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
DC Gets Another Chance to Embrace School Choice
The House of Representatives will consider the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Reauthorization Act (SOAR Reauthorization Act) on Friday, which would reauthorize the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP). The OSP has allowed thousands of low-income and minority students in Washington, D.C., to thrive at schools of choice in the district, despite the Obama administration’s multiple… -
news
Sheriff’s Department Seized $53K From Christian Band Raised for Orphanage, School
A Texas man and his Burmese Christian band, who had $53,000 seized by law enforcement in Muskogee, Okla., in February will get their money back, the prosecutor said. Muskogee County District Attorney Orvil Loge confirmed Monday afternoon that civil and criminal charges filed against Eh Wah, a 40-year-old musician are going to be dropped. “[Eh] Wah had court… -
opinion
Federal Court: Schools May Not Provide Separate Bathrooms Based on Biology
The Fourth Circuit Court ruled today against a Virginia school district that sought to accommodate a transgender student while also protecting the privacy rights of other students. The federal court concluded that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972—which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex—should be interpreted as prohibiting discrimination on the basis of… -
opinion
George Mason University Honors Scalia Legacy by Naming Law School After the Late Justice
George Mason University has announced it will rename its law school after the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. This stands in stark contrast to Georgetown Law Center, which sadly was embroiled in controversy over whether to even mourn the passing of this conservative legal icon. As an alumna of George Mason Law, I am… -
news
For California Teacher Taking on Unions, Supreme Court Ruling Isn’t the End of Her Case
Two years after California teacher Rebecca Friedrichs first mounted her challenge to public-sector unions, she’s hearing the same thing today that she’s heard from fellow teachers all along: Keep fighting. The Supreme Court ruled 4-4 Tuesday in the case that bears her name, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, leaving in place agency fees public employees pay… -
opinion
Justice Scalia’s Vote Likely Would Have Determined Teachers Union Case
It is the end of the road for Rebecca Friedrichs’ challenge to the requirement that teachers who opt out of union membership must nevertheless pay fees to the local union for a “fair share” of the costs of collective bargaining. In Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, the Supreme Court announced in a one-sentence opinion that… -
news
Chicago Teachers to Walk Out Again on 400,000 Schoolchildren
Chicago teachers voted to approve a one-day strike this Friday in protest of “unfair” labor practices, an action that affects about 400,000 public school students as schools plan to shut down for the day. Administrators call the move illegal. “As you may have heard, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has declared a ‘Day of Action’… -
opinion
Federally Run Schools for Native American Children Are Worst in America. Here’s How to Fix That.
Congress could soon find itself with a chance to radically improve the lives of thousands of children currently trapped in crumbling and failing schools now that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has proposed the Native American Educational Opportunity Act. The proposal would enable children attending Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools to access education savings accounts to… -
opinion
Lottery Revenue Will Save Washington Charter Schools From Liberal Court Ruling
In November, children all over Washington State faced uncertain futures when the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that public funding for charter schools was unconstitutional. While charter schools in Washington managed to secure the funding necessary to keep their doors open through the school year, many wondered if families would be forced to abandon the… -
news
How Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin Wants to Change the Traditional Public Education Model
Across the country, state legislatures are challenging the traditional public education model. And in Oklahoma, Gov. Mary Fallin is looking to Sooner State lawmakers to bring Education Savings Accounts to students and parents. Education Savings Accounts, also known as ESAs, redirect the portion of funding normally spent on a student into a separate account accessible… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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…