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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
National
#PublicSchoolProud has its Oscar moment as ‘La La Land’ songwriter shouts out his schools
The recent movement to praise public schools made it all the way to the Academy Awards stage Sunday night. Justin Paul, one of the songwriters for the movie “La La Land,” credited his public school education during his acceptance speech. “I was educated in public schools, where arts and culture were valued and recognized and resourced,” Paul said after winning the Oscar for best song. “And I’m so grateful for all my teachers, who taught so much and gave so much to us.” (Chalkbeat)
40 ESSA rules endangered by Republicans’ repeal efforts
Congress is in recess this week, but when it returns, it is likely that a resolution to rescind the final Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) regulations for accountability, data, and consolidated state plans, using the Congressional Review Act (CRA), will be introduced—a resolution that’s already cleared the House and that is supported by the Trump Administration. But unlike the usual process an agency follows to repeal regulations, after a CRA resolution the Department will be prohibited from issuing (without congressional approval) any set of regulations that are substantially the same. (Fordham Institute)
State
Washington D.C.
Public schools in the District remain highly segregated
Public schools in the nation’s capital remain highly segregated, a new analysis shows, with many D.C. campuses enrolling almost exclusively students of color despite an influx of white families into the city in recent years. The Civil Rights Project at UCLA found in a report released this month that 71 percent of black students in the D.C. public school system and the city’s charter sector attended schools in 2013 that had virtually no white peers. That was down from nearly 90 percent in 1992. (The Washington Post)
New Jersey
With N.J. charter schools under attack, supporters plan counteroffensive
Supporters of New Jersey’s charter schools are planning a major lobbying effort in the state capital next week as controversy and criticism surrounding the schools continues to mount. A group of nearly 200 charter school supporters, mostly parents, will gather at the state house to deliver the message that charter schools are changing lives, adding value to children’s education and creating opportunities for students, according to the New Jersey Charter Schools Association. (NJ.com)
Georgia
Atlanta School Turnaround Gets A Big Boost With $2.1 Million Grant From Walton Family Foundation
Atlanta Public Schools’ turnaround efforts have received a $2.1 million boost from the Walton Family Foundation. The gift, announced by the foundation Thursday, will be used to create a data dashboard for parents, hire a research institution to evaluate progress in improving Atlanta’s consistently low-performing schools, and support turnaround efforts at two high-needs elementary schools. (The 74)