School districts in the East Valley are working the numbers to figure how much they will have to pay utilities, pay teachers next year or spend on textbooks.

School districts in the East Valley are working the numbers to figure how much they will have to pay utilities, pay teachers next year or spend on textbooks.

If you watch the trailer for “Renoir” – a new period drama from French filmmaker Gilles Bourdos – a variety of adjectives are bound to come to mind: conventional, humdrum, lackluster. Sure, they’re trying to sell the story of one of the all-time great painters in a mere two minutes, but nothing about it grabs your attention – let alone, compels you to sit through the actual film. Luckily, this is not exactly the case for the movie itself, which is exquisite to look at but unfortunately devoid of any real insight into Pierre-Auguste Renoir. You come wishing to learn about the artist and his work, but instead leave dwelling on the film’s more engaging supporting characters.

Ten years on, what do we have as a result of our involvement in Iraq?

Perhaps Rod Livdahl (letter of 3/20) should review his Econ 101 textbook before he presents his next lesson on the subject. “Trickle Down” and “Trickle Up” are not economic terms. They are political terms, coined by Liberals to mock and distort serious economic discussion. There is no authentic “Trickle Down” school of thought that proposed the enrichment of the wealthy by government action in order to allow some of that wealth to somehow dribble down to the masses. “Trickle Up” appears to be an advanced term invented by Mr. Livdahl.

Mesa families at Eisenhower Elementary School learned Thursday what education may look like at the school next year if the district moves forward and creates a “creative and innovative” school on the campus.

Saying students are getting only one side of the debate, a state senators wants to free teachers to tell students why they believe there is no such thing human-caused "global warming.''

We are pleased to see that Gov. Brewer has prioritized resources for the implementation of Arizona’s Common Core Standards in her fiscal year 2014 budget.

Arizona charter school officials say they don't want the state to impose more regulations on how the mostly privately operated schools buy goods and services with taxpayer dollars, and the state board says no changes are in the works.

In the eight years I’ve taken on the regular duty of reviewing movies, 2012 just might have been the best.

If what you know of United States history came out of school textbooks, prepare to be enthralled by our shared past as never before.

Edward Rutherford has been writing historical sagas for more than 20 years but I just discovered him this summer with “New York, the Novel (2009).” After a passionate reading, I wanted heartily to recommend but hesitated — would most readers consider it “old news?” However, when Hurricane Sandy recently ravaged the East Coast, I felt compelled to do the review as it certainly wrote another chapter in the history of this amazing American city from 1664 to the year 2009.

Early results show that voters will approve the Tempe Elementary School District’s $5 million annual capital outlay override, according to unofficial results.

A special election in 2010 showed that Arizonans are willing to hike their taxes if they believe it's for a good cause and a limited amount of time.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Apple introduced a smaller iPad, as expected, but also updated its full-sized one. It also unveiled new Mac computers, including a 13-inch version of a MacBook Pro with sharper, "Retina" display.

After years building his career and credibility on carbs, award-winning baking instructor and bread cookbook author Peter Reinhart was an unlikely candidate to become an ambassador for low-carb, gluten-free living.

‘Argo’

It’s an absolute marvel how Ben Affleck has managed to turn his career around in recent years. After being the laughingstock of the film community for a while, Affleck reestablished himself as a great talent through his directorial outings in “Gone Baby, Gone” and “The Town.” In “Argo,” Affleck not only proves that he’s a gifted filmmaker, but one of the most intelligent creative minds of this generation.

Two years ago, the Tempe Elementary School District governing board voted to close three schools.

Age: 48

This year, four candidates for the Kyrene School District Governing Board each face tight rivalry, as they compete for three available seats on the board.

McKemy Middle School could re-open with a small program next school year if the Tempe Elementary School District has the funds, its governing board agreed Wednesday.

Arizona has often been viewed as the state with the most options for school choice.

A popular children’s book is "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff. This gentle story is a wonderful way to think about how to get started homeschooling because like the mouse, one step will lead to another as you construct your homeschool. So how do you take the first step?