Annika Bahnsen Placentia–Yorba Linda Unified will leave the California School Boards Association, a statewide coalition that provides school districts with training, advocacy and policy analysis assistance, a school board majority decided Tuesday, Aug. 8. PYLUSD will be the only district in Orange County that is not a member of the CSBA. According to the CSBA’s website, more than … Continue reading PYLUSD board votes to leave the California School Board Association →

Molly Ashford: The board of directors for the Nebraska Association of School Boards voted Saturday to formally cut ties with a national organization that spurred controversy last year by calling for federal investigation into threats made against school board members. This decision comes less than a month after the Nebraska association’s executive committee voted to recommend … Continue reading Nebraska Leaves the National school board association →

Jordan Boyd: U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona first commissioned the leaders of the NSBA to write a letter demanding that the Biden administration use domestic terrorism laws to target parents concerned about the indoctrination of their children at schools in early October. The White House also colluded with NSBA President Viola Garcia and CEO Chip … Continue reading Lawfare on Missouri parent rights and a taxpayer supported school board association →

Rob Crilly: President Biden’s Education Secretary Miguel Cardona apparently solicited the controversial letter from the National School Boards Association that said threats made by protesting parents should be taken as seriously as domestic terrorism, according to emails released on Tuesday. The NSBA, in an internal memo sent on October 12, revealed that they had held … Continue reading Biden’s Education Secretary Cardona ASKED the National School Board Association to send letter comparing protesting parents to domestic terrorists, new emails claim →

Parents Defending Education: We asked all organizations the following questions: As the [state association] has not yet commented on the National School Board Association’s September 29 letter to President Biden that requested federal intervention in local school board issues – which likened civic participation to “domestic terrorism and hate crimes” and cited the Patriot Act – … Continue reading State School Board Associations’ Responses to the NSBA Letter →

Parents Defending Education: Dear Ms. Garcia and Mr. Slaven, On behalf of our 427,000 members, the undersigned organizations write in response to your September 29th letter to President Biden requesting “federal assistance to stop threats and acts of violence” against school board members, school officials, and teachers. In that letter you requested that the federal … Continue reading Joint Statement In Response to National School Board Association Accusation of Parents Engaging in ‘Domestic Terrorism’ →

Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Committee on the Judiciary is conducting oversight of the Biden Administration’s use of federal law-enforcement and counterterrorism resources against parents voicing concerns about controversial curricula and education-related policies at local school board meetings. This oversight began in … Continue reading “Conceding that the National School Boards Association letter was the only basis for the Justice Department’s actions” →

Michael Watson: The National School Boards Association (NSBA) messed up big time. It sent a letter to the Biden administration calling on the Justice Department to investigate protesting parents under the PATRIOT Act, among other federal anti-terrorism laws. In so doing, the erstwhile representative national association of school board officials exacerbated existing internal disputes over … Continue reading “To Encourage the Others”: Making an Example of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) →

Elizabeth Beyer: he Wisconsin Association of School Boards announced Tuesday it will withdraw its participation from the National School Boards Association after the national group issued and then rescinded a letter to President Joe Biden characterizing threats school board members across the country have received as “domestic terrorism.” According to a notice sent out to … Continue reading (Taxpayer Supported) Wisconsin Association of School Boards breaks from national group after Domestic Terrorism letter to Joe Biden →

Jordan Davidson: Garland then confirmed it wasn’t until NSBA contacted him that his department began to investigate claims of violence and terrorism. “Well, the National School Board Association, which represents thousands of school boards and school board members, says that there are these kinds of threats. When we read in the newspapers reports of threats … Continue reading Lawfare and the National Association of school boards →

Matt Beienburg: Educational leaders around the country are disavowing the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) inflammatory claim that the parents of school children are perpetrating a form of “domestic terrorism,” just for daring to stand up to the rise of politicized curriculum in their kids’ classrooms. But in Arizona, school leaders who wish to distance themselves from … Continue reading Taxpayer funded lobbying: National Association of School Boards →

Fred Lucas: “They are sympatico on public education and the power of unions,” Watson said. “Teacher unions have organized campaigns to win school boards.” Reed D. Rubinstein, senior counselor and director of oversight and investigations for America First Legal Foundation, signed the letter of complaint to the Justice Department’s inspector general. In their Sept. 29 letter to … Continue reading Taxpayer supported lobbying, redux: National Association of school boards →

Lisa Speckhard Pasque: In an often passionate debate that can become a battle between extremes, Robert Butler, associate executive director of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, doesn’t think there’s a top-down, one-size-fits-all solution. On an episode of the Sunday political talk show “UpFront with Mike Gousha,” Butler suggested asking local police, liability carriers and … Continue reading Wisconsin Association of School Boards: Conversation about arming teachers should start at local level →

Peggy Mcglone:

The New Jersey School Boards Association has created a task force on student achievement to help local boards identify strategies to improve student performance and close the economic achievement gap.
Members of 11 school boards from urban, rural and suburban districts are joined by education and community leaders to review relevant research and address issues ranging from curriculum to access to technology. The task force will present best practices and make recommendations that local boards can use to improve student performance.
“Overall New Jersey’s students performing well on nationwide measures of academic progress, but when one digs deeper, a troubling statistic becomes apparent: a persistent economic achievement gap,” the association’s executive director Lawrence Feinsod said. “Poverty is no friend to academic achievement. Neither should it be an excuse for allowing children not to succeed.”

Dr. Larry Feinsod:

As NJSBA’s semi-annual Delegate Assembly approaches (Saturday, May 18 is the meeting date), it’s a good time to recount the Association’s progress on key initiatives during the past six months.
Special Education Task Force: In January, NJSBA formed a task force to review our state’s current process for funding and providing special education services. The study group will recommend changes to state and federal statute and regulation. The goal is to reduce special education costs to local school districts without diminishing the quality of needed services. In addition, the task force will identify best practices.
As I’ve previously stated in this column, I began my career in education as a special education teacher. The education of children with special needs will always be close to my heart. However, there is a dire need to develop strategies that will maintain quality services, without negatively affecting resources for general education programming.
The Task Force is working under the guidance of Dr. Gerald Vernotica, Montclair State University associate professor and former assistant commissioner of education. The group has been involved in data collection and research, has consulted with experts, and is seeking information from New Jersey’s local school districts. Earlier this month, it issued a survey on special education trends to superintendents and special education directors. For more information on the survey, please contact John Burns, NJSBA counsel, at jburns@njsba.org.

Wisconsin Association of School Boards (PDF), via a kind reader’s email:

Create: The WASB supports legislation to allow a public records authority to charge a requester for all of the actual, necessary and direct costs associated with complying with requests under the Public Records Law.
Rationale: The committee advanced this resolution to allow the membership to decide whether to go on record in support of allowing public records authorities, including school districts, to charge a requester for all of the actual, necessary and direct costs associated with complying with requests under the Public Records Law. (A recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision held that public records authorities are not authorized to charge a requester for the costs of redacting non-disclosable information contained in otherwise disclosable public records.)

Related: Madison Schools’ Report Cards Take a hit after data error and Where does MMSD get its numbers from?.
Open Records. Sunlight Foundation.
The publication of1996-2006 Madison Police call data occurred after a lengthy open records process. Perhaps the City is becoming more forthcoming?
https://data.cityofmadison.com/

Florida Education Commissioner Gerard:

Public pronouncements by any governing institution remain one of the best ways to measure its tenacity of purpose. Embodied inside the words adults choose to convey an important message are their hopes and fears about the future. That is particularly true when schoolchildren are the topic of conversation.
Yesterday’s vote by the Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) in favor of an anti-high-stakes-testing resolution is a perfect example of adults expressing concern about the future. Unfortunately, the resolution is short on providing hope to schoolchildren who are Florida’s future. Similar to the national resolution that calls into question the need for educational assessments, the FSBA’s resolution claims the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is too expensive, narrows the curriculum and is a detriment to student success. Let us separate rhetoric from reality.

Rory Linnane “If 60-75% of community are not directly involved in the school district, and people don’t know more than seeing a name on a sign, that association with a group at least provides someone with no knowledge an idea of where someone leans in ideology,” Adsit said. “I was proud of that association because … Continue reading Commentary on Waukesha County (Wisconsin) School board elections →

Dave Cieslewicz: The selection of Joe Gothard as Madison’s next public schools superintendent has met with widespread praise, including from me. But digging a little deeper into his record raises some concerns. Let’s start with the good stuff. Gothard has led the St. Paul school district since 2017. That district is bigger and more diverse … Continue reading “Not communicating with media, low academic achievement scores at the St. Paul school district he recently led are worrisome” →

Rebecca Kleefisch: Reform-minded school board associations are appearing countrywide, with around 30 new groups emerging since the National School Boards Association (NSBA) asked for federal law enforcement intervention against moms and dads who attended school board meetings to stand up for their kids. There’s a better way to train educators.Learning lags with new teachers. Many quit. As ridiculous … Continue reading Schools and political agendas →

Corrinne Hess: School districts in Wisconsin would have to comply with competitive bidding requirements for construction projects costing more than $150,000 under a new legislative proposal. Wisconsin is one of only three states that allows a project of any size to be awarded on a no-bid basis, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. … Continue reading Wisconsin is only one of three states that doesn’t require schools to go out for bid on construction projects →

Rachel Saslow: The first rule of Portland Public Schools budget cuts: Don’t call them budget cuts. “We refer to it as a ‘gap,’” says Will Howell, a PPS spokesman. So, the school district faces a $130 million gap because of the labor contract it signed last week with the Portland Association of Teachers—an agreement that … Continue reading How Can Portland Public Schools Afford Its New Teacher Contract? With These Taxes and Layoffs. →

Corrinne Hess: The proposed bill, authored by Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Irma, and state Rep. Jeff Mursau, R-Crivitz, extends that exception to applicants for all licenses that require the FORT exam.   Felzkowski and Mursau did not respond to requests for comment.  Lawmakers, DPI and the Wisconsin Association of School Boards say the change is necessary to … Continue reading “Only 54 percent of first-time Teacher test takers passed for the 2020-21 school year. That’s down from 66 percent in 2014-15” →

Donna St George: Families argue that schools have a legal obligation to keep children safe, and many political leaders agree: Fifty states have enacted laws to combat school bullying. But in day-to-day school life, some policies are not robust, and others are not enforced. And advocates say that a belief persists in some communities that bullying is part of … Continue reading A Washington Post analysis found nearly 200 incidents in recent years when a bullied student took his or her own life. Some schools are paying out millions and changing policies. →

Wall Street Journal: Progressives tee up a case for the state Supreme Court’s new majority. This should be an easy case, but the new 4-3 progressive majority on the Court is cause for worry. If the lawsuit is successful, it could end school choice in Wisconsin without a possibility of appeal because the case is … Continue reading Lawfare, school choice and the Wisconsin Supreme Court →

Will Flanders As private school choice programs expand at a rapid pace across the nation, a common complaint is that they will harm public schools. In Wisconsin, where a large increase in private school choice funding was recently passed, a state senator claimed that public schools would be “defunded,” despite $1 billion in public school … Continue reading School Choice and Student Outcomes →

Peter Jamison: Across the country, interest in home schooling has never been greater. The Bealls could see the surge in Virginia, where nearly 57,000 children were being home-schooled in the fall of 2022 — a 28 percent jump from three years earlier. The rise of home education, initially unleashed by parents’ frustrations with pandemic-related campus … Continue reading A curious Bezos Washington Post take on homeschooling →

Rory Linnane: The political action committee of the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association, the union for MPS staff, first gave about $11,000 directly to candidates’ campaigns in January: $5,000 to Zombor, and nearly $1,500 each to Hart, Herndon, O’Halloran and Siemsen. In March, the group spent another $41,422 on postcards and digital ads for Zombor, $22,000 … Continue reading Following losses in the last school board election, Milwaukee’s teachers union has paid big this season to support its favored candidates, reporting spending over $88,000 since January. →

Mine Antonucci: The California Teachers Association spent heavily on school board races in the state, distributing $1.8 million to 125 local affiliates, which were required by union policy to add almost $1 million more to the total. That investment seems to have mostly paid off. California election results take weeks to finalize, but union-backed candidates are leading … Continue reading Teacher union$ and $chool Board Governance: Californian edition →

IFS: “School boards across the country should take note. Rules for public comments must respect the First Amendment rights of speakers. If you are limiting which opinions may be shared, you’ll be held liable for violating First Amendment rights,” said Alan Gura, Vice President for Litigation at the Institute for Free Speech. A federal court ruled in November … Continue reading Pennsbury school board officials used unconstitutional policies and bullying tactics to silence criticism of diversity, inclusion and equity agenda →

Ann Althouse: But what’s really bothering Strauss isn’t the outrage of insulting education departments. It’s Hillsdale’s participation in charter schools around the country. There’s the “Hillsdale K-12 curriculum that is centered on Western civilization and designed to help ‘students acquire a mature love for America.’” Valerie Strauss: At the reception last week, held at a … Continue reading Commentary on school of education effectiveness and k-12 diversity choices vs monoculture →

C Bradley Thompson: Parents en masse organized to protest the teaching of Critical Race Theory (and Critical Gender Theory) in America’s government schools. We’ve all seen the videos of school board meetings that erupted in anger as parents vented their frustrations with local school board officials. It’s clear from those meetings that the parents opposing CRT believe … Continue reading Commentary on Critical Race theory in taxpayer supported K-12 schools →

School Choice Wisconsin: Wisconsin voters strongly support making all families eligible for the state’s school choice programs and favor ending funding inequities between choice, charter, and traditional public schools. These are among key findings on education issues in a scientific, random sample poll conducted earlier this month by one of the nation’s leading opinion research … Continue reading Notes on pro school choice poll results →

Nada Elmikashfi: While all city employees at one time were required to live within the city limits, the residency requirement was eliminated for Madison Metro drivers in the 1980s and in subsequent years for other unionized employees as well. Arguments to keep the requirement were based in part on concerns over a dwindling middle class, … Continue reading Commentary on the taxpayer supported Madison K-12 school climate →

Boardhawk: The Denver school board last week introduced a draft policy that could limit the autonomy of innovation schools and zones — district-run schools that under state law have some charter-school-like autonomy. The policy has been given the official title of Standard Teacher Rights and Protections. If passed, the rights and protections provided would be … Continue reading A proposal to reduce choice in the taxpayer supported Denver schools →

Laura Meckler: Email correspondence from the time suggested that the NSBA might have been acting at request of the White House, according to documents released through open records requests filed by a conservative group called Parents Defending Education. Slaven and the White House said that isn’t true. In one email, an NSBA board member wrote that … Continue reading Lobbying, Influence, Self Destruction and the National School Board Assocation →

Maddie Hanna and Kristen A. Graham: In questioning the superintendent of a rural school district, a lawyer for Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman repeatedly asked why the state’s academic standards mattered for students entering certain professions. “What use would a carpenter have for biology?” asked John Krill of Matthew Splain, superintendent of the Otto-Eldred … Continue reading 5 takeaways from Pennsylvania’s ongoing, landmark school-funding trial after one month →

Mackenzie Mays: California’s first superintendent of equity lives in Philadelphia and has a separate job there, more than 2,500 miles away from the schools he advises as one of the highest paid officials in the state Department of Education, according to records and interviews. Daniel Lee, a psychologist, life coach and self-help author, owns a Pennsylvania-based … Continue reading He was hired to fix California schools — while running a business in Philadelphia →

Christopher Rufo: The school board was able to do this because the Round Rock Independent School District has its own police force, with a three-layer chain of command, patrol units, school resource officers, a detective, and a K-9 unit. The department serves under the authority of the board and, through coordination with other agencies, apparently has … Continue reading Enemies of the School Board: Parents in some school districts find their input suppressed—and their dissent criminalized. →

Christopher Rufo: The school board was able to do this because the Round Rock Independent School District has its own police force, with a three-layer chain of command, patrol units, school resource officers, a detective, and a K-9 unit. The department serves under the authority of the board and, through coordination with other agencies, apparently has … Continue reading Parents in some school districts find their input suppressed—and their dissent criminalized. →

Marianne Goodland: At stake in the state’s second-largest school district: control of the board by candidates backed by teachers’ unions or those supported by conservative causes. Incumbents who chose not to run again held two of the three seats on this year’s ballot and had been backed by the union in past elections. Unofficial results … Continue reading Voters shake up school boards in Colorado’s biggest districts →

Adam Harris: And it’s not all about CRT. Although that fight has garnered a lot of attention, the current animus toward school boards, and the members who sit on them, goes back to the start of the pandemic, when many schools shut down, prompting intense anger from some parents. Pamela Lindberg, a six-year Robbinsdale, Minnesota, … Continue reading School issues are pitting Americans against one another, but they aren’t surefire winners for either party. →

Mike Antonucci: In a much-disputed action, the local’s board of directors voted 7-4 on Oct. 25 to approve a memorandum of understanding that gave the state union authority over most of its finances and operations. The story was first reported by Jared Foretek of InsideNoVa.com. “Specific concerns regarding the management and government of the PWEA have … Continue reading Amid Crucial State Elections, Virginia Education Association Places its Second-Largest Local Under Trusteeship →

Philip Hamburger: The public school system weighs on parents. It burdens them not simply with poor teaching and discipline, but with political bias, hostility toward religion, and now even sexual and racial indoctrination. Schools often seek openly to shape the very identity of children. What can parents do about it? “I don’t think parents should … Continue reading Is the Public School System Constitutional? →

Erika Sanzi: Remember the letter that the National School Board Association (NSBA) sent to President Biden a few weeks ago that complained about frustrated and angry parents and referred to them as the “equivalent of domestic terrorists?” It turns out that the president and CEO of the organization went rogue together (after direct coordination with White House … Continue reading Lawfare & K-12 Parents & Schools: White House staff had been in communication with NSBA staff over “several weeks,” →

Joe Schoffstahl: The records further show that the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, the two largest teachers unions in the U.S., received a copy of the guidance before the CDC released it to the public. The guidance included a phased reopening approach for K-12 schools based on coronavirus cases in the area. “These documents are … Continue reading Teachers unions influenced last-minute CDC school guidance, received copies before public release, emails show →

Glenn Reynolds: American parents are organizing to fight racist critical race theories being taught in their kids’ schools. Attorney General Merrick Garland, once touted as a moderate, has responded by asking the FBI to treat them as domestic terrorists. As befits the Biden administration, this over-the-top authoritarianism is accompanied by the stench of corruption, as … Continue reading Schools boards, bastions of local democracy, persecute dissident parents →

Maud Maron: I am a mother of four, a criminal defense attorney and a lifelong liberal who is deeply concerned about the direction of New York City’s public schools. I’ve been outspoken about my views, along with an untold number of frustrated parents. For that, the FBI is considering using the PATRIOT Act against me.  … Continue reading Showing up to dress down school boards over their dereliction of duty isn’t a crime. It’s good parenting and good citizenship. →

Hans Bader: Left-wing teachers unions and the National School Boards Association say parents have threatened or harassed school officials over mask mandates, or for peddling critical race theory or transgender ideology. In response, Attorney General Merrick Garland says the Justice Department will investigate such “harassment, intimidation and threats.” Usually, the Department of Justice does not investigate threats, viewing them as … Continue reading Conflict of interest mars Attorney General’s investigation of parents in school controversies →

Joe Hong: Some school officials are flouting the updated state rules, saying students will be allowed to return to the classroom with or without a mask. California’s smallest school districts say they will refuse to send kids home for not wearing a mask despite a new state mandate.  Superintendents in these tight-knit and typically more … Continue reading Small California school districts will refuse to follow mask mandate →

WILL: The News: The Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously declared that an order from the City of Racine’s public health officer closing all schools, public and private, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is invalid and lacked proper legal authority. The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed an original action to the Wisconsin Supreme Court on November 19, on … Continue reading Wisconsin Supreme Court Declares Racine School Closure Order Invalid →

William Jacobson: Nicole Solas is the South Kingstown, Rhode Island, mother of a child entering kindergarten in the fall who has been targeted by the School District, School Committee, and Rhode Island School Superintendents Association, after she filed a large number of public records requests regarding Critical Race and Gender teaching in the elementary school. … Continue reading Rhode Island Mom and School Board Governance: legal edition →

Wisconsin Supreme Court: For the respondent, there was a brief filed by Remzy D. Bitar, Sadie R. Zurfluh, and Municipal and Litigation Group ̧ Waukesha. There was an oral argument by Remzy D. Bitar. For the petitioners Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools, et al., there was a reply brief filed by Richard M. … Continue reading Political Posturing, interests and “adult employment” on taxpayer supported Dane County Madison public health ordering schools closed →

William Jacobson: Last Friday, June 4, 2021, I filed a public records request with the South Kingstown school district seeking, among other things, records of communications with the Superintendents Association and public sector unions regarding Nicole and/or PDE, and records as to how Cummiskey’s statements were approved. My suspicions were confirmed, in part, last night … Continue reading School Board Parent Legal Posturing →

Fairfaxparents.org: Fairfax County Parents Association is a nonpartisan volunteer grassroots organization of parents that seeks to ensure students are the first priority in Fairfax County Public Schools. This is accomplished by educating parents about the governance and administration of the school system and empowering parents to advocate on behalf of their children. We seek to … Continue reading WELCOME TO FAIRFAX COUNTY PARENTS ASSOCIATION →

Samantha West, Alec Johnson and Rory Linnane: Tricia Zunker said she knows school board presidents sometimes have a target on their backs. It’s part of the job, she said. But as Zunker led the Wausau School District board over the past year, she said, “People were so cruel, you’d think I personally brought the pandemic … Continue reading Commentary on Incumbent school board member election losses (unopposed in Madison…) →

Rory Linnane: About half of Milwaukee voters will elect new school board members April 6, with no incumbents running for four open seats. Two of the races have only one candidate on the ballot: Walker’s Point Center for the Arts executive director Marcela Garcia for the south side District 6 seat now held by Tony … Continue reading Milwaukee School Board guide: Here’s what you need to make an informed vote with no incumbents running for four open seats →

Matt Smith: Milwaukee Public School teachers would return to the classroom next week ahead of a phased-in return of students learning in April under a plan that will go before the school board Tuesday evening. The plan calls for in-person instruction four days a week, with Wednesdays set aside for cleaning when students would remain … Continue reading Milwaukee Teachers union: ‘Very irresponsible’ if school board approves in-person plan →

Armand A Fusco: It should now be clear that education dollars are not immune from corrupt indulgences, and that school budgets in the approval phase and spending process leave much to be desired. If dollars are to be spent more wisely and if fraud is to be prevented, a new thought process is needed about … Continue reading Part 5 Finance: Can a FAC protect the school treasure chest? →

Phillip Sasser, MD, MS, Timothy McGuine, PhD, LAT, Kristin Haraldsdottir, PhD, Kevin Biese, MA, LAT, Leslie Goodavish, PA, Bethany Stevens, Andrew M. Watson, MD: The purpose of this study was to describe the reported incidence of COVID-19 in Wisconsin high school athletes in September 2020, and to investigate the relationship of COVID-19 incidence with sport … Continue reading Reported COVID-19 Incidence in Wisconsin High School Athletes During Fall 2020 →

Cori Petersen: This past fall, many public schools made the decision to go virtual as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this wasn’t the case for most private schools. In fact, according to the National Association of Independent Schools, only 5% of private schools went virtual as of October. This is driving demand for … Continue reading Removing barriers to school choice would help more low-income kids learn in person →

CBS2 Classes are canceled for students in the Keystone Oaks School District due to a teachers’ strike that has been authorized by the Keystone Oaks Education Association.  RELATED: Keystone Oaks Education Association Announces Intention To Strike If New Contract Is Not Reached Beginning on Monday, February 1, 2021, the strike goes into effect and classes will … Continue reading Keystone Oaks School District Cancels Classes Due To Teachers’ Strike →

SF Chronicle: For the past year, the shuttered San Francisco schools have been schools in name only, so perhaps it’s fitting that the school board has taken to occupying itself by tinkering with their names. The members of the city’s Board of Education, having largely quit the education business and rebranded themselves as amateur historians, … Continue reading San Francisco’s school board in name only →

Cori Petersen: This past fall, many public schools made the decision to go virtual as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this wasn’t the case for most private schools. In fact, according to the National Association of Independent Schools, only 5% of private schools went virtual as of October. This is driving demand for … Continue reading Removing barriers to school choice would help more low-income kids learn in person →

Mackenzie Mays: California teachers unions are demanding that the Legislature maintain pandemic restrictions on school reopenings and have begun mobilizing against a Democratic bill introduced last week that could force schools to reopen in March. In separate letters to legislative leaders, the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers urge lawmakers to avoid … Continue reading California teachers unions mobilize against Democratic school reopening bill →

John Wisely: Three Catholic high schools are suing the state in federal court, saying Michigan’s most recent order banning in-person learning violates their First Amendment right to practice their faith. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon on Monday extended by 12 days a previous order banning in-person learning at high schools, colleges … Continue reading Michigan Catholic high schools sue state over in-person learning ban →

Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, Wil Van Cleve, MD, MPH2; Frederick J. Zimmerman, PhD3: Question  Based on the current understanding of the associations between school disruption and decreased educational attainment and between decreased educational attainment and lower life expectancy, is it possible to estimate the association between school closure during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and decreased life expectancy of publicly … Continue reading Estimation of US Children’s Educational Attainment and Years of Life Lost Associated With Primary School Closures During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic →

Amelia Nierenberg: In San Francisco, restaurants, movie theaters and museums are open at reduced capacity. The share of coronavirus tests that come back positive in the city has stayed low since a surge over the summer. But as some of San Francisco’s private and parochial schools have begun to reopen their doors, its public school … Continue reading In San Francisco, Closed Public Schools, Open Private Schools →

Chris Stewart: This past Sunday my 8 Black Hands crew did a show on the missing importance of school boards, and then this article pops up saying the National School Boards Association (NSBA) has launched a campaign called “Public School Transformation Now!” The goal, flimsy as ever, is to “bring equity issues front and center.” … Continue reading School boards have too much power they aren’t using to fix education →

Annysa Johnson, Samantha West and Alec Johnson: Enrollment in Wisconsin public schools fell by 3% this year, the largest dip in decades, and private schools that accept taxpayer-funded vouchers saw an increase, though not as much as last year. In all, according to new data released Thursday by the state Department of Public Instruction, public schools … Continue reading Wisconsin public school enrollments see biggest drop in decades in first count since COVID-19, adding to budget challenges →

Emily Oster: In early August, the first kids in America went back to school during the pandemic. Many of these openings happened in areas where cases were high or growing: in Georgia, Indiana, Florida. Parents, teachers, and scientists feared what might happen next. The New York Times reported that, in parts of Georgia, a school … Continue reading Schools Aren’t Super-Spreaders →

Scott Girard: Schools in Dane County that want to open for in-person education can do so immediately for all grades after the state Supreme Court temporarily blocked enforcement of the Public Health Madison & Dane County order requiring virtual learning for grades 3-12. The court’s conservative majority issued the 4-3 ruling [PDF document], which combined … Continue reading State Supreme Court puts pause on Dane County Madison public health order barring in-person school →

Brittney Martin: Though Lee struggled with her online classes last semester, Garcia plans to keep her home again this fall. Lee has asthma, as does her nineteen-year-old sister, who contracted COVID-19 in June and narrowly avoided having to be admitted to the hospital as she struggled to breathe. Garcia has once again requested a hot … Continue reading Texas Education Association online education Commentary →

Mike Antonucci: Students of civics might think the California state budget is crafted by the elected representatives of the citizenry, who debate and amend proposals working their way through various committees, ultimately leading to a spending plan with majority support and the signature of the governor. All that happens, of course, but no budget makes … Continue reading K-12 Tax, Referendum & spending climate: California’s state budget has big benefits for a Teacher unions, stifles charter schools and funds phantom students →

Mike Antonucci: The Massachusetts Teachers Association has been active since the COVID-19 shutdown — surveying members, holding meetings and issuing guidelines and policies. The state union hasn’t been shy about providing bargaining instructions to local affiliates, some of which go beyond the standard problems associated with reopening. Last week the MTA board of directors approved a policy statement, … Continue reading Quincy Local Refuses to Endorse Massachusetts Teachers Association Reopening Statement →

Tamia Fowlkes: Protesters from four of Wisconsin’s largest cities gathered Monday in a National Day of Resistance caravan to demand that legislators and superintendents make the fall 2020 academic semester completely virtual. Educator unions, community organizations and advocates from Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee and Racine traveled to the Capitol, the state Department of Public Instruction and … Continue reading School teachers from across the state protest for a virtual fall semester →

Annysa Johnson & Molly Beck: Teachers unions in the state’s five largest school districts are calling on Gov. Tony Evers and the state’s top health and education leaders Monday to require schools to remain closed for now and to start the school year online only, arguing the threat from the coronavirus remains too high for students and staff … Continue reading Teachers unions in largest districts call on Wisconsin Governor (& former DPI Leader) Tony Evers to require schools start virtually →

Wisconsin DPI: Responding to COVID-19 is a tremendous undertaking for schools. Schools are tasked with re-envisioning educational delivery models in a span of weeks and adjust practices accordingly. As we look toward the fall, the safety and health of our students, educators, and families remains of the highest importance. The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) … Continue reading Wisconsin DPI 87 page “reopening schools” plan →

Darrel Burnette II: Across the nation, hundreds of school districts are trapped in a death spiral of declining enrollment that forces dramatic budget cuts which then trigger more student departures. State officials, who have the power to merge or dissolve districts to create more financially stable systems, are often reluctant to interfere in a process … Continue reading Endless Accountability Mulligans for Taxpayer Supported K-12 School Districts →

Documents from the January 11, 2020 taxpayer supported Madison School Board retreat: Administration slides (pdf) Hanover Research Consulting Summary (PDF) Hanover Research: duckduckgo www Illinois (!) Association of School Boards referendum summary (pdf) Much more on the planned 2020 taxpayer supported Madison School District referendum, here. 2019: Madison increased property taxes by 7.2%.

John Murawski: The ethnic studies movement has been underway for years and is now poised to enter the mainstream, raising tough questions for educators and policymakers about how to present such material to teenagers. Teachers around the country are already offering ethnic studies classes, units or lessons on their own initiative, citing a growing urgency … Continue reading Woke History Is Making Big Inroads in America’s High Schools →

Betsy Morris and Tawnell D. Hobbs: The uncertainty is feeding alarm among some parents already worried about the amount of time their children spend attached to digital devices. Some believe technology is not doing much to help their kids learn, setting up a clash with tech advocates who say technology is the future of education. … Continue reading Schools Pushed for Tech in Every Classroom. Now Parents Are Pushing Back. →

David Blaska: “Mainstream education is an oppressive institution,” says one supporter If I read this right, Madison police will continue to provide security and positive role models in Madison’s four main public high schools for two more school years. That is because the Madison Board of Education is not considering evicting the school resource officer … Continue reading Notes and links: Police and the Taxpayer supported Madison School District →

: The California Teachers Association surprised just about everyone in the state’s education arena — including me — last week by abruptly dismissing executive director and longtime political powerhouse Joe Nuñez. “The California Teachers Association recognizes the accomplishments and legacy of veteran educator and union advocate Joe Nuñez who has been the CTA Executive Director … Continue reading California Teachers Association elected a new president. Then, it ousted its powerful executive director. Coincidence? →

Negassi Tesfamichael: The Madison School Board is slated to support a resolution on Monday calling for legislation requiring school districts across Wisconsin to stop using Native American mascots. The resolution, which was started by the Wausau School District, would affect the approximately 31 school districts in the state that currently use a Native American mascot, … Continue reading Madison School District aiming to join resolution calling for retirement of Native AmericAn mascots across Wisconsin By Negassi Tesfamichael →

Eric Litke: Voucher schools are an ongoing point of contention in Wisconsin’s divided government, with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers even promising to tighten or end the decades-old program. The system, which uses taxpayer money to send low-income students to private schools, has been tweaked and debated but ultimately expanded under Republican control in recent years. … Continue reading No, voucher schools haven’t raised property taxes by $1B since 2011 →

Bari Weiss: Arnautoff, who had assisted Diego Rivera in Mexico, was a committed Communist. “‘Art for art’s sake’ or art as perfume have never appealed to me,” he said in 1935. “The artist is a critic of society.” This is why his freshly banned work, “Life of Washington,” does not show the clichéd image of … Continue reading Commentary on “progressive puritanism”, ”safe Spaces” and the San Francisco school board →

Aaron Haviland: NALSA (Native American Law Students Association) said ADF employees were not welcome on their “ancestral lands.” The Yale Law Women, Yale Law Student Alliance for Reproductive Justice, and the Women of Color Collective joined, as did the American Constitution Society, the Yale Law Democrats, and the First Generation Professionals. In addition to the … Continue reading Civics: The First Amendment and Yale Law School →

Liz Bowie: The state school board voted Tuesday to allow the appointment of non-educators to superintendent positions. The new regulation passed despite significant protest by educators across the state, including the association representing local school boards. Across the nation, it is not unusual for individuals with a track record of success in another field to … Continue reading Credentialism: Maryland state school board agrees to allow non-educators to become superintendents →

Ken Epstein: Oakland educators say they have reached a “bargaining showdown” with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) as contract negotiations enter their second year. The Oakland Education Association (OEA), along with parent, labor and student supporters, held a news conference last Friday at the end of the first day of state-assisted mediation, a process … Continue reading Oakland Schools, Teachers Enter Mediation as Contract Negotiations Stall →

Mark Sommerhauser: Wisconsin school districts ratcheted up health care costs on teachers and other employees after the state’s Act 10 collective bargaining changes, with the average district now requiring teachers to pay about 12 percent of their health insurance premiums, newly released data show. Madison schools are near the low end of what districts now … Continue reading Wisconsin Act 10 Commentary: Madison schools are near the low end of what districts now require for teacher health insurance premium contributions, at 3 percent, →

Diana Dombrowski: The Milwaukee Public Schools Board passed the 2018-’19 budget at a special meeting Tuesday night, slashing millions of dollars from the central office and returning $11.6 million to classrooms. Interim Superintendent Keith Posley made changes to former superintendent Darienne Driver’s proposed budget just three days after assuming the office last week. The vote … Continue reading MPS board passes budget that restores $11.6 million to classrooms, cuts central office →

Annysa Johnson: “Eighty-eight cents of every dollar we spend is in the schools, so every reduction we make will impact schools directly,” said Driver, who had brought forward a number of potential cost-saving measures, including changes to employee benefits and busing, that were rejected by board members. “It’s very difficult to make those choices. But … Continue reading Discussing less than 1% of the Milwaukee School District’s $1,170,000,000 budget →

Christopher Kuhagen: “We are fundamentally a stronger system than we were seven years ago when our board hired me and committed to improving the full system. Students at all levels are growing, their performance is strong, and they are positioning themselves for remarkable futures. “Our staff members are leaders in the nation. Our schools are … Continue reading Menomonee Falls Schools Superintendent Pat Greco announces her upcoming retirement →

Tawnell Hobs: “The schools that have 20% to 30% voucher kids and 70% to 80% fee-paying kids, they look more like the private schools that we sort of put on a pedestal—that have very ambitious programs,” says Patrick Wolf, a professor of education policy at the University of Arkansas who has studied private-school choice programs … Continue reading Do School Vouchers Work? Look to Milwaukee →