Education

From GOP Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft: Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office has submitted a proposed rule that would establish a certification requirement for libraries receiving state funds and institute measures to protect minors from non-age-appropriate materials. As stated in the proposal, libraries would adopt written policies determining what material is age-appropriate. As well, state funds could not …

The Ventura County Star reports: A Goleta man was taken into custody Saturday for allegedly calling in a threat to “put a bullet” through the skull of Conejo Valley Unified Superintendent Mark McLaughlin, authorities said. Thousand Oaks police arrested Randell Graham, 45, at his home in Santa Barbara County on suspicion of making felony criminal threats, according to the Ventura …

ABC News reports: A considerable amount of radioactive waste was found at a Missouri elementary school near St. Louis, according to a new report. In August, Boston Chemical Data Corp. studied soil, dust and plant samples at Jana Elementary School in Florissant, Missouri, according to the company’s report. The school is in the flood plain of Coldwater Creek, which was …

The Houston Chronicle reports: Texas public school systems are set to distribute DNA and fingerprint identification kits for K-8 students to parents who wish to participate. The state Legislature passed a law in spring 2021 requiring the Texas Education Agency to give inkless in-home fingerprint and DNA identification cards to each public school system in Texas. The kits will be …

Little Rock’s CBS affiliate reports: The Conway School Board voted on Tuesday to issue new regulations on bathroom use and overnight hotel stays, based on a student’s sex assigned at birth. Hundreds expressed their opinion leading up to the vote, which resulted in a mixed, but strong reaction among residents. Some members of the LGBTQ+ community in the audience also …

The Associated Press reports: As Republicans and Democrats fight for control of Congress this fall, a growing collection of conservative political action groups is targeting its efforts closer to home: at local school boards. Their aim is to gain control of more school systems and push back against what they see as a liberal tide in public education classrooms, libraries, …

The Freedom From Religion Foundation reports: Jenny Savoy, a reading enrichment teacher at Richards Middle School in Gwinnett County, Ga., has been openly bragging on Facebook about using her position to convert students to Christianity. She runs a religious club at her middle school and regularly preaches to students. Disturbingly, Savoy described in detail in a Facebook post on Sept. …

The Washington Post reports: Six Republican-led states sued on Thursday to overturn President Biden’s plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for millions of borrowers, as conservatives advance legal challenges to one of the administration’s signature economic policy initiatives. The lawsuit filed by the GOP-run states asks the court to block the program immediately to prevent the Biden …

The Insider reports: A Florida school district removed a high school teacher who was recorded using racist rhetoric to admonish a student who didn’t stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. A TikTok of the Wednesday incident has amassed more than 1.4 million views as of Saturday. A spokesperson for Manatee County Schools told Insider that the district launched an investigation …

Axios reports: Led by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, 22 GOP governors on Monday sent a letter to President Biden urging him to withdraw his student loan forgiveness plan, citing its negative impact on lower-income families. Biden’s plan has faced significant pushback from Republicans, who say it’s unconstitutional, illegal and unfair to working-class Americans. “Only 16-17 percent of Americans have federal …

The New York Post reports: New York City public schools are expanding active shooter training to pre-K, 3-K and other early childhood programs, Department of Education officials said Wednesday. Schools Chancellor David Banks [photo] announced the new prep for staffers taking care of the Big Apple’s learners under 5 during a press conference in Queens ahead of back-to-school on Thursday. …

Via press release: To protect free speech, the government must censor. That’s the absurd argument put forth by Florida lawmakers in the controversial “Stop WOKE Act.” The law suppresses viewpoints disfavored by Florida lawmakers, threatens tens of millions of dollars in annual funding for universities that don’t crack down on faculty who “promote” an opinion on a government blacklist, and …

AM New York reports: The snow day tradition for New York City public school students is no more, Schools Chancellor David C. Banks said Tuesday. During an interview on Fox 5’s Good Day New York, Banks said that snow days or bad weather days would no longer be practiced in NYC public schools when the new school year starts this …

The Florida Phoenix reports: In Florida’s public schools, the 10th grade statewide English Language Arts assessment has been a crucial exam — kids have to pass it to get a standard high school diploma. But the 2022 spring exam results show that fewer than half of Florida’s 10th graders passed the ELA exam, troubling because students will be getting closer …

Politico reports: Democrat Charlie Crist will pick Karla Hernández-Mats, the head of Miami-Dade County’s largest teachers union, as his running mate as he seeks to unseat Gov. Ron DeSantis. Crist is expected to formally announce his pick during a Saturday rally in Miami that he’s holding to officially kick off his general election campaign. Crist trounced Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried …

The Lincoln Journal-Star reports: Grand Island Northwest Public Schools administrators eliminated its journalism program and student newspaper in June in what some former students and press freedom advocates call an act of censorship.The school year-ending issue of the Saga newspaper included student editorials on LGBTQ topics, along with a news article titled “Pride and prejudice: LGBTQIA+” on the origins of …

Dallas’s Fox affiliate reports: George Dawson, the grandson of a slave who lived most of his life in Dallas, published the biography in 2000 after learning to read at the age of 98. Life Is So Good looks back on Dawson’s life, discussing what things were like in the 20th Century, including topics like lynching, racism, segregation and civil rights. …

The New York Times reports: President Biden announced on Wednesday that he would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for Americans earning less than $125,000 per year, capping months of anticipation over a campaign promise to provide economic relief to millions of people, according to four people familiar with the announcement. Mr. Biden also extended a pandemic-era pause on loan …

Click Orlando reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis backed a group of 30 school board candidates prior to Tuesday’s election primaries. With nearly all precincts reporting their votes in these races as of 10 p.m. Tuesday, at least 19 of those candidates have won their respective races. Of the remaining candidates, seven are expected to participate in a runoff election, and only …

The New York Times reports: President Biden will announce a decision on Wednesday about his plans for student loan debt relief, a highly anticipated moment that could affect about 45 million borrowers nationwide, according to people familiar with the matter. Although details of the plan were still being finalized, White House aides have said Mr. Biden was weighing a targeted …