Efforts growing to help schools serve plant-based meals

The Latest

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  Meet 2 professors studying the faculty who teach critical race theory where it’s under fire

  Kaleb Briscoe and Veronica Jones Baldwin are also examining legislation targeting the academic construct that's become a political flashpoint.

  Leadership

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  Unstructured, longer play time called key to early learning

  Children learn valuable skills through play that contribute to pre-reading and math development, play advocates said.

  School Models

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  California plans to double school counselors amid shortage

  The increase would come at a time when mental health is considered fragile among the nation's youth.

  Leadership

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  5 best practices as schools brace for monkeypox

  School public health and communication experts say engaging the community, working to reduce stigma and having protocols ready are key.

  Updated Aug. 5, 2022

  Policy & Legal

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  Survey: Majority of parents say schools’ customer service needs improvement

  During the 2021-22 school year, 87% of parents reached out to their school district more than once — with 44% reaching out at least six times.

  Leadership

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  Ed Dept: Students show ‘significant progress’ as staffing woes continue

  School leaders expect vacancies for hard-to-fill positions in 2022-23 after a school year that saw significant staff burnout. 

  Leadership

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  Groups seek more input on federal coordination for rural schools

  Issues having a major impact on rural schools include transportation, teacher recruitment and retention, and Wi-Fi access.

  Leadership

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  Deep Dive

  4 ways transitioning to a 4-day school week impacts districts

  Moving to a shorter week offers a variety of advantages for students and educators, but it is not without challenges.

  School Models

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  As tech proliferates in schools, what’s the right balance?

  While 79% of parents in a global survey said tech helped their children with learning, 23% of children said they felt they spent too much time with tech.

  School Models

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  States invest pandemic relief funds into early education workforce

  Federal aid is being spent on compensation, mental health supports and professional development, an NASBE analysis shows.

  Leadership

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  Teachers: Student monitoring tools more often flag discipline issues

  While 78% of teachers say monitoring software tagged students for disciplinary action, 59% say students were disciplined as a result.

  Leadership

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  Governors commit to computer science, but accountability questions persist

  Only 51% of high schools offered computer science courses in 2021, and advocates say tracking states’ future actions can ensure access improves. 

  Policy & Legal

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  Biden’s proposed Title IX rule almost certain to find itself in legal crosshairs

  A recent federal court decision blocking Education Department guidance on the anti-discrimination law portends trouble for the administration.

  Policy & Legal

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  Anticipation grows for simpler school Medicaid reimbursement process

  Guidance for schools under the federal healthcare assistance program has not been significantly updated in nearly 20 years.

  Leadership

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  GOP: Title IX LGBTQ protections make schools ‘unsafe and unfair’

  The letter is among the latest pushback to the Ed Department’s LGBTQ protections and comes just days after a lawsuit targeting federal guidance.

  Leadership

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  Analysts foresee revenue dip alongside enrollment decline

  A school system with 25,000 or more students that used mostly remote learning in 2020-21 could lose $26 million, according to AEI.

  Leadership

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  Ed Dept prioritizes school mental health staff expansion in funding distribution

  The funding is the first of nearly $300 million in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the fiscal 2022 budget allocated to school mental health.

  Leadership

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  Districts shuffle operations in response to COVID-19

  A RAND report finds districts most commonly increased substitute pay to an average of $122 per day last school year, compared to $115 pre-pandemic.

  Leadership

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  School mask mandates continue to loosen

  Only 1.2% of 500 districts are requiring mask mandates going into the 2022-23 school year, according to data tracking company Burbio.

  Policy & Legal

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  Despite inflation, back-to-school spending expected to rise

  Deloitte parent polling shows spending could increase 8% over last year, resulting in $661 per child, compared to $612 last year.

  Leadership

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  Senate Appropriations Committee proposes 13% increase for K-12 in FY23

  The spending plan includes $20.1 billion for Title I grants and $15.3 billion for special education grants, but the proposal is meeting partisan resistance.

  Policy & Legal

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  Republican AGs sue to stop USDA guidance on LGBTQ protections

  The lawsuit comes weeks after a federal judge temporarily halted the Ed Department’s enforcement of Title IX to protect gay and transgender students.

  Policy & Legal

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  Pushback continues for school choice program in Tennessee

  Another injunction filed by local governments in the state’s two largest districts seeks to temporarily stop the voucher program two weeks before school starts.

  Policy & Legal

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  ASCA ‘22: Our recap of the annual school counselor gathering

  We’ve rounded up all of our coverage from this year’s show in one location for your convenience.

  Leadership

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  How to encourage teachers to embrace universal design for learning

  Once committed to UDL practices, teachers need strategies to remove inequities and learning barriers.

  Curriculum

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