The U.S Supreme Court is heard a case on Wednesday that could open doors to public money paying for religious private schools in Montana.
Read MoreSupreme Court Ruling Could Allow Public Money to Be Used for Religious Schools in Montana
Category: School
MiSTEM Advisory Council Awards More Than $3 Million in Grants for STEM Education
More than $3 million in grant funding will be distributed between 16 regional organizations across Michigan to help improve educational programs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Read MoreChief Justice John Roberts Jr. Highlights Civic Education in Year-End Report
In his annual year-end report, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court John Roberts, Jr., focused on civics education, calling for increased confidence in and education about the judicial system.
Read MoreAnalysis: How a Trade School in Pennsylvania Shows a Way Up and Out
A three-year trade school in Pennsylvania has become a shining example of how learning a trade can scoop people out of low-income situations and place them firmly in high-paying careers.
Read MoreSchool Districts Push A Return To Busing, Despite Their Own Data Suggesting It Won’t Reduce The ‘Achievement Gap’
Multiple school districts across the country are considering busing-style programs to distribute impoverished students equally, but data suggest that such proposals would not reduce an achievement gap between poor students and their wealthier schoolmates, analyses by the Daily Caller News Foundation and others found.
Read MoreFirst Hand: School Board Forces Progressive Sex Education and Transgender Politics on Unsuspecting Students
This shouldn’t happen anywhere in America. I resolved that it wasn’t going to happen in my county, on my watch, without a fight.
Read MoreDip in Test Scores Correlates with Enactment of Common Core
Fourth and eighth grade students in the U.S. again showed no to little improvement in their average reading and mathematics scores, according to a report released this week, a decrease that correlates with the enactment of the Common Core.
Read MoreAnalysis: How A California School Showed That Parent Involvement Improves Education
An elementary school in California has seen improvements among students for the first time in more than 10 years — something that was unthinkable just last year.
Read MoreThe Star News Digital Media Statement of Principles on K-12 Education
Star News Digital Media is a Nashville-based company that owns and operates five online news sites–The Tennessee Star, The Ohio Star, The Minnesota Sun, The Michigan Star, and Battleground State News–and publishes textbooks for secondary school students.
Our reporting on K-12 education is based on our philosophical perspective, which is reflected in our statement of principles.
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Grow Your Own Teachers
Tennessee is a unique state, not only because we have the greatest citizens, but because of our geography. We border eight states. That can be an advantage and a disadvantage at times. When economic times are good, people want to relocate to our state. When economic times are difficult, it allows residents to move to a neighboring state and pursue more money in their chosen occupation. In education, we lose teachers to our border states on a regular basis.
Read MoreCommentary: The Self-Indulgent Ignorance of Today’s Education Establishment Prospers at the Expense of America’s Children
The 2020 elections will afford us the chance to pass judgment on the immediate threat to our democracy posed by the intelligence agencies, the Democratic party, and the media in their grab for power through a bastardized impeachment process. But no such opportunity exists for us to deal with the most serious, most fundamental threat to our way of life, namely our thoroughly rotten educational establishment.
The problem has been festering for decades, and keeps getting worse.
Read MoreLeading Schools Series: Iowa’s Rocket Manufacturing, a Student-Run Business
Like Cardinal Manufacturing in Strum, Wisconsin, Rocket Manufacturing in Rock Valley, Iowa takes “hands-on learning” to a whole new level. Both programs run actual manufacturing businesses with real clients, providing students with work experience in the trades before they even graduate from high school.
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Better Thinking Equals Better Results
As Chairman of SCORE, Senator Bill Frist should be commended and honored for his tireless advocacy and passion for making education a priority in our state.
Read MoreCommentary: Student Frustration with the Flawed Textbook Market Is Justified
Dozens of student government executives wrote a letter recently urging the Department of Labor to block a merger between two giants of the textbook industry. In May, McGraw-Hill and Cengage announced they would be pursuing a merger. As two of the five major textbook publishers that currently have 80 percent of the market, this merger would form the second-largest textbook publisher in the US.
Read MoreImprovise, Adapt, and Overcome in Education
Teachers simply cannot give up on themselves, nor can we ever give up on our students. We have to improvise, adapt, and overcome both our personal and systemic challenges.
Read MoreFEATURE: Midwest Educators Call for More Career and Technical Education
In July 2018, President Donald Trump signed the “Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act” into law. The bill reauthorized the 2006 Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, which provides an “increased focus on the academic achievement” of CTE students, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.
Read MoreA Primer on Collaborative Conferencing
The Tennessee General Assembly was clear in 2011 that they wanted to get politics out of our public schools while supporting teachers’ rights to fight for higher wages and better working conditions. Professional Educators of Tennessee fervently supports the right of educators to discuss working conditions and salary with their employers.
Read MoreFate of Struggling Michigan School District Unclear after State Solvency Plan Rejected
by Scott McClallen The fate of Benton Harbor High School remains unclear after school district officials last week rejected a state plan to improve poor academic performance and pay down the district’s high debt. The state initially said it had agreed with the school district on a plan to improve…
Read MoreCommentary: Government Run Schools Are Bad for Children, So Opt Out
by Lawrence Reed The evolution of the control of educational institutions from entirely private sources to local government schools and then to control by state departments has culminated with the creation of our federal Department of Education. At all levels, government has increasingly exercised bureaucratic power over education in…
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Walking Point on Independence Day
Our nation, our republic, is unquestionably dependent upon the active and informed involvement of our citizens.
Read MoreTennessee Students Still Struggle After Common Core ‘Rebranded’
Students attending K-12 public schools in Tennessee are struggling to perform above average on national standardized tests. Partially adopted in 2010 and fully implemented by the 2013-14 school year, Common Core State Standards (CCSS) failed to produce the academic results expected. The Tennessee Department of Education and Governor Bill…
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Virtue Is Still Needed to Change Culture
Children, the next generation, and the hope for a better future in our society need men and women of the highest moral standards to embrace teaching them. Ethics still matter.
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: The Importance of Mentors for Teachers and Administrators
Our suggestion is to ensure that money is included in the future Basic Education Program (BEP) to allow for mentorship to occur, either by utilizing highly effective retired educators or granting stipends to experienced classroom teachers with a proven track record in classroom management.
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Looking at Next Steps for Public Education
We must make sure public education is viewed as a significant part of the choice that parents will make for their children moving forward. People, working together, can shape it for the better.
Read MoreOhio Middle School Forced to Close After Refined Uranium Found Inside
Zahn’s Corner Middle School was forced to close early for the summer due to high concentrations of uranium found inside. Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a nuclear plant in Pike County, Ohio, is the only known source of the high levels of uranium and neptunium-237 found in the school and air. The…
Read MoreOhio Bill Would End ‘Right of First Refusal’ for Schools of Choice
For nearly eight years, charter and community schools in Ohio have had an advantage: first dibs on any public school property that was for sale. It’s a process called a right of first refusal. House Bill 43 will eliminate that advantage. Right now, if a school district wants to sell…
Read MoreRuth, a Local Teacher, Calls in to The Tennessee Star Report and Explains the Difference Between a Lesson Plan and a Calendar
On Friday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – the team discussed how Williamson County Schools failed to follow Tennessee State law by submitting a calendar for the academic year instead…
Read MoreSpeaker Glen Casada: ‘There Will Be Some Oversight and a Push for Further Deep Oversight’ of Williamson County Schools ‘White Privilege’ In-Service Training
Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada said on Thursday he favors legislative oversight into how and why Williamson County Schools are conducting “white privilege” in-service training for teachers this academic year, in apparent violation of state law. Appearing on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy…
Read MoreMark Levin’s TV Program Spends Full Half Hour on ‘White Privilege’ Videos from Williamson County Schools Obtained by The Tennessee Star
On Wednesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy held a special discussion after Mark Levin featured the WCS boards in service training modules on…
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Strike Out in Tennessee
In education, strikes are detrimental to children, parents, the community, and the profession. A strike is a throwback to an archaic factory model of governance. Public education in Tennessee wins when we all work together through civil discourse to address our considerable issues, not with outworn strategies from the industrial age.
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: State of the State Expectations 2019
The State of the State will signal to the state the administration’s priorities for the immediate future. It is where campaign promises, either become realities or go to die.
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Student Discipline Is Out of Control
It would be awesome if every educator had a positive and supportive working environment where they could thrive personally and professionally, and where they were free to exercise their expertise and explore the full limits of their talents.
Read MoreNorth Carolina Deputy State Superintendent Headed for Florida Department of Education
Deputy State Superintendent Dr. Eric Hall is leaving the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) for a new job in Florida schools. Hall will be taking the role of Chancellor for Innovation at the Florida Department of Education in March. According to a press release by NCDPI, Hall’s new…
Read MoreNorth Carolina Superintendent of Schools Rolls Out ‘NC 2030’ Plan
Last week, North Carolina Superintendent of Schools Mark Johnson rolled out “NC 2030,” which is a plan to make the state the “best place to learn and teach by 2030.” “By 2030, North Carolina can be the best place to begin school, the best place to learn and the best…
Read MoreCommentary: Finally Some Schools Are Freeing Students from the Bonds of Mediocrity
by Annie Holmquist By now, many parents know there is something seriously wrong with the average American school. Time and again, children go into the school system as bright bundles of energy, curious about the surrounding world, and time and again, they stagger through the system frustrated and losing their…
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Legislation That Hurts School Discipline
Lack of student discipline, inadequate administrative support, and lack of respect are frequently cited why teachers leave the profession. The continued barrage of top-down legislation by the Tennessee General Assembly does not help.
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Helping Our Children with Dyslexia
Data shows that one in five students or more than 200,000 in the state have characteristics of dyslexia. Dyslexia affects you regardless of race, gender, or political affiliation.
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Let the Committee Decide
How did a system designed to provide government of, by, and for the people devolve into a system in which bureaucrats unaccountable to voters produce masses of law that was never voted on by an elected official?
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Losing Our Brightest Students
Have we pushed some of our best and brightest students, including students of color, aside in the name of equity? JC Bowman identifies why that answer is yes.
Read MoreNorth Carolina Middle School Promotes ‘Black Lives Matter In School Week of Action’ to Staff
A text message sent out to staffers of a middle school in Wake County, North Carolina is promoting the upcoming “Black Lives Matter In Schools” week of action. Staffers at the West Cary Middle School were sent a text message by Assistant Principal Charlesa Peoples with information about the week of…
Read MoreReport: North Carolina Charter Schools Outperform Traditional Counterparts
A recent report given to state lawmakers shows that overall North Carolina charter schools are outperforming their traditional counterparts. The report also shows that North Carolina charters are in high demand and are also attracting more economically disadvantaged and minority students. Except for high school math, subgroups in charter schools…
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Parent Dress Code and Inappropriate Behavior
Legislation is being suggested by Tennessee Representative Antonio Parkinson on a parental dress code. Passing legislation is not necessary, if we simply enforce the indecent exposure and other laws already on the books.
Read MoreNorth Carolina School Choice Week Speaker: ‘School Choice is the Civil Rights Movement of Our Time’
“School choice is the civil rights movement of our time,” Mike Long, the President of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina (PEFNC) told the attendees of a School Choice event in North Carolina this week. Long was speaking to a group at an event held by the John Locke…
Read MoreNorth Carolina Wins 5-Year $26.6 Million Federal Charter School Expansion Grant
North Carolina is one of eight states to have won a 5-year federal charter school opportunities expansion grant worth $26.6 million. The other states receiving the grants are Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Michigan, and New York. The Expanding Opportunities through Quality Charter School Program seeks to expand educational opportunities…
Read MoreNorth Carolina’s Superintendent Lays Out Steps to Reduce K-12 Testing
North Carolina’s Superintendent Mark Johnson has announced a set of steps he plans to take over the next two years to reduce the number of tests K-12 students have to take. “We are just getting started reforming testing in North Carolina’s public schools,” Superintendent Johnson said in a press release.…
Read MoreMembers Named to North Carolina’s Influential Senate Education Committee
North Carolina Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-D30) has announced the members of the influential Senate Education Committee. Co-Chairs this session are Sen. Deanna Ballard (R-D45), Sen. Rick Horner (R-D11), and Senate Majority Whip Jerry Tillman (R-D11). Tillman and Ballard have also been named as Education/Higher Education Appropriations co-chairs.…
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: A Bright Future in Workforce & Education
One of the challenges we face in Tennessee moving forward is the need to further develop and align the education-to-career pipeline. Governor-elect Bill Lee probably expressed this better than any candidate on the campaign trail, and his potential as governor in this arena offers great hope for a brighter future for Tennessee.
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: New Year, New Leaders
A new year is a time for reflection and more importantly a time for hope. It will require ethical leadership and tireless advocacy for issues that you care about, but the promise of a new year brings the best hope for mankind.
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Open Enrollment is a Choice
As the focus on education choice is elevated by Governor-elect Bill Lee, maybe the easiest place to find initial consensus is with open enrollment. We must expand open enrollment policies in our public school districts.
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Time to Address Teacher Morale
There is no one size fits all strategy that will work in every school or district. This is a recurring theme among those who believe in local control in public education. Together, we can work to address teacher morale issues. Once a plan is in place, it is very important to examine, evaluate, and adjust as necessary.
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