Welcome to the latest edition of our monthly e-newsletter, a compilation of the most relevant and interesting news articles, reports, and studies related to issues and trends shaping our communities and public education.
Provided to you by the indefatigable staff at the Centre for Civic Governance.
In This Issue:
- Do Better Schools Help the Poor?
- Sustainability Linked to Happiness
- International Local Government GHG Emissions Analysis Protocol
- 4-Day Week for Rural US Students and Utah State Employees
- Human Rights and Affordable Housing in Ontario
- Ottawa Property Tax Reform
Do Better Schools Help the Poor?
This article in the Christian Science Monitor looks at two conflicting theories as to why disadvantaged children do poorly in school. One theory holds that teachers can only do so much to help these children and there are too many factors outside of their control to have an effect on student performance. The other side of the debate argues performance would improve if schools were more rigidly structured, more accountable, and parents had a choice as to which school to send their child. Using data from Washington, D.C. this article supports the first theory and shows that socio-economic background of the family is a major determining factor in how well a student will do in school.
Sustainability Linked to Happiness
The New Economics Foundation has released its latest Happy Planet Index, which shows the relative efficiency with which nations convert their natural resources into long and happy lives for their citizens. The more efficiently they do this, the better the score. The top 6 scorers on the Index (in order) are: Vanuatu, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Panama, and Cuba. Canada ranks 111 and the United States rates 150. Zimbabwe is at the bottom. The Christian Science Monitor has written a very insightful article about the report, pointing out that people who bike more, buy second-hand, and recycle tend to be happier than those who seek wealth, power, and fame. The article then asks the question, "Could a wrong-headed approach to seeking happiness be exacerbating some of the world's environmental problems? And could learning to be truly content help mitigate them?"
International Local Government GHG Emissions Analysis Protocol
Since November 2007, ICLEI has been working with many organizations
including the UN Environmental Program, the International Energy
Agency, FCM, and ICLEI cities and stakeholders, to develop an easily
implemented set of guidelines to assist local governments in
quantifying GHG emissions from their internal operations and from their
community as a whole. The document consists of the general principles
and philosophies that any local government, regardless of location,
should adhere to when doing a GHG inventory. Release Version 1.0 of
the Protocol is now available and ICLEI is welcoming any comments and
feedback. Click here for more information about the Protocol and to download it.
4-Day Week for Rural U.S. Students and Utah State Employees
The state of Utah has instituted a mandatory 4-day work week for all state employees, except state police officers, prison guards, court employees, and employees at public universities. Starting in August, between 17,000-24,000 state employees will work ten-hour days from Monday to Thursday. The state is hoping that by being able to turn off the lights, heat, and air conditioning in 1,000 of its 3,000 every Friday, it will save $3 million per year and reduce GHG emissions by about 3,000 metric tons. Read the full article.
Many rural school districts across the U.S. are considering switching to a 4-day week mainly to save on transportation costs. To date, 100 schools in 16 states have made the switch. One school district reports saving $65,000 on transportation alone. Other districts report better student performance and improved school attendance. Read an article about the initiative.
Human Rights and Affordable Housing in Ontario
The Report on the Consultation on Human Rights and Rental Housing in Ontario was released by the Ontario Human Rights Commission in mid-June. The report finds that all levels of government, as well as public and private sector landlords, discriminate against immigrants, refugees, single parents, the disabled, aboriginals, and the mentally ill. Such discriminating acts include advertising adult-only buildings or imposing credit checks, rent deposits, and minimum income requirements. The Report recommends that the federal government adopt a national housing strategy that would include measurable targets and sufficient funds to tackle homelessness. Also recommended is more rent supplements for poor families on the waiting list for public housing: the shelter allowance portion of welfare is only $544/month, whereas average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in Toronto is $1,052. Read an article about the Report or read the full report.
Ottawa Property Tax Reform?
City of Ottawa officials are anticipating a public backlash when new property tax assessments are mailed out later this year. Increases in property values, which had previously been frozen for the past three years, has promped the city to begin an advertising campaign to alert residents to the fact that the province controls the assessment system and the city has little control. Ottawa is calling on the province to overhaul the municipal tax system. This article in the Ottawa Citizen also points out that many U.S. states and almost all European countries have moved away from the property tax system.