Feds simplify financial aid form
The Obama administration on June 24 announced its first steps toward making it easier to apply for federal college aid, and technology is playing a key role in…
Legislation
Duncan to states: Don’t slash school funding
The Obama administration on June 18 warned states that it might withhold millions of dollars in federal stimulus funding if they use the money to plug budget holes…
Duncan: Students, not banks, on ED’s agenda
U.S. Education (ED) Secretary Arne Duncan told eCampus News on June 12 he will work with private lending companies as the Obama Administration pushes for a direct federal…
Duncan: Use tech to leverage change
To avoid being caught short when stimulus money runs out, school officials should use the short-term federal funding to upgrade technology and improve the tracking of student data,…
Senate bill supports 21st-century skills
States offering students curriculum options that integrate key 21st-century skills would receive matching federal funds through an incentive bill introduced in the U.S. Senate May 13 by West…
Tennessee passes cyber-bullying legislation
Tennessee legislation aimed at preventing cyber bullying is headed to Gov. Phil Bredesen, who is expected to allow it to become law, reports the Commercial Appeal.
Obama names first Hispanic to High Court
President Barack Obama on May 26 named federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor as his choice to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter--making her the first Hispanic in…
Bill would limit credit cards for college students
Legislation passed overwhelmingly in the Senate May 19 would make it tougher for college students to sign up for credit cards, which often put young people in debt…
House approves $6.4 billion for green schools
The House on Thursday passed a multiyear school construction bill with the ambitious goals of producing hundreds of thousands of jobs, reducing energy consumption and creating healthier, cleaner…
After Ed “Voices” on Mayoral Control
Joseph Viteritti, editor of "When Mayor's Take Charge," on mayoral control, its benefits, and needed reforms in NYC.
White House seeks input on education law
Education Secretary Arne Duncan is a man on a mission: to hear what teachers, students, parents, and school leaders in at least 15 states think about No Child…
Stimulus aims to help close digital divide
With more than $7 billion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act set aside for increasing broadband access in the United States, the stimulus presents a huge opportunity…
Souter retirement sets off speculation
In a May 1 letter to President Obama, U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter said he would be retiring from the nation's high court in June. Souter's announcement…
Candidates agree on preschool funding
Four years after Gov. Timothy M. Kaine made the promise of free preschool to all Virginia 4-year-olds a centerpiece of his campaign, the three men competing for the…
Texas lawmakers mull stripping education board of authority over curriculum
Four Texas state senators, fed up with curriculum and textbook battles at the State Board of Education, pitched legislation April 14 that would strip the board of its…
‘Sexting’ legislation proposed to protect teens
Warren County, Ohio, Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel said advances in technology have surpassed laws that were written to protect juveniles. That's why two Warren County state legislators, along with…
Idaho panel OKs bill to expand online courses
The Idaho state legislature's House Education Committee has advanced a measure allowing traditional public schools to contract with private companies that offer online education courses, reports the Idaho…
Student fitness bill raises questions
Legislation pending in Congress, called the "Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act" (FIT Kids Act), would update current physical fitness standards in K-12 schools and hold educators accountable…
Lawmaker crafting bill to set penalty for teens’ ‘sexting’
As ever-more-aggressive high school flirting clashes with evolving technology, Ohio lawmakers are searching for the appropriate way to deal with the growing trend of teenagers transmitting nude pictures…
Court strikes down California video-game law
In a decision that could have a far-reaching effect on other states' efforts, a federal appeals court on Feb. 20 struck down a California law that sought to…
COPA dies quietly in Supreme Court
A federal law intended to restrict children's access to internet pornography died quietly Jan. 21 at the U.S. Supreme Court, more than 10 years after Congress overwhelmingly approved…
Minnesota wants all schools to combine purchasing power
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and state legislators in the House and Senate want to require all the state's school districts to band together in a purchasing pool to…