On March 3, 2025, three teacher preparation groups filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland seeking to overturn funding cuts to teacher training programs that were made by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). The plaintiffs (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, National Center…
Measles infections in several states have school and health officials concerned as fears grow of possible widespread outbreaks. The potentially fatal disease had been declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000. Sadly, vaccine skeptics, fed by misinformation by conspiracy theorists, have caused vaccination rates to decline, causing complacency and raising…
A new Ohio law, the Protect All Students Act, will mandate that K-12 and college students in the state can only use multiperson facilities aligned with their sex assigned at birth. As a result, transgender students in Ohio will be barred from using multiperson bathrooms aligning with their gender identities.…
The New York State Department of Education (NYSDE) plans to replace its graduation exam requirement with a new framework by the 2027-28 school year. The exam will be replaced by a “portrait of a graduate,” a more holistic approach to assess graduation and workforce readiness. The shift will include broadening…
In an effort to help destigmatize mental health challenges among students, a recently signed California law allows the term ”emotional disability″ to replace “emotional disturbance” for special education services. The measure, which takes effect January 1, 2024, does not change the definition of the term and does not alter school-based…
As reported by K-12 Dive, in order to improve compliance with federal guidelines, a new Minnesota state law limits how long special education teachers from alternative pathways can instruct by enacting stricter requirements to become a special education teacher in the state, including limits on those who pursue alternative pathways.…
On April 23, 2024. Tennessee House Republicans votes 68-28 to pass legislation to allow some trained teachers and school staff to carry handguns despite pleas from Democrats, students and gun-reform advocates to defeat the bill. Dozens of protestors in the galleries began chanting "Blood on your hands" as soon as…
HB 2618 required the Oregon Department of Education to conduct a study to identify the best methodology for determining the appropriate number of students on a workload for Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Speech Language Pathologists. It also directed the department to submit findings of the study to the interim committees…
On November 1, 2023, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an Executive Order requiring schools to notify all parents of a school-connected drug overdose within 24 hours. Interestingly, it does not define what is considered to be a school-connected drug overdose, which places school officials in a tenuous position. The directive…
As interest in disability-inclusive curricula grows, in April 2023 the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced the creation of a Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program to instruct K-12 students on the political, economic, and social contributions of individuals with disabilities. Under the program, schools can apply for up to $30,000…
