DA Staff

Political realities have stopped legislative action after school shootings

In the aftermath of Columbine, Parkland, Sandy Hook and the nearly 1,000 other school shootings since 2012, advocates for nationwide gun control measures have run into political realities that have stopped these efforts from moving forward.

Systemic risk report highlights concerns about persisting equity gaps in K-12 schools

Tuesday's report comes from six K-12 audits conducted since 2016 and identifies five key risks that could undermine promising new efforts to boost student success.

GOP ‘critical race theory’ ban would outlaw teaching about the alleged Buffalo shooter’s racist motivations

Legislation approved Wednesday by Republicans would punish teachers who mention to their students that the mass murder in a Buffalo grocery store this month was allegedly committed by a white supremacist who targeted Black people.

Historians group hits conservatives for opposing K-12 racism lessons

A prominent group of historians has released an online resource to promote teaching about racism in classrooms, slamming conservatives who have sought to purge K-12 schools of critical race theory.

Always scared’: Traffic chaos outside NYC schools threatens children

Two years ago, a boy crossing a street in Queens on his way to school was run over and killed by a man driving a 20-ton truck. Seven weeks later, a girl died under the wheels of a school bus. Two days after that, a woman driving with a suspended license struck and killed a boy in a crosswalk.

Madison schools’ supports for transgender students face challenge in supreme court

The policy, which has been in place since 2018, states that students will be called by their affirmed name and pronouns and staff cannot reveal a student's gender identity to others.

27 school shootings have taken place so far this year

The Gun Violence Archive, an independent data collection organization, has counted 212 mass shootings that have occurred in the U.S. so far this year.

Providence schools is latest district to bring back COVID mask mandate

The average number of daily positive cases among Providence school staff and students has increased from a low of about 10 per day in March to about 60 positive cases per day last week.

Administrators sound an alarm: Half of Tennessee high school graduates aren’t going to college

College-going hits lowest rate in past 10 years despite Tennessee's financial aid programs like the Tennessee Promise and the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship.

Pandemic school reopenings were not just about politics

Early analyses indicated that Covid-19 health factors had virtually nothing to do with reopening decisions, and partisan politics could explain nearly all the variation.

Philadelphia reinstates a mask mandate in schools

With cases rising again, the superintendent said that as the pandemic evolves, “so too will our response to it.”

Students say restrictive new education laws are scary and frustrating

Minority and LGBTQ students say they feel they are living through a time when their values, and even their identities, are under attack.

“Enough is enough.” Schools superintendent speaks on guns found in elementary school

Roanoke City Public Schools Superintendent Verletta White says the district is committed to keeping students safe after two unloaded guns found on an elementary school campus.

5 challenges facing the new Dallas schools leader, Stephanie Elizalde

Former Austin ISD superintendent takes over as the district is contending with learning loss, a school discipline overhaul and billions in construction projects getting underway.

California public schools get record $128.3 billion in latest spending plan

State plans to give schools a record $128.3 billion and expand its per-student spending to $22,850 to fund universal kindergarten, college savings accounts for all students, youth mental health, and teacher training and recruitment, among other needs.