Department of Education Archives

Violent Crimes Spike in Cities That Defunded Law Enforcement; Burned-Out Police Leaving in Droves

April 11, 2021April 11, 2021 Admin

Group of police officers with cars stopped, one holding a gun

Crime is skyrocketing in cities where police departments have been defunded, crime statistics show.

Since career criminal George Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis, last summer, many liberal city councils have voted to “defund” their police departments, allocating or redirecting municipal funds away from their police bureaus to other government agencies that serve “the community.”

More than 20 major cities have slashed their police budgets in some form, though the circumstances vary, according to Fox News.

Joe Biden Expected to Name Current Connecticut Education Commissioner to Lead Education Department

December 23, 2020December 22, 2020 Admin

President-elect Joe Biden is poised to select Miguel Cardona, the current Connecticut education commissioner, to lead the Department of Education in his administration, CNN reported.

Miguel Cardona, who has served as head of the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) since August 2019, will be President-elect Joe Biden’s choice to lead the federal government’s education department, multiple sources told CNN. Cardona would be the latest Latino to receive a high-ranking position in the incoming Biden administration.

Reports of Cyber Crimes Against Tennessee Children Spiked During Pandemic Shutdown

August 24, 2020August 23, 2020 Admin

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has received more than 450 tips of cyber crimes against children this year, TBI Director David Rausch said.

The bureau received 122 tips of cyber crimes against children in March, which was three times the number of tips received in January.

U.S. Department of Education Opens Investigation of Fordham University Over Punishment of Student Austin Tong

August 24, 2020August 23, 2020 Admin

The U.S. Department of Education has opened an investigation into Fordham University, about two months after student Austin Tong received notification from the New York City private college that his social media posts violated university policy and that he had been placed on probation.

Guidance for Masks in Schools Varies Widely Across US States

July 21, 2020July 20, 2020 The Associated Press

School districts that plan to reopen classrooms in the fall are wrestling with whether to require teachers and students to wear face masks — an issue that has divided urban and rural schools and yielded widely varying guidance.

The divide has also taken on political dimensions in Iowa, among other places, where Democratic-leaning cities like Des Moines and Iowa City have required masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus, while smaller, more conservative communities have left the decision to parents.

28 Congressional Democrats Sign Letter Demanding Department Of Education Allow Biological Males in Girls’ Sports

June 19, 2020June 18, 2020 Admin

Twenty-eight congressional Democrats signed a letter Wednesday condemning the Department of Education for ruling that public schools that allow biological males who identify as transgender to play girls’ sports are violating Title IX civil rights legislation.

Democratic Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal joined 27 House Democrats in signing the letter, which charged that the department’s order “discriminates against transgender youth” by restricting girls’ sports to biological females.

Eden Prairie School Board Member Criticizes ‘Unacceptable’ Lack of Direction from Walz Admin on Upcoming School Year

June 17, 2020June 16, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

An Eden Prairie School Board member broke his silence Monday after learning that the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) won’t be releasing state guidance on the upcoming academic year until July 27.

Three scenarios are possible for the 2020-21 school year, including continued distance learning, the resumption of in-person instruction, or a mix of the two.

Commentary: Enemies of Homeschooling Are Scared – and They Should Be

June 8, 2020June 7, 2020 Admin

Nearly every family with kids has gotten a taste of homeschooling over the past two months. In an attempt to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, at least 124,000 schools have closed for over 55 million children in the U.S. At the same time, opponents of homeschooling launched several unfounded attacks on the practice. For example, The Washington Post ran an opinion piece claiming “homeschooling during the coronavirus will set back a generation of children,” and a Salon article said that “homeschooling as a result of the pandemic will likely worsen education for students and pose serious problems to the economy and nation’s social well-being.”

COVID-19: Rep. Mark Green Sends Letter to Department of Education Asking for Recognition of Schools’ Ability to Administer Statewide Assessments

March 19, 2020March 18, 2020 Julie Carr

On Wednesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Michael Patrick Leahy spoke to U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-7) regarding his recent letter to the United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

Sources Show Demand for Education Savings Account Program, But There’s No Way for Families to Apply

March 14, 2020March 13, 2020 Laura Baigert

Two separate sources show there is pent up demand for the state’s Education Savings Account (ESA) Pilot Program, but there is not yet a way for interested parents to apply with the Tennessee Department of Education for the upcoming school year.

A Bill That Removes Testing of K-2 Students Advances in Tennessee House

March 13, 2020March 12, 2020 Laura Baigert

A bill that removes the Tennessee Department of Education’s ability to administer standardized tests to students in grades K-2 passed the House Education Committee Wednesday.

Commentary: Now Is the Perfect Time to Cut Education Spending

March 11, 2020March 10, 2020 Admin

Leftists love to label those who favor cutting education spending as “anti-children,” “anti-public school,” and basically, “anti-education.” That’s because leftists are the ones benefiting most from the increases in education spending that have, until recently, been mandated like clockwork.

Tlaib Introduces Charter School Oversight Bill, Says DeVos Turning a ‘Blind Eye to Their Failures’

March 4, 2020March 3, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) introduced a bill last week that she says will promote the “same type of accountability from charter schools nationwide that the law requires of traditional public schools.”

Library of Michigan Releases Michigan Notable Books List

January 22, 2020January 21, 2020 Jordyn Pair

The Library of Michigan released its list of Michigan Notable Books on Tuesday, saying that the list of 20 books “reflects the rich stories and cultures of our state.”

Commentary: Students’ Test Scores Unchanged After Decades of Federal Intervention in Education

December 12, 2019December 11, 2019 Admin

Federal “Highly Qualified Teacher” mandates. Adequate Yearly Progress requirements. Smaller learning communities. Improving Teacher Quality State Grants. Reading First. Early Reading First. The dozens of other federal programs authorized via No Child Left Behind. School Improvement Grants. Race to the Top. Common Core.

Minnesota Ed Commissioner ‘Encouraged’ Despite Drop in Reading and Math Scores, and Persisting Achievement Gap

September 9, 2019September 8, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Department of Education maintains that the “state of our students is promising” despite continued drops in reading and math scores, and a persistent achievement gap.

Department of Education Going After Elite Colleges for Allegedly Taking and Hiding Foreign Cash

June 17, 2019June 16, 2019 Admin

by Luke Rosiak The Department of Education is going after U.S universities over supposed ties to foreign governments, after some allegedly took huge quantities of foreign cash and hid it from regulators. At the top of the list are Georgetown University and Texas A&M, which have taken hundreds of…

Marcia Fudge Accuses Betsy DeVos of ‘Picking Winners and Losers’ in Education Budget

April 13, 2019April 13, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11) grilled Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos during a recent hearing before the House Education and Labor Committee over her new “Education Freedom Scholarships” incentive. The scholarship program was included in the Trump administration’s federal education budget, but there has been much debate about how exactly the…

Former Ohio State Senator Randy Gardner Now Highest Paid Member of DeWine Administration at $190,000 Salary

March 22, 2019March 21, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Former State Sen. Randy Gardner, who was picked by Gov. Mike DeWine to lead the Department of Education, is currently the highest paid member of the new administration. Gardner will receive a base salary of $190,008, which is more than $100,000 higher than the average $87,600 salary he made as…

Taxpayer-Funded Tennessee School Board Association Lobbies State Legislature for More Money and Greater Control

February 22, 2019February 22, 2019 Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Tennessee School Board Association, funded through membership dues paid with tax dollars allocated for school systems, lobbies the Tennessee General Assembly on various issues many of which work against taxpayers’ interests. This week, the Tennessee School Board Association (TSBA) held their annual Day on the Hill…

Education Department Wiping Clean $150 Million In Student Loans After Obama-Era Rule

December 17, 2018December 16, 2018 Admin

by Neetu Chandak The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday it will forgive $150 million in federal student loans. Nearly 15,000 former students whose schools shut down prior to graduation between Nov. 1, 2013 and Dec. 4 will now have their loans cancelled, the Education Department announcement said. Borrowers will find out about…

Student Debt in the United States Tops $1.4 Trillion

August 16, 2018August 15, 2018 Admin

by Andrew Kerr Students continue to struggle mightily to repay their student debt amid a booming economy, according to a report released Tuesday by the New York Fed. Outstanding student loan debt stood at $1.41 trillion at the end of June, making it the second largest category of household…

Rumor Control: Setting the Record Straight on PreK/Kindergarten Portfolios

July 31, 2018August 10, 2018 JC Bowman

Social media was hard at it this weekend over the PreK/Kindergarten Student Growth Portfolio Model. While Professional Educators of Tennessee is not sold on the portfolio process, it is the current law (see T.C.A. §§ 49-6-103–49-6-110). We believe the current portfolio system takes up too much time for our educators. …

JC Bowman Commentary: On Combining the Departments of Education and Labor

July 18, 2018July 17, 2018 JC Bowman

President Trump’s concept to merge the U.S. Department of Education with the Department of Labor lacks significant details and will be difficult to maneuver through a deeply divided Congress.

One-Fifth Of North Carolina Students Aren’t Going To Traditional Public Schools

July 15, 2018July 14, 2018 Admin

by Rob Shimshock Almost 20 percent of K-12 students in North Carolina are not attending traditional public schools. Enrollment in the state’s traditional public schools has fallen during the past few years as more and more students attend private, charter or home schools, The News & Observer reported Friday. North Carolina’s…

Commentary: United States Department of Education and the Circular Firing Squad

July 7, 2017July 6, 2017 JC Bowman

The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Can you list an irrefutable positive consequence on the academic performance of school children in the United States as a direct result of the involvement of the federal government since the creation of the United States Department of Education?

Commentary: Hard Luck Woman

June 11, 2017June 11, 2017 JC Bowman

Candice McQueen walked into the job under the most difficult situation. She has done the impossible, in some of the most exasperating circumstances.

Commentary: Educators Give Hope

March 1, 2017February 28, 2017 JC Bowman

If public education is to continue to be successful, it will take all the policymakers and stakeholders working together. Our message must be about children, teachers and public education not politics or social policies not related to public education.