EDUCATION
Biden administration provides guidance on diversity in college admissions
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice and Department of Education jointly released guidance on Monday to colleges and universities about how to consider race in admissions decisions, following the Supreme Court’s summer decision that struck down affirmative action in higher education. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, on a call with reporters, said higher education institutions can […]
In defense of teachers: A back-to-school benediction
Early on an August morning, in air heavy with the lifting late-summer dew, tiny fingers clasp the toughened hands that raised them at a neighborhood corner or rural crossroads waiting for a lumbering, yellow school bus to screech to a halt. Its doors will swing open. The driver will greet the small people and beckon […]
Students blocked from campus when COVID hit want money back. Some are getting refunds.
Thousands of college students will get hundreds of dollars in compensation as colleges and universities move this summer to settle multimillion-dollar lawsuits stemming from canceled classes and activities during COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. While some of the class-action suits against the colleges and universities are still in litigation, and still others dismissed, several major cases have […]
AI weapons detection startups compete with industry giant in expanding Va. school market
Demand from Virginia school divisions for better building security is on the rise following increases in school shootings over the past several years, including a high-profile case at a Newport News elementary in January. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, Virginia had 13 school shootings in 2022, the most on record for the state. […]
Plagued by teacher shortages, some states turn to fast-track credentialing
Faced with alarming teacher shortages, Virginia last month agreed to partner with a for-profit online teacher credentialing company, hoping to get more teachers into classrooms faster and without the higher tuition costs of traditional colleges and universities. While some of the Virginia education board members had qualms about the process, they agreed to give it […]
More than 800,000 student loan borrowers to have debt forgiven, White House announces
WASHINGTON — The Department of Education and the White House announced Friday that more than 800,000 federal student loan borrowers will have their remaining debt wiped out. The $39 billion in debt relief will come through fixes to mismanagement of the agency’s income-driven repayment plans. Many long-time borrowers, including those who had been making payments […]
A common lament of governors: ‘It seemed like a good idea at the time’
Who could begrudge giving grants to families of children whose schooling was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to help those students catch up on learning lost in those dark days of shuttered classrooms and instruction via Zoom? Gov. Glenn Youngkin sensed the need and he ultimately put $60 million that was allocated […]
Study finds Virginia underfunds K-12 schools, recommends spending billions more
Virginia’s complicated formula for funding K-12 schools needs an overhaul in order for the state to adequately fund public education, according to the results of a major legislative study presented Monday. Analysts with the General Assembly’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission told lawmakers the 18-month review showed the state allocates “far less than needed […]
At the very least, Loudoun school official deserves apology from Miyares, Youngkin
The longtime spokesman for Loudoun County Public Schools, among the officials excoriated by the governor and the attorney general after a student was charged in two sexual assaults at separate schools, was acquitted recently of a felony perjury charge. Wayde Byard, accused of lying to a special grand jury investigating the botched handling of the […]
Campus diversity will be a struggle without race-based admissions, history shows
States that have tried to enroll more Black and Hispanic students in state universities without using race-based admissions policies have seen the numbers of those students slip — especially at elite institutions. Nine states had affirmative action bans before last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking it down nationwide. Those states and others have tried […]
On Independence Day, Virginians gain a new resource for civics, history education
By Joni Albrecht Today, the John Marshall Center for Constitutional History and Civics (JMC) is not only celebrating American independence, we are also celebrating a historic union, one long in the making. The JMC today joins its longtime partner, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture (VMHC), to create an innovative study center that will revolutionize […]
Virginia GOP leaders praise affirmative action ruling, schools vow to keep pursuing diversity
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin Thursday praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision striking down affirmative action at higher education institutions. “Today, after the Supreme Court’s ruling, we are closer than ever before to ensuring that an individual’s future opportunities are unlocked based on the trajectory of their potential, their aspirations and the quality of their […]