Rex plan offers parents choices

State schools chief Jim Rex kicked off the 2007 legislative fight over school choice Wednesday, announcing a three-year plan to let parents send their children across school — and district — lines. Flanked by lawmakers from both parties, Rex said he will push for legislation that would give parents greater flexibility in finding a public school. Rex's announcement upstaged — by a day — veteran lawmakers who say they will unveil today their own school choice initiative, which includes private schools. The transition to a public-school choice system would take three years. Pilot programs to test policies and procedures to allow students to move from one district to another would be in place for the 2007-08 school year. How much would his ideas cost long term? Rex could not say.

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Baxter Single Parent Scholarship winners

Arkansas State University Mountain Home students who received Baxter Single Parent Scholarships for the spring semester are (from left) Elizabeth Watson, Lisa Bennett, Ann Gee, Cindy Barnes, and Erica Roth. Sarah Roberts, Le Audra Bray, Misty Foster, Lisa Cullen and April Schutze were not available for the photo. A total of $4,600 was awarded. Scholarships may be used for child care, rent, utility bills and car maintenance as well as the traditional costs of tuition and books. The Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund was established in 1990 to encourage and assist those who wish to continue their education in preparation for a higher standard of living for their families. .

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Parents for playgrounds

Hard financial times have forced school districts to put the burden of purchasing playgrounds on to parents, who have had to raise more than $100,000 to build structures for their children to enjoy. Deer Ridge Elementary School parents have tasked themselves with raising $150,000 to replace a 17-year-old wooden playground they say doesn't comply with state or federal safety guidelines. "If you can imagine what a deck would look like on the back of your house with 500 kids playing on it every day, it gets a little wear and tear," said Kathy O'Shaughnessy, one of two parents coordinating the fundraising effort. Southwest Allen County Schools is giving the school $50,000, which barely covers the cost of the structure. It doesn't cover shipping, installation, groundwork or landscaping.

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Parents sue children for maintenance

FINALLY, 75-YEAR-OLD Parvati Parab can meet her son, thanks to a court order. Even if the venue is a courtroom, she wants to ask Dilip why he left for the US without telling her. "I wanted to know what faults I had committed in bringing him up that he should behave this way with me," she says. Parab had fought a two-year-long battle in the family court to win a Rs 4,000 a month compensation from her son. At the Mumbai Family Court, this is not an isolated incident. Lawyers are flooded with cases filed by parents against their sons and daughters. So, Manjula Shah (name changed) waits outside the courtroom in the hope of being granted maintenance from her son, while Arpan Desai (name changed) tries to resist his daughter's decision to pack him off to an old-age home.

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Clearly Charming I Heart My Family Red Heart Laser Italian Charm

Authentic Clearly Charming Italian Red Heart Laser Charms are premium quality stainless steel Italian charm links with official corporate stamp on reverse. They are all laser engraved in the United States for superior quality. The heart is stamped into the stainless steel and filled with red enamel. It will make a great addition to your Italian charm bracelet or a perfect personalized gift. Add Clearly Charming premium quality modular Italian Charm links to your bracelet to create a lasting memory of special occasions, unique moments, and loved ones or simply show off your personality with a few of your favorite things. Fits all major brands of Italian Charms.

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Parents and teachers look forward to new program

Starting next month, parents of students at 10 of Suffolk Public Schools elementary schools will have access to a tool that can keep them better informed than ever of their child's academic progress.Parent Connection is an Internet program that allows parents to monitor their child's assignments, quizzes and grades for each subject, as well as attendance, on a near daily basis.Currently, the program is available for all high and middle schools and through a pilot program at Northern Shores and Southwestern elementary schools. In February, it will be available to all schools.Terry Napier, principal at Northern Shores, said Parent Connection has been successful so far at his school. They have decent participation from parents, which has enhanced communication between them and teachers."I think the other schools are really going to like it, too," Napier said.

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Area districts will distribute report cards on schools to parents

School and district snapshots detailing student performance for 2005-06 will be sent home with students in the Fort Worth district in upcoming days. "It gives you an idea of overall strengths," said Nancy Weisskopf, principal at McLean Middle School. The report cards detail how schools and student groups fared on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests and include teacher-student ratios and the amount of money being spent on students. Fort Worth school officials said the report cards were expected to be sent home with academic report cards today, but a printer malfunction caused a delay for several schools. Students from Aledo, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw and White Settlement schools will also receive the report cards soon. Educators said parents should use the information to get a sense of the levels of teaching and learning taking place.

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