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
Why Are Higher Education Subsidies Going Toward Lazy River Rides?
Navigating life after college can be tricky for new graduates. Students are struggling to pay off debt and many recent graduates find their degrees don’t guarantee a job in their preferred field. The debt many students are incurring—more than $30,000 for the typical graduate—appears to be underwriting luxurious living at some universities. Recently, College Rank…Mary Clare Amselem -
- News
Campus Protesters Try to Silence Conservative Speaker, Demand College President’s Resignation
Student protesters swarmed California State University, Los Angeles to barricade the entrances of a theater where conservative commentator Ben Shapiro was set to deliver a speech about censorship and diversity on college campuses. Led primarily by the school’s Black Student Union and Black Lives Matter chapter, the hundreds of demonstrators, including some professors, poured into…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
This State Offered Free College Education. Here’s What Happened.
Several politicians have recently been offering free goodies to voters. One of the most popular of these, oddly enough, is something that several state governments have already tackled: free college tuition. The details vary by state, but Oregon, Tennessee, Georgia, Michigan, and Louisiana (among others) all use tax dollars to pay for at least some…Norbert Michel -
- News
After Scalia’s Death, Lawyer for Teacher Challenging Public Unions Wants Supreme Court to Rehear Case
California teacher Rebecca Friedrichs had her day before the Supreme Court to challenge public-sector unions once. Now, following the unexpected passing of Justice Antonin Scalia, her lawyers are pushing for the elementary school teacher to have her day before the high court again. Oral arguments in the case Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association took place…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
The Dirty Little Secret of How Teachers Unions Stay in Business
Less than 1 percent of Pennsylvania public school teachers have formally approved of the unions representing them, and teachers unions from Erie to Philadelphia have not been elected by their members for more than four decades. That should change, according to a blistering policy brief published by the Commonwealth Foundation, a free-market think tank that’s…Evan Grossman -
- Opinion
Why School Choice Helps All Kids (Not Just a Few)
No child should be placed on a wait list to his future. Yet today, more than a million kids in cities across America languish on wait lists for the charter school of their choice. Many more can’t attend the private school of their choice, because their families simply cannot afford it. Millions of children have their…Rep. Luke Messer -
- Opinion
My School Choice Story
It’s National School Choice Week, and I am so excited to see the incredible number of events around the country highlighting education. It brings back so many memories of how we got here. My fight for school choice began in the 1990s, when I was working for my child William to get a quality education in…Virginia Walden Ford -
- News
What a Gay Man’s Court Victory Over a Catholic Girls School Means
A court ruling against a Catholic girls school that declined to hire a gay man in a non-classroom job highlights the need for such religious institutions to do a better job of spelling out their teachings and expectations for potential employees, a Catholic educator said. “Parents and extended family members who entrust their children to a faith-based…Diana Stancy -
- Opinion
How School Choice Could Improve Life for Teachers
During National School Choice Week, advocates are demonstrating how students thrive when they have more education options. While it’s often easy to see the success school choice programs have on students, what’s often missing from this conversation is the acknowledgment that teachers are also empowered by school choice. Schools of choice, be they private or…Mary Clare Amselem -
- News
After Losing His Public School Job for Praying, Coach Kennedy Speaks Out
After refusing to comply with orders to stop kneeling at the 50-yard line and praying after games, Coach Joe Kennedy was banned from participating in any Bremerton High School football programs. The first game he was sidelined for happened to be Senior Night, the night where senior players are honored for their contributions to the team. Looking…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
Christian School’s Plea for ‘Equal Protection’ on Playground Goes to Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether a state natural resources agency violated the First Amendment when it refused to grant funds to a preschool and daycare run by a church. In 2012, Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Mo., applied for a state grant to pay for replacing pea gravel at its Learning Center’s playground with recycled rubber material,…Kristiana Mork -
- Opinion
What School Choice Advocates Have to Celebrate
National School Choice Week has just kicked-off, and there is much to celebrate this year. National School Choice Week will feature over 16,000 events across the country this week, ranging from school pep rallies in support of school choice, to policy panels exploring the many school choice options that are now available to families. Over…Lindsey Burke -
- Opinion
School Choice Interest Skyrocketing as Public Schools Disappoint
This is shaping up to be the best year yet for National School Choice Week. The annual January event, which began in 2011, will feature 16,140 events, up from roughly 11,000 last year. The festivities officially kicked off across the country on Sunday and run through Jan. 30. Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice…Josh Kaib -
- News
District 211 School Allows Transgender Student to Use Girls’ Locker Room
A transgender student was granted access to an Illinois public school’s female locker room Friday after reaching an agreement with the school. The agreement with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights states that “Student A” will change behind curtains installed by the district in the girls’ locker room. The school has since upgraded…Mariana Barillas -
- Opinion
Detroit Public School Teacher ‘Sick Out‘ Underway While Just 8% of Students Can Read Proficiently
Nearly all schools in Detroit were closed Wednesday due to a massive teacher “sick out,” preventing students from attending class. Teachers have complained about over-crowded classrooms, poor school conditions, and dissatisfaction with the idea of charter school growth in Michigan. The teachers’ sick-out includes a planned march, which will conclude near a venue being visited…Lindsey Burke -
- News
Meet the California Teacher Taking On the Unions
For teachers standing in the cold outside the Supreme Court on Monday, as well as thousands of educators across the country, California teacher Rebecca Friedrichs is mounting a battle that could change the power of public-sector unions. In the Supreme Court case Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association that went before the nine justices today, Friedrichs is…Melissa Quinn -
- News
California Teachers Gear Up to Take Fight Against Unions to Supreme Court
On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association. Rebecca Friedrichs and nine other teachers are calling into question the agency fees that public-sector workers are required to pay to unions, which they say violate their First Amendment rights. If the Supreme Court rules in Friedrichs’ favor,…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
Why Sexual Orientation Laws Are a Threat to Local Education
Since the Department of Education was founded in 1979, the federal government has been increasingly involved in public education. The newest encroachment by the federal government into education comes with the arrival of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) laws. The Department of Education has unilaterally decided that “sex” in Title IX (a federal law…Taylor LaJoie -
- News
Ohio Teachers Union Officials Paid Twice as Much as Teachers
Ohio’s largest labor union is in the business of selling worker “solidarity,” and for union bosses, business is good. Ohio Education Association president Becky Higgins was paid $209,039 to preside over a union that took member dues and mandatory fees from 121,625 teachers during the fiscal year ending Aug. 31. Regular OEA dues for full-time teachers are…Jason Hart -
- News
LGBT Group Calls on Government to Address ‘Disturbing Trend’ on Religious College Campuses
The largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender activist group in the country is calling on the Department of Education to address what it calls a “disturbing trend” on college campuses. Specifically, the Human Rights Campaign is calling for more transparency towards what it sees as a trend of schools citing religious reasons for not adhering…Kelsey Bolar