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
Self-Censorship and the Silenced Generation
Are America’s college students doing to themselves what the Chinese Communist state does to its citizens? An Ivy League professor—an old-fashioned liberal who actually cares about free speech—recently warned me about what’s happening in classrooms like his. He encourages class discussion of the great books he teaches in class—but students are afraid to speak, not…Daniel McCarthy -
- News
Arizona School Resource Directed Teachers to Condemn Moms for Liberty, Turning Point USA in Class
A curriculum audit for an Arizona school district last year identified a resource that urged teachers to direct students to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “hate map” and avoid the websites of “hate groups” or their sympathizers. Critics have faulted the SPLC for putting mainstream conservative and Christian groups, such as Moms for Liberty, Turning…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Virginia May Enact Disastrous Public Sector Collective Bargaining Legislation
A pair of bills sits on Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk that, if enacted, would expand public sector union power at the expense of taxpayers. Late last month, the Virginia House and Senate sent HB1263 and SB378 to the governor for her signature. Both bills would remove longstanding prohibitions on collective bargaining for public sector…Douglas Blair -
- Opinion
The Race-Obsessed Left Complains When the Supreme Court Issues a Colorblind Ruling
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a concurring opinion, joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch, in the recent case that restricted the use of race in designing a Louisiana congressional district. Thomas wrote: “This Court should never have interpreted [Section)] 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to effectively give racial groups ‘an entitlement to…Larry Elder -
- Exclusive
‘HYPOCRITES’: Top Ed Official Slams Democrats for Opposing Rule to Lower College Costs
Undersecretary of Education Nicholas Kent slammed congressional Democrats for attempting to block a rule that would lower higher education costs for Americans. “Democrats are hypocrites,” Kent told The Daily Signal in an exclusive interview. “For years, they have purported to care about student debt, but now they’ve reaffirmed what we’ve all been saying, which is,…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- Opinion
Even Venice Isn’t Safe From America’s Culture War
For over a century, the Venice Biennale has existed to allow nations to present reflections of their national narrative through contemporary art. Saturday marks the public opening of the 61st Biennale. Given the mass of negative, left-wing press surrounding the American pavilion, one might think the U.S. was erecting a giant, golden statue of President…Anna Gustafson -
- Opinion
Top Research University Skirts Civil Rights Laws, Pushes DEI
Carnegie Mellon University is skirting civil rights laws, making the university ripe for investigation. Pennsylvania lawmakers and the U.S. Department of Education should use CMU as an example to demonstrate that private schools are not above the law. CMU, which has had contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense totaling some $2.8 billion since 2008,…Jonathan Butcher -
- News
Did This Women’s College Violate Title IX by Admitting Men? Department of Education Is Investigating
The Department of Education opened an investigation into Smith College, probing whether the women’s college discriminated on the basis of sex by admitting men who claim to identify as transgender women. “Smith College, while still portraying itself as a women’s-only institution, admits natal men who feel like women, and on nothing more than their say-so,”…Tyler O’Neil -
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Rick Scott Urges Trump Admin to Cut off University of Michigan’s Federal Funds
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., on Sunday urged the Trump administration to cut off federal funding to the University of Michigan after a professor appeared to praise anti‑Israel student activists who illegally set up a campus encampment following Oct. 7, 2023. “It’s unacceptable for any university professor to praise chaos that glorified America’s enemies, justified violence,…Pedro Rodriguez -
- Opinion
President Trump Proposes Meaningful Cuts to the Education Budget
President Donald Trump’s administration is closing the U.S. Department of Education, and his latest budget proposal is a step in that direction. This month, Trump released his fiscal year budget request for 2027, proposing approximately $76.5 billion in funding for the Education Department, a 3% cut from one year ago. Top-line funding levels do not…Madison Marino Doan -
- Opinion
School Choice Demands Improved Student Transportation
School choice and student transportation have a lot of Venn diagram overlap. A 2009 survey of parents in Denver and Washington, D.C., found that more than a quarter of respondents reported not enrolling their child in the school they preferred due to transportation difficulties. The Heritage Foundation recently released a report on modernizing student transportation for an era of school choice. Currently,…Matthew Ladner -
- News
Question After Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting: Is California an Incubator for Leftist Violence?
Following the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump over the weekend, some Americans have begun to posit a connection between the alleged shooter’s actions and the incubation of radical beliefs in California’s education system. On Monday, Cole Tomas Allen, a resident of Torrance, California, was charged with attempting to kill the president after being taken…Angelina Delfin -
- Opinion
Corruption Is Part of Why School District ‘Democracy’ Is Rigged and Wasteful
In 2019, the Scottsdale Unified School District in Arizona spent over $20 million to tear down and completely rebuild a school named Pima Elementary. This year, it voted to close the school. Pima Elementary, designed for up to 840 students, reopened at less than 60% of that capacity, and it continued to decline. This fall,…Matthew Ladner -
- Exclusive
Inside the Second Lady’s Effort to Make Reading Great Again
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Second lady Usha Vance previewed her future literacy efforts and discussed how reading with her own children inspired her to invest in the literacy of America’s children. The second lady participated in a fireside chat Wednesday afternoon with the Executive Office of the President librarian, Sarena Burgess, in honor of National…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
- Opinion
SCORE Act Offers Permanent Fix to College Sports Disorder
College sports generate excitement and bring communities together in a unique way. They inspire pride in our schools, create lifelong memories, and enable young Americans to pursue education while excelling in sports. But the future of this prized institution is far from guaranteed and requires legislative action to permanently fix long-standing issues. New uncertainties took…Chrissy Clark -
- Opinion
DEI’s New Frontier: AI in Schools
The world is currently in the midst of a new digital revolution. Artificial intelligence is being implemented into every part of our lives. There is no escaping it—not even for America’s public schools. Within the next few years, many of the nation’s K-12 schools will be integrating AI into their daily operations. This will likely…Casey Ryan -
- Opinion
There’s No Academic Freedom to Incite Hatred
As both president of Princeton University and the immediate past chair of the Association of American Universities Board of Directors, Chris Eisgruber has a powerful voice in the academic world. And at least thus far, Princeton has been only a minor target of government investigations of antisemitism. This has positioned Eisgruber to lead the pushback…Yaakov Menken -
- Opinion
Little Kids, Big Government
Child care got expensive—more than $13,000 per child, per year. So many people want government to pay for it. My state just agreed. New York will fund free child care. Yay! But wait … what government does isn’t free. Taxpayers pay. And taxpayers pay more because “government rules have unintended consequences,” says Carrie Lukas of…John Stossel -
- News
Parents Want Civic Literacy and Colorblindness in Classrooms, Not Critical Race Theory
Parents prioritize civic literacy, colorblindness, and transparency in education rather than focusing on preconceived notions of the oppressive and oppressed, according to a new national survey. The survey commissioned by the THINC Foundation delivered shots directly across the bow of critical race theory. The vast majority, 85%, of parents believe individual attributes such as effort,…Katherine Matt -
- Opinion
Foreign Donations Are Buying Influence Over K-12 Schools. Here’s What Parents Need to Know.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education revamped efforts to track foreign donations to postsecondary institutions. State lawmakers have never required the same oversight of international gifts to K-12 schools—until now. Colleges and universities are required to report foreign gifts worth $250,000 or more to the U.S. Department of Education. For 2025, the agency…Rebecca Rose