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Fairfax County Public Schools, located in Fairfax County, Virginia, is one of the largest and oldest school districts in the United States. Founded directly after the Civil War, this district serves more than 181,000 students in nearly 200 schools. The district boasts a long, sometimes controversial history and is currently known for high student spending and a tradition of academic excellence.

Early History of Fairfax County Public Schools

According to , Fairfax County Public Schools was formally established in 1870, after the Civil War. It was the same year that Virginia was readmitted to the Union and boasted significant economic growth directly in Fairfax County. The Fairfax County Government lists Thomas Moore as the very first superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools, with his appointment dating September 18, 1870. This was the first free public school system that was available to students in that area. Prior to that time, students could only attend private institutions.

Like other school districts in the country, Fairfax County Public Schools was a segregated district from its creation to the middle of the 20^th century. The Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education changed segregation laws in this country in 1954, but Fairfax County did not participate in desegregation until 1960. Two years later, in 1962, the largest high school in the county and the state, W.T. Woodson High School, opened its doors.

This video offers a look at the history of the

Dallas Independent School District is one of the largest school districts in the United States. In recent years, it has received plenty of publicity regarding its high dropout rates, which reached the seventh-highest figures in the country in 2008. The numbers are even more concerning since the districts with higher dropout rates than Dallas tend to be in much smaller cities. Since those numbers were released, the district has been implementing programs to reduce the dropout rate, and thus far, schools are seeing a measurable amount of success.

A Brief History of Dallas Independent School District

Schools in the Dallas area were officially coordinated into the Dallas school district in 1884. This came at the same time a statewide system for public schooling was established, breaking the state into individual school districts, each assigned a unique number and system of governance that was accountable to state overseers.

Like other southern school districts, the Dallas Independent School District went through an extended period of segregation, designating some schools for black students and others for white students. Desegregation began in 1960, according to , six years after the Supreme Court’s ruling on Brown v. Board of Education. The desegregation process was completed in Dallas in 1967. In 1996, the Dallas Independent School District went through a major rezoning upheaval that again moved many students into different schools based on the new zoning boundaries.

Since then, the number of white students in Dallas has slowly and steadily

Chicago Public Schools appears to spend plenty of time in the headlines, and much of the news that comes out of the windy city is less than stellar for the school system. However, in the midst of school closings, poor test scores, and teachers’ strikes, a large school district with a long and illustrious history is found. The third-largest school district in the country also boasts one of the most colorful histories, dating all the way back to the middle of the 19th century. Today, the school system is a robust one, offering a wealth of services and opportunities for students, parents, and community members alike.

Early Years of CPS

According to the , the first public schools in the Chicago area were established in the 1830s, when the city was still a small settlement in the new state of Illinois. Private schools had existed prior to this time, but the creation of regional schools allowed students from all backgrounds to get an education at last. The earliest schools were profoundly primitive, and although funding from the state was earmarked for education, it did not always get to the student populations it was designed to serve. Most of the “schools” of that era met in buildings allotted for other purposes, such as stores and homes.

19^th Century CPS

Throughout the 19^th century, Chicago’s public school system grew and evolved, with around 250,000 students in city schools by the end

Michigan has developed a new plan for revamping failing schools by introducing the Education Achievement Authority, a special district slotted specifically for the lowest performing schools in the state. Most educators agree that the new system is effective and necessary for bringing the state’s public school system up to par. However, some are concerned the organization may be overstepping its bounds as it begins to expand the number of schools it serves.

What is the Education Achievement Authority?

According to the Detroit Public Schools website, the Education Achievement Authority (also referred to as the EAA) is a statewide school district for the lowest performing schools in Michigan. The new district takes the schools in the bottom five percent statewide and works to transform them into viable, financially-responsible schools. Once they have achieved this status, the schools can then decide if they want to return to their original school district or remain in the EAA.

The new district functions very differently from the other school districts in Michigan. The administration and staff at each individual school are responsible for hiring teachers, placing them in the best positions, and allocating resources to enhance the learning environment. The district also takes steps to ensure that a larger percentage of taxpayer funding goes directly to the classroom. The system also places greater emphasis on parental support and community involvement to ensure the best possible outcomes for its students.

Students in EAA schools are grouped by skill level, rather than

Parents are an integral part of their children’s education, but many parents aren’t sure how to go about helping their kids become successful in school. Miami-Dade Public Schools are committed to equipping parents to help their children become successful, productive students. The Parent Academy features a wealth of learning and resources designed just for parents of school-aged children.

What is the Parent Academy?

The Parent Academy is a unique service offered by Miami-Dade Public Schools, although similar types of services are offered at other large school districts around the country. The “academy” actually consists of a network of courses for adults on child development and education, discipline and even nutrition. There are also numerous resources available through the Parent Academy website, including services for low income families and additional educational opportunities for parents.

According to Neighbors 4 Neighbors, the Parent Academy has a number of goals for bringing parents into the education equation, including:

• Strengthening families through ongoing, relevant education
• Helping parents to become more active in their children’s education
• Support both education and the community at large
• Promote advocacy for stronger public education

To meet those goals, the academy strives to provide a wide range of offerings for parents, most of which are free of charge. The organization is currently supported by a long list of corporate sponsors and depends on additional donations from the community to continue its work.

The Parent Academy in Miami-Dade is particularly relevant because of the demographics of the population in the