posted on
Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
National
Betsy DeVos Confirmed as Education Secretary; Pence Breaks Tie
WASHINGTON — Betsy DeVos, a wealthy Republican donor with almost no experience in public education, was confirmed by the Senate as the nation’s education secretary on Tuesday, but only with the help of a historic tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence after weeks of protests and two defections within her own party. (The New York Times)
DeVos Vows to Be ‘Tireless Advocate for All Students’
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos vowed to be a “tireless advocate for all students” after being confirmed for the job by the slimmest possible margin in a culmination of an unusually contentious nomination fight. With two Republicans joining Democrats in a marathon effort to oppose the wealthy Republican donor, it took Vice President Mike Pence to break a 50-50 tie by casting the deciding vote Tuesday. (ABC News)
House Blocks Obama-Era ESSA Accountability, Teacher Prep Rules Over Democrats’ Objections
The House Tuesday passed legislation blocking Obama administration regulations on school accountability, a move Democrats said could throw the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act into disarray. (The 74)
State
Georgia
Atlanta Schools Start Over With Police
A fight had been brewing between two girls at Grady High School and was on the verge of erupting in the cafeteria. Willette Barr, one of Grady’s school resource officers, and her partner Derrick Hammond, stepped in to intervene. In her rage, one of the girls started swinging at Hammond, an action that in other schools—and almost certainly on the street—would have been met forcefully by the two officers and may have led to the girl’s arrest. (Education Week)
New York
Hundreds of New York Students Stage Walkout to Protest Travel Ban
Hundreds of high school students in New York walked out of their classes on Tuesday and gathered in Foley Square to protest President Trump’s travel ban. WNYC’s Shumita Basu reports on “A Walkout for a Better Tomorrow,” which was organized by a Bronx teen, and on the latest findings from a Knight Foundation survey that shows 91 percent of high school students nationwide believe in free speech rights. (WNYC)
North Carolina
A ‘business park’ for charter schools is the latest proposal in choice scene for CMS
A proposal to create a town-sponsored charter school campus in Matthews could introduce a new twist into Mecklenburg County’s booming school choice scene. An education task force, created by Matthews Mayor Jim Taylor to consider alternatives to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, on Monday reviewed a plan from task force Chair Landon Dunn to create a campus that would be home to several charter schools. “Think of it a like a business park, but it would be for charter schools,” said Dunn, a lawyer. “It’s a bold idea. (The Charlotte Observer)