Education Policy & School Reform News

Kami Cothrun was a frustrated public school teacher when she decided to open a school of her own. She “saw a need” and decided to act. What started out as a small endeavor with just six students has blossomed into three Arizona campuses with 200 special-needs students. "I really wanted to offer something different to…

Merry Christmas, Texas! A Texas lawmaker wants to remind students and teachers in the state’s public schools that they may wish others a “Merry Christmas” or a “Happy Hanukkah” without fear of legal ramifications. State Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston, the author of the Merry Christmas Law, held a joint press conference with state Rep. Richard…

MINNETRISTA, Minn. — Just when the backlash over First Lady Michelle Obama’s school lunch menu leveled off, students in a handful of Twin Cities schools got a taste of what could be another controversial food fad. The main course? Non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) meals. “Having the GMO awareness day for our district was to really…

Schools across America are celebrating Thanksgiving with their annual feast of turkey and vegetables. And this year, students are giving thanks in another way—with a touch of sarcasm. First lady Michelle Obama, champion of healthy eating, was on the receiving end of the "thanks" when students shared photos of their unappetizing lunches and skimpy servings. my school lunch…

Healthier lunches have become available in schools across the nation. But students aren’t eating them. According to a new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study, “Nearly 6 in 10 [students] put a vegetable on their tray, but only a quarter actually eat even a single bite.” The researchers observed the eating habits of…

A Colorado high school banned a group of students from praying, singing Christian songs, and discussing religious topics in their free time. Citing “separation of church and state,” officials at Pine Creek High School told Chase Windebank, a senior, that he and his classmates no longer were allowed to use an unoccupied choir room for…

An Oklahoma student has sparked outrage about federal school lunch guidelines after taking a picture of her meager lunch. Kaytlin Shelton’s lunch consisted of a few slices of lunch meat, a slice of cheese, two small packages of crackers and two pieces of cauliflower. The lunch is particularly small for Shelton, 17, who is eight…

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Students attending Sarasota County public schools might be wondering, “Where’s the beef?” The answer won’t be found between two buns, at least not on Mondays. Sarasota County Schools kicked off a Meatless Monday campaign last week, nixing traditional protein-packed food items for vegetarian substitutes. The program is part of “a popular international movement … to promote…

High school students in Long Island, N.Y., were recently denied the right to establish a club for Christian students by their school administrators. This marks the second time they’ve run into trouble. Last year, John Raney, a 17-year-old student at Ward Melville High School, created Students United in Faith as an extracurricular club where Christian…

LINCOLN, Neb.—A middle school employee gave teachers training documents advising them not to use “gendered expressions” by calling students “boys and girls” or “ladies and gentlemen,” but to instead use more generic expressions such as campers, readers, athletes or even purple penguins to be more “gender inclusive.” A handout called “12 easy steps on the way…

Post by Donald Zolan. An atheist group has demanded that an Oklahoma school remove a poster from its main office–but the school district said “no.” For the last 18 years, a poster based on a painting, “Faith in America” by Donald Zolan, has been displayed in the main office of Kenneth Cooper Middle School in…