Education

St. Louis’s NBC affiliate reports: Public libraries are feeling the heat after the Missouri House perfected budget bills that would eliminate state funding for libraries across state, citing a controversial lawsuit as the reason. Rep. Cody Smith (R-Carthage), the House Budget Committee chairman, proposed to cut the entire $4.5 million budget slated for Missouri libraries last week after the American …

Florida Politics reports: The Senate voted 23-17 on Wednesday to pass a measure that would increase the required percentage of union members who pay dues to 60% for all public sector employees excluding police, firefighters and correctional officers. The proposals also would affect how unions collect dues, set limits on the salaries of union officials, restrict when members can recruit …

Vice News reports: A high school athletics department in a small town in central Ohio is raffling off powerful firearms—including an AR-15—to raise funds to buy equipment for the track team. The gun raffle, in aid of the Upper Sandusky Rams Track and Field, has been so popular that this week the organizers announced all 500 $10 tickets have been …

The Arizona Mirror reports: A bill that critics say violates students’ constitutional rights by forcing them to recite the Pledge of Allegiance has continued to make its way toward becoming law. The bill from Rep. Barbara Parker, R-Mesa, requires that school districts and charter schools set aside a specific time each day for K-12 students to recite the pledge of …

Orlando’s NBC affiliate reports: The longtime principal of a charter school in southeast Volusia County resigned under fire Tuesday night after it was discovered she wrote a $100,000 check out of the school’s account to an Internet scammer posing as Elon Musk. Jan McGee claims she was scammed online by a fake Elon Musk after spending months talking to this …

Milwaukee’s Fox affiliate reports: A Waukesha teacher asked kids to sing a Miley Cyrus song, but administrators say it’s too controversial for elementary school. The song is called “Rainbowland.” It’s a duet between Cyrus and country star Dolly Parton. Superintendent Jim Sebert confirmed that “Rainbowland” was dropped from the set list. He cited a specific school board policy, saying: “It …

NBC News reports: The House passed GOP-sponsored legislation Friday aimed at providing parents with more information about their children’s educations, marking the congressional Republicans’ foray into culture war battles taking place across the country over what children are taught in public schools. Lawmakers approved the bill in a 213-208 vote after voting on several amendments. The Parents Bill of Rights …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Frustrated by the books being removed from school libraries, a Utah parent says there’s one that hasn’t been challenged yet, but that they believe should be, for being “one of the most sex-ridden books around.” So they’ve submitted a request for their school district in Davis County to now review the Bible for any inappropriate …

The Washington Post reports: As Florida Republicans are introducing and advancing a wave of bills on gender and diversity that are likely to be signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), one GOP lawmaker acknowledged this week that his proposed sexual health bill would ban girls from talking about their menstrual cycles in school. During a Florida House Education …

Miami’s NBC affiliate reports: A federal judge on Thursday denied the state of Florida’s attempt to block an injunction on the Individual Freedom Act that was also called the “Stop Woke Act.” The 11th Circuit Court denied a stay requested by the state after a judge initially ruled in favor of the American Civil Liberties Union, which argued the state …

Arizona Central reports: Teachers rallied at the Capitol on Wednesday to oppose Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne’s new hotline for members of the public to report “inappropriate lessons.” The protesting educators called for the hotline to be shut down and for teachers to be recognized for the difficult work they do in challenging teaching conditions. When news of the …

Lexington’s NPR affiliate reports: Kentucky lawmakers sent a controversial bill criticized as a “book-banning” measure to the desk of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear Wednesday night. After more than an hour of heated debate the measure cleared the GOP-controlled House 80-18. All Republicans supported the measure, joined by one Democrat, Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty. Most of the titles targeted center LGBTQ …

NBC News reports: A Republican state senator in Minnesota said Tuesday he was voting against a bill to provide free breakfast and lunch for school students in part because he’d never encountered anyone in the state who was hungry. “I have yet to meet a person in Minnesota that is hungry,” Sen. Steve Drazkowski said in remarks on the floor …

The right wing Florida’s Voice reports: WPLG 10 reporter Trent Kelly was ignored by some officials of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration after he approached them following a press conference using a false term for the Parental Rights in Education Act. The video depicted Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez and Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr., leaving a room and being followed …

Florida News Service reports: The Republican-controlled House Choice & Innovation Subcommittee voted 14-4 along almost-straight party lines to approve the proposal (HB 1223), after numerous LGBTQ advocates slammed the bill as harmful to vulnerable youths. Rep. Lisa Dunkley, D-Sunrise, voted with Republicans for the measure. The 2022 law, which drew national attention and federal court challenges, prohibited instruction about sexual …

From the Arizona Department of Education: Arizona schools chief Tom Horne has launched the Department of Education “Empower Hotline” so that Arizonans can report inappropriate public school lessons that detract from teaching academic standards. These include those that focus on race or ethnicity, rather than individuals and merit, promoting gender ideology, social emotional learning, or inappropriate sexual content. The hotline …

The Texas Tribune reports: A bill filed Friday in the Texas Senate would prohibit public colleges and universities from awarding tenure to professors hired after September, legislation that critics have said would make it extremely difficult for the state to recruit top faculty and negatively impact the reputation of its higher education institutions. The bill, filed by Sen. Brandon Creighton …

Columbia’s The State reports: A 15-year-old student at River Bluff High School says she was physically assaulted by a teacher for refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Now her parents are suing Lexington School District One, Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait, River Bluff Principal Jacob Smith, River Bluff teacher Nicole Livingston and the S.C. Department of Education on her behalf. On …

West Palm Beach’s NBC affiliate reports: A new list shows dozens and dozens of books have been removed from library shelves in the Martin County School District. This comes as the state puts in new requirements for school librarians to review reading material, and districts must have a process allowing community members to challenge books. Books by well known authors …

The Texas Tribune reports: Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp has directed leaders of its 11 universities and eight agencies to stop asking job candidates for statements about their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in their applications. Last month, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office sent a letter to public universities and state agencies saying that DEI hiring practices violated …