Apr 1, 2021
Apr 1, 2021
FRANKFORT, Ky. â Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball and the Kentucky Financial Empowerment Commission announced Tuesday that they are hosting the Financial Literacy Bee, taking place April 1-15, 2021, in celebration of National Financial Literacy Month.
âThe Financial Literacy Bee will teach valuable financial literacy skills while allowing students to compete for scholarship money,â Treasurer Ball said. âIt is an all-around win for students and I am excited to bring the opportunity to Kentucky this Financial Literacy Month.â
The Financial Literacy Bee is a virtual challenge for high school students ages 13-18 that features four short digital lessons followed by a capstone essay contest in which students share a short-term or long-term savings goal and outline their plan to achieve that goal. The winning student will receive a $10,000 college scholarship with second and third place finishers receiving $6,000 and $4,
The recently reported decline in student performance in international tests for literacy, science and maths confirmed a view in some quarters that New Zealand’s curriculum is in need of an overhaul.
Notably, the New Zealand Principals’ Federation called for increased leadership and direction from the Ministry of Education. Federation president Perry Rush said:
We need more clarity when it comes to the knowledge that teachers and principals use when they’re engaged in teaching and learning, so that’s about what is in the curriculum.
This is a complex debate, but one area where greater direction might help is the teaching of the seemingly basic but vital skills of handwriting and spelling.
“So many kids have not been taught how to read by third grade and the discrepancy and disparity is really devastating to so many kids in our communities,” McCrory said.
Overall, according to Education Department data, “50% of all third grader students in Connecticut are not reading at grade level,” Amy Dowell, Connecticut director of Education Reform Now, said.
A closer look at the data shows only one-third of Black and latino students are reading at grade level according to Dowell.
“Before third grade you’re learning to read and after third grade you’re reading to learn,” Dowel said.
The bill up for debate Wednesday tasks boards of education with implementing a reading curriculum from a curated list of programs. Those programs would have to be evidence-based with a focus on phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, and reading fluency.
Texas is largest battleground in struggle over voting rights, secure elections
Republicans in Texas and across the country push “voting integrity” legislation that Democrats say is designed to suppress voting.
Supporters of Pres. Donald Trump protest outside the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas as the House and Senate met in Washington D.C. to review the Electoral College presidential election results, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. (Lynda M. González/The Dallas Morning News)(Lynda M. González / Staff photographer)
Texas is America’s largest battleground for the struggle over voting rights, with Republicans pushing legislation that they contend protects against fraud, and Democrats countering that the GOP’s efforts are modern-day Jim Crow policies.
House speaker pushes using Texas savings, Biden relief money to help weatherproof power plants
Loans funded with the state’s “rainy day” dollars could spur weatherization and help Texas avoid a repeat of last month’s blackouts, Speaker Dade Phelan says.
Updated at 2:48 p.m., March 12, 2021: to include White House spokeswoman’s comment about Phelan’s idea of using federal money and note introduction in Texas House of legislation to create “SURF” fund.
AUSTIN House Speaker Dade Phelan is the first state GOP leader to outline a way to pay for electricity generators to be weatherproofed so Texas can avoid a repeat of last month’s prolonged blackouts.