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As states continue the hard work initiated by Race to the Top, Hawaii appears to be showing the rest of the nation how to get things done. The state, which is also one of the largest school districts in the country, is busy getting ducks in a row to comply with Race to the Top requirements. As a district that had received a high-risk mark from the federal government for its lack of progress less than two years ago, Hawaii, thanks to hard work and a key contribution from a local philanthropist, is becoming a shining example of how persistence can pay off in the wonderful world of public education.

This video explains Race To The Top.

Racing to the Top

In 2010, Hawaii won a $75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s new Race to the Top program, according to . The school district had ambitious plans for revamping its system, including transitioning public schools to Common Core Standards, improving teacher development programs, and establishing a new teacher’s contract. Unfortunately, the federal government wasn’t impressed - at first.

By December 2011, the state had received a black mark from the U.S. Education Department. The federal agency said the school had achieved high-risk status because it had failed to make adequate progress toward reaching its Race to the Top goals. But Hawaii wasn’t going to be thwarted

A recent probe of 15 school districts in New Jersey has resulted in the finding that more than 100 government employees in the state have lied on applications to score free school lunches for their children. The findings could lead to the prosecution of at least some of these individuals, who appear to have used their knowledge of the system to take advantage of it. The findings also point to the need for tightening up a federal system that seems to lend itself to easy and widespread fraud.

Investigation Turns Up Disturbing Findings

The reports that the investigation was conducted by the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller. The recently released report on the investigation shows that 109 public employees and their family members lied about income amounts on free lunch applications - some by thousands of dollars. All of the individuals have now been referred to the Division of Criminal Justice for possible prosecution.

According to , at least some of the 83 public employees were school board members or teachers at the schools where the free lunches were offered. The other 26 individuals were family members of those employees. They intentionally misrepresented how much income they made to qualify for free lunches under false pretenses.

This video explains the free school lunch program.

Excuses, Excuses

The excuses some of the individuals involved in the

Public school was established to provide a free education for everyone living in the United States. It has been dubbed the great equalizer, providing the same opportunities for all students, regardless of race, background or income level. However, some public schools are bucking this philosophy, at least for students who live outside their immediate boundaries. One of the recent trends catching fire in public schools across the country is the charging of tuition to students living outside district boundaries. Fair? It depends on who you ask.

Tuition Spreading, Rates Increasing

reports that many school districts across the country charge tuition to students who want to attend the school from outside the district. What is interesting about this latest trend is the amount of tuition charged, which is increasing exponentially at some in-demand schools. While the typical going rate for out-of-district transfers ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, some schools charge students $10,000 or more for a year of education.

The new rates are comparable to those at private schools, which some public institutions willingly admit they are trying to compete with. The school board president for the Rye Brook District in New York told Business Insider, “You get a first-rate education. You hear about charter schools. You hear about private schools. You hear about parochial schools. This is just another option.”

Rye Brook recently announced plans to charge tuition rates of $21,500 for slots in middle and high schools for

At a time when budget cuts have forced many school districts across the country to cut arts programs, one of the largest districts has received funding to beef up their arts offerings. recently received a large donation from an organization that will allow them to try out a new arts integration program in many of their schools. This new pilot program will extend over the next three years.

Bringing the Arts Back to the Classroom

The reports that the donation, totaling $750,000, comes from the Los Angeles Fund for Public Education. Referred to as the LA Fund, this organization is responsible for launching the Arts Matter campaign in public schools throughout the district. The new donation comprises the actual program phase of the effort, which has consisted of advocacy and fundraising to this point.

According to the , this recent donation will be used to support teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District as they strive to integrate the arts into their classrooms. The students will also benefit, as the donation will increase student access to the arts. The donation will help advance the five-year arts plan, known as “Arts at the Core,” which was developed by the district to bring the arts into the classroom.

Arts at the Core provides methods for teachers to integrate the arts into all classroom subjects. This results-based program has already seen success in the