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Recent Editions
Education Slice
National
The U.S. Department of Education has proposed revamping its longstanding Comprehensive Centers program, calling its current structure “duplicative,” “confusing,” and insufficiently responsive to state and local needs. The program, which uses regional and national contractors to provide technical assistance to states and school districts, would be restructured to give state and local leaders greater influence over priorities. A key proposal includes creating a new national center offering “concierge-style” support to help educators navigate technical assistance and connect with relevant organizations. Under the new model, nationally focused centers would determine their areas of emphasis based on feedback from state and local education officials, rather than having priorities set by the department. Recent focus areas under existing contracts, awarded in 2024, have included teacher shortages, fiscal equity, and multilingual education. The department also signaled it may terminate current contracts, which run through 2029, to launch a new competition aligned with the redesigned framework. The proposed changes are tied to the Trump administration’s broader push to “return education to the states.” A 30-day public comment period will follow before final decisions are made.
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Education Slice
California
The U.S. Supreme Court has reinstated a San Diego judge's order affirming parents' rights to be informed about their child's gender identity at school. In a 6-3 decision, the Court granted an emergency appeal from the Thomas More Society, which argued that California's student privacy policy infringes on parental rights and religious freedoms. The Court said: "Parents and guardians have a federal constitutional right to be informed if their public school student child expresses gender incongruence." The ruling specifically addresses parents who object to the policies or seek religious exemptions. Mark Rienzi, president of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, emphasized the importance of parental involvement, commenting: "Parents' fundamental right to raise their children according to their faith doesn't stop at the schoolhouse door." The decision marks a significant moment for parental rights in the U.S.
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Education Slice
Texas
A new lawsuit challenges Texas’s Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program, which is expected to become the nation’s largest private school choice effort when it begins next school year. Mehdi Cherkaoui, a parent and attorney, alleges religious discrimination, arguing that “not a single accredited Islamic private school has been approved” while hundreds of other private schools have. State officials, including Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock, cite an Attorney General Ken Paxton opinion allowing schools to be barred over ties to terrorist organizations or foreign adversaries. Critics also note limited nondiscrimination protections for participating schools.
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Education Slice
Florida
Proposed legislation in Florida could severely impact teachers' unions, with leaders warning it may be "fatal" to their existence. The Senate bill (SB 1296) recently passed a committee vote, while the House version (HB 995) remains unchanged. Both bills aim to increase the voting requirements for union recertification, making it more challenging for unions to maintain their status. Meera Sitharam, president of the United Faculty of Florida, expressed concerns, noting: "It's really getting close to being fatal." The legislation has drawn criticism from various educators, including Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, who argued that it complicates workers' rights. The bills are now set for floor votes, with potential legal challenges anticipated if they become law.
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