Tag: education
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Florida expands education savings account (ESA) program
On March 27, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a measure that expands the state’s Family Empowerment Scholarship program. The expanded program will provide K-12 students with around $7,500 for educational expenses outside of the public school system, including private school tuition, tutoring, and homeschooling expenses. The Family Empowerment Scholarship was created in 2014 and…
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Connecticut announces plan to develop Native American studies curriculum for K-12 public schools
Governor Ned Lamont (D) and the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) announced a partnership with state tribal leaders on November 30, 2022, to develop a Native American studies model curriculum for K-12 students. The announcement follows legislation signed by the governor in June 2021. The bill established new subject matter requirements, including a requirement…
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Virginia education agency proposes new history standards in public schools
The Virginia Department of Education proposed new standards on November 11, 2022, that aim to provide guidance to the state’s public schools on the Glenn Youngkin administration’s (R) preferred approaches to teaching Virginia and U.S. history. Every seven years, the Virginia Department of Education is required to update its History and Social Science Standards of…
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Six states sue Biden administration over student loan forgiveness plan
Six states filed a joint lawsuit against the Biden administration on September 29 to block the federal government’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 of federal student loans per person. The states allege the administration overstepped its executive authority and was “not remotely tailored to address the effects of the pandemic on federal student loan…
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Virginia education agency proposes policies to clarify approaches to transgender students in public schools
The Virginia Department of Education proposed new policies on September 16, 2022, that aim to provide guidance to the state’s public schools on the Youngkin administration’s preferred approaches to transgender students. The new policies depart from former Democratic Governor Ralph Northam’s administration guidelines, which encouraged schools to let students use names and pronouns aligning with…
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Hillsborough County School Board approves sex education curriculum for seventh, eighth, and ninth grade
The Hillsborough County School Board in Florida approved new sex education curriculum for seventh, eighth, and ninth-grade students on September 20, 2022. The curriculum has been the subject of debate as parents and teachers have spoken publicly in favor of and in opposition to the proposed materials. The curriculum aims to provide “consistent and medically…
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Pilot program for New York City’s Asian American and Pacific Islander history curriculum launches for the 2022-2023 school year
A pilot program of New York City’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history curriculum was launched in select schools in September 2022. The New York City Department of Education announced in May 2022 that it had developed the curriculum, titled the Hidden Voices Project, in partnership with the Museum of the City of New…
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Virginia Board of Education postpones public hearings for proposed history curriculum standards
The Virginia Board of Education has announced that they will delay voting on new statewide history curriculum standards, following opposition from the Youngkin administration regarding some of the proposed changes. The proposed changes that have received pushback from Gov. Youngkin (R) include removing “references to George Washington as ‘the father of our country’ and James…
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Voters in St. Louis, Missouri, approve two ballot measures on Aug. 2
On August 2, voters in St. Louis, Missouri, approved two ballot measures—Proposition F and Proposition S. St. Louis Proposition F amended the city’s charter to increase the maximum fine for violations of ordinances regarding environmental conditions, such as dumping waste and debris and prohibited refuse, from $500 to $1,000. With all precincts reporting, the vote…
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Federal judge blocks Biden administration guidance on transgender students
A federal judge from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee on July 15, 2022, struck down a Department of Education order that aims to protect transgender students and workers from discrimination. The Biden administration released the challenged guidance in response to recent legislation passed by states that aim to bar…