DA Staff

Minnesota schools just got unprecedented funding. Here’s why they’re still making cuts

Minnesota lawmakers this year committed to large increases in the per-pupil funding formula and dedicated money for required but underfunded special education and English language learner programming.

Before an anti-trans event at a Vermont high school, a prominent Christian law firm issued a warning

Walt Heyer, an activist who has criticized gender-affirming care, spoke this month at Vergennes Union High School. Behind the scenes, the advocacy group Liberty Counsel warned the district not to cancel the event.

‘Driven by student voice’: Brevard schools bans furry attire in updated dress code

Florida district's new guidelines ban attire that emulates "non-human characteristics"—a stipulation that was added after a student survey raised concerns about "furries," or students who wear clothing or accessories to mimic animals.

Schools bring police back to campuses, reversing racial justice decisions

Denver’s school system is the latest to reinstate officers, responding to parental concerns over campus violence. Critics say the move will disproportionately hurt students of color.

‘I told you so’: Orange Beach Mayor Kennon, Superintendent Wilkes confirm school system does not owe millions to Alabama Department of Education

The state said the school system owed the money to match the foundation's 10-mill match funding program last year. However, the school system argued that was not true and was based on a system flaw because although they are a small school system, they had higher property values.

Massachusetts considering major changes to physical and sexual education curriculum

On Tuesday, The Board of Education and Secondary Education met to officially begin the public comment period for a proposal to overhaul the physical and sexual education framework for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The existing framework has been in place since 1999.

Columbia-area superintendent gets contract extension, but not undivided approval

The lone dissenting vote on extending Ross’ contract came from board member Catherine Huddle, who along with Elizabeth Barnhardt, also abstained from the board’s vote on his annual performance review, which otherwise passed unanimously and gave Ross an “overall effective evaluation.”

11 sets of twins just graduated in New Jersey. But that’s not even a record for this high school

Principal Joseph Occhino said that of the 340 students in the North Highlands High School’s 2023 graduating class, 22 are twins, making up approximately 6% of the senior class. “We actually had 16 sets of twins (in) the graduating class of 2021,” Occhino said.

Deliberations continue over then-Parkland school resource officer’s fate in rare trial over police conduct in a mass shooting

Prosecutors say Scot Peterson, 60, ignored his training and common sense and chose to do nothing as 17 people, including 14 students, were gunned down at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the deadliest high school shooting in US history.

Fairfax Co. schools inching closer to adding stop-arm cameras to bus fleet

The initiative, which has been years in the making, is one of several safety measures Fairfax County Public Schools is working to put in place.

In classrooms, teachers put A.I. tutoring bots to the test

Newark public schools are cautiously trying out a new automated teaching aid from Khan Academy. The preliminary report card: “could use improvement.”

Dallas ISD superintendent rallies for teacher pay raises

Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde has been very vocal on Twitter about lawmakers not committing funding to teacher pay raises. She says while the school board just approved raises locally, it’s not enough.

Diwali is set to become a school holiday in New York City

Diwali, the South Asian Festival of Lights, falls on Sunday, Nov. 12 this year, so it is scheduled to be a day off school for the first time in 2024.

North Dakota officials now have new tools to help under-performing schools

State already has the authority to go into a school and change curriculum, change the professional development training for teachers, change instruction strategies—and even change the school calendar. Under the new law, the state school superintendent can actually change school staff.

Supreme court will not, at this time, rule on whether charter schools are public or private

Peltier v. Charter Day School, which is nominally about whether the school can impose a dress code on female students, hinged on the question of whether or not the North Carolina charter school is a state actor—in other words, a public school subject to the same rules as any other public school.