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GOP parents rights bill passes House, but faces likely ‘dead end’ in Senate

The GOP-led House on Friday passed a bill that would force schools to offer parents far greater transparency about what their children learn, but that Democrats argue could lead to book bans and discrimination against LGBTQ students. The Parents Bill of Rights passed 213 to 208, with five Republicans voting against it. “Teachers unions and education bureaucrats...
By Linda Jacobson | March 27, 2023
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Carvalho faces ‘defining moment’ as L.A.’s largest unions prepare to strike

8 p.m. Update: Los Angeles Unified workers will proceed with a strike early Tuesday morning after efforts to prevent the walkout fell apart Monday afternoon. News of a “confidential mediation” session leaked to the press before Service Employees International Union Local 99’s bargaining team knew about it, according to a union statement. During an afternoon...
By Linda Jacobson | March 20, 2023
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‘Long way from the finish line’: School budget showdown likely as conservatives demand cuts

The battle lines over President Joe Biden’s education budget grew clearer this month as the most conservative wing of the House announced its intention to roll spending back to 2019 levels and cancel the president’s student loan forgiveness plan. If Speaker Kevin McCarthy agrees to their demands, that would wipe out most of the administration’s...
By Linda Jacobson | March 20, 2023
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Exclusive: Despite K-2 reading gains, results flat for 3rd grade ‘COVID kids’

The percentage of third graders on track in reading hasn’t budged since this time last year, new data shows — a reminder of the literacy setbacks experienced by kindergartners when schools shut down in 2020. Even so, the test’s administrators are interpreting the flatline at 54% as good news. Paul Gazzerro, director of data analysis at curriculum...
By Linda Jacobson | March 6, 2023
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In student loan case, Supreme Court to weigh pandemic’s ‘profound’ effect on borrowers

Even as it plans to end the COVID public health emergency, the Biden administration will make its case before the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday that the ongoing financial hardship caused by the pandemic continues to necessitate a one-time student loan forgiveness plan. The court will hear two cases that say the administration exceeded its authority when it...
By Linda Jacobson | February 27, 2023
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Stockton, California: What happens when a dysfunctional district gets $241 million

When Congress approved $190 billion to combat the educational devastation wrought by the pandemic, the Stockton, California, school system was practically the poster child for a district in need. Nearly 80% of students in the Central Valley district live in poverty. High COVID infection rates were shutting down packing plants where many of their parents work, and...
By Linda Jacobson | February 14, 2023
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SCOTUS could change the rights of students with disabilities to sue for damages

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday considered whether students with disabilities can seek financial relief under a federal law prohibiting discrimination even if they’ve already settled a case under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Comments and questions from the justices seemed to lean toward yes. “All she wants is to be compensated for what...
By Linda Jacobson | January 19, 2023
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National literacy data show nearly half of all 3rd graders began school year off-track

National data released last fall shows students who learned to read during the pandemic are still performing below those who were in early grades before schools closed — in some cases, well below. Fifty-three percent of second graders were on track in reading last fall, compared to 57% in 2019, according to Amplify, a curriculum...
By Linda Jacobson | January 17, 2023
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‘Late-in-the-game’ COVID relief fund guidance leaves some scratching their heads

Earlier this month, more than two years into schools’ attempts to spend an unprecedented $189 billion in COVID relief funds, federal officials released a 97-page document that “strongly encourages” districts not to spend the windfall on construction. There’s one hitch: According to one analysis, districts are already spending, or planning to spend, almost a quarter of funds from...
By Linda Jacobson | January 4, 2023
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Report: Half of largest school districts changed leaders since pandemic

Half of the nation’s 500 largest school districts have changed superintendents or are in the midst of a transition, according to a report tracking leadership churn since the pandemic began. Forty-seven of those districts have seen two or more leadership changes. The turnover has been particularly hard on women: Of the 94 female superintendents who...
By Linda Jacobson | January 2, 2023