DA Staff

Baltimore County schools superintendent defends record amid calls for replacement

Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Darryl Williams is defending his record after five members of the County Council said there is “no accountability” for the school system's performance and the situation has “reached a crisis point.”

Central Florida school district bringing in 140 teachers from South America to fill vacancies

Osceola County Schools is averaging nearly 150 absences a week. By hiring educataors from South America, officials hope to close the cultural gap as well as teacher gap.

Waiting for keys, unable to break down doors: Uvalde schools police chief defends delay in confronting gunman

Pete Arredondo describes an agonizing wait for a key that would work. He said he hasn't spoken out sooner because he didn't want to compound his hometown's grief or point blame.

‘Potential intruder’ fatally shot by police outside Alabama elementary school, officials say

Gadsden City Schools Superintendent Tony Reddick told reporters that a "potential intruder" tried to open several doors at Walnut Park Elementary School, which had students and staff inside for summer school.

‘I resign effective immediately’: Union Co. superintendent quits during board meeting

James Carter abruptly resigned after parents approached the school board to speak about ongoing issues related to bullying at some schools.

Final exams canceled in N.J. school district after ransomware attack cripples computers

Tenafly Public Schools went back to the basics this week – using overhead projectors, paper, pencils and hands-on activities in classrooms – when a ransomware attack crippled the district's computer system.

Utah state School Board pulls support for student health and risk survey

Survey helps Utah government agencies track trends, plan programs and deploy resources to improve students' physical and emotional well-being

California is about to become the first state to require later high school start times

Places that have already pushed back school start times have repeatedly seen positive results. Despite the success stories, the national sleep statistics for teens remain dismal.

Texas teacher whose 11 students were killed says active shooting training set the children up ‘like ducks’ for the shooter

Arnulfo Reyes says he told students to hide under a table and act like they were asleep. But the gunman burst into the room and shot Reyes twice and killed all of the children.

A mental health clinic in school? No, thanks, says the school board

One evening in March, a high school senior named Sydney Zicolella stood before the school board in Killingly, Connecticut and described her psychiatric history, beginning in the sixth grade, when she was “by definition, clinically depressed.”

Biden admin says $174 million has gone to defunct charter schools

Officials stress need for greater oversight after 15% of the charter schools that received federal start-up funding either never opened or closed within a few years.

Taser abandons plans to build stun gun-equipped drones for schools

Axon, the company formerly known as Taser, has abandoned plans to build a stun gun-equipped drone intended for deployment in schools after an “exodus” of resignations from its internal ethics board.

California schools would likely weather a recession; should the state budget for one?

The good news, at least for schools and community colleges, is that even if state revenues were to plummet, they'd be far better positioned to weather a sizable downtown than in the past – for reasons of foresight and luck.

Texas GOP wants to arm more school employees, but few are opting in

Since Texas launched the school marshal program in 2013, just 84 school districts out of more than 1,200 have armed school staff. Educators say that shows that teachers don't want to be the ones to defend schools from mass shootings.

‘State-sanctioned violence:’ Inside one of the thousands of schools that still paddles students

While corporal punishment has been stamped out across most of the US, some schools use it routinely–and pressure parents to choose it over suspension.