Top Tennessee Republicans have heralded Houston’s intervention as a model they want to replicate in the Memphis-Shelby County district. In the first two years of the takeover, more Houston students achieved proficiency on state reading and math tests, and no school received an “F” rating in the state accountability system.

Three progressive superintendents defended their policies for parental involvement and transgender inclusion during a congressional hearing Wednesday in which Republican lawmakers called them “pathetic” and said they should find other jobs.

America’s aging school infrastructure is by one measure a nearly $90 billion problem. Federal leaders have acknowledged it since at least the 1980s but have declined to address it.

The new law could give the oversight board sweeping control over the district, including leadership, curriculum, budget, and major decisions like school closures and zoning.

District leaders say the change could be a way to make the administration more responsive to school needs and to save money, but some principals are concerned about an organizational overhaul in the middle of the school year.

Starting Sept. 30, CPS will oversee 2,100 full-time custodians and end contracts with seven private custodial companies. The change will cut about 1,250 private custodians and end a longstanding practice of contracting with outside firms to clean schools.

This year’s Stronger Nation Report found that 63% of Colorado residents aged 25 and older had an educational credential beyond a high school diploma in 2023, matching Massachusetts.

Ten Denver schools will close or partially close after the school board voted unanimously to approve a plan to address declining enrollment. The closures will eliminate nearly 4,000 vacant seats in the 10 schools and save the district $6.6 million in the 2025-26 school year, district officials have said.