Author: BelieveAgain

Cheering on the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education: Out. Aggressive oversight: In.Legislation to dramatically expand school choice: Out. Attempts to significantly boost funding for federal K-12 grant programs: In.That’s the CliffsNotes version of the U-turn educators can expect if Democrats gain control of either chamber of Congress after the Nov. 3 midterm elections—a distinct possibility based on recent polling.A majority in either chamber would put Democrats in the driver’s seat on the legislative agenda and in a position to hold official hearings on the Trump administration’s dissolution of the Education Department.To be sure, Democrats are…

In the face of shrinking enrollment and competition for students, some districts have opened their own microschools to help retain and attract families.But a superintendent in Indiana is taking the idea even further by launching microschools—essentially tiny, innovative schools that have traditionally been charter or private schools—across the state. George Philhower’s 1,200-student district, Eastern Hancock, obtained a charter under the state’s charter school law to open a statewide microschool network. Philhower is both the superintendent of Eastern Hancock and the CEO of the new Indiana Microschool Collaborative.This setup has allowed the district to partner with local organizations and open schools…

The Supreme Court won’t hear a challenge to a school district’s ban on shirts with the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon.”The phrase is a jab at former President Joe Biden with a coded reference to profanity. A Michigan mother of two says the school’s ban is a First Amendment violation. The school told her sons to take off the sweatshirts she bought them for Christmas in 2022. Lower courts upheld the ban, finding the veiled vulgarity of the phrase allows schools to ban it. It functions as a stand-in for “F— Joe Biden.”The woman’s attorneys argued that the decision wrongly gives…

Police fired tear gas to control crowds in Paris and elsewhere in France on Tuesday as more than a quarter of a million people rallied nationwide to support high school students demanding more education funding, according to government figures.The protests increased pressure on the administration of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron.As pupils blockaded high schools, large crowds waving flags and placards gathered in Marseille, Strasbourg and other cities. The demonstrations showed how protests that began at a high school in the Paris region in mid-September have grown into a nationwide movement—the latest of many that have marked Macron’s nearly decade-long tenure.“We…

The countdown is on until Election Day.With midterm elections just weeks away on Nov. 3, Education Week has reviewed what’s on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and assembled a guide to highlight the statewide races and ballot initiatives of greatest consequence to schools.Check out the full guide here, including a state-by-state lookup tool and an overview of the top education issues surfacing in state races.Below, we’ve put together a list of six K-12 highlights from state elections based on our state-by-state review of what’s on the ballot. Some of Trump’s key education policies are…

Education scientists nationwide are fighting to stabilize a research system roiled by ongoing federal funding disruptions and political fights—and the specter of increased political interference in education research.Thousands of researchers and teachers, as well as scientific and advocacy organizations, have called for the U.S. Department of Education to reconsider a grant overhaul that, they say, would gut evidence and destabilize education research. The proposed overhaul via the department’s administrative regulations, known as EDGAR, would allow the administration to delay funding to projects “for convenience,” and revise how it defines research quality. The EDGAR proposal drew at least 5,510 comments by…

Community colleges are often charged with training students for the jobs that already exist in their communities. But what if the jobs that need filling are at a data center? Transcript SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Community colleges often train people for local jobs. In Las Vegas, that could mean repairing slot machines. In the Florida Keys, it could mean underwater photography. Right now, in northeast Louisiana, it means learning to build and maintain data centers. It is a polarizing industry to be investing in. A recent Gallup poll shows that most Americans do not want data centers built near their homes.…

K-12 schools are on the ballot in a big way this fall, both directly and indirectly.Amid a dominant focus on affordability and economic issues in a pitched battle for control of Congress, voters will also make decisions with major implications for the nation’s schools.Education Week reviewed what is on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and assembled this guide to highlight the statewide races and ballot initiatives of greatest consequence to schools. (Local school board elections, bond issues, and property tax levies will also have a big impact, but are excluded from this guide.)Voters in…

The new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, or FSTC, will take effect in January 2027. The program, written into law by Congress in 2025, has been described as the nation’s largest school choice program. It’s also created lots of confusion about what it involves and how it will work. This week, the U.S. Treasury finally issued two sets of rules—one set of rules will govern the program in 2027, and a longer set of proposed rules will be the subject of a public hearing in December (wonky as hell, I know). With so much still in flux, I reached out to…

A new bipartisan bill would create an incentive for states to restrict student cellphone use during the school day, the latest attempt by federal lawmakers to address growing screen-time concerns.The bill—titled “UNPLUGGED Schools Grant Act” and sponsored by U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark.—would establish a federal grant program for states that adopt policies prohibiting students from possessing and using their personal electronic devices during the school day.If the bill succeeds, states would be able to use the money to implement cellphone restrictions, including paying for secure storage options.“Getting phones out of classrooms will mean fewer distractions…