DA Staff

Texas schools say it’s time to stop tying mental health funding to school safety money

Federal pandemic aid helped build public school mental health services in Texas. School officials now brace for the expiration of those funds next year. They’re urging lawmakers to create a dedicated funding stream for mental health assistance in schools.

Judge: 29-year-old who posed as teen student because she was lonely can enter pretrial program

The woman had pleaded not guilty in March to a charge of providing a false government document. Her lawyer has said she did so because she was lonely and longed to return to her days with friends in school but now realizes she made a mistake.

Chocolate milk ban in school cafeterias reportedly considered by USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is said to be considering two options: One would limit chocolate milk to only high schools and the other would allow it to stay but with a new limit on added sugars.

Amherst schools put employees on leave, launch investigation into allegations of anti-LGBTQ behavior

School officials in Amherst, Massachusetts, have ordered an independent investigation following allegations some middle school counselors failed to protect LGBTQ students.

Arkansas school leaders are keeping their eyes on employee exits

As school districts finalize contracts for teachers, bus drivers and other district employees, many are reporting fewer departures than they feared. Their strategy: transparency, clear communication and lots of planning.

Texas schools say it’s time to stop tying mental health funding to school safety money

As administrators brace for the expiration of federal pandemic aid, they are are urging lawmakers to create a dedicated funding stream for K12 mental health assistance.

Students are increasingly refusing to go to school. It’s becoming a mental health crisis

Since the pandemic, more students are school-avoidant, leaving parents feeling hopeless and schools unequipped to find a solution.

Florida teacher says she is under investigation after showing 5th grade class Disney movie with gay character

Jenna Barbee is a teacher in Hernando County’s Winding Waters K-8 school. “I am the teacher that’s under investigation with the Florida Department of Education for indoctrination for showing a Disney movie,” Barbee said in a TikTok post over the weekend.

Biden proposed rules on transgender athletes in school. Then the comment section lost its mind.

The department's proposed rule would allow schools to ban transgender and nonbinary students from participating in sports on a case-by-case basis, infuriating advocates for their participation.

Oakland teachers start week 2 of strike over community issues like homelessness, mental health

There is no end in sight for the strike by 3,000 educators, counselors and other workers in the Oakland Unified School District, who say the district has failed to bargain in good faith on a new three-year contract that also makes more traditional demands like higher salaries.

New York City schools just embraced the science of reading. What is it?

New York City announced on Tuesday it is switching its 32 school districts, encompassing hundreds of schools, to the science of reading, in teaching students to read and write.

States push for harsher school discipline practices to address student misbehavior

School administrators and teachers are concerned about ongoing problems with student conduct that are disruptive and difficult to deal with. Several states are beginning to propose big changes about how to handle it.

Florida rejects dozens of social studies textbooks, and forces changes in others

The state objected to content on topics like the Black Lives Matter movement, socialism and why some citizens ‘take a knee’ during the national anthem.

Enrollment in US schools hasn’t bounced back since pandemic, data shows

Kindergarten counts continue to dwindle in many states—evidence of falling birth rates and an ever-growing array of options luring parents away from traditional public schools.

Parents file lawsuit against Alpine School District over potential closure of 5 elementary schools

The 33 plaintiffs behind the suit — mostly parents — allege that the district hasn't followed the law in its process of exploring the closure of Lehi, Valley View, Lindon, Windsor and Sharon elementary schools and associated boundary studies.