By  Brenda Iasevoli

Alaska and New York pay teachers nearly double the salaries of those working in Mississippi and Oklahoma,  says a new study by GoBankingRates.

According to the finance website, teachers in Alaska and New York are paid each year on average $77,843 and $76,953, respectively. By contrast, the averages in Mississippi and Oklahoma are $42,043 and $42,647, respectively. To be fair, many of the states with higher teacher pay also have higher costs of living. (You can  use this tool to compare costs of living in different cities and states across the country.)

Two Northeast Mississippi school districts received state approval last week to begin using innovative education methods in the classroom, a true testament to this region's commitment to providing the best form of public education available to students.

The Baldwyn and Booneville school districts will team up as a "District of Innovation" in order to share resources designed to maximize learning opportunities for students.

Legislation passed in 2015 allows districts to apply for District of Innovation status, which enables them to request exemptions from state regulations to achieve performance targets.

Baldwyn and Booneville will collaborate on the "Building Bridges" program, which will enable students to access specialized courses in both districts, as reported by the Daily Journal's Emma Crawford Kent.

A Buffalo mother whose children were taken away by workers from Erie County Child Protective Services is fighting back. Kiarre Harris is accusing CPS and Buffalo Public Schools of racial discrimination.

Harris has filed two federal civil rights complaints, against BPS and CPS, with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Education. The Buffalo mother of two claims the two agencies preventing her from homeschooling her children because she is African American.

Recalling her last contact with her children, Harris told a Wednesday afternoon news conference, they talked by phone, "The children are very depressed, they miss me a lot, they miss being home, and the children are traumatized."

Kiarre Harris said she has not seen her kids for 45 days, since CPS took them away, at a hotel in Cheektowaga, while police took her into custody on a bench warrant. Harris' is being represented by Buffalo schools' District Parent Coordinating Council in her fight with BPS.

We are organizing a 2 1/2 hour cruise around Manhattan on Wednesday, August 2nd, followed by a fair of local New York alternatives in the evening, during registration at the conference site, LIU/Post on Long Island. Let us know if you are from a school that would want to participate in the fair. 

Several people have already indicated their interest in taking the cruise. We need more responses to arrange a group rate. It will go by 100 iconic Manhattan sights. Please reply to this newsletter if you are interested. We are not asking for a commitment at this time.   The cost will be about $35 each! Those who reply will get first priority if there is a waiting list. 

From the cruise information:

"This is the only sightseeing cruise in New York City to completely circumnavigate the island of Manhattan, with all the stunning views, insightful narrative and unforgettable experiences you want from a tour of NYC.

 

You heard right, this is a complete Manhattan Island tour, and our Best of NYC cruise is the only way to see all five boroughs - Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx - in one trip. Plus, you'll see all three NYC rivers, all the major bridges and the rest of the city's best sights, including the full Manhattan skyline, the growing Brooklyn waterfront, the legendary Yankee Stadium, the hip Harlem Heights waterfront, the lush greenery of upper Manhattan and the stately George Washington Bridge All of that plus an up-close with the Statue of Liberty! Our world-famous tour guides tell the story of New York City as you journey around the full island and enjoy the best sightseeing tour NYC has to offer!"

 

Includes Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, Intrepid, etc.

 

You can still register for the early bird rate of $225 until Tuesday, the end of February. If you plan to apply to be a presenter you can still register at the presenter rate of $175, which is also the student and volunteer rate.