education policy
Governor Hochul’s statewide cellphone ban in schools is now in effect, and News10NBC is examining the early impacts. While some celebrate improved classroom focus, others worry about student safety and communication gaps. The new mandate required each district to submit a formal compliance plan. The investigation into how schools are adapting and whether students and […]
California repealed a 2011 law that made parents of chronically absent students eligible for misdemeanor charges, a policy championed during Kamala Harris’s tenure as San Francisco DA and later state AG. Signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, AB 461 ends punitive measures that critics said criminalized families rather than addressing root causes of absenteeism. The old […]
Due to driver shortages and legal constraints, public school students in Dayton, Ohio, are being denied bus service, while private and charter school students retain it. State law mandates public districts to transport non-public school students or face fines, forcing prioritization. High schoolers like Ruben Castillo now rely on costly alternatives like Uber, often spending […]
Around 20% of public schools in New York failed to meet the state’s August 1 deadline for submitting their cell phone ban compliance plans. The new law requires schools to outline storage rules, exceptions, and consequences regarding student phone usage during school hours. While many Rochester-area schools plan to mandate locker storage for middle and […]
President Trump has signed a sweeping executive order aimed at reshaping college athletics by banning “pay-for-play” NIL (name, image, likeness) deals and mandating scholarship protections for women’s and Olympic sports. The order threatens to withhold federal funds from noncompliant schools and directs agencies like the Department of Education and the FTC to enforce new regulations. […]
Community members and scholars from Freedom Scholars Learning Center gathered outside Rochester’s City Hall to hold a Day of Action promoting culturally responsive curricula in public education. Themed “Public Education is Public Good,” the event included youth-led performances, original student poems and songs, and a Gallery Walk featuring student-created artwork envisioning their futures. Older students […]
The Rochester Board of Education rejected a one-year teacher contract extension offering a 4% raise and retention bonus, shocking educators amid a staffing crisis. Teachers union president Adam Urbanski called the decision a betrayal, citing high attrition rates and the district’s large reserve fund. Critics say internal board politics derailed a deal approved by the […]
A new law in New York requires school districts to develop heat mitigation plans to ensure classroom temperatures don’t exceed 88 degrees. While central air isn’t mandated, districts must take action at 82 degrees using solutions like fans, window shades, and moving students. East Rochester Schools already have most buildings cooled and plan to expand […]
For the first time in its 116-year history, the NAACP will not invite the sitting U.S. president to its annual convention. Citing Donald Trump’s repeated efforts to roll back civil rights protections, the group said his exclusion is not political, but principled. President Derrick Johnson criticized Trump’s stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially recent […]
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced that New York State risks losing federal education funding and may face a Justice Department probe over its ban on Native American mascots, claiming the move violates civil rights laws. During a visit to Massapequa High School, which refuses to retire its “Chiefs” mascot, McMahon called the statewide […]
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