posted on
Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
National
Trump’s first full education budget: Deep cuts to public school programs in pursuit of school choice
Funding for college work-study programs would be cut in half, public-service loan forgiveness would end and hundreds of millions of dollars that public schools could use for mental health, advanced coursework and other services would vanish under a Trump administration plan to cut $10.6 billion from federal education initiatives, according to budget documents obtained by The Washington Post. (The Washington Post)
DeVos expected to unveil school choice plans Monday
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is expected to offer details about the Trump administration’s vision for a federal investment in school choice in a major policy speech Monday. DeVos is slated to speak at an Indianapolis summit hosted by her former group, The American Federation for Children, which advocates for school choice, the Education Department confirmed Wednesday night. (Politico)
School choice will lift up black community
I was in high school when Brown v. Board of Education was decided 63 years ago. That makes me an old man, one who was at the forefront of the civil rights movement during its most tumultuous days. I took the fight for equality to South Florida, joining the Miami Urban League in 1963 and becoming its CEO at the age of 24. There I met Martin Luther King, Jr., and from that inspiration took on a power structure that through practice, if not written policy, dictated what black people were and were not allowed to do. (USA Today)
However Well Black Students Perform, Teachers Still Think They’re Struggling
Hua-Yu Sebastian Cherng, assistant professor of international education at New York University, has written thousands of pages’ worth of research and commentary over the course of his career. But growing up, his teachers gave him no reason to believe he would end up in this position. As an Asian-American student living in Maryland, he consistently ran up against stereotypes suggesting that he should be uninterested or incompetent in English language arts. (Huffington Post)
For Families With Special Needs, Vouchers Bring Choices, Not Guarantees
The day Ayden came home from school with bruises, his mother started looking for a new school. Ayden’s a bright 9-year-old with a blond crew cut, glasses and an eager smile showing new teeth coming in. He also has autism, ADHD and a seizure disorder. (We’re not using his last name to protect his privacy.) He loves karate, chapter books and very soft blankets: “I love the fuzziness, I just cocoon myself into my own burrito.” (NPR)
State
California
Major changes could come to L.A. schools after charter school movement’s big win
Supporters of charter schools appeared to win control of the Los Angeles school board Tuesday, a watershed moment with huge implications for how students are taught in America’s second-largest school district. The charter school movement has long been a major force in Los Angeles school circles. But the victory Tuesday night by pro-charter forces — who dramatically outspent rivals in what was the most expensive election in school board history — gives them the opportunity to reshape the district. (Los Angeles Times)
Florida
Education bill puts political squeeze on Scott
TALLAHASSEE – A sweeping education bill has become a flashpoint for teachers unions, parent groups, administrators and school choice advocates, and it’s also putting Gov. Rick Scott in a political bind. Scott has long been a consistent supporter of expanding charter schools as an alternative to traditional public schools, a key provision of the bill. (Sun-Sentinel)
New York
With a major but little-noticed move, New York City signals that learning starts at birth
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans last month to extend pre-K to 3-year-olds, a massive expansion of his popular Pre-K for All program. But a little-noticed element of the proposal could be just as significant: He called for the Department of Education to take over programs that reach children as young as six weeks old. (Chalkbeat)
North Carolina
Parents still concerned over CMS reassignment plan as deadline looms
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The deadline for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ board to vote on a controversial student assignment plan is only a week away. The CMS board is scheduled to vote on their student assignment plan Wednesday, May 24. Even though the clock is ticking, parents continue to voice their concerns.Parents and CMS officials gathered Tuesday evening for a special CMS session. Despite being three hours long, the session changed very little. (WCNC)
Washington D.C.
This is how the D.C. school lottery is supposed to work
Former D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson gave preferential treatment to several city officials, a principal and a graduate school classmate to enroll their children in schools outside their neighborhoods, according to an investigation by the D.C. inspector general. Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas found Henderson had misused her authority by giving preferential treatment to seven of 10 people who requested special school placements for their children during the 2015 lottery season.(The Washington Post)