CER Daily Media Clips

CER Daily Media Clips for July 27, 2021

Kindergarten Enrollment Fell Last Year. Now Schools Wonder How Many Kids Are Coming

Jul 27, 2021 | NPR | school districts | National

Public school enrollment dipped across the board, preliminary federal data shows, and the youngest grades saw the largest changes. Kindergarten enrollment fell 9%, and pre-K enrollment fell 22%.

Education funding on the table as Democrats hammer out budget resolution

Jul 27, 2021 | Politico | federal budget | National

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has vowed that the Senate will pass a budget resolution before it leaves town for the August recess. That would unlock reconciliation as a tool for Democrats, allowing them to pass large swaths of the Biden administration’s legislative agenda later this fall — including education proposals — without needing GOP votes.

Homeschooling exploded among Black, Asian and Latino students. But it wasn’t just the pandemic

Jul 27, 2021 | Washington Post | homeschooling | National

The percentage of schoolchildren in home-school has nearly tripled since mid-2019. By May of this year, the U.S. Census Bureau found more than one out of every 12 students were being home-schooled. Even more remarkable are where those gains came from: Even though home schooling has often been considered the domain of religious White families, the most significant increases were seen among Black, Latino and Asian households.

DC parents say problematic doctor’s form is preventing child approval for virtual learning

Jul 27, 2021 | WTOP News | online learning | States, South, District of Columbia

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is crystal clear in her message: On the first day of school, Aug. 31, she wants every student learning in person. But some parents who have children with medical conditions are concerned about their children going back to class. They say doctors won’t sign the required form to have their student’s case considered for virtual learning because of one word, and they feel they are being set up to fail.

Commentary: End discrimination in Maine against religious school families

Jul 27, 2021 | The Portland Press Herald | vouchers | States, Northeast, Maine

By barring the use of public funding for religious high schools, the state is violating the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause, says the firm representing three Maine families.

Murphy not budging despite petition seeking remote school choice

Jul 27, 2021 | WOBM | online learning | States, Northeast, New Jersey

An online petition asking the state to allow remote learning options for students in the approaching school year is gaining speed, but Gov. Phil Murphy said he remains opposed.

Austin ISD to offer virtual learning option for K-6th grade this fall

Jul 27, 2021 | CBS Austin | online learning | Towns, States, South, Texas

The Austin Independent School District has announced Monday afternoon the creation of virtual learning options for their kindergarten through sixth-grade students for the upcoming school year.

Whitmer’s veto of reading scholarships sparks voucher debate

Jul 27, 2021 | Holland Sentinel | vouchers | States, Midwest, Michigan

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's veto of $155 million in proposed spending on reading scholarships for students has sparked fresh criticism from opponents who say it would have addressed pandemic-related learning loss and approval from those who liken the grants to vouchers.

Federal court rules against Newsom in school choice case

Jul 27, 2021 | The Center Square | state policy | States, West, California

A mandate imposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom barring private school children from attending in-person classes is unconstitutional, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has ruled.

In Focus: State lawmaker discusses legal challenges to parts of Kentucky’s new education law

Jul 27, 2021 | Spectrum News 1 | state policy | States, South, Kentucky

House Bill 563 allows students to change school districts. It also creates organizations that would fund private school tuition and gives $25 million in tax breaks to those groups. This new education bill is facing a court challenge from the Council for Better Education. The case is due back in court for a motions hearing in the coming weeks.

As School Year Nears, Some Chicago Parents Push Back Against Limited Virtual Option

Jul 27, 2021 | WBEZ Chicago | parent power | Towns, States, Midwest, Illinois

Chicago Public Schools is requiring masks for all children, even if vaccinated. Still, worried parents want greater access to remote learning.

Aventura Community School: What To Know About The Newly Approved Dual-Language Charter School

Jul 27, 2021 | Nashville Public Radio | charter schools | Towns, States, South, Tennessee

Earlier this month, the Metro Nashville Board of Education approved Aventura Community School, a dual-language charter school aimed at making K-8 students biliterate in English and Spanish.

Governor announces new recommendations for K-12 schools in response to COVID-19 delta variant

Jul 27, 2021 | Northern Kentucky Tribune | state policy | States, South, Kentucky

Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday shared new masking recommendations for K-12 schools in response to the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant.

Opinion: Tennessee must remember how COVID-19 changed education in order to innovate

Jul 27, 2021 | Tennessean | innovation | States, South, Tennessee

The past two years taught us many things about what a public school education can look like. Now, it is up to each of us to ensure that we don’t suffer from a learning loss of our own by leaving behind such important lessons.

Charter school, homeless rescue organization join forces

Jul 27, 2021 | The Business Journal | charter schools | Towns, States, West, California

Aspen Ridge Public School will open a new campus in a new partnership with Fresno Mission in the fall. The school will be located at the City Center, near Blackstone and Dakota avenues. It will be open to all students in Fresno.

Can Tutoring Help Students Recover From The Pandemic? This Indy School Hopes So

Jul 27, 2021 | WFYI Indianapolis | accountability | Towns, States, Midwest, Indiana

To help the tens of thousands of students who have fallen behind academically, some districts, including KIPP Indy Schools, have turned to tutoring services. But it’s unclear if schools will be able to sustain their investment in one-on-one instruction after the COVID-19 relief money runs out.

Have Colorado educators cracked the code to digital diversity?

Jul 27, 2021 | Portland Tribune | virtual schools | States, West, Colorado

Critics of online public charter schools in Oregon have long pointed to the fact that “cybercharter” students enrolled statewide are disproportionately white. That characteristic, in fact, bears true across the country — with the exception of Colorado, where online charter schools have become more diverse than the student body statewide.

New school aims to improve reading proficiency

Jul 27, 2021 | WPTV | charter schools | Towns, States, South, Florida

According to state lawmakers, about 43% of third grade students in Florida are reading at grade level. However, The Foundations School in West Palm Beach is reporting sharp gains in student reading scores during its first semester in operation.

Parents sue California over school mask mandate

Jul 27, 2021 | FOX Los Angeles | parent power | States, West, California

California parents are suing Gov. Gavin Newsom and state health officials over the school mask mandate saying that covering children's faces is unnecessary and can even be harmful to young people's well-being.

Detroit district, union agreement gives teachers $2,000 to work inside school buildings

Jul 27, 2021 | Chalkbeat Detroit | teacher pay | Towns, States, Midwest, Michigan

Teachers in the Detroit school district will receive $2,000 in hazard pay for teaching in person during the upcoming school year. More money would be available for those who teach in person and online.

School districts prepare for universal expansion of transitional kindergarten

Jul 27, 2021 | The Bakersfield Californian | other education issues | States, West, California

Right now only a slim fraction of 4-year-old Californians qualify for transitional kindergarten. The most recent state budget changes that with a 5-year plan to expand the extra year of kindergarten to all 4-year-olds in the state.

Unions Spent At Least $1.8 Billion in the 2020 Election Cycle

Jul 27, 2021 | National Review | teachers unions | National

A new report is out today summarizing the political activities of unions in the 2020 election cycle. It says unions spent $1.8 billion, and that is actually an underestimate.

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