As the State of Arizona grapples with a $1.8 billion budget deficit, public school advocates are demanding urgent reform on the state s Empowerment Scholarship Account voucher program which lets parents use public funds for private-school tuition and other education-related costs. Rep. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix, said the Republican majority is "hell-bent on privatizing education and profiting off the backs of Arizona children." "The fraud and abuse of ESAs is infuriating," Ortiz asserted. .
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee say a GOP probe into whether teachers unions had too much influence on pandemic school closures has come up empty. A spokesperson for the Democrats says that in fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consulted a wide range of stakeholders before the American Federation of Teachers was even aware of the guidance to close schools. At a hearing in March, California U.S. .
Detroit s Wayne State University is gearing up to establish an institute on brain health, thanks to a $20 million donation. The Ben L. Silberstein Institute for Brain Health will find its home within Wayne State University s Integrative Biosciences Center, under the leadership of Dr. .
As the waters recede from the biggest storm to hit southern California in decades, lawmakers in Sacramento are considering a bill Wednesday to make schools more resilient. Senate Bill 394 would require the California Energy Commission to create a statewide plan to help school districts integrate climate resilience and sustainability into their master plans. Andra Yeghoian, chief innovation officer at the nonprofit TenStrands, which supports the bill. .
Parents and educators in Massachusetts are joining forces to end the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) high school graduation requirement. They re combining two ballot initiatives, which would require the state to replace the standardized exam with local certification of academic success to earn a degree. Lexington public high school parent Shelley Scruggs said it would also work retroactively to ensure those denied their diploma for failing the test can attain one. .