Lawmakers proposing the bills are pointing to counselor shortages but are not completely playing down the religious aspects of putting chaplains in schools.
Wichita Public Schools in Kansas will close six schools to cover a $42 million budget shortfall as San Francisco's superintendent declares "We must have fewer schools than we do now."
A 36-year career in the Virginia Beach City School District has ultimately landed interim superintendent Donald Robertson in the top spot of Virginia's fourth largest school system.
School districts that had vacancies at the top are now entering the year knowing who their next superintendents will be after a spate of holiday season hirings of both veterans and first-timers.
The finalists named by AASA comprise a diverse group hailing from these states: Georgia, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Texas. "They are prime examples of what it means to be a superintendent in today's post-COVID world," AASA says.
Critics who argue the death of public schools is near are overexaggerating the reality of a healthy balance for school choice, researchers at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute write. Despite a growing interest in charter schooling, larger districts face little competition for students.
San Antonio ISD in Texas is on the verge of closing 15% of its schools. Jackson Public Schools in Mississippi may shutter a dozen buildings. Grand Rapids Public Schools in Michigan is considering 10 closures.
Motivated by some of the most pressing issues among parents, like book bans, classroom conversation and instruction, this week was an opportunity for many to take hold of leadership roles in their communities and spark change.
