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
School Choice Lets Parents Pick Safer Schools
Parents look for many things in a school: strong academics, engaging extracurricular activities, and quality teachers who offer one-on-one help to their kids. But increasingly, parents are adding safety to their list: They want a school where their children will feel safe. Safety is a growing concern for parents. A 2017 Gallup survey found that… -
opinion
5 Key Exchanges From the Supreme Court in Religious School Case
The Supreme Court heard oral argument Wednesday in an important case involving a Montana tax credit scholarship program that provided scholarships for underprivileged kids to use at private schools. Initially, families could use scholarship funds at qualified religious schools, but the Montana Department of Revenue later implemented an administrative rule excluding religious schools, citing a provision in the… -
opinion
It’s Time for the Supreme Court to End Anti-Religious Prejudice in This School Choice Case
Anti-Catholic prejudice, which spread like gangrene in the 19th and 20th centuries, often manifested itself in so-called Blaine Amendments, which enabled government discrimination against religious families, students, and schools. This month, the Supreme Court will have the opportunity to overturn one such law. In Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the court will examine Montana’s… -
opinion
What You Need to Know About Religious School Case at the Supreme Court
Should families be able to use school choice tax credits on religious schools? That’s the question that’s at the heart of Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which the Supreme Court is hearing Wednesday. Heritage Foundation legal scholar and host of the podcast “SCOTUS 101” Elizabeth Slattery breaks down the case for us. Read a… -
opinion
We Hear You: Sex Ed, Student Loans, and Government Spending
Editor's note: Here's some of what's on the minds of The Daily Signal's audience, straight out of the ol' inbox. Please don't neglect to write us at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: As one of the principal organizers of the defeat of Washington state’s “comprehensive sexual health education bill” in 2018, I am writing to… -
opinion
Supreme Court to Hear ‘Bridgegate’ and School Choice Cases
The Supreme Court returned Monday for oral arguments after a lengthy holiday break. During the court’s January sitting, the justices will hear arguments in eight cases, including ones dealing with school choice and the “Bridgegate” scandal. The justices already have heard arguments in cases involving the Second Amendment, Obamacare, and whether federal law covers claims… -
news
Parents Challenge ‘Radical’ LGBT Curriculum in New Jersey Schools
TRENTON, N.J.—Parents are plenty angry about a New Jersey law that requires LGBT material to be incorporated into public school classroom instruction. The parents say they are concerned the new law will “teach lifestyles and life choices that stand 100% against our family values.” They object to their tax dollars being used for what they… -
news
Teachers Go to Court to Fight Union Over Choice of Charities
Teachers who object to paying union fees on religious grounds are too political, some union leaders in Pennsylvania argue in a new twist on long-standing complaints about organized labor’s involvement in elective politics. But at least two of those teachers, who just had their day in court to put state labor laws under scrutiny, see… -
opinion
We Hear You: In Defense of Charter Schools and Parents’ Rights
Editor's note: One of The Daily Signal's new year's resolutions is to inspire you to write us about our coverage and what's on your minds. So drop a line to [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Daniel Davis’s podcast interview with charter schools advocate Charles Mitchell (“In Pennsylvania, a War on Charter Schools”) also reflects, although… -
news
Planned Parenthood Targets Los Angeles High Schoolers
Planned Parenthood announced Wednesday a plan to open 50 health centers at Los Angeles high schools. The nation’s largest abortion provider plans to spend millions to build “Wellbeing Centers” that target high schoolers in Los Angeles County and aims to “create a safe space in each school where students can receive the education and health… -
opinion
Traditional Values Shouldn’t Exempt Schools From State Voucher Programs
Officials in the state of Maryland have banned a school from their voucher program due to its faith-based views on gay marriage and transgenderism. The Baltimore Sun reported that Bethel Christian Academy responded to the ban with a lawsuit contending officials violated its religious freedom. The case will now be heard in federal court According… -
opinion
Fraud in Higher Education
This year’s education scandal saw parents shelling out megabucks to gain college admittance for their children. Federal prosecutors have charged more than 50 people with participating in a scheme to get their children into colleges by cheating on entrance exams or bribing athletic coaches. They paid William Singer, a college-prep professional, more than $25 million… -
opinion
In a Time of Distraction, an Education Focused on Timeless Ideas
What does it mean to truly be educated? Great Hearts Academies, a series of charter schools in Texas and Arizona, is focused on a classical curriculum. “We are trying to provide a form of education where our students’ loves are tapped into. They begin to learn to love what is true. They are drawn to… -
news
‘My Privacy Is Being Invaded’: High School Girl Reacts to New Transgender Bathroom Policy
Video footage shows a high school girl choked up when her high school ruled that trans students have unrestricted access to bathrooms and locker rooms. A high school student identified by the Daily Herald as Julia Burca chokes up as she discusses how her school district ruled Thursday that transgender students will have unrestricted access… -
opinion
Baltimore’s Answer to High Homicide Rates and Low School Performance? Ban Plastic Bags
What do you do when your community faces crushing poverty, failing schools, and disturbing homicide rates? In Baltimore, the answer is: Ban plastic bags, of course. Yes, Charm City is saving the world, one plastic bag at a time. The Baltimore City Council passed a citywide ban on retailers’ use of plastic bags at checkout… -
opinion
We Hear You: ‘Education Is Too Important to Leave to Professionals’
Editor's note: Count on The Daily Signal's audience to have a lot to say on the state of public education and other topics, as this week's mailbag reveals. You can join in by emailing [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Excellent article by Fred Lucas about the education failures of the Great Society (“Why LBJ’s Great… -
opinion
What I Learned About the Transgender Politics Injected Into This Affluent County’s Schools
I live in Fairfax County, Virginia, which has the 10th-largest public school district in the nation, but I never focused on our public schools. My kids go to Catholic schools, and that was the center of our universe. I never focused, that is, until I heard that the Fairfax County School Board voted to let… -
opinion
Nation’s Report Card Shows Why We Should Get Washington Out of Education
Across the country, math and reading scores have continued a yearslong stagnation, with students largely showing no progress in academic achievement. That’s one major takeaway from the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress, released earlier this week by the National Assessment Governing Board. Often referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, the assessment tracks the… -
opinion
We Hear You: Notes on Our Schools From the ‘Belly of the Beast’
Editor's note: We’re back with a roundup of your emails, beginning with one on the state of public schools from a correspondent who recently moved from California to Virginia. Don’t forget to write us at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: About your "Back to School Edition" roundup of reader comments: I served on a consultative… -
opinion
Student Loans Can Be Perilous. Here’s a Better Way to Pay for College.
Student loan debt keeps growing. There is a better solution than the ones politicians offer, which stick the taxpayer or the loan lenders with the whole bill. It’s called an “income share agreement.” Investors give money to a college, and the college then gives a free or partially free education to some students. When those…