education Archives - Page 5 of 5

Census Bureau: Home-Schooling More Than Doubled in 2020, Higher in Some Regions

March 30, 2021March 29, 2021 The Center Square

Faced with ongoing state lockdowns and changing school restrictions last year, frustrated parents increasingly pulled their children out of public schools nationwide and found other educational options for their children, one of which was home-schooling.

According to a new U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey, a substantial increase in the number of parents who chose to home-school occurred in 2020 compared to 2019. The survey is the first data source to offer both a national and state-level look at the impact of COVID-19 on homeschooling rates, the report states.

Using a large, nationally representative sample of U.S. households, the survey found that home-schooling was notably higher than national benchmarks. It was conducted in phases to assess parental choices over different periods of the school year.

Commentary: Progressive Educators Dumb Down Education in the Name of Antiracism

March 9, 2021March 8, 2021 Admin

Some progressive educators are calling on their peers to go easy on students when grading their essays or math homework, all in the name of antiracism.

Don’t mark them down too much, you might hurt their feelings, the argument goes.

Or, it’s white supremacy to actually grade students using traditional, objective standards. Who are you to tell them they’re wrong? As long as they try, let’s not break their hearts or bruise their egos!

I wish I were kidding. I’m not.

Teachers Union Boss who Fought to Keep Schools Closed Caught Dropping Kid off at in-Person Preschool

March 2, 2021March 1, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

Remember the Chicago teachers union bigwig who defended school closures while wearing a bathing suit in Baja? We’ve got another one.

In Northern California, the same guy who has been claiming schools are too unsafe to reopen apparently doesn’t practice what he preaches.

A video posted by a Twitter account called “guerillaMomz” shows the president of the Berkeley teachers union dropping his daughter off at in-person preschool.

Website Tracks Which Colleges Embrace Training in Critical Race Theory

March 1, 2021February 28, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

It takes only a few clicks to see that critical race theory is influencing hundreds of college campuses and universities across America.

A new website called Critical Race Training in Education allows users to quickly access information about more than 230 schools and the ways in which those schools are instituting critical race theory on campus.

Critical race theory holds that whites use their social status or their legal and economic advantages to create or maintain power over people of color.

Virginia Budget Agreement Includes Five Percent Teacher Pay Raise, Tax Relief for Businesses

February 28, 2021February 27, 2021 The Center Square

A Virginia budget compromise will include a 5% pay raise for teachers and tax relief for businesses negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic after several weeks of debate among lawmakers.

The budget legislation still needs to pass both chambers of the General Assembly, which is expected. Then, the bills will head to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk at which time he can choose to sign the legislation or propose changes to it and send it back to the legislature.

Commentary: Teachers Unions Continue to Block School Reopenings Across America

February 6, 2021February 5, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

As district school closures enter their 11th month, many parents are frustrated and angry. They may see private schools that have been open for in-person learning since the start of the academic year and wonder why their own children are forced to endure remote schooling indefinitely. They may ask why in some parts of the country district schools have been open for in-person learning for months.

Commentary: Education Professors Blast 1776 Report as ‘Better Fit for a Dictatorship’

January 25, 2021January 24, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

It really says something when an effort as intellectually vacuous as the 1619 Project is venerated by educators, but the 1776 Report is viewed contemptuously.

As former President Trump said back in September, the 1776 Commission’s task was to teach students about “the miracle of American history and make plans to honor the 250th anniversary of our founding.”

Commentary: Academics, Teachers Pounce on the Capitol Chaos Narrative

January 11, 2021January 10, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

A nigh-perfect example of why so many believe America’s public schools are filled with progressive ideologues is featured in this Education Week report about Wednesday’s U.S. Capitol mob riot.

Ed Week is little different from other mainstream media; certain terminology and narratives often are utilized despite ridiculous hypocrisy.

And that’s the issue with what happened in Washington, DC: The vast majority of right-leaning folks and Trump supporters do not support what transpired at the Capitol. They do have an issue with the media treating the incident like the apocalypse while every possible excuse was utilized in commentary about last summer’s Black Lives Matter/Antifa protests.

Commentary: The Last Time Bill Gates Helped America Was Common Core

December 16, 2020December 15, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Twenty years ago, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the legislation intended to save American children from stupidity and the “soft bigotry of low expectations,” became law. Ten years later, Common Core came to the fore. They both failed. Like all liberal ideas, they started with good intentions and government intervention and ended in cheating, lying, and wasted taxpayer money.

RPS Has Worst Graduation and Dropout Rates in the Commonwealth

November 21, 2020November 20, 2020 Jacob Taylor

Richmond Public Schools (RPS) has both the lowest graduation rate and the highest dropout rate among school districts in the state of Virginia, Superintendent Jason Kamras said.

In the daily RPS direct newsletter for Wednesday, Kamras gave an update on the graduation and dropout rates from the 2019-20 academic year for the school districts high schools. Included within Kamras’ online newsletter was data from a presentation given to the school board on Monday by RPS chief academic officer Tracy Epp.

While Unions Demand More Money, Unemployment Data Shows Increasing Layoffs in Education Sector

November 15, 2020November 14, 2020 The Center Square

In April, several education groups, including two national teachers’ unions, urged Congressional leaders to allocate more than $200 billion to education in addition to the CARES Act and federal relief through which Congress had just allocated nearly $31 billion in March.

Politics, Competition With Religious Schools, Far Outweighed Science in School Shutdown Decisions, Analysis Found

October 27, 2020October 26, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

In response to state and local government shutdowns reportedly designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, schools districts and local governments implemented different reopening guidelines and timelines – but did so more because of politics or competition with private schools than because of science, a new report published by Brown University found.

The EdWorking Paper published by The Annenberg Institute at Brown University authored by Michael T. Hartney from Boston College and Leslie K. Finger from the University of North Texas found that “the most critical decision facing the nation’s school boards – whether or not to re-open in person and to what degree – appears to be closely related to the partisanship of a local school district.”

Report: Some Public Schools Obstructing Parents’ Efforts to Withdraw Children for Home-Schooling

October 26, 2020October 25, 2020 The Center Square

Some public schools are telling parents they can’t withdraw their children to home-school or aren’t following the TEA guidelines for withdrawal, according to a new report published by the Texas Home School Coalition Association (THSC).

The largest statewide advocacy organization for home educators in the state sent a written notice to 9,500 school administrations in August, clarifying the Texas Education Agency policy for student withdrawal.

San Diego School Districts Abolish Grades to Combat Racism

October 21, 2020October 20, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

In an effort to combat racial discrimination the San Diego Unified School District last week announced plans to abolish the traditional grading system, Fox News reports.

According to the data, black students received D or F grades 20 percent of the time and hispanic students received them 23 percent of the time, while white students received them 7 percent of the time and asian students received them 6 percent of the time from the first semester of the last school year, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Ohio State Prof Says Clarence Thomas Not ‘Authentically Black’

October 18, 2020October 17, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

At a symposium hosted by Texas A&M University at Commerce, titled, “What the Truth Sounds Like,” Professor Donna Ford argued that one of the significant problems in education is White females. She also noted that diversity of “skin color” is not enough, considering that she wouldn’t want “Clarence Thomas teaching my damn kids.”

“There is a monopoly on education, where White females being about 85 percent of the teaching force, and then you know pretty much the same thing with white administrators. So White females I’m speaking to you, and I’m saying you’ve got to get your sh- stuff together,” said Ford during her lecture.

Newport News Public Schools Superintendent Delays Students’ Return to Classrooms

October 16, 2020October 15, 2020 Jacob Taylor

The Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) superintendent George Parker announced Tuesday that he was postponing the plan that would have brought students back to the classroom for the first time since March.

The delay comes after the Newport News School Board voted 5-2 during its meeting last week to allow for a phased return to in-person instruction for K-12 students.

Commentary: If Everyone is Behind, then No One is Behind

October 6, 2020October 5, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

In early September, researchers Corey DeAngelis and Christos Makridis released the results of a study they spearheaded, which found that “school districts in places with stronger teachers’ unions are much less likely to offer full-time, in-person instruction this fall.” The authors stress that the results are remarkably consistent after controlling for differences in demographics, including age, race, population, political affiliation, household income, COVID-19 cases, deaths per capita, et al.

California Mothers Sue California Gov. Newsom, Saying His Partial Reopening of Schools Hurts Special Needs Students, Causes Anxiety Over Grades

September 15, 2020November 9, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

Four mothers have filed a lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom over his coronavirus education plan, claiming adverse effects including anxiety over poor grades and lack of special education access.

The lawsuit was filed Sept. 10 in Shasta County Superior Court by the Freedom Foundation on behalf of the northern California families. The complaint is available here.

The plaintiffs allege the plan that requires students to be in classes part-time denies them their constitutional right to a quality education as enshrined in the California Constitution.

Commentary: The New Maoists Bind and Gag Academics

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Recently I spoke with a teacher at an exclusive private school, tuition $40,000 per year, located in Northern Virginia. He described the ongoing deterioration of the school’s standards, including a dumbing down of academics, more cheating, parents demanding higher grades for their children, and a pervasive climate of political correctness.

Former Vanderbilt University Professor Carol Swain Weighs in on Constitution Question Scandal at Her Teaching Alma Mater

September 6, 2020September 5, 2020 Julie Carr

Dr. Carol M. Swain appeared on Fox News Channel’s Fox and Friends Weekend Edition to discuss the recent backlash facing Vanderbilt University for asking a quiz question suggesting the Constitution may perpetuate White supremacy by protecting the institution of slavery.

Liberty University Hires Outside Firm to Investigate Jerry Falwell Jr.’s Tenure

September 2, 2020September 1, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

Liberty University says it is conducting a forensic investigation of Jerry Falwell Jr. a week after he resigned as president.

Falwell resigned last Tuesday after amid conflicting claims about a sexual relationship his wife Becki Falwell had with a business partner, The Associated Press reported. Falwell reportedly participated in some of the liaisons as a voyeur.

Commentary: How to Recognize a Bad Teacher

August 27, 2020August 26, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

The sign of a good music teacher, I was told as a teenager, is a willingness to allow parents to sit in on lessons. A teacher willing to have parents observe their lessons demonstrates that she has nothing to hide, is open to critique or comments, and is one who partners with parents in helping students succeed. Having witnessed this policy firsthand with my own piano instructor, a woman whose students won competitions and entered world famous music schools, I followed suit when I began teaching myself.

State Senator Dr. Siobhan Dunnavant on Limiting the Executive Powers of Virginia Governor Northam and Reopening Schools

August 18, 2020August 17, 2020 Julie Carr

Monday morning on The John Fredericks Show, host John Fredericks welcomed Virginia State Senator (R) Dr. Siobhan Dunnavant to discuss limiting Governor Northam’s executive powers and re-opening schools.

COVID-19-Era Public School Models Are Driving Increased Interest in Homeschooling

August 17, 2020August 17, 2020 Eric Burk

Virginia parents are increasingly interested in homeschooling due to fear of COVID-19 and frustration over new public school models. Organizations ranging from the state-level Home Educators Association of Virginia to local Facebook groups are providing advice, resources and counseling.

Private Schools Offer In-Person Solution to Public Schools’ Online-Only Problem

August 17, 2020August 17, 2020 Sam Medley

While many public schools across Virginia will keep their doors closed in lieu of virtual classrooms this fall, a private school may be the in-person educational option parents and students are looking for.

Fork Union Military Academy (FUMA) (7-12, male-only) is one such option. The boarding military school is known for its “One Subject Plan.” Students are enrolled in one subject at a time, allowing them to focus on one specific area of study for 7 weeks at a time. FUMA will offer in-person classes and athletics programs during the fall while taking necessary precautions for the health of its students and staff.

Counselor in Texas School District Shares List of Marxist Literature as ‘Tool’

August 2, 2020August 14, 2020 Sam Medley

A lengthy email from a counselor in Plano Independent School District (PISD) sent to colleagues contained three attachments including, among other things, a list of overtly Marxist media for use in classrooms, and a study guide for those “trying to become better allies.”

The attachments highlight materials like The 1619 Project (which claims America’s history is based on racism and slavery), talking points concerning the deaths of George Floyd; Breonna Taylor; and Ahmaud Arbery; and suggested reading lists including Marxist and Communist literature.

Carol Swain Tells Fox and Friends Weekend: Politics Underlies Everything We Are Doing With COVID-19

July 27, 2020July 27, 2020 Julie Carr

Dr. Carol M. Swain appeared on Fox News Channel’s Fox and Friends Weekend Edition with hosts, Jedediah Bila and Pete Hegseth Sunday to discuss how the coronavirus has been politicized and schools have become indoctrination camps of an anti-American agenda.

Trump Touts Education, Economic Opportunities for Hispanics

July 12, 2020July 11, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday creating a program aimed at improving Hispanic Americans’ access to education and economic opportunities.

“We will expand our efforts across all of the federal government to create educational and economic opportunity for Hispanic Americans,” Trump said to applause in the Rose Garden, describing the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative.

GOP Bill Would Withhold Funding from Schools That Don’t Reopen by September

June 14, 2020June 13, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

Republican lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday meant to incentivize schools to reopen from coronavirus closures by September 5.

Republican Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana and Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin introduced the Reopen Our Schools Act Thursday, which would withhold federal funding from schools that don’t open in the fall for in-person learning.

Commentary: The Media-Education-Entertainment-Tech Complex’s Latest Victim

May 26, 2020May 25, 2020 Virginia Star Staff

The History Channel premiered a three-part miniseries about Ulysses S. Grant Monday. Produced by the arch-leftist and globalist Leonardo Di Caprio, with commentary by left-wing reparations activist Ta-Nehisi Coates, the show is based on Ron Chernow’s 2017 biography. This is the same Chernow who excoriated President Trump at the 2019 White House Correspondents’ Dinner and says Alexander Hamilton would have supported Trump’s impeachment.

But I am not interested in revisiting the endless spurious assertions we’re sure to hear from the people who produced what is sure to be another tired, this-is-who-we-are jeremiad pushing progressive liberalism.

In Cuba, Healthcare Is a Right and Their Doctors are Rebelling: ‘You Get Tired of Being a Slave’

October 8, 2018October 7, 2018 Admin

by Joseph Sunde “You are trained in Cuba and our education is free. Health care is free, but at what price? You wind up paying for it your whole life.” –Dr. Yaili Jiménez Gutierrez In 2013, the World Health Organization brokered a deal through which Cuba would export doctors to…

States Are Leaving Common Core in Droves

September 21, 2018September 20, 2018 Admin

by Jude Schwalbach After less than 10 years in the classroom, Common Core could soon be on its way out. The Obama administration introduced Common Core in 2010, imposing burdensome new standards and tests in an attempt to create uniform educational content across the nation. Despite loud objections from parents,…

School Discipline Policy Belongs at the Local Level, Not Washington

September 1, 2018 Admin

by Jonathan Butcher Teacher unions and progressive special-interest groups cried foul earlier this year when the White House suggested that federal directives on school safety could be rescinded. But if a recent hearing held by the Federal Commission on School Safety is any indication, state and local policymakers don’t need Washington to micromanage…

Registration is Open for the 2019 Ohio Star Constitution Bee, Which Will Be Held on April 13

August 27, 2018August 27, 2018 Admin

The 2019 Ohio Star Constitution Bee is open for registration! If you have a secondary school-level student enrolled in a public or private school, or an accredited homeschool program, they are eligible to participate in this original, one-day event to be held Saturday, April 13, 2019. This will…

JC Bowman Commentary: A Few More Thoughts on Testing in Tennessee…

August 20, 2018August 19, 2018 JC Bowman

All stakeholders want to get testing right. However, the emphasis on testing misses the bigger issue: student academic growth measured by flawed testing. Then the results being used in educator evaluations. This is certainly more problematic to educators than the actual tests themselves.

Education ‘Equity’ Professor Wants Mathematics To Honor ‘Other-Than-Human Persons’

August 15, 2018August 14, 2018 Admin

by Rob Shimshock An Illinois professor who focuses on “equity” in mathematics will present her plan to redefine the field of study to oppose “objects, truths, and knowledge” at a 2019 conference. University of Illinois education professor Dr. Rochelle Gutierrez will give her talk, titled “Mathematx: Towards a way of Being,”…

JC Bowman Commentary: Time to Separate PACS from Lobbying

August 11, 2018August 10, 2018 JC Bowman

Professional Educators of Tennessee will continue to lobby for public education. However, we will never endorse political parties or candidates as an organization on behalf of our members. We also do not have a PAC, nor do we plan to ever start one. It would harm our effectiveness. We must advance public education without the divisive tribalism of partisan politics, and we will only get involved in education related issues.

Bill Lee Wants to Reduce Student Testing, While Karl Dean Thinks Current Levels Are Just Fine

August 5, 2018August 4, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

The battle lines over common sense in public education have been drawn in the gubernatorial battle between Republican Bill Lee and Democrat Karl Dean, and Round One goes to Bill Lee. Lee, the outsider business executive, wants to reduce the current level of student testing while Dean, the former Mayor…

$87 Million Government-Run Pre-Kindergarten in Tennessee Failing Kids, Report Says

July 19, 2018July 19, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

A report examining findings from a randomized controlled trial of Tennessee’s $87 million voluntary prekindergarten program for low-income children casts doubt on its effectiveness. Indeed, the report’s authors say the data show adverse effects on math and science achievements.

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…

Public School Teachers Are Paid More Than Commonly Reported

July 12, 2018July 13, 2018 Admin

by James Agresti During recent teacher walkouts in Oklahoma that captured national attention, many major media outlets reported misleadingly small figures for teacher pay. By failing to reveal all aspects of teacher compensation, these outlets hid the true costs to taxpayers—which now amount to an annualized average of about $120,000 for every…

Steve Gill Commentary: Why Can’t Johnny Read in Our Nation’s Capital?

June 22, 2018July 17, 2018 Steve Gill

Perhaps we should pay more attention to the abysmal reading and math scores being produced in the public schools in our nation’s capital rather than spending our time, energy and resources keeping our southern border wide open to tens of thousands of those who are illegally entering our country. There…

Reports: US to Change Visa Policy for Chinese Students

June 3, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

U.S. news reports said Friday that the State Department was expected to change its policy later this month for some visas issued to Chinese students. The Associated Press reported this week that under the new policy, U.S. consular officers may limit how long visas are valid for Chinese students, rather…

Commentary: There’s a Due Process Problem with Homeschool Regulations

May 28, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

by Kerry McDonald At over two million young people, the number of US homeschoolers is comparable to the number of US students enrolled in public charter schools, and it is now considered a worthwhile education option for many families. According to the Department of Education, a top motivator for homeschooling parents is “concern about the environment…

Columbia Private School Mock Trial Team 3rd Best in Nation

May 15, 2018May 14, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

A Columbia school has finished as third in the nation after appearing at a mock trial competition. Agathos Classical School’s Mock Trial Team finished its year ranking third in the nation after competing in the National Mock Trial Competition this weekend in Reno, Nevada, The Daily Herald reported. “They did…

Education Policy Director From La Raza Affiliate Conexion Americas Running for Nashville School Board

May 7, 2018July 17, 2018 Chris Alto

Gini Pupo-Walker, senior director of education policy and strategic growth for Conexion Americas, an affiliate of UnidosUS (formerly known as the National Council of La Raza), is on the August 4th ballot to represent District 8 on the Nashville School Board. Pupo-Walker’s campaign biography emphasizes her commitment to Latino and…