NY education officials to draft own version of state DREAM Act
New York's Board of Regents is looking to support a state version of the federal DREAM Act, a move that comes on the heels of its endorsement of…
Legislation
Anti-bullying legislation attacked for allowing bullying
Anti-bullying legislation just approved by the Michigan Senate has been denounced by the father of the teenager for whom it was named because, he said, it actually allows…
Senate bill requires sex education focus on abstinence, marriage
A bill that would require schools in Wisconsin to promote abstinence and marriage in sexual education classes has passed in the Senate, the Northwestern reported.
Bill calls for revoking teachers’ licenses for watching porn
Wisconsin's state Assembly has passed a bill that would make watching pornography at work reason to revoke an educator's license, the Huffington Post reports.
Missouri repeals law restricting teacher-student internet and Facebook interaction
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon signed legislation Friday repealing a contentious law that had limited online chats between teachers and students and caused a judge to warn that it…
Effort to repeal California gay history law fails
Opponents of a California law requiring that the contributions of gays and lesbians be taught in public schools failed Wednesday in their attempt to qualify a ballot referendum…
Funding for Idaho online learning would vary widely
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New tack sought for teacher jobs, school modernization
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Senator introduces legislation to limit class size
U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced the Facilitating Outstanding Classrooms Using Size Reduction (FOCUS) Act of 2011 [bill summary, PDF], which the Senator says would provide states with…
US asks court to halt Alabama’s immigration law
The federal government asked an appeals court Friday to stop Alabama officials from enforcing a strict immigration law that has already driven Hispanic students from public schools and…
School funding ‘flex’ vexes lawmakers
As Congress weighs several bills designed to overhaul the No Child Left Behind Act, lawmakers are at odds over a proposal to revamp how federal education dollars are…
Missouri lawmakers vote to repeal Facebook limits
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Bullying law puts New Jersey schools on spot
Under a new state law in New Jersey, lunch-line bullies in the East Hanover schools can be reported to the police by their classmates this fall through anonymous…
How far should policy makers go in trying to protect kids online?
A new Missouri state law that bans teachers from privately contacting students via social media has become a lightning rod for opinion as schools and their stakeholders grapple…
Gov. moves to abolish controversial legislative scholarships
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has used his veto pen to abolish the state's controversial legislative scholarship program, the Huffington Post reports.
Supporters of education bill seek to replace money lost in budget-cutting process
The state budget that Gov. Pat Quinn signed on June 30 is missing a key component sought by education advocates: money, reports the New York Times.
Cutting and running on education again
Today Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, introduced the State and Local Funding Flexibility Act, a bill that would provide states and…
Education secretary tells Congress: Change No Child Left Behind – or I will
The Obama administration is raising the stakes for Congress to act on reforming No Child Left Behind, The Christian Science Monitor reports.
Rick Perry signs student criminal disclosure law in Texas
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has signed into law a measure that gives the state's teachers more access to criminal information about their student, the Associated Press reports.
Wisconsin unions sue over new collective bargaining law
Unions representing public workers in Wisconsin filed a lawsuit in federal court on Wednesday to block the state's new curbs on collective bargaining, which were upheld by the…
Update: Wis. lawmakers spare broadband program
A controversial plan to cut $37 million in federal grant money from the University of Wisconsin system has been axed from the 2011-13 budget, according to a legislator…
Texas teachers may get student criminal histories
Texas is close to enacting a law that would provide teachers with detailed information about the criminal histories of their students, opening juvenile files that have always been…
Education groups applaud new ed-tech legislation
Educational technology stakeholders are applauding the U.S. Senate’s introduction of a bill called the Achievement Through Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Act and note that, if passed, the legislation…
Alliance: Keep spending rules in place with NCLB fix
As Congress works to update the No Child Left Behind Act, members of the nonprofit Alliance for Excellent Education (AEE) hold out hope that a bipartisan agreement will…
Bills to roll back New Orleans education changes defeated in Legislature
Proponents of the state's school reform drive, a movement that has profoundly reshaped New Orleans public schools, put up a slew of victories in the Louisiana Legislature on…
GOP questions federal rules on healthier eating
House Republicans are pushing back against Obama administration efforts to promote healthier lunches, saying the Agriculture Department should rewrite rules it issued in January meant to make school…
Alabama House passes bill that maintains teacher tenure but dilutes its protections
On Wednesday evening, Alabama became the latest state to pass a law that makes it easier to fire teachers, reports the Huffington Post.
As online education rules loom, a call for cooperation between states
Members of an influential online-learning task force said states should create uniform standards for online colleges and universities, making it easier for institutions to comply with a federal…
Tenn. Senate OKs ban on teaching of homosexuality
A bill passed Friday by the Tennessee Senate would forbid public school teachers and students in grades kindergarten through eight from discussing the fact that some people are…
Ga. college student a reluctant immigration symbol
Jessica Colotl has always tried to keep a low profile--obeying the speed limit, making sure her lights work properly--knowing that a brush with law enforcement could lead to…
Rockefeller to introduce Do Not Track bill in Senate
US Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) will introduce a Do Not Track bill next week that would require companies to abide the choice of consumers who opt out of…
New bill focuses on U.S. graduation rates
New legislation introduced in Congress proposes to reduce the U.S. high school dropout rate in an effort to reach a national graduation rate of 90 percent. The bill…
For-profit regulations, Pell Grants survive budget compromise
Washington’s last-minute budget deal did not include a provision that would have killed a stringent for-profit college regulation, and Pell Grants remained intact despite deep cuts in education…
Idaho law favors tech over teacher salaries
The governor signed into law Friday the centerpiece of a major education reform plan that shifts money from salaries to fund new technology and teacher merit pay.
Indiana GOP pushes ahead with big voucher program
Indiana's Republican leadership is pushing ahead with a proposal that would be the nation's broadest use of school vouchers, allowing even middle-class families to use taxpayer money to…
New online-learning rule could have worst impact on small states
Colleges with online programs might withdraw from states, mostly in the northeast, that have small populations and stringent requirements for distance education courses when the Education Department’s “state…
9 bills that would put creationism in the classroom
State governments are grappling with massive budget deficits, overburdened social programs, and mountains of deferred spending. But never mind all that. For some conservative lawmakers, it's the perfect…
Today decides fate of emergency financial manager bill
Legislation that would give broad new powers to emergency managers appointed to guide financially struggling cities and schools in Michigan is close to becoming law, reports ClickOnDetroit.com. The…
Fed rule could have ‘major chilling effect’ on online instruction
Colleges that offer online instruction nationwide would have to get approval from every state in which they operate, or those online courses could be shut down, after the…
Wis. GOP bypasses Dems, cuts collective bargaining
At least two dozen protesters spent the night just outside the Wisconsin state Assembly chamber in anticipation of a late Thursday morning vote on explosive union rights legislation…