Education
Statue of renowned Nebraska author Willa Cather unveiled in U.S. Capitol
WASHINGTON — Pulitzer Prize-winning author Willa Cather, who brought to life the Great Plains of Nebraska, is now honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol, becoming the 12th woman represented in the National Statuary Hall Collection. U.S. and Nebraska lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled the bronze figure of the woman who wrote the widely acclaimed […]
U.S. House committee approves bills on whole milk, condemns sheltering migrants in schools
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee on Tuesday passed several bills that are a rebuke of not only the Biden administration’s policies on immigration, child nutrition and healthcare, but regulations from the Obama era. The committee passed a resolution that condemns the use of public schools to shelter undocumented people, a bill […]
Biden delivers speech during Air Force Academy graduation in Colorado Springs
President Joe Biden gave a commencement address during a ceremony Thursday at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He congratulated each member of the class of 2023 after they received diplomas in the academy’s 65th graduation ceremony. Hundreds of families crowded into Falcon Stadium on the Air Force Academy campus under a cloudy […]
On public education: ‘We are in the middle of culture war vs. aspiration. Hope vs. fear.’
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers and a staunch public education advocate, said at a national conference Thursday evening: “We are in the middle of culture war vs. aspiration. Hope vs. fear.” That’s a reference in part to the clash between Republicans and Democrats over the nation’s public schools, where books are […]
U.S. Senate votes to block student loan relief, White House will veto
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to overturn the Biden administration’s one-time student debt relief plan that is on hold due to a pending Supreme Court decision. President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the resolution, but the 52-46 vote forced vulnerable Senate Democrats up for reelection in 2024 to take a public stance on […]
Debt limit deal hits turbulence in Congress as leaders prep for vote
WASHINGTON — Congress began moving the bipartisan debt limit package forward Tuesday, though frustrations with provisions in the bill could make for narrow passage in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Conservative Republicans and progressive Democrats both aired their disappointment with the agreement forged over the weekend, but only GOP lawmakers are looking to possibly remove […]
More states line up to serve free school meals to all kids
During his long career as a high school teacher, New York state Sen. John Mannion often reached into his own pocket to cover the cost of lunches for kids who didn’t have the funds. “I watched kids get to the end of the line and not have enough money on their cards,” the Democrat said […]
DeSantis praises homeschoolers, gets in a dig at Donald Trump during speech
Gov. Ron DeSantis took a swing at Donald Trump during a speech Friday for daring to suggest that the governor’s battle with The Walt Disney Co. was a mistake. The former president had posted on his Truth Social platform recently: “DeSanctus is being absolutely destroyed by Disney. His original P.R. plan fizzled, so now he’s […]
Biden student debt relief plan revoked in U.S. House vote
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Wednesday voted to overturn the Biden administration’s one-time student debt relief plan that is currently on hold awaiting a Supreme Court decision expected within weeks. Before the 218-203 vote on the resolution, the White House said President Joe Biden would veto it, arguing that the U.S. Department of Education has […]
NC Gov. Roy Cooper declares ‘state of emergency’ for public education
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper went on the attack Monday, blasting away at Republican legislation that he contends will “choke the life out of public education” in the state. The Democratic governor said that it’s time to declare a “state of emergency” and he urged North Carolinians to contact lawmakers to protest legislation that could […]
NAACP travel advisory on Florida provokes strong reactions
Over the weekend, when the NAACP issued a travel advisory on Florida that is “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals,” several Black lawmakers across the state — both Democrats and Republicans — quickly spoke up on Monday. “In Ron DeSantis’ Florida, Black Americans are absolutely less safe, so it is […]
Federal lawsuit: FL school district sued over removing, restricting books; violating Constitution
On the day that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a slate of bills to protect innocent children — including more restrictions on what kids can read in classrooms and school libraries — PEN America and others have filed a lawsuit in a federal court on book bans in Escambia County School District in Florida’s Panhandle. A […]