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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
National
Trump’s First Big Victory Is on Education Spending: How Obama Fought GOP on Title I — and Lost
In the final days of his presidency, Barack Obama conceded defeat in one of his boldest bids to bring more equity to public schools by pulling back controversial rules over how states and school districts must account for their education spending. The Department of Education’s withdrawal of the proposed rules, known as “supplement not supplant,” means that setting those guidelines now falls to Donald Trump, who has his own very different ideas about how federal tax dollars should be spent on K-12 education. (The 74)
Education Department Drops Fight Over School Money
The U.S. Department of Education has withdrawn a proposal that could have fundamentally changed the flow of federal dollars to schools that serve low-income students. ”The law is clear that it is unacceptable to systematically underfund low-income schools and fill the hole with federal resources,” explained Dorie Turner Nolt, a spokeswoman for the education department. “While we worked tirelessly to put forward a regulation that implements that simple requirement and to incorporate the extensive feedback we received, we ultimately did not have time to publish a strong final regulation that lives up to the promise of the law.” (NPR)
Students converge on D.C. for Trump’s inauguration, bringing hopes of solving the world’s problems
Bethel, Alaska, to Anchorage. Anchorage to Seattle. Seattle to New York. New York to Virginia. Virginia to Woodley Park. That was the itinerary for the 15-hour odyssey that brought Tierney McCormick, 17, to the nation’s capital this week to attend a presidential inauguration and take part in the Envision Impact Series Presidential Inauguration Leadership Summit, a five-day immersive educational experience in governing, debating, politicking and, perhaps, helping solve the world’s biggest problems. (The Washington Post)
Can School Choice Work in Rural Areas?
Education Secretary-nominee Betsy DeVos offered little clarification of her policy goals at Tuesday’s Senate confirmation hearing, but one thing is certain: The Michigan billionaire is in favor of school choice. She has backed charter schools and voucher programs in the past, though she is adamant that this position does not equate to being anti-public school. (The Atlantic)
State
New Jersey
Newark teachers join national union protest, give Trump’s education pick a D-
NEWARK — Teachers and advocates at East Side High School joined their peers across the country on Thursday in a mass repudiation of Donald J. Trump’s pick for Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said similar protests were being held in more than 200 cities and another 24 Newark schools to send a clear message to the incoming Trump administration. (NJ.com)