Education in Focus

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 tex...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 dis...

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...

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...

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. Hosted by...

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an Ads...

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...

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 previousl...

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.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal dat...

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertisin...

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertisi...

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz...

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 c...

A North Carolina school district that spent more than half a million dollars on policy changes in pursuit of equity has seen an uptick in crime in recent years while short-term suspension disparities have continued, according to publicly available data. The Winston Salem/Forsyth County School District reportedly began questioning its disciplinary policies in 2020. The school board has since voted...

According to a new poll by Common Sense Media, students use artificial intelligence without their parents’ knowledge. It also found that parents are worried about what AI programs like ChatGPT mean for their children and aren’t as adept at using the software as their children. The survey asked parents of K-12 students and students between the ages of 12 and 18 about their experiences with ChatGPT...