“Coming right out of the classroom, and with a degree in special education and a daughter with (special needs), I could see concentrating on the instructional committee and assessment issues as leaning where my strengths are, as an educator and a fan of kids,” she said.

Higgins and school administrators have all refused to comment on why she resigned from her post. District administrators cite confidentiality laws that limit their ability to discuss personnel matters.

“All I can say is that resignation seemed like the best choice for me at the time. I can’t say anything about the specifics,” Higgins said. “I don’t blame people for being curious, and it doesn’t upset me that people want to know. I would tell my story, but a lot of it isn’t my story to tell. I shook a hand, and made an agreement, and I’m honoring my word.

“If there were a reason that I shouldn’t be involved with children or in a school district, I wouldn’t continue to operate camps or work in clubs run by seasoned veterans in the community, so I would ask that people please keep an open mind. There are a lot of reasons that people in all types of jobs would resign their positions,” she said.

Higgins, who lives in Ward 4, and Metalious, who lives in Ward 9, both said they support a ward-voting proposal that voters will also consider in November, as part of the Concord School District Charter Commission final report.

The commission was formed to draft the rules that would dictate district operations, which currently are part of state law. A proposed charter amendment will appear separately on the ballot in November, switching the school board from nine at-large members to three at-large members and two each from three ward clusters.

Such a move would bring more geographic diversity to the board, said Higgins, who lives within a few blocks of five current board members.

For the rest of the article, go to School board seats won’t be contested.

But there are reports going around that one of kids’ favorite technological breakthroughs, the Internet, could mean the end of one of kids’ favorite winter traditions: snow days.

Yep, some school districts are experimenting with having students do lessons online during bad weather, allowing classes to go on during even the worst blizzard.

For the rest of the article, go to Could Internet spell the end of snow days?

Bowen then goes on to tout the virtues of the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School in New Hampshire as a model of what he foresees for Maine. The N.H. school serves some 7,000 high school kids with an online curriculum borrowed from the Florida Virtual School.

For the rest of the article, go to The Universal Notebook: Are virtual schools real schools?

Using “blizzard bags,” or packets of school assignments teachers assemble in advance, students can learn the day’s lessons, both at home and online. Once schools reopen, teachers assess the students’ work, and a “snow day” becomes a “school day.”

For the rest of the article, go to School districts weigh options as snow days pile up

Also available to local students is the Exeter-based Virtual Learning Academy Charter School, which offers tuition-free online high school courses to New Hampshire students. Students can enroll on a part-time basis, taking courses beyond their own high school work, or full-time.

As of the 2009-10 school year, there were 816 students enrolled in charter schools in the state. State officials have been encouraging school districts, especially those in urban areas such as Nashua, to consider applying for part of the federal funding to create a charter school. Charter schools can be approved by the state Board of Education or through local authorization.

For the rest of the article, go to NH friendlier, but still ‘severely constrains charter school growth’

“It’s been a multi-faceted effort to turn this around in the last five years or so,” he said.

Leather said the state has also focused increased resources to providing more students with internships and cooperative education outside the school.

For the rest of the article, go to Grad rate earns NH praise in new report

EXETER — Eight members of the Seacoast School of Technology FFA chapter recently traveled to Indianapolis and represented New Hampshire in a variety of competitions and activities at the 83rd National FFA Convention.

Team members included Andrea Batchelder, Exeter, Jessica Bick, Exeter, Elizabeth Murphy, Exeter, Sarah Walstad, Exeter, Alyana Perkins, Winnacunnet, Brianna Brand, Winnacunnet, Chelsea Ahearn, Winnacunnet, Tyler Smith, Raymond and Karen Sarosiek, Virtual Learning Academy. Animal & Plant Science teacher and FFA Advisor Anne DeMarco coached the team.

For the rest of the article, go to Exeter area Around the Schools

My hat is off to the people of Concord High for their flexibility and the respect they demonstrated both for their profession and my daughter.

For the rest of the article, go to Impressive flexibility from Concord High

The class is called “Human Body,” and is designed for students interested in fire science or emergency medical technician work, Stewart said.

Monadnock students will also have access to an array of classes taught around the world through the Virtual High School program. A teacher at the school is now certified as an instructor in the program, which provides online classes in subjects such as physics, political science and Mandarin.

Having a certified instructor gives the school more seats to offer students.

For the rest of the article, go to New classes to greet students

On July 21, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education passed the commissioner’s proposed virtual school regulations that many felt would make it impossible to start the Greenfield school in September.

But, the board also voted to allow the commissioner to rule on the waiver request submitted by Greenfield, asking that some of the provisions in the new rules be waived so it could open its school this fall.

School Committee Chairman John Lunt said on Monday that he is optimistic that they will get the green light to open the virtual school and expects a decision soon.

For the rest of the article, go to Greenfield school officials work to open virtual school in fall; await state OK