Education in Focus

Chicago Public Schools adopted a policy last year to honor academic credits received during virtual classes, citing equity as one of the reasons underpinning the policy as well as the benefits of the online instruction model. But as Chalkboard reported last year, researchers have questioned the efficacy of virtual learning and raised concerns that virtual credit recovery classes actually hurt those who need help the most. A spokesperson from Chicago Public Schools said the district would not provide a comment to Chalkboard News about virtual credit recovery classes in response to questions about the district's policy adopted in May last year, which added a section about equity in the implementation of virtual learning. 

Full story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/accountability/article_cf9b83f4-0bed-11ef-99da-63cc15a9265c.html

A federal judge is allowing a class action lawsuit against the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education over its use of the “Quiet Time” transcendental meditation program, which allegedly required student participation and incorporated Hindu rituals. Chicago Public Schools stated it ended the Quiet Time program in 2020 and that it denies any liability related to the program, which former students allege violated their constitutional rights because of the religious aspects of the program.

Full story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/cultural-issues/article_5b64bd92-027f-11ef-a81f-6f4d8211a742.html

A new report tied to the 70th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision Brown v. Board of Education says schools nationwide legally discriminate against some students based on their address. Available to All, the nonprofit watchdog group that advocates for equal access to public schools, released the report Monday asserting that top public schools can legally prevent disadvantaged students, often those from minority communities, from enrolling based on their address. "Today Linda Brown would most likely be turned away from the best public school in her city because of her address,” said Derrell Bradford, an Available to All board member, in a press release this week. “Our system is built on exclusionary maps that determine who can or cannot enroll in a public school.”

Full story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/school-choice/article_d92ba468-025a-11ef-b0b6-5b442dccface.html

Former secretary of education Betsy DeVos said Friday that the Biden administration's finalized Title IX rule change has "gutted" five decades of protections for women and girls and replaced it with "radical gender theory." The Biden administration’s Department of Education has finalized its long-anticipated Title IX rule that expands the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity and pregnancy. Critics of the federal rule finalized Friday say that it rewrites the scope of the statute intended to prohibit sex discrimination at federally funded schools and institutions of higher learning. Proponents say the changes are necessary to protect all students. A separate rule on transgender athletes has not yet been finalized.

Full story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/cultural-issues/article_11e7a8b0-fe5f-11ee-8398-ab8f9ebfb794.html

School districts with diversity, equity and inclusion departments and organizations or individuals that offer professional development may use the term “intersectionality” on their websites, but what does it mean and what relationship does it have to critical race theory?Understanding the principles behind intersectionality and what it means can help add context to important and often divisive conversations at the local, state and national levels around equity and critical race theory. Conversations around power, privilege and racism continue to divide legislatures and school board meetings. Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the terms intersectionality and critical race theory, recently gave the keynote lecture at the American Educational Research Association’s annual meeting last week. 

Full story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/cultural-issues/article_e21fe7e4-fe92-11ee-b49b-6f3fa440ef94.html

The U.S. Department of Education has directed millions of federal funds toward equity assistance centers that provide teachers and administrators with resources positing views on controversial topics like comprehensive sex education and versions of critical race theory. The Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance (MAP) Center, one of the four regional technical assistance centers sponsored by the Education Department, provides resources based on critical race theory to schools and educators and directs them to override parental rights on sex education. The MAP Center is housed in the Great Lakes Equity Center at the Indiana University School of Education-IUPUI.

Full story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/accountability/article_dab8e6e6-f79d-11ee-8f02-6f348cdea4ae.html

The Biden administration’s Department of Education is asking for $82.4 billion budget for the 2025 fiscal year, $3.1 billion more than the previous fiscal year to help students recover from school closure-related learning loss and bolster operations at the agency’s enforcement arm. In a House appropriations committee hearing this week, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona defended the Education Department’s proposed $22 million increase for the Office of Civil Rights, saying its workload has tripled in the last decade and a half, in part because of rising rates of antisemitism and anti-Arab discrimination.

Full story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/funding-spending/article_7e12479a-f903-11ee-93c3-0f2a1ffef7fd.html

The Seattle Public School District says activities requiring students to provide information protected by federal and state law do not violate the statutes as long as teachers do not store the information without parental consent. Seattle Public Schools has defended its use of “social identity wheel” handouts in which students are asked to reflect on their "privilege" based on income, race, mental health, sexual identity and religion. Federal and state laws prohibit schools from asking students for that information without approval from parents.

Full story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/parental-rights/article_ab748a8a-f2ab-11ee-ac39-5bbe7eff3b83.html

The Oklahoma Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday that it will use to determine the legality of what would be the nation’s first religious charter school, which received approval last year from the state's Virtual Charter School Board. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a lawsuit in October, claiming that the board’s approval of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School violates the state’s constitution prohibiting sectarian control of public schools. The state board’s lawyers maintain the law used to approve private schools may not exclude religious schools. 

Full story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/school-choice/article_89147c48-f0df-11ee-a563-6ff06b30b632.html

A poll of likely voters found that the vast majority of people think schools should focus on traditional subjects like math, reading and science, and a majority also say critical race theory should not be taught. Nearly two-thirds of voters think parents should be informed if a student wants to change their name or pronoun at school. And most voters want schools to fairly present controversial issues in school.

The full report from the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed the nonbinary teenager, whose death sparked international headlines and responses, died from suicide despite initial reports and claims linking the death to a fight at school. According to a copy of the full report released Wednesday and obtained by Chalkboard News, the chief medical examiner's office confirmed Nex Benedict died by suicide from “diphenhydramine and fluoxetine combined toxicity” and not lethal trauma from a fight. Benedict's family had provided law enforcement with handwritten notes about self-harm which the medical examiner used to determine the death was a suicide on Feb. 9, the report said.

A school district in Louisville, Kentucky, received bomb threats at four different schools this week, all of which were false alarms. The incidents highlight the rising rates of swatting, a hoax call that shuts down schools and scares students and their families. The hoax threats impacted Atherton High School, Ballard High School, Westport Middle School and Wilder Elementary School within the Jefferson County Public Schools, according to JCPS spokesperson Carolyn Callahan. 

Because of changes made last year by the Michigan legislature, school districts in the Wolverine State will negotiate over more terms with teachers unions in the coming year as contracts set under the previous rules expire. One of those changes includes how teachers are evaluated, but the current evaluation system in Michigan may be riddled with inaccuracy. According to the state’s educator effectiveness data, virtually zero teachers were rated ineffective in the 2022-23 school year. 

Michigan lawmakers and education officials have said they want to pass legislation to track homeschooled and religious school students. Critics, however, say the measures wouldn’t actually help. In January, State Superintendent Michael Rice included the proposal in a memo of legislative priorities for the upcoming session, citing concerns over children not receiving any education. Homeschool advocates say a registry will not help protect students, and better enforcement of existing rules is needed.

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A North Carolina school district reported a higher crime rate than the previous year after implementing an updated disciplinary policy for which it paid a nonprofit over $800,000 to help it create. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools reported fewer short and long-term suspensions for the school year and no expulsions, part of a broader shift toward equitable discipline. Critics say the changes have made conditions worse for students because disruptive students are not removed from class.

Aurora Public Schools published a document that stated the district will not implement any program that doesn’t prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion. The board presented the document at its March 5 work session. The document states: “The Superintendent may not allow implementation or adoption of any program that does not prioritize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”

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The Indiana General Assembly has voted to adopt legislation intended to counteract absenteeism at school by holding parents in the state responsible for their children’s attendance. The House and Senate voted to adopt SB 282 after back and forth between the chambers in prior days. The bill, if signed by the governor, would put parents at risk of prosecution if children are not in compliance with the state’s compulsory attendance provisions. 

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A new national study looking at two decades' worth of data found that the United States is spending more on education funding without paying teachers more, school staff has increased faster than student enrollment and taxpayer dollars are increasingly going toward employee benefits. The report from the Reason Foundation also found that there isn’t a direct correlation between funding increases and education outcomes. The report also used nationwide data to highlight how education outcomes in all 50 states have changed between 2002 and 2020.

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A new policy brief states that “equitable” grading policies that rely on lowering academic standards ultimately hurt the students they purportedly help. The research released Wednesday morning by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute challenged some of the claims often made about equitable grading practices and said they require greater scrutiny. The brief also said it's time to adopt some reforms that promote equitable grading without sacrificing rigor. 

A new survey has asked teachers and students about their experience amid significant cultural divides around gender, race and sexual orientation. According to a survey analyses from the Pew Research Center, 53% of teachers said debates about cultural issues like race and gender identity do not impact their ability to do their jobs. In comparison, 41% said the discussions on those issues negatively affect their job performance. The survey comes as topics like gender identity, racism, sex education curricula, the appropriateness of materials in school libraries and parental notification policies continue to roil school board meetings nationwide.

The Chicago Public Schools Board of Education voted Thursday to approve a resolution to remove trained police officers from its schools by the beginning of next school year. The district-wide removal of police officers stems from a 2020 resolution requiring the district to “provide to the Board a comprehensive plan for schools currently using SROs (School Resource Officers) to phase out their use.” The board voted to implement the policy unanimously, along with a number of other policies and  resolutions. The board will sunset the school resource officer program by August this year but says it will still work the city’s police department for other needs. 

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Students at James Madison High School in south Houston, Texas, staged a walkout last week to protest a new zero-tolerance policy banning student cell phone use on that campus. Some carried picket signs and gathered across the street from the high school, as seen in videos posted to X, formerly Twitter. Houston Independent School District Superintendent Mike Miles voiced support for the policy at a press conference last week, promising suspensions for students who walk out and pointing to the benefits of enforcing policies that keep cell phones away from students during the school day.

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The National Center for Education Statistics released enrollment data for public schools, showing which states have increased student counts since the COVID-19 pandemic and related school closures and which states have yet to see students return to those classrooms. The new data digest released this month by NCES shows that most states saw decreases in public school student enrollment between the fall of 2019 and the fall of 2022, with only a handful of states gaining students overall. Public schools have not regained students who stopped attending during the pandemic. 

Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of a school shooter who killed his classmates in November 2021 at Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter by a jury. The decision on Tuesday marks a development for prosecutors looking to hold parents accountable for the crimes committed by their children as this is the first instance of a parent being charged with involuntary manslaughter in relation to a fatal school shooting. Crumbley faces up to decades in federal prison, depending on her sentencing hearing. Jennifer Crumbley is expected back in court in April for her sentencing hearing, according to FOX 2. 

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A Boston Public Schools policy for the 2023-24 school year instructs staff not to inform parents if a student identifies as transgender or gender nonconforming unless legally required. School districts nationwide have put policies in place to protect the rights of transgender students, but parental rights advocates say guardians have a right to know if their child is changing their gender. According to a superintendent's circular, staff at Boston Public Schools, which serves 54,000 students and three-quarters of all students in the city, are not supposed to discuss with parents that a student is transgender or gender nonconforming. 

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A new report from researchers at Harvard University shows that students have started to recover from learning losses sustained during school closures related to COVID-19. Still, student achievement has not exceeded pre-pandemic performance, save in a few states. The report found that student achievement gaps that began during the pandemic between rich and poor districts have widened and called for federal funding to go toward additional face time between students and teachers, including expanding the school year or offering summer school.

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Students of all ages at Seattle Public Schools can expect extra-curricular lessons on oppression and privilege, racism and transgenderism in the classroom this week as the district participates in the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action. The district disseminated a PowerPoint with resources for educators created by the Seattle Public Schools Black Education Department in collaboration with teachers and academics. The resource highlights activities for teaching students the 13 principles and four demands of Black Lives Matter at School.

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According to recent federal school climate and survey data, the number of schools reporting using school resource officers is declining. After racial justice protests a few years ago and calls to defund the police, school districts like Chicago are considering the role school resource officers play in keeping students safe and out of the justice system. National Center for Education Statistics data from the 2019-2020 school year shows 54% of schools surveyed reported using some type of “sworn law enforcement officer,” including school resource officers. Data from 2021-2022 shows only 48% of schools reported having a “sworn law enforcement officer.”

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Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters announced Tuesday that he had appointed the creator of a social media account known for its outspoken criticism of sexualized materials in school libraries to an advisory board that will govern them. Walters announced Chaya Raichik, who created and operates an account on X, formerly Twitter, called “Libs of TikTok,” would be on the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s Library Media Advisory Committee. The Library Media Advisory Committee offers guidance and recommendations to the Oklahoma State Board of Education pursuant to Oklahoma Administrative Codes and is "aimed at removing pornographic or sexualized content from public schools in the State of Oklahoma," according to a spokesperson from the Department of Education.

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A teacher who started work at a New York City charter school after she was terminated from her position at a public school has been fired after Chalkboard inquired about her previous employment.  The former teacher’s ability to start working at a charter school after a report was sent to the New York City Public Schools District from its Special Commissioner of Investigation points to what appears to be an information gap between charter and public schools in the city. Atmosphere Academy, a public charter school in the Bronx, confirmed to Chalkboard that Raylissa Rivera “no longer works” for the school after Chalkboard asked about an investigation conducted last year into inappropriate texts she sent a student. 

A report from a teacher effectiveness organization on how well the nation implements best practices to help students learn how to read found that 19 states do not currently implement critical policies to promote literacy. The National Council on Teacher Quality report shows that precisely half of states do not have “specific guidelines to teacher prep programs about what they should teach aspiring teachers in reading.” The issue comes as the debate over the science of reading has seen a resurgence in state legislatures as lawmakers hope to improve literacy rates.

As gun violence remains a significant threat across the country, states, districts and schools debate ways to increase safety. But policies allowing teachers to carry weapons in school remains controversial. A school in Ohio made news last week after signs posted outside the school announced that teachers were armed, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Survey data from last year shows staff approved of the measure in that district, pointing to wider educator approval that has surprised experts. 

A special education teacher from the Bronx was found to have acted inappropriately by New York City Public School’s watchdog agency and was subsequently terminated last summer. Then, a few months later, she took a position at a nearby charter school that says the investigation into her wasn't flagged. The Bronx’s Atmosphere Academy says the teacher was fingerprinted and underwent a background check, raising questions about whether gaps that put student safety at risk exist between the nation’s largest school district and charter schools in New York City. 

Chicago Public Schools says it is “reviewing” its approach to school safety as the board of education has reportedly considered removing school resource officers from buildings in the city. CPS is expected to “provide updates in the coming months,” according to a statement from a district spokesperson. But reports say the board has already decided to remove police officers from schools and could vote on the action as soon as this month. 

Gradebooks may be less alphabetical in Georgia after the state recently released school accountability numbers for the first time since the pandemic. This suggests the state may be transitioning away from A-F grades. Instead, schools have their content mastery test scores instead of letter grades. Georgia is the latest state to consider eliminating traditional letter grades for public schools in favor of different accountability metrics.

The Biden administration has proposed sweeping changes to expand the nation’s law prohibiting sex discrimination in the nation’s schools to include gender identity and sexual orientation. Final action on the rule is not expected until at least March next year, but legal challenges would likely arise upon its implementation. The Department of Education says that the rules protect students and try to strike a balance between concerns over fairness and safety with the benefits of allowing transgender students to play. Critics, however, say the rule burdens girls and illegally rewrites the law.

Earlier this year, Chalkboard News highlighted how students can cheat on online classes and assignments using social media platforms and other new tools. But do social media platforms prohibit academic dishonesty? TikTok has clarified that videos promoting academic dishonesty violate its community guidelines and will be removed. Meta, which owns Instagram, did not respond to Chalkboard’s request for comment on its policies despite the proliferation of accounts offering to complete student’s work for a fee. 

The parent of a student who faced persistent antisemitism at a Westport, Connecticut school says administrators tried to silence him and his family through the terms of a settlement.  Andrew Goldberg, the parent of a middle-school student at Westport Public Schools, said in an opinion piece in Newsweek last week that administrators offered to pay for a year’s worth of tuition at a private school if he and his family would never talk about what led up to the settlement. The school’s attempt to sweep the incidents under the rug received pointed criticism from Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. 

The Chicago Public School Board of Education isn’t planning on shutting down charter schools in the city yet, but is poised to direct money away from those schools between 2025 and 2029 in a broader effort to move away from ranking schools against each other. The board adopted the resolution in a unanimous vote on Thursday during its regular meeting, signaling the districts “transition away from privatization.” Board members said school choice pits schools and students against each other and said the district would reimagine the system to promote equity. Advocates and students of charter schools in the city spoke to the board, highlighting the impact charter schools have had for those in the city seeking a high-quality or specialized education. 

Finalization of the Department of Education’s Title IX ruling that would strike down statewide prohibitions on transgender athletes participating in a sport that matched their identity is expected to occur next year. An updated page on the Office of Management and Budget says final action on the federal government's rule on how transgender students can play on sports teams that match their gender identity is expected in March, months after it was initially anticipated in October. As Chalkboard reported last week, the Department said the finalization was delayed because of the large number of comments on the notice of proposed rulemaking and that it is working “overtime” to get through the comments. 

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores show U.S. students scored significantly worse on math than in 2018 and declines in all subjects. It also found that increased spending had less to do with student outcomes than how the funds are used. PISA also noted that lower math test scores were associated with lower parental involvement.

A debate over whether New York City’s classrooms are overcrowded is mounting between the city’s teachers union and the public school system. The United Federation of Teachers says hundreds of thousands of students are subjected to overcrowded classes, while the New York City Public Schools says it is in compliance with the law. A recent survey from the city’s teachers union asserted that over 300,000 students who attend Title I schools in the city are in overcrowded classrooms that are out of compliance with a state law that limits class sizes. 

For schools and institutions of higher learning waiting for the Department of Education’s final action on a rule governing eligibility for transgender students on sports teams to be finalized, more patience is required. Initially expected in October, the Department of Education’s forthcoming rule on transgender athletes on sports teams has been delayed as the agency sifts through thousands of comments from the public, according to a spokesperson. The department’s changes would overrule statewide laws prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in sports that align with their gender identity and replace them with criteria for schools and institutions to use on an individual basis. 

Students have returned to school in Portland as the teachers union and district have yet to vote on an agreement to end the weeks long strike, which kept students out of class for most of November. The Portland Association of Teachers and Portland Public Schools announced a tentative agreement Sunday, ending a strike that began on Nov. 1. The union called the strike a win in an update to members. The district said in an update that the contract will cost taxpayers an additional $175 million over the next three years. 

Voters support school policies that require educators to tell parents about changes to their student’s pronouns, a nationwide poll has found. The findings come as parental notification policies have stirred controversy as student advocates and parents square off in school board meetings. The Center Square Voter’s Voice Poll conducted with Noble Predictive Insights found that two-thirds of voters back measures requiring parental notification of changes in a student’s preferred gender as school gender policies have been scrutinized by the courts in recent years.

New federal data shows white students are more likely than their peers to report being harassed or bullied because of their sex or disability. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released data this week from a survey of district-level data on student discipline, harassment and educational access conducted in the 2020-21 school year. The data shows white students were much more likely to report bullying or harassment on account of their sex or disability than other groups.

A recent report based on polling parents of K-12 students found that while most think their child is on the right track academically based on their grades, test scores show the majority of students are not actually performing at grade level. The report released this week from Gallup and Learning Heroes found that while almost 80% of parents said their students received at least B grades, under 50% meet standardized test scores that show proficiency. The discrepancy points to the need for measures outside the traditional report card, the report found. 

The Pacific Research Institute released a study in September reviewing the impacts of the various approaches states took when dealing with the pandemic. The study concluded: "The states that implemented policies categorized as more stringent tended to have fewer COVID-19 infections and fewer COVID-19 mortalities per 100,000 people. These states have also experienced increases in other causes of mortality that may fully offset the reduction in COVID-19 mortalities, larger economic consequences, and larger education losses for children."

A large majority of voters say that public schools should focus on the basics – math, reading, writing, science and social studies – to improve the quality of public education in the country. That's according to the latest The Center Square’s Voters' Voice poll conducted in late October in conjunction with Noble Predictive Insights. The poll results come as the nation has seen academic achievement declines since school closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as cultural debates about gender ideology and curriculum content roil parents and communities in school board meetings across the country.

A parental rights organization is criticizing a Southeast Michigan school district after its board voted to change its sex education policy so that parents would not be able to opt students out of learning about gender or sexuality outside of health classes. Parents Defending Education raised concerns over the Dexter Community Schools Board of Education’s sex education policy from its October meeting. The action comes as Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland has removed a parental opt-out option for LGBTQ+ reading materials in elementary classes in a push for inclusivity that has garnered national attention.

Mariyah Green was a junior when she transferred during the 2018-19 school year from a charter school to Bogan High School, where she played volleyball and basketball. Green had no idea when she transferred to Chicago Public Schools that she would end up suing the school, alleging violations against her First Amendment rights. She told Chalkboard that students were made to participate in the district’s Quiet Time program, where instructors encouraged students to participate in transcendental meditation, including initiation rites conducted in a darkened classroom. She was recently awarded $75,000 for damages and legal fees in a judgement. 

Students have opportunities to cheat on online learning courses provided by Edmentum and other virtual course providers, according to a former public school teacher, researchers and in-depth reporting by Chalkboard that resulted in TikTok removing videos and accounts. But despite the concerns over vulnerabilities that online learning platforms allow cheating and research showing that students who take online credit recovery courses experience long-term negative effects, several states and accreditation organizations approve of Edmentum’s online academy. When initially asked about claims from former Atlanta public school teacher Jeremy Noonan who told Chalkboard that students could cheat on Edmentum’s coursework, the company provided a statement that its programs are accredited and approved by state agencies.

Leaders of the Oakland Education Association in Oakland, California, called on school leaders to stand in solidarity with Palestinians and called for a ceasefire as tensions between the terrorist organization Hamas and Israel continue to increase. The union’s leadership shared curriculum resources it encouraged educators to employ in their classrooms, which accuse Israel of carrying out genocide and ethnic cleansing, something a Jewish parent said is concerning for her family as antisemitism is on the rise. Megan Bacigalupi, a Jewish parent of students who attend schools in the Oakland Unified School District, said the union leaders’ statement is concerning given the increase in antisemitic incidents nationwide and in the area, including graffiti and the removal of hostage posters for Israelis taken to Gaza. 

Even after losing its position as the third largest school district in the country, Chicago Public Schools continues to seek budget expansions for building investments, despite more empty schools. The district’s 2023 Education Facilities Master Plan identifies a rapid need for investments, especially for the school systems’ aging buildings. But between the 2013-14 school year and the 2022-23 school year, CPS enrollment has dropped by nearly 20%, or 78,439 students. Despite enrollment declines, the district is asking for more over $14 billion to update its buildings. 

A congressional panel in the House of Representatives heard testimony from witnesses about the different perspectives on graphic books in school libraries. Such debates over the appropriateness of explicit books that students can access have occurred nationwide in school board meetings. The Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education held a hearing Thursday on “combating graphic, explicit content in school libraries.” Republican lawmakers favored the removal of inappropr

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation that changed requirements for retired public-school teachers to work while receiving pension benefits, citing the teacher shortage in the state. Data show the number of teachers has increased in recent years relative to students. While the number of teachers has increased and the number of students has decreased overall in the state, lawmakers passed legislation that would make it easier for retired teachers to receive their pensions and return to work for school districts.

Standardized test score results show academic achievement declines for the sixth year in a row, highlighting the impact of COVID-19-related school closures on student learning. The nonprofit behind the ACT said this week that scores fell again in all testing subjects in the 2022-23 school year. This comes as graduation rates in school districts have increased despite test scores showing academic declines, as Chalkboard News previously reported. Students nationwide tested during the 2022-23 school year had an average composite score on the ACT of 19.5, which was down from 19.8 the previous year and 20.7 in the 2018-19 school year. 

Kalamazoo Public Schools said late last month that over half of last year’s senior class from one of its high schools graduated despite not meeting the criteria to do so. The school will allow the students to keep their diplomas. Phoenix Alternative High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan, allowed at least half of the class of 2023 to graduate without meeting state or district requirements, according to a statement from KPS. 

Cheating is nothing new. But the methods of how it’s done are constantly changing. There is currently a market hidden in plain sight for the subset of students looking to graduate high school without completing their online coursework. 

Flint Community Public Schools said Friday that a fight between students led to a teacher being harmed. A viral video reportedly of the event shows a student throwing a chair and hitting the teacher on the head. Reports also say that the teacher was unconscious and hospitalized.

When government officials and school leaders closed classrooms because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students switched to virtual learning. Some schools, however, have continued to utilize virtual options for students, including courseware that critics say allows students to cheat. A former Atlanta-area public school teacher wrote last month in an op-ed that course assessments from ed-tech company Edmentum could be gamed using search engines, allowing students to receive credit by cheating at home. 

As Chalkboard has previously reported, parents and voters have been outspoken in their desire for school choice and education options since the pandemic. Hybrid homeschooling is one of the models parents are turning to, which offers some of the structure of formal programming with at-home instruction. But the intersection between new education models and funding programs to support families could be more complicated, according to a Monday report from ExcelinEd. The report highlights how state school choice programs can support families who hybrid homeschool to give them greater flexibility. 

A federal court ruling waved a caution flag on school district policies requiring teachers to hide student gender identity from parents after granting a temporary reprieve to two teachers who sued their school district over the rules. The decision by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California last week to grant a preliminary injunction for the teachers comes as the state sues school districts for parental notification policies and highlights the murky legal grounds underpinning the state’s guidance school districts cite in creating gender identity policies. 

One issue Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias put in the national spotlight during testimony to a U.S. Senate committee this week was that of access to controversial books. The Democratic statewide official promoted the Illinois measure he spearheaded to withhold taxpayer-funded grants to public and school libraries that he said “ban books.” Meanwhile others argue that this is not an issue of censorship but of discretion.

A battle over parental rights is brewing across the country and at the forefront is the gender choice of children while enrolled in public schools. In California and New Jersey, the government has gone to court to shield parents from knowing what gender their children have chosen while at school. In other states, such as Michigan and Pennsylvania, the policies on parental notification are left up to the individual school districts to determine.

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis-Gates, who has been outspoken against the state's school choice program, is sending her child to a private school, according to reports. Davis-Gates took office in 2022 to lead the third largest teachers union in the country. Since taking office, Davis-Gates has publicly spoken out against the Invest in Kids Act, which allows people to pay for scholarships for students to attend private schools rather than attend public schools in Chicago or throughout the state.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said schools should not keep students home amid reports that the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise this fall, propped up by new variants of the virus that causes the disease. Responding to a question during a back-to-school bus tour, Cardona said schools should stay open and focus on communication and practicing health protocols that were present at the height of the pandemic. 

With the return of students to class, hoax calls that shut down school buildings are also back. The calls, which tell authorities that there are active shooters at schools, scare students, staff and parents and can be dangerous for both law enforcement and those at the scene. There were several hoax threats and swatting calls this week across the country, from Illinois to Georgia.

For many students, school started weeks ago, and classes are in full swing. For others, however, the school year has yet to begin. Michigan, for example, has a law that requires schools to start after Labor Day unless they are granted a waiver by the state’s Department of Education.

A new report from a conservative watchdog organization claims school district diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and hiring policies determine the political leanings of the teachers who end up in the classroom. The National Opportunity Project report, released Friday, said school districts that implement the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion in the hiring process weed out candidates that don’t “subscribe to certain views.” Districts mentioned in the report declined requests to comment.

At the Republican primary debate last week, presidential hopefuls disparaged the state of education in the nation, with some candidates advocating for the abolition of the U.S. Department of Education and the promotion of school choice options. It’s an issue that seems sure to reappear as voters signal strong concerns with the quality of traditional public education. The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, found that more Americans are dissatisfied than satisfied with the quality of education at their local public school.

A group of 20 schools in Missouri has received a waiver from the state to halt end-of-school standardized testing for students in lieu of interim assessments that direct how teachers and administrators will provide instruction. The schools are part of the Success-Ready Students Network and see the state Board of Education’s decision Tuesday to waive annual assessment requirements as a way to better provide competency-based learning to students. The state board voted unanimously to approve the “innovation waivers,” which will absolve the school districts of state requirements to test students for three years as the schools pursue competency-based learning. 

The Texas House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment released a statewide report on education last week along with public comments from residents who expressed competing outlooks on education opportunity, accountability methods and student outcomes. The public comments show how Texans are vocally divided on whether to implement school choice programs in the state. The divide echoes division around school choice measures in the Legislature last session.

Nevada lawmakers voted Wednesday not to divert federal COVID-19 relief funds toward expanding the Opportunity Scholarship program in the state after about six hours of discussion and testimony. Members of the Interim Finance Committee, comprised of the Senate Committee on Finance and the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means from the last legislative session, voted down party lines to reject Gov. Joe Lombardo’s funding proposal. The Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program, also known as the Opportunity Scholarship, was created in 2015 by the state’s legislature to provide need-based scholarships for students whose families live under 300% of the federal poverty line, according to the state’s website. 

The Biden administration announced a more unified approach Tuesday to help school districts ward off cyberattacks that threaten the exposure of private student data, disruption of daily operations and the loss of millions in taxpayer money. The Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a document for school district leaders highlighting best practices to keep data safe, including preparing for attacks targeting schools as seen recently in Minneapolis and Los Angeles. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case against Michigan’s Blaine amendment, which restricts most public funds from going toward private schools. Five families sued the state in September 2021, arguing that the state’s Blaine amendment violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution because they were not allowed to use Michigan’s Education Savings Plan for private school tuition. 

Test scores have continually demonstrated that students across the nation lost academic ground during the pandemic, so why are some districts touting higher graduation rates than before the pandemic? Do graduation rates mean students know everything they should? School districts across the nation have posted high graduation rates, despite test scores that show student achievement declines since the COVID-19 pandemic. Research suggests that the high graduation rate across the country comes from lower standards, not increased learning. 

A new report from the National Retail Federation found that back-to-school shopping is expected to cost consumers an all-time high. The industry association found families purchasing for K-12 students are expected to spend an average of about $890, about $25 more than last year.

Emails obtained by Chalkboard revealed how board members at a Tallahassee charter school handled complaints from parents arguing Michelangelo’s “David” and other famous works were not appropriate for students. Tallahassee Classical School made international headlines in March when principal Hope Carrasquilla told the Tallahassee Democrat that she was forced out of her position after parental objections to a sixth-grade art lesson on the Renaissance. The school says that characterization is false. The new details of what parents said about the artwork come as school districts nationwide struggle to agree on what is age-appropriate material for children, especially regarding library books.

After a recent showdown with Gov. Gavin Newsom, a California school board has approved a middle school social studies curriculum that it previously rejected over opposition to materials that mention the gay historical figure Harvey Milk. The Temecula Valley Unified School District school board voted in a special meeting Friday to approve the curriculum after Newsom said the state would provide textbooks that align with state standards and fine the school for failing to provide materials that do so.

Americans are unhappy with how schools handle student behavior issues and how school discipline policies are enforced, which can have an effect on school safety, according to a July 19 poll. Parental rights organization Parents Defending Education commissioned the poll conducted by CRC Research. The poll found that 40% of those surveyed think schools are doing a poor job enforcing student behavior policies and said school disruptions have increased in the past year.

New research from an education assessment organization found that test scores from students in the 2022-2023 school year show student achievement fell short of what it was before schools nationwide closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research from Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) found that achievement gains for most students in grades 3-8 again fell short of average achievement gains from before the pandemic. The researchers concluded that the average student will need at least four extra months of school to catch up on reading and math. 

A top official at the U.S. Education Department Office of Civil Rights said this afternoon that her office would consider taking away federal funds from school districts that remove books from school libraries. Assistant Secretary Catherine Lhamon said that her office is "very eager" to enforce its control over federal funds to keep districts from creating a hostile environment for students caused by book removals.

As more school districts across the country consider the possibility of four-day school weeks, critics point to studies that indicate there are more risks than benefits. While advocates argue condensing instruction hours into four longer school days can save taxpayers money while appealing for teachers and students, studies show negative correlations between both student performance and teacher recruitment and retention, according to Shannon Holston, chief of policy and programs at the National Council on Teacher Quality.

Illinois saw its highest graduation rate in more than a decade last year, according to the Illinois Report Card. Yet critics are wondering if the state's schools are graduating students who aren't ready. Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski argues that the Illinois School System has become so broken even its greatest accomplishments now raise questions about its overall competency. “These school districts are not being honest with students or parents,” Dabrowski told The Center Square. “They’re looking to hide all their failures by graduating kids that are not prepared to move on.”

A practice once used in the criminal justice system is now preferred by the nation's top law enforcement and education agencies who say schools should use it to prevent discrimination.  Restorative justice or restorative practices have in the past decade or so become more regular terms in school buildings across the country as an alternative to hard-line disciplinary policies that before dominated districts. But is the new approach to discipline actually working? 

Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro signaled that he supports school choice measures as the state Legislature began discussions Thursday around the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success Program. Lawmakers in the Pennsylvania state house are the latest to discuss expanding school choice measures that allow public funds to follow students to private schools.

Learn about the launch of Chalkboard News which provides a non-partisan, non-political approach to news coverage of the critical issues facing public education in America. Our journalists focus on curriculum; school funding; educational choice; the roles of parents, teachers, and administrators; the voice taxpayers have in their local schools; and the betterment of K-12 public education.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona described several bright spots amid an otherwise bleak announcement this week that there has been no past-pandemic recovery for reading and mathematics based on test scores of 13-year-olds tested last year.

Illinois school officials are now required to notify parents and guardians of any cases of bullying within a 24-hour period. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the measure into law despite opposition from numerous school groups who said the time period is not feasible, including the Illinois Principals Association and Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools.

With schools out for the summer, students and staff may not know how many days are left before going back to class. But some schools are looking at a shorter summer break as a way to reduce learning losses and balance out the school year. Advocates say that year-round school, or what is sometimes called a balanced calendar, allows students to retain learning better, catch up if they are struggling and offers the school community well-timed breaks to better recuperate.

The majority of teachers at a San Diego public charter school have voted to remove the union from their workplace years after initial attempts to do so were delayed until this year. The California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) announced the results of the vote to decertify the San Diego Education Association (SDEA) this week after nearly a month-long vote period, as Chalkboard previously reported.

A state board governing Georgia’s teacher training programs will vote this afternoon on whether to remove words like “equity,” “social justice” and “diversity” from educator training guides and replace them with values that promote “fairness” to remove controversial language. 

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction presented a report last week to the state’s House K-12 Education Committee. The report was created by an advisory group of education leaders who argue for amending the state’s A-F grading system for schools.

A coalition of 21 state attorneys general are taking a stand in favor of Florida parents who sued their school district for allegedly violating their rights regarding their children’s gender confusion and the use of different pronouns while at school.

The U.S. Department of Education released guidance for school administrators that offers insights into how districts should implement and weigh the risks of artificial intelligence for teachers and students – but not when it comes to how students are using it.

As the school year ends and legislative sessions adjourn, Chalkboard updated its review of which legislatures nationwide are implementing school choice measures that provide education options for students and their families and which states have removed them.

Should states hold back third-graders who can’t read well enough? That’s the question Ohio legislators are considering along with legislation that would remove that state’s third-grade reading law. The Buckeye state isn’t alone: Several state houses have recently passed laws concerning holding students back if they can’t read at grade level.

The U. S. Department of Education announced a Title IX rule change Thursday that would prohibit blanket bans on transgender students who participate in sports in favor of a number of factors intended to balance fair competition and allowing students to play on a team matching their gender identity. The proposed rules have been met with condemnation from politicians on both sides of the aisle and conservative groups while teachers unions and progressive groups hailed the proposed changes as a win for transgender athletes.