Meet In CommonNews

News worth discussing

NYT > World News · World

Why Aid Isn’t Reaching Ebola’s Epicenter

The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has a new epicenter, one largely isolated from aid by an armed group that has killed and kidnapped aid workers. Declan Walsh, our chief Africa correspondent, reports from a town where health workers are struggling to contain the outbreak.

Honolulu Civil Beat · Local

Pay Raise: Hawaiʻi Schools Superintendent To Make $315K

Hawaiʻi school superintendent Keith Hayashi received top marks from the state education board and a 7% raise during his annual evaluation on Thursday, bringing his pay to more than $315,000. The salary bump makes Hayashi one of Hawaiʻi’s 50 highest-paid state officials, according to Civil Beat’s salary database. He now earns nearly $100,000 more than Gov. Josh Green. Under his current contract, he qualifies for a 5% to 8% raise every year. Board members have previously argued that compensation for the superintendent and other top school leaders haven’t kept pace with their mainland counterparts, possibly making it harder to attract and retain talent. On average, pay for top leaders in the education department is 20% below the national market midpoint, according to a board memo last year. Going into Thursday’s meeting, Hayashi’s salary was $294,674 after the board approved his four-year contract and a $45,000 raise last fall.

New Hampshire Bulletin · Franklin, NH

More than ABCs: How students are falling behind before they enter kindergarten

The foundation for a child’s lifetime of learning is built from birth to age 5. By the time they reach kindergarten, there are certain expectations about the skills they should possess. But what happens when they come in not knowing what they are supposed to know? Early education and kindergarten teachers say the gaps among students entering kindergarten are often wide and can be wider if it is a child’s first time in a classroom setting. They say while everyone starts at a different point, it is becoming harder to get them all across the finish line at the same time. Day one looks different for every student Caitlyn Greene is a kindergarten teacher in Franklin and has spent all of her teaching career in the city. She understands the array of circumstances from which students arrive in her classroom. The rural city has a high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds, and the school also operates under a tax cap, which limits the available resources.

Older stories