Brief #62 – Education Policy
by Rudolph Lurz
March 28th, 2023 marked the first anniversary of the signing of Florida’s controversial Parental Rights in Education Act. Critics have commonly labeled it as the “Don’t Say Gay” law.
Education
Facing the Dubious Paradigm of School Shooting Responses
Brief #61 – Education
By Steve Piazza
In response to a spate of shooting incidents in schools over the last several decades, state and local governments have attempted a number of ways to keep students safe.
States Continue Efforts to Remove Facts from History
Brief #60 – Education Policy
By Steve Piazza
Six states have recently signed into law restrictive measures regarding the teaching of race in K-12 schools. New laws in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Tennessee consist of, amongst other things, measures prohibiting anything appearing on a list of “divisive concepts.”
The True Color of Efforts to Strike Down Affirmative Action
Brief #59 – Education
By Steve Piazza
The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard arguments relating to the use of Affirmative Action, or policies designed to reduce discrimination during the college admission process. The focus was on two cases: Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, No. 20-1199, and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, No. 21-707.
The Need to Reframe Education Reform
Brief #58 – Education Policy
By Steve Piazza
In the United States, no single, comprehensive K-12 academic curriculum exists at the Federal level. The states maintain the authority to design and mandate systemic curricula, but even then there is no real consistency.
Education Takes a Back Seat in the 2022 Midterms
Brief #57 – Education Policy
By Steve Piazza
Most polls show that 2022 midterm election voters seem to have prioritized the economy over all other issues. Not surprisingly, since it often holds voter interest more than crime, foreign affairs, health, and the environment.
Reducing the Separation of Religious Schools and Public Money
Brief #56 – Education Policy
By Steve Piazza
In line with a recent string of United States Supreme Court (USSC) decisions lauded by many as protecting religious freedoms, the USSC overturned a lower court decision that prevented state money from being used for religious school tuition. The June 21, 2022 6-3 decision in Carson v. Makin was arrived at by an ideologically divided court.
Ongoing Government Efforts to Keep Homeless Children and Youth in School
Brief #55 – Education
By Steve Piazza
After being approved last March by the House and Senate strictly along party lines, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) of 2021 was signed into law by President Biden. The ARP is a program supplement to Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act, and focusesfederal action that addresses homelessness and that has gone through various iterations since 1986.
Schools, Universities Now Leading Targets of Ransomware Attacks
Brief #54 – Education
By Lynn Waldsmith
A new viral threat known as ransomware is attacking schools and universities throughout the country. According to security company Sophos, 64 percent of higher education institutions and 56 percent of K-12 schools were struck by ransomware last year.
According to the company’s State of Ransomware in Education 2022 report, that means an average of 60 percent across the education sector overall, up from 44 percent in 2020.
Florida’s controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law explained
Brief #53 – Education
By Lynn Waldsmith
It’s not easy having curly hair in Florida. That’s the message the first openly gay class president of Pine View School in Osprey, Florida delivered last month in his commencement address, who used his curly hair as a euphemism for his sexual orientation.
Biden Administration Promotes New Changes in Student Loan Policies
Brief #52 – Education
By Lynn Waldsmith
Being debt-free will soon be a dream come true for tens of thousands of borrowers, now that the Dept. of Education has announced it is taking steps to overhaul the federal student loan system. In addition, millions of borrowers will move one step closer to reaching that same dream.
Too many choices, complicated terms, misinformation from servicers – these are just some of the problems that have plagued federal student loan borrowers for years.
Free Speech Advocates Push Back Against The 1619 Project Culture War, Book Bans
Brief #51 – Education Policy
By Lynn Waldsmith
As conservatives continue to inflame the culture war over “critical race theory” and curriculum or books that it labels as unpatriotic or offensive, free speech advocates are fighting back.