Education

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Virginia Supreme Court ruled this week that a public school teacher must be reinstated after he was suspended for refusing to use transgender students’ preferred names and pronouns. The teacher, physical education instructor Tanner Cross, cited... Read More

MEQUON, Wis. (AP) — A loose network of conservative groups with ties to major Republican donors and party-aligned think tanks is quietly lending firepower to local activists engaged in culture war fights in schools across the country. While they are... Read More

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has opened investigations in five states to determine whether statewide prohibitions on the universal indoor wearing of face masks discriminates against students with disabilities. The five states that were... Read More

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The University of Virginia disenrolled 238 students who were not in compliance with the college’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement. The new back-to-school policies were unveiled in May.  School officials clarified only 49 of those students had selected courses... Read More

NEW YORK -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to announce new guidelines for the reopening of city schools that will require every Department of Education employee to have received at least one dose of the coronavirus... Read More

DENVER (AP) — Anxiety in the United States over COVID-19 is at its highest level since winter, a new poll shows, as the delta variant rages, more states and school districts adopt mask and vaccination requirements and the nation's hospitals... Read More

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Millions of students in Florida, Texas and Arizona are now required to wear masks in class as school boards in mostly Democratic areas have defied their Republican governors and made face coverings mandatory. The three... Read More

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Education will invoke its civil rights enforcement authority to prevent states from imposing universal bans on wearing face masks in classrooms, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said on Wednesday. The decision represents a dramatic escalation of... Read More

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island recently announced a settlement agreement with Brown University, which denied readmissions to undergraduate students taking medical leave for mental health. “The settlement should not be... Read More

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed an emergency order last Thursday requiring that face masks be worn in all indoor settings in the state's K-12 schools. The move comes after a handful of school districts in recent days... Read More

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — With the highly contagious delta variant fueling a surge in coronavirus cases just as students return to classrooms, major school districts in Arizona, Florida, Texas and beyond are increasingly defying Republican leaders who banned school... Read More

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Education published a notice in the Federal Register Monday establishing a negotiated rulemaking committee that will meet virtually beginning in October to rewrite regulations for Public Service Loan forgiveness, income-contingent repayment plans, and borrower... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Department of Education has extended the pandemic-related pause on student loan repayment, interest and collections until Jan. 31, 2022. Officials said they believe the additional time and the definitive end date will allow borrowers to plan for... Read More

WASHINGTON- Education Secretary Miguel Cardono warned Thursday, Americans should not allow adult politics -- particularly the politicizing of the wearing of face masks -- to prevent students from returning to school safely and without future disruptions.  “You know what I’m... Read More

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The quickly approaching fall semester has America's colleges under pressure to decide how far they should go to guard their campuses against COVID-19 while navigating legal and political questions and rising infection rates. Hundreds of colleges nationwide... Read More

Bipartisan legislation aimed at removing a bureaucratic obstacle which prevents some students from receiving their degree or certification is being proposed by Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., Mike Braun, R-Ind., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo. and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. The Reverse Transfer Efficiency... Read More

The American Lung Association has released new poll results showing that a majority (68%) of American voters – across all major demographic groups – support Congress investing in zero-emission school buses for children nationwide. The poll findings are released as... Read More

WASHINGTON -- In a ruling with implications for the upcoming fall semester, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. last week refused to dismiss lawsuits by college students seeking tuition refunds. The students want at least part of their tuition and... Read More

WASHINGTON — The pandemic may have changed the way students learn and how educators incorporate tools for remote learning into their classrooms, but the founder of one of the most recognizable online tools to help educate students doesn’t believe that... Read More

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday that it will make temporary changes to the Federal Aid Verification Process for the 2021-2022 award year.   According to the Department, more than 3 million potential Pell Grant recipients are selected... Read More

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools, as back-to-school season approaches this fall and students return to in-person learning.  The guidance encourages all schools to offer vaccinations to end the... Read More

LANSING. Mich.— Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined students and staff on Wednesday at Ojibwa Elementary in Macomb county to sign a bill that appropriates $4.4 billion in federal COVID relief funding to schools.  According to a release, House Bill 4421... Read More

Experts say environmental education needs greater investment if future generations are to be able to fully respond to the climate emergency.   According to an article in Environmental Education Research, co-authored by Alan Reid, editor, and Justin Dillion, Jo-Anne Ferreira and... Read More

The U.S. Department of Education invited states and school districts on Tuesday to apply for the additional $600 million in American Rescue Plan Funds for students experiencing homelessness.  The $600 million is the second disbursement of the $800 million in... Read More

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Department of Education released more than $3 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to states on Thursday to support infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.  The funding will help aid around 7.9 million infants and students under... Read More

The Public Policy Institute of California released the first in a series of posts examining how educational opportunities and outcomes are different across California.   According to the post, only a third of California’s 9th graders make it to and then... Read More

WASHINGTON - The House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee held a hearing on Tuesday to discuss expanding access to higher education.   The virtual hearing examined problems facing students today, including the pandemic, student loans and cost of tuition. Five witnesses... Read More

WASHINGTON — “With the flick of a pen, Biden could get it done,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., about student loan forgiveness. From a campaign promise to a potential policy, student loan forgiveness is being touted not only... Read More

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 appropriated $7.2 billion toward a new Federal Communications Commission program, the Emergency Connectivity Fund. Starting Tuesday, June 29, and ending Aug. 13, the ECF will accept applications from schools and libraries to receive... Read More

The Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act, a bill recently reintroduced by members of the Senate and House, aims to increase the presence of social workers, counselors and other personnel to support marginalized students. “Our legislation is pretty simple. It... Read More