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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- News
Revealed: The Best and Worst Cities for School Choice
A recent report by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute ranking America’s best and worst cities for school choice includes two consistent winners—New Orleans and Washington, D.C.—at the top, and a trio of Texas cities in the bottom half of the 30 areas surveyed, with Albany, N.Y., bringing up the rear. Fordham considered three criteria: political support,…Amelia Hamilton -
- News
Why These High School Girls Don’t Want a Transgender Student in Their Locker Room
Speaking out, they knew, could make them the public face of a very private issue. It could lead their classmates to call them “bigots,” “insensitive,” and “homophobes.” But after seeing their high school back down to threats that the U.S. Department of Education would strip away federal funding, and watching school officials overrule their parents,…Kelsey Bolar -
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Dispute Over Islam Homework Assignment Raises Questions About Public School Curriculum
A local dispute over a high school homework assignment made national headlines when parents in Virginia complained that a teacher was attempting to “indoctrinate” their children with the Muslim religion. “The sheet she gave out was pure doctrine in its origin,” Kimberly Herndon, mother of a 9th grade boy at the high school, told ABC affiliate…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Why the Government Shouldn’t Subsidize Student Loans
Good government should always take account of human nature: one aspect of human nature is that you are more careful about conserving resources when you are dealing with your own property. Any child knows that if he breaks his toy by being reckless, he had better not be reckless. But what if the parent always…Lindsey Burke -
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School District Casts Out Bible Verses From ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’
Elementary school students in Johnson County, Ky., performed a version of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” purged of Bible verses after the school district barred religious references in holiday programs. School district officials censored the Thursday night performance of the play at W.R. Castle Elementary School, along with other Christmas productions, after receiving a lone complaint about mentions of religion in…Natalie Johnson -
- Opinion
Should Religious Schools Be Allowed to Enforce Their Religious Mission?
Wheaton College is a private college in the suburbs of Chicago with the following mission statement: Wheaton College serves Jesus Christ and advances His Kingdom through excellence in liberal arts and graduate programs that educate the whole person to build the church and benefit society worldwide. When a professor wore a hijab to show solidarity…Andrew Kloster -
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Liberty University Allows Concealed Carry in Student Dorms
A revision to Liberty University’s weapons policy will allow concealed carrying of firearms in dorms—the only area on campus where concealed carry wasn’t already permitted. Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr. said students of the Christian university in Lynchburg, Va., will be required to have a concealed carry permit and obtain approval from the university’s police department. He announced…Joshua Gill -
- Opinion
Study Finds School Choice Increases Integration in Schools
After decades of initiatives in American public schools to close the achievement gap, the gap between low-income and non-minority students persists. A new study by the Friedman Foundation suggests that school choice may be our best tool for narrowing gaps and increasing integration in schools. In the study, titled “The Integration Anomaly: Comparing the Effects of…Blair Kacynski -
- Opinion
Christmas Comes Early for Teachers Unions and Obama Administration With No Child Left Behind Rewrite
“It’s like Christmas Day,” exclaimed Lily Eskelsen García, president of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union. García was referring to passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which was signed into law by President Barack Obama—who similarly referred to the new law as a “Christmas miracle”—earlier Thursday. On Wednesday, the U.S….Lindsey Burke -
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Two Christian Schools Denied Prayer Over PA System at State Football Championship
Representatives of two Christian high schools in Florida were not allowed to say a prayer over a loudspeaker before a state championship game. Cambridge Christian School in Tampa and University Christian School in Jacksonville agreed to have a public prayer said before their 2A state championship game kickoff Friday in Orlando. Florida’s high school athletic association, the host…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
Why Conservatives Should Not Join Student Protesters’ Fight Against Woodrow Wilson
The arch-progressive Woodrow Wilson is under attack—but conservatives should not join the fray. Wilson is the latest target of modern liberalism in its war against the past. Our 28th president has recently drawn the ire of student protesters at Princeton, who want to scrub the university clean of his name and image because of his…Mike Sabo -
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College President Tells Students to ‘Grow Up’ Because Campus Not Meant to Be ‘Safe Space’
As debate heats up over “safe spaces” at campuses across the United States, one college president is standing up to students who claim they’re victims when their opinions are challenged. Everett Piper, president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, called on students to “grow up” after he got a complaint from an undergraduate who felt “victimized” following an on-campus sermon on love. In a letter…Natalie Johnson -
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Charter Schools Go Back to the Drawing Board in Washington State
Charter schools in Washington state face an uncertain future, leaving roughly 1,300 children and their families wondering what to do. As eight of nine new charter schools in the state navigate their first school year, the Washington Supreme Court upheld a decision that deemed the state’s charter school law unconstitutional. Liv Finne, director of education…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
Student Protesters React to Paris: ‘Pay More Attention to Us’
Millions of people worldwide were horrified to learn that Paris had been attacked by terrorists. But some supporters of the student protests at the University of Missouri had a unique reason for their dismay: outrage over what had happened in France was taking the spotlight off their grievances. “Wow, all this ruckus on the news…Ed Feulner -
- Opinion
A Professor’s Take: College Student Protests Echo 1960s Protests
Recent student protests, which began at the University of Missouri and at Yale, are likely to spread across the country, given the reactions of both universities’ administrations. Is Yale a ‘Safe Space’? Could Yale be a safer place? Not only is there basically no crime on the Yale campus, but there are 86 full-time police…Scott Yenor -
- Opinion
Federal Intervention in Schools Looks to Remain in Force Through Possible No Child Left Behind Deal
House and Senate proposals to rewrite No Child Left Behind are set to head into conference early next week, and details about an agreement struck between House and Senate offices have begun to emerge. As expected, the proposal adopts many of the priorities of Senate policymakers, further weakening any efforts to limit federal intervention in…Lindsey Burke -
- Opinion
Can Opposing Same-Sex Marriage Get You Fired at Marquette University?
MADISON, Wis.—John McAdams remains in professional limbo at his Jesuit school. The long-time Marquette University political science professor at the center of one of the most controversial academic freedom cases in higher education continues to wait for a faculty hearing committee’s decision on his professional fate. Marquette has said it intends to fire McAdams because of his blog post a…M.D. Kittle -
- Opinion
How a 1800s Anti-Catholic Law Is Ruining Kids’ Chance at a Quality Education
“Dismal.” “A train wreck.” That’s how people have characterized the results of this year’s National Assessment of Educational Progress. The NAEP assesses fourth and eighth-graders’ performance in reading and math every other year. Test results had been trending upward since the early 1990s, but the results released last month indicated a drop in both math…Mary Clare Amselem -
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They Claimed Giving All Students Free School Lunches Would Raise Test Scores. Here’s What Happened.
In 2014, education leaders ranging from the U.S. secretary of education down to local school officials promised that kids would do better if districts adopted a federal program that provides no-cost lunches to students regardless of financial need. It hasn’t worked out that way in Chattanooga, Tenn. Board members in charge of the Hamilton County School System voted…Chris Butler -
- Opinion
University of Missouri and Yale Show What Mob Rule Looks Like in Higher Education
America’s universities are supposed to be places where students can get an education. The vast majority of students want that. Some, however, do not. They want a “safe space” where their strange ideas about society can be aired without criticism, and where they can unilaterally punish other students for failing to toe the mass line….Andrew Kloster