Success with Meatless Mondays depends on staff training, 'well-prepared' recipes

As the New York City Department of Education takes meat-free Mondays from a 15-school pilot to a district-wide sustainability effort, some food service directors say students should get to choose whether they eat vegetarian.

By Linda Jacobson • March 18, 2019

More states weighing mandatory recess, physical activity laws

As educators strive to balance academics and play, 12 states have either mandatory recess or daily physical activity laws, and others may follow suit.

By Amelia Harper • March 13, 2019

206 measles outbreaks across 11 states leave schools grappling with effects

Legislators in multiple states —​ including Washington, Colorado and Oregon — are moving to close loopholes that allow families to opt out of vaccinations.

By Amelia Harper • March 12, 2019

Trump's 2020 budget proposes school funding cuts, stresses choice for students and teachers

In its proposal for the next fiscal year, the administration moves to cut funding for the U.S. Education Department by 10%, as well as eliminate financial support for a slew of federal programs.

By Linda Jacobson • March 11, 2019

Tennessee considers bill to prevent lunch shaming

The legislation would prevent schools from singling out those who can't pay, keeping students nourished — but mounting lunch debt has raised concerns in similar efforts.

By Amelia Harper • March 8, 2019

SXSW EDU 2019: Making school safety more proactive and teaching students to learn from failure

The final full day of Austin's ed innovation gathering also featured a discussion of Reconstruction's lasting impacts and a handful of big announcements.

By Roger Riddell • March 7, 2019

SXSW EDU 2019: Chicago's efforts to freeze summer melt — and an ed tech lip sync battle

Also, find out what administrators can learn from a Ghana university leader and more from the second day of the Austin, Texas, ed innovation extravaganza.

By Roger Riddell • March 6, 2019

SXSW EDU 2019: Educators discuss transformation strategy, neuroscience-based approach

Couldn't make it to Austin for the conference? Get caught up on conversations around community, media literacy and more.

By Roger Riddell • March 5, 2019

Indiana the latest state to address scandals, low achievement in virtual charters

Among the accusations against two schools are that none of 2,372 students reportedly attending one for a full year actually earned any credits, and one in five enrolled were never signed up for any classes.

By Shawna De La Rosa • March 1, 2019

DeVos announces $5B tax credit proposal pushing school choice

The measure, which some say would undermine public education, would create a voluntarily funded scholarship program states could use for dual-enrollment, apprenticeships, homeschooling and more.

By Jessica Campisi • Feb. 28, 2019

Report: Significant funding gaps persist between white and low-income, nonwhite districts

EdBuild finds districts with mostly nonwhite students get $23 billion less annually in state and local spending than those serving mostly white students, amounting to about $2,226 less per student.

By Shawna De La Rosa • Feb. 28, 2019

Few states recognize the arts as part of their ESSA accountability plans

Illinois, Connecticut and Kentucky, however, are examples of how states are using the law's broader definition of student success to emphasize the arts.

By Linda Jacobson • Feb. 27, 2019

50 States of Ed Policy: February marks strides in school safety, funding

The one-year anniversary of the Parkland shooting and persisting teacher activism spurred major proposals, though finances and curriculum also drew lawmakers' attention.

By Jessica Campisi • Feb. 26, 2019

State lawmakers, nonprofits partner to boost teacher certification rates

In the Mississippi Delta, up to 34% of teachers are not certified — but new pathways and changing demands are among ways officials are addressing the problem.

By Amelia Harper • Feb. 26, 2019

Another state weighing CTE diploma pathway

Florida's proposed 18-credit pathway would be the latest to incorporate a need for more advanced technical skills in the blue-collar workforce into high school.

By Amelia Harper • Feb. 21, 2019

To what extent are districts, schools liable for students' safety?

Along with providing an education, schools are tasked with keeping students safe — but to what extent? Here's how the courts have weighed in and what their decisions mean for school accountability.

By Jessica Campisi • Feb. 20, 2019

One year later: How has school safety, gun control policy changed since the Parkland shooting?

On Feb. 14, 2018, a gunman shot and killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Here's a look at what's changed — and what hasn't.

By Jessica Campisi • Feb. 14, 2019

NEA President: Denver strike is 'cautionary tale' for districts with performance-based pay

Lily Eskelsen García, who attended the teacher strike, said the ProComp system — which aims to attract teachers to high-needs schools — became more unpredictable and chaotic over time.

By Amelia Harper • Feb. 14, 2019

Conflicting state, federal marijuana laws leave district policies in a haze

While medical marijuana use is legal in 33 states, it's still illegal under federal law, putting schools at risk of losing federal funding if educators use it in any form.

By Amelia Harper • Feb. 13, 2019

The 'transformative power' of reaching children before kindergarten

A New York City charter network partners with an early-childhood home-visiting program in hopes of preventing the delays seen when kids enter school.

By Linda Jacobson • Feb. 13, 2019

Data show inequity in who takes dual enrollment classes

Lower participation among black and Hispanic students and those whose parents didn't go to college, highlights concerns for such programs.

By James Paterson • Feb. 12, 2019

Portfolios boost assessment relevancy for truly transformative learning

The coordinator for innovative and digital learning at Eanes Innovative School District in Austin, Texas, writes that a portfolio approach to measuring student progress provides a more equitable, real-world experience.

By Brianna Hodges • Feb. 11, 2019

Is it time to remake middle school?

Educators, policymakers and others will gather in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss ways to reshape the perception of early adolescence as a time of risk to one that focuses more on positive opportunities.

By Linda Jacobson • Feb. 11, 2019

Research review finds students who improve after school closure are 'more exception than rule'

A review of 17 studies finds displaced students’ graduation and college enrollment rates typically drop, and those in schools that get an influx of displaced students also face negative impacts.

By Shawna De La Rosa • Feb. 8, 2019

Decades of studies paint complex portrait of vouchers' value

Debate over these programs' success is very much alive, with concerns on both sides of the public-private divide as research shows mixed results.

By Amelia Harper • Feb. 8, 2019