Published May 31st, 2022
Philadelphia schools rely on $1.8 billion in federal pandemic to stay out of red ink
(The Center Square) – The Philadelphia public school district is relying on $1.8 billion in federal COVID-19 funding to stay out of a deficit. The…
Published May 31st, 2022
Denver charter schools continue to outperform peers in Colorado
(The Center Square) – Charter school students in Denver had stronger learning gains in math and reading than the state average in the 2017-18 and…
Published April 19th, 2022
Gov. DeSantis signs $70 million measure to support fathers
(The Center Square) – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed bipartisan legislation that will provide $70 million in funding to support fathers in the state through mentorship…
Published April 12th, 2022
Gov. DeSantis signs $70 million measure to support fathers
(The Center Square) – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed bipartisan legislation that will provide $70 million in funding to support fathers in the state…
Published February 15th, 2022
Senate bill would establish school choice program in Alabama
(Brent Addleman | The Center Square) – A bill circulating the Alabama Senate would establish a school choice program in the state. Senate Bill 140,…
Published February 15th, 2022
Senate Republicans announce ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights’ in Minnesota
(Scott McClallen | The Center Square) – Four Senate Republicans announced bills they called the “Parent’s Bill of Rights.” In a morning press conference, Sens.…
Published February 15th, 2022
Mask mandate ends, but public school enrollment continues to decline
(Brett Davis | The Center Square) – On Wednesday, Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal issued a press release calling for an end…
Published February 14th, 2022
Teachers unions spent big to get mandates and closures in Illinois
(Brett Rowland | The Center Square) – Teacher unions have used campaign spending, political organization and collective bargaining power to influence policy decisions during the pandemic.…
Published February 14th, 2022
Many Illinois students experienced ‘normal’ school without masks this week, others did not
(Greg Bishop | The Center Square) – Many students across the state are choosing to go to school maskless despite the governor saying his mandate is…
Published February 14th, 2022
Hogan calls on state’s Board of Education to rescind school mask policy
(Brent Addleman | The Center Square) – As the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the decline in Maryland and across the U.S., Gov.…
Published February 11th, 2022
State superintendent, state rep dismiss parents’ concerns in Wisconsin schools
(Benjamin Yount | The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s state superintendent of schools and at least one Democratic state representative are dismissing the parents who turned out…
Published February 11th, 2022
Despite court order, Pritzker continues mandating masks in schools
(Greg Bishop | The Center Square) – Mask mandates for most indoor activities in Illinois will be lifted on Feb. 28. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is…
Published February 11th, 2022
Virginia Senate passes bill allowing parents to opt children out of sexually explicit school material
(Tyler Arnold | The Center Square) – The Virginia Senate narrowly passed legislation that requires schools to notify parents of sexually explicit material in the…
Published February 11th, 2022
Some Dems holding out while others drop mask mandates in about-face
(Brett Rowland | The Center Square) – Some teacher unions have lashed out in Illinois this week after a judge issued a temporary restraining order…
Published February 10th, 2022
Op-Ed: Mistreating children as ‘following the science’
(David S. D’Amato | The Center Square) – For roughly two years, parents of small children and even toddlers have been forced to mask them, to…
Published February 10th, 2022
Flip-flop: Gov. Lamont will end Connecticut mask mandate
(Brent Addleman | The Center Square) – Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said he is backing a plan that would eliminate statewide requirements that masks be…
Published February 10th, 2022
Oakland County parents sue over school mask mandate
(Scott McClallen | The Center Square) – Oakland County Parents sued Oakland County Health Officer Leigh-Anne Stafford and three school districts over their mask mandates on…
Published February 9th, 2022
Virginia Senate passes bill to prohibit school mask mandates
(Tyler Arnold | The Center Square) – After a long debate on the Senate floor, lawmakers narrowly voted to prohibit schools from enforcing mask mandates…
Published February 9th, 2022
Hochul lifts mask mandate for New York businesses but keeps it for schools
(Steve Bittenbender | The Center Square) — New York’s COVID-19 vaccination or mask mandate is ending for some entities. On Wednesday morning, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced…
Published February 8th, 2022
Poll: Virginians overwhelmingly support private school scholarship tax credit
(Tyler Arnold | The Center Square) – Virginians overwhelmingly support a Virginia school choice policy, which currently grants tax credits to people who donate to…
Published February 7th, 2022
Taxpayers question local COVID relief spending by schools, municipalities across nation
(Brett Rowland | The Center Square) – A county government in southeast Michigan is moving forward with plans to build a sports complex with federal COVID-19…
Published February 7th, 2022
Op-Ed: Time for greater accountability in education
(John Hendrickson & Heather Curry | The Center Square) – Parents across Iowa are demanding greater accountability from public schools. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with current…
Published February 4th, 2022
Study: Coronavirus school closures hurt urban kids most
(Benjamin Yount | The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s coronavirus school closures over the past two years hurt all students across the state, but, according to a…
Published February 4th, 2022
Indiana Senate passes bill that would remove obscene books from school libraries
(Margaret Menge | The Center Square) – The Indiana Senate passed a bill Tuesday aimed at removing what the legislation called obscene material from schools, and…
Published February 3rd, 2022
Iowa Republicans propose scholarship program for students in private, public, or homeschool
(Mary Stroka | The Center Square) – Several Iowa Republicans proposed Tuesday a new scholarship program beginning in July 2023 for students in competent private instruction…
Published February 3rd, 2022
Illinois charter school officials push for longer contracts
(Kevin Bessler | The Center Square) – Charter school officials are not happy with the current contract renewal process for the public school option. Several…
Published February 2nd, 2022
Parents flood Wisconsin private school choice enrollment, crash state website
(Benjamin Yount | The Center Square) – It’s the latest snapshot of just how many parents in Wisconsin want to explore educational options for their kids.…
Published February 2nd, 2022
Sen. Darling: Break up Milwaukee schools into districts to allow for choice
(Benjamin Yount | The Center Square) – The latest school choice plan in Wisconsin would break up Milwaukee’s public schools. Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, introduced…
Published February 1st, 2022
Indiana House passes bill requiring schools post curriculum online
(Margaret Menge | The Center Square) – The Indiana House of Representatives passed a bill this week requiring teachers post all curricular materials on a website for…
Published February 1st, 2022
Youngkin establishes partnerships with Virginia universities in school choice push
(Tyler Arnold | The Center Square) – In his effort to promote more school choice in the Virginia education system, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a…
Published January 27th, 2022
Future of school choice in Wisconsin: Parents’ choice
(The Center Square | Benjamin Yount) – School choice advocates in Wisconsin say the coronavirus has changed the conversation about parents having choices in their kids’…
Published January 26th, 2022
Teacher shortages nationwide causing public education crisis
(The Center Square | Bethany Blankley) – Schools throughout the country are experiencing teacher shortages due to several factors. In some states, legislatures have responded by…
Published January 25th, 2022
National School Choice Week highlights growing trend of school choice in Illinois
(Kevin Bessler | The Center Square) – Children learn differently so give them choices. That is the message Illinois families and educators are highlighting during National…
Published January 25th, 2022
California bill would mandate COVID-19 vaccine for K-12 schools, ban personal exemptions
(Madison Hirneisen | The Center Square) – All medically-eligible California students would be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine to attend in-person learning without the option…
Published January 24th, 2022
Flint schools go virtual indefinitely despite $114 million federal assistance, family inconvenience and student harm
(Scott McClallen | The Center Square) – Despite known harm associated with virtual school and $114 million of federal stimulus money incoming, Flint Community Schools announced…
Published January 24th, 2022
Lawmaker proposes school choice for Pennsylvania students in poor-performing districts
(Victor Skinner | The Center Square) – A Pennsylvania state senator is proposing a new school-choice program for students who live in the commonwealth’s poorest-performing public…
Published January 21st, 2022
Gov. Cooper recognizes School Choice Week in about-face, joins majority of North Carolinians
(Nyamekye Daniel | The Center Square ) – North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has issued a proclamation recognizing North Carolina School Choice Week next week, according…
Published January 20th, 2022
Supreme Court appears sympathetic to free speech, religious liberty case
(Bethany Blankley | The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court this week appeared to be sympathetic to arguments made by a petitioner against the city…
Published January 19th, 2022
Bill would cut in-person class time by 20% in Washington schools
(Brett Davis | The Center Square) – In 2020, students and parents got a crash course in remote learning as part of the response to the…
Published January 19th, 2022
Op-Ed: When will school closures end? Not until we empower parents
(Justin Owen | The Center Square) – Many kids across the country have begun to return to school after the holiday break. But others have not.…
Published January 18th, 2022
Analysis shows education vouchers saved Georgia taxpayers money
(Nyamekye Daniel | The Center Square) – Georgia’s school choice programs saved taxpayers at least $605 million in fiscal year 2018, an updated analysis by EdChoice…
Published January 17th, 2022
California settles lawsuit with parents, removes Aztec chants, prayers from Ethnic Studies curriculum
(Bethany Blankley | The Center Square) – The California Board of Education and Department of Education (CDE) settled a lawsuit with parents over a controversial…
Published January 12th, 2022
As more schools start 2022 with remote learning, advocates say 2021 was ‘historic year’ for choice
(Bethany Blankley | The Center Square) – As school districts across the U.S. start 2022 in remote-learning settings or are considering doing so because of…
Published January 10th, 2022
Parents sue Chicago Teachers Union over school closures, ‘illegal strike’
(Dan McCaleb | The Center Square) – Seven parents of Chicago Public Schools students are suing the district’s teachers union, calling this week’s closure of schools…
Published January 7th, 2022
Op-Ed: Homeschooling will boom long after COVID-19
(Lance Izumi | The Center Square) – Student enrollment in public schools has nosedived as parent disgust with school COVID-19 policies, student learning losses, and controversial…
Published January 5th, 2022
Classes canceled at last minute in Chicago after teachers union votes to return to remote learning
(Kevin Bessler | The Center Square) – The Chicago Teachers Union voted late Tuesday to urge Chicago Public Schools to switch to remote learning because of…
Published January 4th, 2022
School districts sue to stop Ohio school vouchers
(J.D. Davidson | The Center Square) – A coalition of about 100 Ohio public school districts filed a lawsuit Tuesday, challenging the state’s growing private school…
Published January 3rd, 2022
Some schools start new year with fully remote learning
(Dan McCaleb | The Center Square) – With the holiday break coming to an end Monday, a number of school districts across the country are deciding…
Published January 3rd, 2022
Federal judge blocks Head Start vaccine, mask mandate in 24 states
(Jon Styf | The Center Square) – A federal judge in Louisiana has blocked the Biden administration’s vaccine and mask mandate at Head Start preschools, granting…
Published December 29th, 2021
Arizona joins 24-state coalition against Biden Head Start mandates
(Elizabeth Troutman | The Center Square) – Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has joined 24 other states in filing a lawsuit against President Joe Biden’s…
Published December 25th, 2021
Op-Ed: Christmas Eve 1776 changed the world forever
(William Haupt III | The Center Square) – “We must remember, mankind allows that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community, are…
Published December 21st, 2021
Subjects of IEA video call it ‘propaganda,’ say teachers unions upset parents are standing up
(Greg Bishop | The Center Square) – A political video published by the Illinois Education Association is being criticized as propaganda by the targets of…
Published December 13th, 2021
Schools with mask mandates go remote while mask-optional private schools continue in-person
(Greg Bishop | The Center Square) – The Illinois State Board of Education has school districts without COVID-19 mask mandates on its naughty list. The private…
Published December 7th, 2021
Wisconsin Governor Evers vetoes classroom transparency proposal
(Benjamin Yount | The Center Square) – Parents across Wisconsin will not get to see everything their kids are learning in school. Gov. Tony Evers on…
Published November 30th, 2021
Federal taxpayers pay millions to fund critical race theory program that trains students to promote CRT
(Casey Harper | The Center Square) – Federal grant records show the U.S. Department of Education has awarded millions of taxpayer dollars to fund critical race…
Published October 1st, 2021
Wisconsin Lawmakers Okay Plan To Make School Spending Numbers Transparent To Taxpayers
(Benjamin Yount | The Center Square) – Parents and taxpayers in Wisconsin are one step away from having a much easier time finding out where…
Published September 14th, 2021
Parents sue California over public school curriculum that includes chants to Aztec gods
(Bethany Blankley | The Center Square) – Three parents and the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation, (CFER), a civil rights group, have sued the state…
Published August 31st, 2021
Report: Only half of Tennessee education funding makes it to classrooms
(Vivian Jones, The Center Square) – While Tennessee’s spending on education continues to rise, the amount of funding that gets to classrooms has not, a new…
Published August 26th, 2021
Texas parents seeking to home school increases five-fold from 2020 record
(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) – The number of Texas families pulling their children out of public schools and pursuing home-schooling in one week this month…
