Education intelligence to lead, innovate & grow.
Want to get your daily slice of Education knowledge to your inbox? Sign up now
Education Slice helps you stay ahead of essential education news shaping your profession. With a dedicated daily National Edition and three strategic State Editions in California, Texas and Florida, we bring our unique blend of AI and education expertise to research and monitor 100,000s of articles to share a summary of the most relevant and useful content to help you lead, innovate and grow.
From Kindergarten to K-12, Edtech news, school management and teaching strategies… Education Slice is the only trusted online news source in the US dedicated to covering current headlines, articles, reports and interviews to make sure you’re at the forefront of changes in the education industry.
You’re all signed up for the Education Slice
Thank you for your interest in our service.
Watch out for a confirmation email from our subscriptions team. Once you have confirmed you will join the community of over 35,000 subscribers who are receiving daily Education intelligence to lead, innovate and grow.
Note: Due to the nature of this message you may find this in your "promotions" or "spam" folders, please check there. If nothing arrives within a few minutes let us know. If you do not receive this email we will be happy to help get you set up.
Adding the email address [email protected], will help to ensure all newsletters arrive directly to your inbox.
Education Slice has become a regular part of my reading routine.
It provides insightful, up-to-date information that I can apply to my teaching and career to help not only myself but my students as well.
“Grateful for your articles!
As a lifelong educator, I’m always looking for current and valuable information that I can use to improve my students’ experiences in my class.
I enjoy reading slice because it gives the latest important education news in a snippet so I can keep abreast of what is happening in education.
I do not have time to open long articles and skim through to decipher what is important to know.
As a leader and innovator in education I really appreciate the varied and relevant news topics from Education Slice.
The articles are serious, academic and nonpartisan all targeted to the pressing issues of the day.
Recent Editions
Education Slice
National
For much of America's K-12 education system, "local control" is a bedrock principle, but state takeovers of school districts continue to be take place. Research shows that these takeovers often fail to make desired financial improvements and disproportionately benefit non-Black districts. Scholars have found little evidence linking takeovers to academic outcomes. Despite this, several districts across the country are currently under state control, with Houston ISD in Texas a high-profile example. State takeovers involve firing existing school and district leadership and replacing them with state-appointed officials. Recent research shows that takeovers contribute to increased per-pupil spending, but majority-Black districts receive only a fraction of that boost. Factors that precipitate takeovers include struggling districts, school boards with people of color, and court rulings ordering more funding for high-needs students. While state takeovers remain a possibility for many districts, there is some evidence of a shift away from this practice, with states including Tennessee and Michigan exploring other mechanisms to help school districts improve test scores and eliminate budget deficits.
Full Issue
Education Slice
California
Senate Bill 1115, which proposes training for all California teachers and aides in math and reading, has passed its initial legislative hurdle despite not having a designated funding source and facing skepticism from advocates for English learners. The bill, sponsored by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and authored by Sen. Monique Limon, aims to enhance early literacy and numeracy skills amidst a tight fiscal year, where Governor Gavin Newsom has suggested that funding for new programs is unlikely. The bill does not specify a cost but acknowledges the significant investment required to train California's 300,000 teachers, potentially amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. Thurmond emphasized the moral clarity in training educators with proven strategies to improve student learning, leveraging significant brain science insights. Critics, particularly advocates for English learners, express concerns that the bill's emphasis on the "science of reading," which includes programs like Lexia LETRS and CORE Learning, might disproportionately focus on phonics at the expense of broader language skills that are crucial for English learners. These programs, while backed by research, are seen by some as not sufficiently addressing the diverse needs of all students. The bill encourages the use of existing federal and state Covid relief funds, which have not been earmarked specifically for this purpose, to finance the necessary teacher training.
Full Issue
Education Slice
Texas
The salary disparity between Texas teachers and the national average has become a significant concern. During the 2023-24 school year, Texas teachers are expected to earn an average of $62,463, which is over $9,000 below the national average, according to the National Education Association's analysis of Texas Education Agency data. This gap highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring competitive compensation for educators in the state. Additionally, Texas' full-time school support staff, including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and secretaries, earned an average of $30,382 during the 2022-23 school year. These figures underscore the economic pressures faced by essential school personnel, who often earn wages that are not livable. The funding for Texas schools also presents challenges. The state spent approximately $12,781 per student in the current school year, which is significantly less than the national average. This spending includes a $6,160 basic allotment per student, which has not seen an increase since 2019. The stagnant funding is causing school districts to struggle with budget constraints, leading to potential cuts in programs and staff, and making it difficult to attract and retain qualified teachers. Efforts to adjust teacher pay and enhance school funding did not advance in the 2023 Texas Legislature, largely due to debates over education savings accounts. This program, which was ultimately rejected by the Texas House, overshadowed other legislative efforts to improve public school funding.
Full Issue
Education Slice
Florida
Florida's average teacher salary has dropped to the lowest in the entire country, ranking second-to-last in the nation, according to a report by the National Education Association (NEA). The state's average teacher salary of $53,098 is behind only West Virginia, where average pay is $52,870. Florida's low teacher pay has contributed to a chronic teacher shortage in the state, with some school districts experiencing dozens of vacancies. Teacher unions and advocates are calling for increased investment in education to address fair and competitive pay for educators. However, Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, has emphasized the state's higher minimum pay for teachers, despite concerns over wage compression for experienced educators. The Florida Education Association is urging state legislators to increase education funding by $2.5bn per year for the next seven years to address various issues, including teacher pay and student support services.
Full Issue
Read the latest Education highlights
Schools Seek To Connect Amid Declining Enrolment
Enrolment is declining in public schools around the U.S. as parents choose learning alternatives in response to the pandemic, including homeschooling, or else opt to postpone the start of kindergarten. According to from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) published in June, public school enrolment in 2020-21 shrank by 3% compared to the previous year, indicating the largest decline since the year 2000, according to researchers...
Discover
What Traits Make A Principal Top Of The Class?
It is no great business secret that leadership positions bring responsibility – to staff, to clients, to the organisation, to shareholders, to profits. However, school leaders carry their own particular burden – the education of future generations
Discover
Improving Literacy In Schools
U.S. states are implementing various schemes to improve pupil’s literacy. In North Carolina a bill previously passed by the General Assembly, and signed into law, came into effect at the start of July.
Discover
Strategies To Turn Around Failing Schools
The role that principals play in ensuring high-quality instruction in their schools can sometimes be overshadowed by the more immediately obvious contributions of teachers. But principals can play a key part in ensuring high performance and turning around low-performing schools...
Discover
Teachers Deserve ‘A Raise, Not Just Praise'
Speaking to the National Education Association's annual meeting in Washington, D.C. in July, President Joe Biden said that the pandemic has given America’s parents the "ultimate education" on the challenges of the teaching profession, and said the public health crisis shows educators deserve higher pay....
Discover
