Policy & Legal: Page 12

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    The 6-month countdown to the end of ESSER begins

    States and districts must commit their last ESSER allocation by Sept. 30. Spending, however, can continue to Jan. 28, 2025 — or beyond for some.

    By • March 29, 2024
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    Jon Cherry/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    It’s been a year since the Covenant School mass shooting. What’s changed?

    Tennessee GOP Gov. Bill Lee pushed lawmakers to consider gun reform, making the state ripe for change. But a year later, many efforts have failed.

    By • March 28, 2024
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from K-12 Dive

    K-12 Dive has gathered some a selection of our best coverage from 2024 so far as a one-stop resource on the trends to watch in the months ahead.

    By K-12 Dive staff
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    The image by U.S. Department of State (IIP Bureau) is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Students won’t be able to correct FAFSA forms until April

    The notice from the U.S. Department of Education marks yet another delay in the fraught rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

    By Natalie Schwartz • March 27, 2024
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    Washington becomes 7th state to require LGBTQ+ related instruction

    Another seven states have banned discussion of LGBTQ+ topics in classrooms, illustrating the political divide on the curriculum issue.

    By • March 27, 2024
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    Kara Arundel/K-12 Dive/K-12 Dive
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    How ESSER propelled improvements at school, district and state levels

    From better lunchroom behaviors to statewide literacy initiatives, leaders share the benefits of COVID-19 aid and how they are sustaining that progress.

    By • March 27, 2024
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    Joshua Roberts / Stringer via Getty Images
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    Ed Dept: Districts should start now to improve 2024-25 attendance

    Education Secretary Miguel Cardona wrote in a Dear Colleague letter that “there is still more work to do” to tackle chronic absenteeism.

    By • March 27, 2024
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    Teacher layoffs are growing — and won’t be going away anytime soon

    When budget cuts loom, district leaders should avoid attrition and seniority-based policies in layoff strategies, a K-12 finance expert says.

    By • March 26, 2024
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    The dairy industry’s influence in Congress is harming students’ health

    A pediatrician writes that the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act would circumvent dietary guidelines and increase saturated fat content in school meals.

    By Yami Cazorla-Lancaster • March 25, 2024
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    SolStock via Getty Images
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    How can districts ensure students have enough social-emotional support?

    A CDC program director shares four key steps to build these supports into busy academic schedules.

    By • March 25, 2024
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    By the Numbers: The end of universal school meals hurt student meal participation

    Student participation in school lunch dropped 6% between 2021-22 and 2022-23, after the pandemic-era policy expired, FRAC found.

    By • March 22, 2024
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    drnadig via Getty Images
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    Biden signs FY 24 budget for Education Department, other agencies

    The bipartisan and bicameral agreement cuts Education Department funding by $500 million.

    By • Updated March 25, 2024
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From state AI guidance to Supreme Court rulings impacting district leaders’ social media use, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • March 22, 2024
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    Onfokus via Getty Images
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    Ed Department should ban federal funding for K-12 surveillance tech, civil rights groups say

    The uptick in AI-driven school surveillance technologies is a “dangerous new chapter in the school-to-prison pipeline,” a coalition of 41 groups wrote.

    By • March 21, 2024
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    Retrieved from Flickr.
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    Alabama governor signs law banning school DEI funding

    The legislation, which will take effect Oct. 1, reflects a broader trend of state bills moving to limit or prohibit diversity programming in public education.

    By Laura Spitalniak , • March 20, 2024
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    Retrieved from Watershed Public Charter School on March 20, 2024
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    DOE unveils $180M for energy efficiency, air quality upgrades in K-12 schools

    The 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize will provide school districts funding for new HVAC systems, building envelope and lighting projects, electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies.

    By Joe Burns • March 20, 2024
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    Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

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    Deep Dive

    Special education advocates warn of ‘chilling effects’ from anti-DEI efforts

    A researcher at the Heritage Foundation, however, says DEI rollbacks would benefit the special education community.

    By • March 20, 2024
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    BlackJack3D via Getty Images
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    What themes are emerging from state AI guidance?

    States are focusing on how the tech will impact the workforce as they stress the need for AI literacy.

    By • March 19, 2024
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    Stock Photo via Getty Images
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    Data privacy, cybersecurity lead comments on COPPA Rule proposal

    Some commenters called for more alignment of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

    By • March 18, 2024
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    Supreme Court protects public officials’ free speech rights in social media rulings

    The two cases could impact how school board members and district leaders navigate social media.

    By • March 18, 2024
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From the ongoing wait to finalize Title IX rules to concerns of states’ underspending of ESSER funds, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • March 15, 2024
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    Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Superintendent pay fails to keep pace with inflation

    School districts' top leaders are making around $7,000 less than a decade ago when adjusted for inflation, according to a study from AASA.

    By • March 14, 2024
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    Richard Stephen via Getty Images
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    Education Department plans to ramp up transmission of FAFSA data to colleges

    The agency also announced fixes to issues that prevented some students from completing the form, though it flagged several new glitches.

    By Laura Spitalniak • March 14, 2024
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    Illustration: Cathryn Virginia for Industry Dive

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    STAFFED UP

    Districts increasingly turn to 4-day school weeks to recruit, retain staff

    About 2,100 schools across 900 districts have adopted four-day school weeks, as of the 2022-23 school year, said an Oregon State University researcher.

    By • March 14, 2024
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    4nadia via Getty Images
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    Anti-abortion curriculum measures proliferate in handful of states

    Proposals would require students to watch a fetal development animation that has been questioned by state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

    By • March 13, 2024
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    Jon Cherry / Stringer via Getty Images
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    Florida ‘Don’t Say Gay’ settlement loosens LGBTQ+ restrictions in classrooms

    The deal significantly limits the scope of the law in multiple areas that had concerned educators, students and parents for chilling speech and expression. 

    By • March 13, 2024