Education News
Reports on education reform, school choice, and classroom policies. The Daily Signal provides conservative commentary and opinion alongside education news.
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- Opinion
Texas Bill Prohibiting Sexually Explicit Content in Public Schools Heads to Governor’s Desk
A bipartisan bill banning sexually explicit content in public school libraries has passed the Texas Senate and is on its way to the governor’s desk. HB 900, dubbed The READER Act, specifies what “sexual content” is and prescribes actions by Texas public schools to ensure that children aren’t given access to pornographic, sexually explicit, or…Tony Kinnett -
- News
Parents Take School Board to Court for Assigning LGBTQ Books Without Their Consent
Six Maryland parents of different religious backgrounds are suing the Montgomery County Board of Education for forcing their children to read LGBTQ “pride” books without parental knowledge or consent. The federal lawsuit comes after the school board in the affluent Maryland county created a list of 13 newly approved “LGBTQ-inclusive” books and informed parents that…Gigi De La Torre -
- Opinion
Texas Set to Give Boot to Leftist DEI Offices at Public College Campuses
Texas may soon become the second state to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs from public colleges. In early May, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation to prevent colleges and universities there from using federal or state funds on DEI programs. Like on many other issues, Florida and DeSantis have demonstrated that just a few…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
Biden’s Message to Black College Graduates: You’re Victims, Not Leaders
I sat in the crowd with thousands of beautiful families waiting to hear a message of inspiration, hope, and a brighter future like I would expect to hear at any commencement speech in America. Instead, sitting in the audience at the historically black Howard University, the graduates, their families, and I heard a message from…Terris Todd -
- News
LifeWise Academy Brings Bible-based Education to Public School Students During School Hours
Bethany Sanidad, a mom from Ohio, credits LifeWise Academy with changing her son Christian’s life—and by extension her whole family’s outlook on faith. “I imagine Christian and his family sitting in church one day and thinking it all started with LifeWise,” Sanidad told The Daily Signal. “If we didn't have LifeWise offered, we wouldn't be…Rob Bluey -
- News
North Carolina’s Democrat Governor Declares Emergency Over School Choice ‘Scheme’
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, declared a state of emergency Monday because the state Legislature is expected to override his veto of a school choice bill. “I’m declaring the state of emergency because you need to know what’s happening,” Cooper said during an address in the state capital of Raleigh. “If you care…Tony Kinnett -
- Opinion
Why Junior ROTC Programs in US High Schools Are Needed Now More Than Ever
Based on allegations of sex abuse at the hands of instructors, Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., late last year called on the Pentagon to “shut down” the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program. That sentiment is echoed by critics who further claim JROTC “brainwashes” students with militarism and violence. By way of background, JROTC is…Thomas Spoehr -
- News
‘I Would Like to Have My Job Back’: School Counselor Sues After Being Fired for Disagreeing With Transgender Policy
PENDLETON, Ind.—An Indiana school district violated a guidance counselor’s right to free speech by retaliating against and ultimately firing her for saying parents should know about their teenage children’s interest in “transitioning” to the opposite sex, the former counselor argues in a lawsuit filed Thursday. Alliance Defending Freedom, a law firm that protects religious liberty…Tony Kinnett -
- News
Democratic Attorney General Targets School for Policy Notifying Parents If Their Child Tries to Change Their Gender
New Jersey’s attorney general filed a civil rights complaint Wednesday against Hanover Township Board of Education challenging a policy that advises educators to notify parents if their child is transitioning genders at school. The Hanover Township Board of Education adopted a “Parental Notice of Material Circumstances” policy on Tuesday that requires educators to “say something to the…Reagan Reese -
- News
This School District Teaches Middle School Sex Ed Based on Planned Parenthood Guide
Warning: This report includes graphic language and references to such language, which some readers may find offensive. A Virginia school district is using a teacher’s guide for middle school sex education, co-sponsored by Planned Parenthood, that promotes student “role-plays,” urges normalizing of certain behavior, and refers to sterilization as “permanent birth control.” The teachers guide…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
School System’s Decision Against Flying ‘Pride’ Flags Outside Buildings Angers LGBTQ+ Activists
School board meetings in one New Jersey district have turned into a toxic fiasco as LGBTQ+ protesters screamed and cursed at board members over a policy to fly only the American and New Jersey flags in front of schools. The last two scheduled school board meetings of the Westwood Regional School District in Bergen County,…Tony Kinnett -
- Opinion
School Choice Chalking Up More Wins Across Country
The momentum for school choice is continuing to build nationwide. Eight states have enacted new education choice policies or have expanded existing ones so far this year, including Indiana, Montana, and South Carolina earlier this month alone. Of the eight, four states—Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, and Utah—enacted school choice policies that will be available to all…Jason Bedrick -
- News
Pornographic Books Found in Texas School Libraries Result in Bipartisan Action to Remove Them
Warning: This report contains sexually graphic images from commonly available books in school libraries, which The Daily Signal has obscured in part. A bill that has passed the Texas House with bipartisan support could become the model for ensuring public school libraries don’t provide sexual content to children. HB 900, sponsored by four Republicans and…Tony Kinnett -
- News
Texas on the Verge of Allowing Chaplains in Public Schools
A bill allowing chaplains in schools passed the Texas Legislature Tuesday evening after the state’s House of Representatives voted largely along party lines, according to Religion News Service. House Bill 3614 was introduced by Republican state Rep. Cole Hefner in March and if signed into law would allow schools to “employ or accept as volunteers chaplains,” according…Kate Anderson -
- Opinion
Are School Libraries Banning Thousands of Books? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Trust the Left’s Narrative
“What we’re seeing here is a resurgence of widespread censorship in America,” Nadine Farid Johnson recently told The Wall Street Journal. Johnson is the Washington director of PEN America and co-author of its report claiming to identify 2,532 books banned in public schools during the 2021-2022 school year. PEN America advocates on behalf of poets,…Jay Greene -
- Opinion
Biden’s ‘Transgender’ Rule Mandating Schools Treat Biological Males as Females Gets Tested
Just when you thought Virginia’s Loudoun County Public Schools could not get any worse. Now, Biden’s Department of Education has launched an investigation into how the school system handled two 2021 sexual assaults against girls by a boy claiming to be “transgender.” Its investigation of those complaints will force the department to come to terms…Sarah Parshall Perry -
- Opinion
It’s a Problem When the Goal of School Meals Is No Longer Just to Serve Students in Need
The White House wants every K-12 student to be part of the welfare system. And in its zeal to achieve that goal, pesky things like Congress or the risk of expanding already poorly performing programs pose no obstacles. President Joe Biden’s administration is continuing the work of President Barack Obama’s team and trying to put…Jonathan Butcher -
- Opinion
‘He’s Wrong,’ Expert Says as Education Secretary Implies Book Banning Responsible for Falling Civics, History Scores
The test results are in, and America’s children are failing history and civics. According to the “Nation’s Report Card,” just 13% of eighth graders are proficient in U.S. history, and only 22% are proficient in civics. Every four years, the National Assessment of Educational Progress captures how well America’s students are performing in major subjects….Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Red States Ban Destructive Transgender Treatments as K-12 Schools Funnel Children to Dangerous Path
Citing “very serious side effects” and a “lack of reliable scientific evidence for their efficacy and safety,” Missouri is clamping down on chemical and surgical gender transition interventions for both children and adults. The move comes as public schools across the nation push children toward transgenderism with organized efforts and intentional tactics that leave children’s…Keri D. Ingraham -
- Opinion
‘We’re Not Doing That Here,’ Oklahoma Schools Superintendent Says of DEI Instruction
Oklahoma is taking a lead on school choice programs and resisting far-left ideology in classrooms across the state. “It is amazing how aggressive the Biden administration is with this radical agenda towards our schools,” Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s state superintendent of public instruction, says. When he came into office, Walters says he told staffers there, “We’re…Virginia Allen