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
From a Course on Miley Cyrus to ‘Identity-Based Housing,’ Examples of Lunacy on College Campuses
As the fall semester begins, parents, students, taxpayers, and donors should be made aware of official college practices that should disgust us all. Hampshire College will offer some of its students what the school euphemistically calls “identity-based housing.” That’s segregated housing for students who—because of their race, culture, gender, or sexual orientation—have “historically experienced oppression.”…Walter E. Williams -
- Opinion
North Carolina School District’s Anti-Bullying Policy Promotes Transgender Agenda
North Carolina has become ground zero for pushing the transgender envelope. In March, North Carolina’s General Assembly and Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, passed the Bathroom Privacy Act (HB2) to establish uniform policies for intimate facilities in public schools and public spaces and to overrule a radical Charlotte ordinance requiring local businesses to allow men…Tami Fitzgerald -
- News
51 Illinois Families Ask Court to Suspend School’s Bathroom, Locker Room Policy
Adding to the handful of lawsuits involving transgender students across the country, lawyers representing a group of 51 families in a Chicago suburb asked a federal judge to temporarily suspend a school policy that grants a transgender student access to the girls’ restrooms and locker rooms. “Every parent sends their kids to school expecting that…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
States Take a Stand Against the Increasing Centralization of Education
For much of American history, education was decentralized, seen as a responsibility of families, communities, churches, and local governments. Parents in the mid-17th century, for example, were not just seen as critical partners in their children’s education, but were expected to be their children’s primary teachers, creating a symbiotic relationship between parent and community values….Sofia Gallo -
- News
What the Supreme Court’s Ruling Means for Transgender Bathrooms in Schools
The U.S. Supreme Court signaled an interest in taking on the transgender bathroom debate on Wednesday, granting a Virginia school system temporary permission to keep its bathrooms separated by biological sex. In a 5-3 vote, the justices issued a stay in the case involving a transgender student in Gloucester County who is suing his school…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
How DePaul University Surrenders to the Mob
Did DePaul University just admit that it can’t keep its students safe from fellow students who are protesting? Sure seems that way. Hiding behind student protesters, however, might just be a smoke screen for advancing the school’s own political agenda. Last week, DePaul informed members of a conservative student organization, Young Americans for Freedom, that…Nathan Howe -
- News
We Asked Democrats About School Choice. Here’s What They Said.
PHILADELPHIA—Do Democrats support school choice? The Daily Signal posed the question to delegates and attendees at last week’s Democratic National Convention, where voters appeared divided on the issue. Watch the video to hear how they responded. >>>Related: ISIS or Climate Change: Which Worries Democrats More?Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Anti-Catholic Blaine Amendment Could Damage Nevada School Choice Reform
A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union is threatening education choice in Nevada. The lawsuit revolves around a century-old law with a “shameful pedigree” that the U.S. Supreme Court has said arose during “a time of pervasive hostility to the Catholic Church and to Catholics in general.” That law, known as a Blaine…Lindsey Burke -
- News
Amid Complaints From Parents, Virginia School Board Pauses New Transgender Policy
After facing significant resistance from parents, a school board in Northern Virginia has decided to temporarily suspend the implementation of new regulations for accommodating transgender and gender nonconforming students. “Fairfax County Public Schools will keep handling transgender student matters with privacy and dignity in the way they always have…case-by-case, which is exactly what we wanted…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Behind the Rise of Public School Costs: The Growing Number of Non-Teachers
How many non-teachers does a school district need? Since 1950, public schools all across America have added staff at a rapid rate—much faster than their increases in students. Sure, there have been some increases in lead teachers that resulted in large declines in class sizes. However, there were even greater increases in the hiring of…Lindsey Burke -
- News
As This School District Sets New Transgender Guidelines, Parents Fight for Transparency
Parents in a Washington suburb say their school board has cut them out of the process of implementing new guidelines for accommodating transgender students. The school board in Fairfax County, an affluent suburb in Northern Virginia, has scrapped a public forum on the gender identity policy and scheduled a work session in which parents aren’t…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
What Americans Can Learn From the Failure of Centralized Education in Brazil
Despite the geographic differences, Brazil and the United States have much in common: both are continental, diverse countries organized in federations with relatively autonomous states. This is why the failure of centralized education system in Brazil is a cautionary tale for American policymakers. Twelve years ago, when his daughters’ eighth grade teacher compared St. Francis of…Gabriel de Arruda Castro -
- Opinion
3 Higher Education Proposals That Don’t Cut It
The House Education and Workforce Committee recently marked up a number of proposals concerning higher education. Instead of using the opportunity to address the drivers of tuition inflation or encourage innovation in the higher education sphere, the proposed reforms maintain an open spigot of federal college subsidies. The package of proposals includes: 1. Simplifying the Application…Mary Clare Amselem -
- Opinion
Why This Hollywood Mom Became a Home Schooling Advocate
Why are more and more parents making the decision to home-school their children? In her interview with The Daily Signal, actress Sam Sorbo explains how she and her husband, actor Kevin Sorbo, came to the conclusion that home schooling was the best option for their family. Sorbo is the author of a new book titled,…Genevieve Wood -
- News
LGBT Bill Threatens California’s Religious Schools
A California state bill its sponsors say will prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity at private universities is threatening to expose faith-based schools to enormous legal threats, school officials warn. SB 1146, introduced in February by state Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, which passed the state Senate May 26, is designed to close “a…Andrew Egger -
- News
School District Grapples With the Transgender Debate
A few short miles outside of Washington, D.C., a public school community appears divided over a policy that allows transgender students to use the bathrooms, locker rooms, and other sex-specific facilities in accordance with their gender identity. Supporters view it as a positive step in the name of equality, while opponents view it as an…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
School Board Facing Lawsuit by Transgender Student Asks Supreme Court to Hear Case
A Virginia school board facing a lawsuit over a policy that bans transgender students from using bathrooms and locker rooms that match their preferred gender identity due to bodily privacy concerns of other students asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to hear its case. “This case is one of national significance,” the court document reads….Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Taxpayer-Funded Summer School Is Not the Answer to the College Cost Problem
On Tuesday, the Senate considered a proposal that would expand Pell Grants (federal aid meant to help low-income students attend college) to cover year-round tuition. In theory, part-time and full-time students who have increased access to Pell Grants would be encouraged to finish their degrees faster and graduate with less debt. Unfortunately, the proposal to expand Pell…Mary Clare Amselem -
- News
Students Sue North Carolina State University for Regulating Religious Speech
A student-led Christian group filed a lawsuit against North Carolina State University for allegedly restricting their First Amendment rights by demanding they obtain a speech permit. The federal court hearing took place Thursday where Tyson Langhofer, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, represented Grace Christian Life, a non-denominational Christian church that organizes services and fellowship…Faith Vander Voort -
- Opinion
Outrageous Tactics Used by DePaul University to Shut Down Conservative Speech
Back in March 2014, Stanford University’s Graduate Student Council revoked funding and demanded exorbitant security fees (over $5,000!) from the Student Anscombe Society related to its event on traditional marriage, which featured Heritage fellow Ryan T. Anderson. Selectively charging outrageous security fees in order to make student leaders “voluntarily” shut down events that college administrations…Andrew Kloster