Author: BelieveAgain

A Miami college student in her 40s shares her experience returning to school and how motherhood has prepared her for this challenge. SCOTT SIMON, HOST: As the end of the school year approaches, it’s easy to ask yourself, where did the year go? Then add in your goals for summer break or graduation plans, and this transition period can feel overwhelming. But one mature Miami Dade College student story, a finalist in last year’s NPR College Podcast Challenge, reminds us you are not alone in this journey, no matter your age. Here’s Iman Maani with the story.IMAN MAANI, BYLINE: Meet…

When the Montgomery County school district in Maryland adopted several LGBTQ+ storybooks for use in its elementary schools, it initially allowed requests from parents to keep their children out of lessons using the books.But by March of the 2022-23 school year, the opt-out policy became “unworkable,” the district says. The number of parents seeking exemptions surged, and administrators believed the requests, besides being difficult to manage in the classroom, were undermining the district’s goals of offering inclusive lessons. So, the district ended the opt-out option.That decision has led to a showdown in the U.S. Supreme Court, which will hear arguments…

The Trump administration is asking Congress to eliminate funding for Head Start, a move that would cut early education for more than half a million of the nation’s neediest children and child care for their families.The proposal is tucked in a 64-page internal draft budget document obtained by The Associated Press that seeks deep cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Head Start. It is still in a highly preliminary phase as the White House prepares to send Congress its budget request for the 2026 fiscal year.It is not clear if the proposed cuts will be…

After nearly 30 years of stalled efforts, Texas is in line to become the largest state with a universal private school choice program. The Republican-controlled state House of Representatives approved a $1 billion measure Thursday—which gets the legislation closer than ever to the governor’s desk.The bill’s passage represents a shift in the state, where rural Republicans have for years trounced private school vouchers over concerns that the program would pull funding from the state’s public schools. But Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s strong push to carry the measure over the finish line—with a campaign that sought to unseat the Republicans who…

Education Secretary Linda McMahon has officially been on the job for a month and a half—and so far, many educators say they’re not impressed with her performance.McMahon, who served in President Donald Trump’s first term as the head of the Small Business Administration and is the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, has little experience in education. She graduated from college with a French degree and a teaching certificate, but never taught. She served a yearlong stint on Connecticut’s state school board more than a decade ago and has been a longtime trustee of Sacred Heart University, a private religious…

Years ago, when Mike Rubin’s school was the subject of a U.S. Department of Education civil rights investigation, he found the investigators’ process to be thorough, consistent, and neutral. In fact, it ended up being helpful: He credits that experience—and the advice and counsel that came out of it—as part of the reason the school has had so few complaints. “They allowed us to really look at our practices and procedures through a neutral lens of the law,” said Rubin, the principal of Uxbridge High School in Massachusetts.That was at the tail end of President Donald Trump’s first administration. But…

In “Straight Talk with Rick and Jal,” Harvard University’s Jal Mehta and I examine the reforms and enthusiasms that permeate education. In a field full of buzzwords, our goal is simple: Tell the truth, in plain English, about what’s being proposed and what it means for students, teachers, and parents. We may be wrong and we will frequently disagree, but we’ll try to be candid and ensure that you don’t need a Ph.D. in eduspeak to understand us. Today’s topic is the state of federal education research.—RickRick: The federal education research operation has been shredded. In February, the Trump administration…

To the Editor:The Education Week opinion essay, “Musk and Trump Are at War With Public Education,” (March 12, 2025) by Arne Duncan and John King has taken on even greater relevance as U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has begun the process to plan for the dismantling the Department of Education.In their essay, Duncan and King touch on several reasons that public education and the Department of Education are critical to our nation, including the economic benefits for both individual citizens and the country. I would add that a portion of our national gross domestic product is made possible because…

Grades are a well-established part of the K-12 education system that, in most school districts, play a decisive role in students’ academic standing. But what goes into the single letter or number that a grade represents? Just how malleable is a grade after it’s been issued? And what effect does grading work have on students’ performance? In December 2024, the EdWeek Research Center conducted a national survey of 759 K-12 teachers to glean answers to these and related questions. Here’s what the results showed. There’s a lot of hype these days around “grade grubbing” by students and parents. And while…

The Trump administration wants the nation’s schools to certify that they’re not using “illegal DEI practices” by April 24 in order to continue receiving federal education funds.In a letter sent April 3, the administration gave state education chiefs 10 days to sign a certification saying they’re complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits race-based discrimination in federally funded programs.But the certification makes clear that the U.S. Department of Education considers the use of diversity, equity, and inclusion—which it doesn’t specifically define—to be a potential violation of the anti-discrimination law. It argues that the act of treating…