-changes-state-funding FITCHBURG -- Area school officials will convene at a public forum next week to make the case to legislators and Gov. Charlie Baker that the state's public school funding formula needs to be amended. … The districts are asking that the state revise the formula it uses to allot money to public schools, which critics have referred to as outdated. "It's extremely important for us to advocate for a more realistic budget because obviously the formula we have now is antiquated and doesn't meet the needs of our schools and students," said Leominster School Committee Chairwoman Eileen Griffin. … Another significant change has been special education, which has had to greatly expand services as more children are being determined to have special needs.
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.