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
Fairfax School District Prioritizes ‘Green Initiatives’ Over Academic Proficiency
As Virginia’s largest public school district continues to decline academically, Fairfax County Public Schools’ environmental and sustainability program has exploded in scale since 2020, transforming from a small initiative into a heavily staffed central operation. Meanwhile, despite a $197 million increase from the fiscal year 2026 budget, Fairfax County’s school board members voted last month… -
opinion
For Spanberger, It’s ‘Do as I Say, Not as I Do’
It’s only been a few months into Abigail Spanberger’s administration, and already I’m growing weary of this. Here we are again in a scenario too similar to issues that dogged Gov. Glenn Youngkin during the previous four years. On several occasions, as is his right and responsibility as governor, Youngkin appointed people to empty seats… -
opinion
Even California Academics Want to Reverse Wokeness
The fruits of another woke revolution are here—and even California academics are fed up. In May 2020, weeks into the nation’s shutdown and days before George Floyd’s death, the University of California regents voted that applicants to the prestigious public higher education system would no longer need to submit SAT or ACT test scores. “I… -
news
NOT SO FAST, MICKEY: FCC Puts Disney in the Hot Seat Over DEI
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr is pushing back after a TV broadcaster owned by the Walt Disney Company accused the commission of violating the First Amendment. WABC-TV, a New York affiliate of the American Broadcasting Corp., objected to the FCC ordering the station to apply for early license renewal amid an investigation into so-called… -
opinion
Clemson Hires New President. What Does This Mean for DEI on Campus?
Last fall, Clemson University officials announced the end of a sordid list of diversity, equity, and inclusion “commissions.” But news of DEI’s death at the college may be premature: The school’s board of trustees hired a new president with a checkered past of applying racial preferences. Are the trustees and administrators serious about civil rights… -
news
Florida Senate President in Hot Seat Over Pro-DEI College President Pick
Florida Senate President Ben Albritton is attracting controversy after he allegedly greenlighted board appointments that paved the way for a candidate with a history of supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to become the sole candidate for the University of Florida presidency. “You can thank @Sen_Albritton for green-lighting these board appointments right before a new… -
exclusive
Law School Threatened Disciplinary Action Against Students Who Opted Out of DEI Training
First on the Daily Signal—Defending Education uncovered that Simmons Law School at Southern Illinois University threatened students who did not attend a mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion training with a “letter of reprimand,” which would be placed in a student’s permanent file and potentially shared with the bar. “Those who cannot attend in person typically… -
opinion
What Every Graduate Should Aim For
Many of today’s graduates are about to make the same mistake Matthew Emmons made during the 2004 Olympics. It’s commencement season for high school and college seniors. The future may be unknown, but graduates know what they want in their future—money. A 2025 poll by Harvard Political Review asked young Americans to identify their important… -
news
Just 8 House Democrats Voted for Parental Consent Pronouns Bill
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 217–198 to require federally funded elementary and middle schools to obtain parental consent before changing a student’s gender on forms or sex-based accommodations. Only eight Democrats voted for the bill. Democrat Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Cleo Fields of Louisiana, Lauren Gillen… -
opinion
Is Wokeness Coming to the University of Florida?
Many see the University of Florida as a bastion against wokeness and DEI, but that might soon change; Stuart Bell, formerly president at the University of Alabama, was recently named sole presidential finalist for the University of Florida. Bell brought DEI policies to Alabama upon his arrival in 2015 and radicalized Alabama’s flagship university within five years. Later, when… -
opinion
‘POVERTY PALACE’: How Is the SPLC Wealthier Than the YMCA and Planned Parenthood?
These are the remarks Tyler O’Neil plans to deliver before the House Judiciary Committee in his opening statement Wednesday morning. The text may change between publication now and the testimony then. Chairman [Jim] Jordan, Ranking Member [Jamie] Raskin, members of the committee, I am honored to testify before you today. I will argue that the… -
exclusive
Trump Admin Slashes Burdensome Regulations for State Education Reform
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The Department of Education is slashing federal regulations that could hinder states from improving their schools, the administration’s latest move in its dismantling of the agency and its effort to return education policy to the states. The Education Department has approved Education Flexibility applications for the states of Florida and Illinois,… -
exclusive
California School District Spends $300K to Partner With LGBTQ Center
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—A California school district spent $300,000 to partner with an LGBTQ+ center that provides “affirming programs, resources, and community care” to minors ages 12 and up. Pomona Unified School District in Pomona, California, signed a memorandum of understanding for the 2024-2025 school year for a “mentoring program” with Pomona Valley Pride. … -
opinion
Study Examines Whether Advanced Degrees Are Worth Costs
The Left believes there is a contrived war on higher education. However, recent analysis counters that claim by showing that there is an economic disadvantage for many Americans taking on the cost of an advanced degree. The analysis has now landed firmly on the conclusion that much advanced education is a rigged game. This is… -
opinion
The Perfect Children’s Book for America 250
As our nation marks the 250th anniversary of its independence, we are offered many occasions to commemorate, debate, and reassess. What “The American Book of Fables,” written by Matthew Mehan and illustrated by John Folley, offers is something different and more lasting: the chance to remember and to love. Not with passing sweetness, but with the… -
news
Ohio’s School Choice Program Moves Through the Courts
The 10th District Court of Appeals this week heard arguments regarding Ohio’s school voucher program, EdChoice, and will decide whether to uphold a judge’s ruling that the program is unconstitutional. A decision from Common Pleas Court Judge Jaiza Page was appealed last July by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who has defended school choice. Whatever… -
exclusive
Did Loudoun County Public Schools Try to Cover Up Another Transgender Bathroom Scandal? America First Legal Demands Answers
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—America First Legal is demanding information amid claims that Loudoun County Public Schools hid from parents key safety concerns about a student, who identifies as transgender, filming boys without their pants and underwear in high school bathrooms. “By all reports, there are over forty victims over the course of three years…. -
opinion
How Did This Leftist Group Smuggle Its Divisive Ideas Into 169 School Districts, Without Parents Knowing?
The Southern Poverty Law Center has spread its woke activist agenda in education to at least 169 school districts in 42 states, according to a new report, and the impact of teachers unions helps explain this expansive influence. Learning for Justice, the SPLC’s education arm, promotes “social justice” activism, pushes racially divisive messaging, and advocates… -
opinion
Fairfax Schools’ Response to Financial Scandal: Denial, Deflection, and Spin
Fairfax County Public Schools’ superintendent, Michelle Reid, refuses to let facts get in the way of her finely tuned narrative. Last Friday afternoon, as the public was growing increasingly aware that district leaders are shuffling resources from classrooms to administrative bloat, she sent an email to the district’s employees, assuring them that FCPS remains a… -
opinion
When Educational Institutions Drift, Build New Ones
Recently, comedian Rob Schneider posted on X: “I would like to start a CONSERVATIVE TEACHERS UNION as an alternative to the WOKE EMOTIONAL LUNATICS in the @NEA Teacher’s Communist Union…” While those are not the words I would have used, the underlying point resonates: Many educators and parents feel that the nation’s largest teachers unions…