Education in Focus

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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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