On Thursday, November 16, 2023, President Biden signed a two-tiered stopgap spending measure that avoids a government shutdown and keeps some agencies funded into January and others, including education, through February 2. Late Wednesday, November 15th, the U.S. Senate approved the Continuing Resolution (CR) in an 87-11 vote, sending it to…
On November 13, 2023, Democratic members of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hosted a roundtable with educators and advocates to seek answers to the national epidemic of shootings. The roundtable took place as this year’s number of school shootings across the nation set a record high. Four key takeaways from…
On November 9, 2023, Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, and Tim Kaine, D-Virginia introduced a bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate that proposes a study led by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) on the effects that cell phone use in K-12 classrooms has on students’ mental health and academic performance. The…
In their latest attempt to block controversial TItle IX proposed rules, House Republicans have attached a provision to the U.S. Education Department (USDE) FY2024 appropriations bill, The provision would block the agency from using its funding to implement protections for LGBTQ+ students. The bill calls would also prohibit any of…
As reported by K-12 Dive, on October 30, 2023 the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and White House issued a joint “Dear colleague” letter urging schools to protect students from substance abuse and drug poisonings by providing preventative education and preparing for opioid overdoses. In fact, overdose deaths among teens…
It’s been nearly two years since the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) approved the first registered teacher apprenticeship program between Tennessee’s Clarksville-Montgomery County School System and Austin Peay State University. In fact, at last month's 57th Annual NAPSA Conference our attendees were treated to a presentation by those who implemented…
Citing an overwhelming number of comments to sift through, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) missed its October deadline to finalize two proposed sets of Title IX regulations (i.e., athletics and broader Title IX guidance). The original deadline was actually May 2023, and USDE has yet to announce a new…
According to research by EAB, an education consulting firm, to reduce chronic absenteeism school districts should use targeted and tailored approaches that focus on three populations — parents, teachers and secondary school students. Approaches should be based on empathy and clear communication about attendance expectations and the value of in-person learning. EAB…
On October 24, 2023, forty-one states and the District of Columbia are suing Meta, accusing the parent company of Instagram and Facebook of concealing the adverse effects their platforms have on children and adolescents and deploying harmful contents that target those youth. In one filing in the U.S. District Court…
Due to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) final rule that took effect on October 26, 2023, approximately 3,000 more school districts will be eligible to serve free breakfasts and lunches to all students under an expansion of the Community Eligibility Provision. The final rule amends the Community Eligibility Provision’s…
