11 May 2021
The superintendent of the Bellingham School District in the state of Washington responded to parents’ reactions to the report last week that a first-grade teacher read a transgender book to her young students, by defending his district’s practice of “reading diverse books and learning about all kinds of lives” as “consistent with our values in our strategic plan, The Bellingham Promise.”
In his response message, Superintendent Greg Baker did not appear to address parents’ concerns their alarm was ignored, but instead complained the national attention to the reading of
I Am Jazz to first-graders, is “prompting hate speech and harassment based on our values as a district and our commitment to equitable, diverse and inclusive education.”
Despite national flower shortage, Norfolk florist hard at work for Mother s Day
Mother s Day is one of the busiest days of the year for florists! But this year, shops are experiencing a flower shortage. Author: Dana Smith Updated: 6:35 PM EDT May 9, 2021
NORFOLK, Va. Florists across Hampton Roads are hard at work putting together dozens of bouquets.
Over at Norfolk Wholesale Floral, the team there is pulling out all the stops so you can impress mom.
Owner Jason Cook said it s one of the busiest days of the year for them. Mother s Day is second behind Valentine s Day but not too far behind, Cook said.
Colorado Education Interests Spend Millions On Lobbying Mostly To Retain, Gain Funding - Denver, CO - Education interests spent more than $20.5 million to lobby state government from July 2015 through March this year.
Jesse Paul / Colorado Sun
When she was a brand-new legislator besieged by lobbyists at the entrance to the Senate floor, state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger felt a tap on the shoulder from a man telling her she was late for her next committee. She rushed to the elevator, and the man accompanied her all the way to the committee room, securing several minutes of one-on-one time to make the case for his client’s bill.
When Zenzinger pushed open the door to the committee hearing room, there was no one else there. The meeting wasn’t even close to starting.
Now that Zenzinger serves as chair of the Senate Education Committee, education lobbyists don’t have to use creative tactics to get her attention. She meets weekly with key players ranging from the Colorado Education Association to Democrats for Education Reform to go over upcoming bills and hear their concerns.