While no one wants corruption in the public school system, hearing that four Department of Education officials were arrested for taking almost $1 million in bribes from private school bus companies. All the officials were in the DOE's Office of Public Transportation. According to the NY Times, the three supervisors and one inspector "accepted cash payments ranging from several hundred dollars a year from some companies to tens of thousands of dollars a year from......

The Sun reports that a new Department of Education policy that "bans employees from linking to their Web logs in their work e-mail signature" is making at least one staffer with a blog unhappy. Lisa Nielsen, who is "the professional development manager for educational technology" at the DOE (according to her blog's About Me section), had included a link to her "professional blog," The Innovative Educator, where she discusses how technology can enhance teaching, but......

Colin Leahy, who never made it past the audition round during the third season of American Idol, is accused of having "inappropriate interaction with students" at P.S. 236 in Brooklyn. Leahy, a 23-year-old school volunteer, was charged with two counts of child endangerment. According to school investigators, Leahy sent text messages with sexual references to a 12-year-old male student, some inquiring whether the child was gay--the Daily News reports,"Leahy allegedly told investigators he was 'just......

A Brooklyn public school has repeatedly been vandalized with graffiti saying "Jump White People" on the building, teachers' cars and playground. An 11-year-old student explained "It stands for 'beat up the white people.' It's bad for everyone because it's not fair to beat up other people." Even though four students, aged 8 to 11, have been disciplined, the graffiti continues to appear (see some pictures here). According to WCBS 2, school employees are "forbidden" to......

In upholding the city's controversial ban on cell phones in public school, a Manhattan appeals court suggested adults are partially to blame. The opinion included, "If adults cannot be fully trusted to practice proper cell phone etiquette, then neither can children." The city has been fighting with parents and students for about four years about the right to bear a cell phone. Parents says cell phones are critical for keeping in touch with kids (especially......

A number of staffers at Queens Intermediate School 73 became upset when they discovered "new or slightly used books tossed into a Dumpster" outside. The Daily News has a photo of the books, which include "Little Women," "Sarah, Plain and Tall," and "Treasure Island," and one staffer said, "Those books, you open them up, they still crack, they're so new. Why not give them away or hold a book drive at least?" It's unclear why......

The Sun reports Mayor Bloomberg doesn't think Muslim holy days should become school holidays. His reason? "The truth of the matter is we need more children in school. More, not less." The topic comes up because City Councilman Robert Jackson, who is Muslim, has introduced a resolution requiring public schools take holidays on Eid Ul-Fitr and Eid Ul-Adha. Ten percent of the NYC school population is Muslim. Jackson argues that parents should have to decide......

Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council may not agree on the appropriateness of cell phones in public schools, but the DoE is now handing out cell phones to a select group of students. The privately funded pilot program will give cell phones to students and reward positive behavior, such as showing up to class, behaving and doing well. In an ironic twist, the Samsung phones will not actually be allowed in class, per Mayor Bloomberg's......

Last month, a Queens kindergartener was handcuffed after a temper tantrum at PS 81, prompting his parents to threaten a lawsuit. Now a lawyer representing Dennis Rivera and his parents reveals they are filing a notice of claim against the city for $15 million. According to the notice, Rivera, who the Daily News reports as suffering from "speech problems, attention deficit disorder and asthma," suffered injuries to his wrists as well as psychological and emotional......

After a parents of a rejected student filed a class action lawsuit, the Department of Education asked a federal judge to overturn a 1974 ruling that set in place quotas to keep the school 40% minority and 60% white. The DOE wants the court to overturn the ruling immediately so the 2008-2009 will be quota-free. Last June, 11-year-old Nikita Rau was denied a place at Coney Island magnet school, Mark Twain School - IS 239.......

The fight over the right for school children to bear cell phones in schools moved to the Appellate Court, where lawyers for NYC and public school students' parents appeared before a five-judge panel. This comes after the City Council passed a bill allowing cell phones in schools, which the Mayor vetoed. Many parents believe cell phones are critical for keeping in touch with their children, in case of an emergency or just to check in......

There's a great NY Times article about the overcrowding at Richmond High School in Queens. The building was meant for 1,800 students, but 3,600 students attend the school. How is that possible? Well, there are 22 trailers "encased within chain-link fencing, occupy the school’s former yard, evoking the ambience of the Port Elizabeth container-ship terminal." Ha! Given that Mayor Bloomberg keeps touting his success with the school system, it's interesting to hear about Richmond Hill.......

Homework can be added to the grand list of things that City Council member Peter Vallone is not so fond of. (That list includes graffitti, peeping toms, Con Ed, and pit bulls so far.) The other day, he said he wanted to introduce a cap on elementary school homework - 2 1/2 hours each day, plus one homework-free night a week. Pshaw, a homework-free night? That's called Friday! Vallone explained, "There is no study that......

The Department of Education is charging a temp with stealing $50,000 in fake overtime. The tip off? When Tyrone Avila would claim he was working 85 hours a week - when he really supposed to work less than 40 hours a week. The Daily News reports that Avila had been temping as budget analyst for the DOE since 2001, but "he didn't start padding his time sheets until 2005 when his mother-in-law developed mental problems......