School-case expert to work till August
U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr., the presiding judge in the 35-year-old Pulaski County school desegregation lawsuit, has extended Margie Powell's service as his court expert in the case through Aug. 1.
Marshall proposed the extension at Powell's current rate of compensation to the parties in the lawsuit -- the Pulaski County Special and Jacksonville/North Pulaski school districts and the black students known as the Joshua intervenors -- and none objected.
Powell, who indicated that she is willing to continue in the position, works as needed at a rate of $300 an hour unless she attends a court hearing in the case, at which point the fee is a flat $300.
"Margie Powell's appointment as the Court's expert was set to expire on 31 July 2017," Marshall recently wrote to the parties. "Her work since the last appointment has been helpful, both to the Court and for the case in general."
Most recently, Powell submitted a written report to the judge assessing the construction of the Mills High and Robinson Middle schools, particularly the multipurpose athletic facilities that have been completed. She said the school projects were not equal and that someone should have stepped in to correct the "glaring inequities."
Pupils' bird project wins Samsung tech
EStem Junior High School in Little Rock is the Arkansas winner in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest that calls on teachers and students to solve real-world problems in their community using science, technology, engineering and math skills.
The students and their teacher, Chicarra Cleaver, will receive $25,000 in Samsung technology for their achievement and will continue to compete for additional national prizes.
The eStem project focuses on building habitats for native bird species and equipping those birdhouses with monitors and sensors, the data from which can be reported to wildlife officials.
School dean picked to lead STEM group
Bob Gregory, dean of academic affairs at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts in Hot Springs, is the new president of the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools board of directors.
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The organization was established in 1988 to provide a forum for specialized secondary schools focused on science and math fields to exchange information and program ideas. The group now includes about 100 member schools, along with 55 affiliate members made up of colleges, universities, summer programs, foundations and corporations.
Gregory has been dean at the Hot Springs school since 2013. He joined the faculty as a math instructor in 2011. He previously taught at Webb School of Knoxville, a private school in Knoxville, Tenn.; and the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts in Natchitoches, La.
Metro on 12/24/2017