Education in Focus

A new report from a conservative watchdog organization claims school district diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and hiring policies determine the political leanings of the teachers who end up in the classroom. The National Opportunity Project report, released Friday, said school districts that implement the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion in the hiring process weed out candidates that don’t “subscribe to certain views.” Districts mentioned in the report declined requests to comment.

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At the Republican primary debate last week, presidential hopefuls disparaged the state of education in the nation, with some candidates advocating for the abolition of the U.S. Department of Education and the promotion of school choice options. It’s an issue that seems sure to reappear as voters signal strong concerns with the quality of traditional public education. The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, found that more Americans are dissatisfied than satisfied with the quality of education at their local public school.

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A group of 20 schools in Missouri has received a waiver from the state to halt end-of-school standardized testing for students in lieu of interim assessments that direct how teachers and administrators will provide instruction. The schools are part of the Success-Ready Students Network and see the state Board of Education’s decision Tuesday to waive annual assessment requirements as a way to better provide competency-based learning to students. The state board voted unanimously to approve the “innovation waivers,” which will absolve the school districts of state requirements to test students for three years as the schools pursue competency-based learning. 

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The Texas House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment released a statewide report on education last week along with public comments from residents who expressed competing outlooks on education opportunity, accountability methods and student outcomes. The public comments show how Texans are vocally divided on whether to implement school choice programs in the state. The divide echoes division around school choice measures in the Legislature last session.

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Nevada lawmakers voted Wednesday not to divert federal COVID-19 relief funds toward expanding the Opportunity Scholarship program in the state after about six hours of discussion and testimony. Members of the Interim Finance Committee, comprised of the Senate Committee on Finance and the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means from the last legislative session, voted down party lines to reject Gov. Joe Lombardo’s funding proposal. The Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program, also known as the Opportunity Scholarship, was created in 2015 by the state’s legislature to provide need-based scholarships for students whose families live under 300% of the federal poverty line, according to the state’s website. 

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The Biden administration announced a more unified approach Tuesday to help school districts ward off cyberattacks that threaten the exposure of private student data, disruption of daily operations and the loss of millions in taxpayer money. The Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a document for school district leaders highlighting best practices to keep data safe, including preparing for attacks targeting schools as seen recently in Minneapolis and Los Angeles. 

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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit heard oral arguments Wednesday in a case against Michigan’s Blaine amendment, which restricts most public funds from going toward private schools. Five families sued the state in September 2021, arguing that the state’s Blaine amendment violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution because they were not allowed to use Michigan’s Education Savings Plan for private school tuition. 

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Test scores have continually demonstrated that students across the nation lost academic ground during the pandemic, so why are some districts touting higher graduation rates than before the pandemic? Do graduation rates mean students know everything they should? School districts across the nation have posted high graduation rates, despite test scores that show student achievement declines since the COVID-19 pandemic. Research suggests that the high graduation rate across the country comes from lower standards, not increased learning. 

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A new report from the National Retail Federation found that back-to-school shopping is expected to cost consumers an all-time high. The industry association found families purchasing for K-12 students are expected to spend an average of about $890, about $25 more than last year.

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Emails obtained by Chalkboard revealed how board members at a Tallahassee charter school handled complaints from parents arguing Michelangelo’s “David” and other famous works were not appropriate for students. Tallahassee Classical School made international headlines in March when principal Hope Carrasquilla told the Tallahassee Democrat that she was forced out of her position after parental objections to a sixth-grade art lesson on the Renaissance. The school says that characterization is false. The new details of what parents said about the artwork come as school districts nationwide struggle to agree on what is age-appropriate material for children, especially regarding library books.

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