DA Staff

A Texas school district rejected diversity lessons. But a federal probe may demand them.

A federal civil rights investigation could force suburban Carroll Independent School District to implement the same types of diversity programs that voters rejected in landslide elections.

It’s ‘alarming’: children are severely behind in reading

As the pandemic enters its third year, a cluster of new studies now show that about a third of children in the youngest grades are missing reading benchmarks, up significantly from before the pandemic.

Pandemic school lunch waivers to deal with supply chain crunch are at risk in spending bill

Federal government funding expires on Friday. The full-year spending package, which House Democrats plan to unveil as soon as Tuesday, could allow the waivers to continue for the 2022-23 school year.

Teachers reimagine US history lessons with eye on diversity

Teachers have long sought to deliver a complete version of U.S. history that engages students and includes contributions by people of color. They also are facing increased pressure from politicians and other critics who take issue with how schools address diversity and representation.

An updated D.A.R.E. is headed back into public school classrooms

D.A.R.E.'s new “keepin' it REAL” curriculum called has been modernized to cover issues such as cyberbullying, vaping, internet safety and how to deal with stress. It could also build a better rapport between young people and police.

Texas GOP asks schools not to buy books from vendors that supply “pornographic” materials

Republican lawmaker says children across Texas have been exposed to material such as “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” a graphic novel that has become a lightning rod both nationwide and in Texas among some parents and Republican officials.

Does New Jersey have to desegregate its schools? A judge will soon decide.

Hundreds of thousands of Black and Latino students in New Jersey attend schools where they are racially isolated and surrounded by poverty, despite strong state laws forbidding school segregation.

Alabama schools investing $434M in COVID aid on athletic complexes, weight rooms, ‘zen rooms’

Alabama officials are planning to replace thousands of HVAC units, repair dozens of roofs, install hundreds of air filtration systems and replace lots of old carpeting with tile or vinyl flooring.

Florida students stage school walkouts over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill

Students across Florida staged school walkouts in response to legislation — dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill — that would prohibit discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in the state's primary schools.

Why turnover of superintendents is high in one small state this year

“I’ve been a superintendent for 17 years in Vermont and it seemed like it was time to choose my personal life,” said Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Jeanne Collins. “While we’ve always had a 24/7 job, during COVID it really meant 24/7.”

No more extra credit? Schools rethink approaches to grades

School districts are sticking with more lenient grading techniques–not because of the pandemic, but often because of what it revealed about how students are penalized for hardships like a lack of support at home, work obligations or poor internet access.

Everyone’s test scores are down. What does that mean?

Washington state had one of the highest testing participation rates in the country this school year, topping 90%. But since districts got access to the scores, many educators have chosen to keep the data at an arm’s length.

Biden urges Americans to consider tutoring, mentoring in schools

The president beseeching citizens to pitch in at schools is an unusual move, but reflects the tumult of the last few years, as the pandemic drove school staffing shortages and students fell behind academically.

Kansas schools alerted to “uptick in sexual abuse and sexual assault cases”

Information was shared talking about an alarming trend called "the oil check" that some are viewing as a joke to some but qualifies as an act of sexual assault.

Virtual academies could disappear across North Carolina schools next year

Public school district virtual academies will disappear across North Carolina next year, unless the districts spin up new schools that are exclusively virtual.