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South Kingstown Election Profile: Karen Humes

Israel Budz

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — Karen Humes is running for a seat on the South Kingstown School Committee. The 40-year-old Independent is a newcomer to elected office.

Humes holds a bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Rhode Island and has worked as a physical education and health teacher at Cranston Public School for nearly two decades. Her husband, Jay, is the assistant building inspector for the town of South Kingstown. They have two sons, Jesse, 12, and Andrew, 9.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for a position on the South Kingstown School Committee because I believe that educators are great leaders. Education has been my passion since before I became a teacher. I feel that education should be based and centered around students and their best interest. Being a teacher, working in schools, and working with students everyday gives me the knowledge and insight of

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The Spin: Teachers Union, Mayor Lightfoot and a new game of brinksmanship? | Durkin says GOP candidates will use ComEd, Madigan as talking points in November election

Israel Budz

Reopening schools for the looming new academic year already was gearing up to be a political brawl. But things amped up today as the Chicago Teachers Union — concerned that in-class learning would be dangerous amid the coronavirus pandemic — was planning a House of Delegates meeting next week, a required move on the road to a potential strike.

Anyone who recalls the battles and brinksmanship that played out between union leaders and the mayor during last fall’s knows to brace themselves for a battle.

Parents and guardians were looking to a Friday deadline to inform Chicago Public Schools whether their students would attend in-person classes or stay home. But, as my colleagues reported, sources say CPS — whose CEO and Board of Education is appointed by the mayor — is expected to announce an all-remote learning plan as soon as Wednesday. A source told the Tribune the shift is

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Indiana University Partners With Infosys To Offer Online MBA & Other Grad Degrees

Israel Budz

Chris Foley, director of the Office of Online Education at Indiana University. James Brosher, IU

Business schools partnering with companies to provide what those companies are looking for in an employee is foundational to the graduate business education model. It’s perfectly natural, too, that schools located in regions heavily populated with a certain type of industry would cater to that industry. Now, one Midwestern university is taking such partnerships another step. Indiana University announced July 28 that it has signed a pact with consulting and IT giant Infosys to offer the Bangalore, India-based company’s U.S.-based employees access to a huge slate of graduate and undergraduate degree programs — including the Kelley School of Business’s top-ranked online MBA, Kelley Direct Online.

Infosys moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, about 50 miles from IU, in 2018. IU has long had partnerships with Indianapolis- and Bloomington-based corporations to develop specific programs or provide executive training.

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‘Devastated’ After Budget Fails, Parents Rally For Sports, Music

Israel Budz

RIVERHEAD, NY — A group of parents both heartbroken and furious that the Riverhead Central School District’s 2020 to 2021 budget was voted down for a second time have refused to give up on their children’s dreams: They’ve come together to find ways to provide students with the sports and electives slashed from the district’s contingency budget.

Because the budget failed at the revote Tuesday by 2,108 to 2,049 — the budget failed for the first time in June — the district will continue to operate under a $144,831,131 contingency budget that represents a 0.27 percent budget-to-budget increase, which was guided by education law, the district said.

The budget includes a freeze on equipment purchases and salary increases for individually contracted staff. The athletics program ($963,978), clubs, musical performances ($186,006) and after-school buses ($317,947) have been eliminated.

Other areas slashed include computer technology ($100,000), high school electives ($151,108), the science

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