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Democrat efforts to challenge President Donald Trump’s dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education mounted Thursday, as 11 senators asked the agency’s acting inspector general, René Rocque, to investigate the push. The group, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), wrote: “Decimating the Department of Education’s abilities to administer financial aid, investigate civil rights violations, conduct research on educational outcomes, and oversee the use of federal education grants threatens to have disastrous consequences for American students, teachers and families.” Rocque, who joined the Education Department’s Office of Inspector General as deputy inspector general in December 2023, became acting director in January. Meanwhile, Republicans in some states have taken the opportunity to ask the administration for more leeway in their education spending.  On March 25, for example, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters sent a letter to the Education Department requesting a waiver to receive a block grant for all funds allocated to his state under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Such a consolidated block grant would “significantly enhance local flexibility” so “schools will be able to address their unique needs and priorities,” Walters wrote.

 

K-12 Dive

School Leadership’s Guide to Career and Technical Education

Economic impacts are changing the employment landscape. Now more than ever it's critical to prepare students for careers in current and emerging professions through Career and Technical Education (CTE). Having developed 200+ award-winning digital courses, FlexPoint knows that CTE offerings look different for every school, based on location and student population. School and district leaders can learn how to enhance their CTE programs through the free FlexPoint guide.

In the guide, you’ll have access to:

• An overview of nationally recognized Career Clusters and Programs of Study
  
• Tips for selecting the best career pathways that evolve with the employment landscape
  
• Sample survey questions to gauge students’ interests in future career opportunities
  
• And more!

Download CTE Guide

 

In response to rising concerns about online safety for minors, Florida lawmakers are considering Senate Bill 868, introduced by Sen. Blaise Ingoglia. This bill aims to enhance law enforcement's ability to access digital evidence in felony cases involving children. It proposes that social media platforms disable end-to-end encryption, allowing parents and law enforcement to view messages related to criminal investigations. The House companion bill, HB 743, seeks to give parents access to their 14- or 15-year-olds' messages and prohibits disappearing messages for children under 14. Critics, including First Amendment lawyer Tom Julin, argue that the provision could infringe on minors' privacy rights, stating: "At any time, your communications could be subpoenaed."

 

The Miami Herald

Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death among student athletes and on school campuses, prompting a new bill in Florida aimed at enhancing emergency preparedness. Representatives Alex Rizo and Taylor Yarkosky introduced House Bill 1607, which mandates that all public schools must have at least one operational automated external defibrillator (AED) on-site. Yarkosky highlighted alarming statistics: "Roughly four of our school-age youth die every day from sudden cardiac arrest," emphasizing the critical need for immediate access to AEDs. The bill also includes requirements for CPR training and the establishment of a Plan for Urgent Lifesaving Emergencies (PULSE) plan. If passed, Florida would become the first state to implement such measures.

 

Florida Politics

Lee County School District has announced a hiring freeze for all central office positions, effective immediately, as part of a cost-cutting initiative aimed at reallocating funds to schools and classrooms. The district aims to save $15.9m by reducing budgets across departments by at least 5%. This decision follows criticism from residents regarding recent spending on a $180,000 lobbying contract, raising concerns about prioritizing administrative costs over teacher compensation. As of February, the district faced 161 teaching vacancies, prompting calls for a focus on retaining existing staff.

 

Naplesnews

News-Press.com

At Bayshore High School in Manatee County, a pilot program has been introduced to assist students facing various challenges, enabling them to graduate on time. The program, funded with $220,000 from state improvement funds, allows students to start school later and adds two extra class periods to the day. So far, 51 students have participated, with many making significant progress in their credits. The district plans to evaluate the program's success for potential expansion to other schools.

 

Bradenton.com

Michael Andoscia, a retired Lee County teacher, criticizes the removal of “progressive” from the district's tagline as a politically motivated decision that undermines educational progress. He defends the term’s roots in the Progressive School Movement, which focused on child-centered learning, critical thinking, and equal access—ideals most parents support. Instead, he says, Florida and Texas led schools toward market-driven models that prioritize test scores and data over student needs. Teachers became test-prep facilitators, not educators, while student mental health declined. Andoscia argues that real progress requires adaptation, not clinging to failed systems. Removing “progressive,” he warns, reflects fear of change, not the will of the community.

 

News-Press.com

Teacher burnout is reaching crisis levels, yet misconceptions persist about its root causes. While some blame personality traits, educators and advocates argue that burnout stems from systemic issues like chronic staffing shortages. An EdWeek survey confirms that better support staff would significantly improve teacher satisfaction. Education author Alexandra Robbins urges society to stop pathologizing teachers and start fixing broken school systems. While some teachers quit after reaching emotional breaking points, others attempt to cope by drawing strict boundaries between work and personal time. A recent poll found that many teachers manage burnout by controlling what they can—like limiting after-hours work. Though schools still face staffing gaps, especially in special education, teachers are seeking survival strategies. Without broader structural reform, however, burnout will continue to erode the profession.

 

Education Week News

Autism Collier Charter School (ACCS) is set to open in August 2025, sharing space with BridgePrep Academy in Naples. Approved by the Collier County Public School Board in October 2024, ACCS aims to provide a new educational option for families of students with autism, starting with 80 students in its first year.

 

WINK News

Construction at Tinker K-8 on MacDill Air Force Base is progressing, with a groundbreaking ceremony held on Friday. The nearly $108m renovation, funded by a grant announced by Congresswoman Kathy Castor, aims to enhance the school's facilities, increasing capacity by over 200 seats and adding new amenities like a gymnasium and improved food services. The project, overseen by Hillsborough County Schools, is set to be completed by December 2027, ensuring a modern learning environment for military families.

 

DVIDS

Last weekend marked the conclusion of Ramadan, a significant month for Muslims, culminating in the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. Students in South Florida will enjoy a day off today to celebrate this important holiday, a recognition achieved through the advocacy of Naima Khan-Ghany, a retired teacher who fought for years to have Eid recognized by Broward County Public Schools. Her efforts have not only led to the recognition of Eid but also to the establishment of Muslim Students Associations in local schools, helping students feel safe and seen.

 

The Miami Herald

The Southwest Florida chapter of Blessings in a Backpack recently raised $160,000 during their GET FED UP event, aimed at combating food insecurity among local elementary school students. Currently, the program serves around 8,147 students weekly, addressing the needs of a food insecure population of 44,430 in Collier County and 98,410 in Lee County.

 

Naplesnews

First Student has partnered with Ampcontrol to enhance its electric school bus operations through advanced EV charging technology. With plans to deploy 30,000 electric buses by 2035, this collaboration aims to provide sustainable transportation for 2.7m students. The partnership will utilize Ampcontrol’s cloud software, AmpEdge, to optimize energy management and fleet operations, ultimately reducing costs and improving reliability. 

 

School Bus Fleet

A study published in the British Medical Journal warns that bans on children having smartphones, or accessing social media, represent "stop-gap solutions" that "do little to support children's longer-term healthy engagement with digital spaces across school, home, and other contexts, and their successful transition into adolescence and adulthood in a technology-filled world." The study calls for more work to be done on age-appropriate design for devices and on education around the use of technology to ensure children are ready to participate in a digital world.

 

Phys.org

The Supreme Court is set to hear three significant religion cases this spring, marking the end of a nearly three-year hiatus on such matters. The cases include a Catholic charity in Wisconsin seeking a tax exemption, the constitutionality of a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma, and whether parents can withdraw their children from LGBTQ+ themed discussions in Maryland public schools.

 

Bradenton.com

New College of Florida in Sarasota is considering a significant expansion under Governor Ron DeSantis's administration, which includes taking over educational and cultural facilities from other state universities. The proposed takeover of the Ringling Museum of Art and the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus has sparked local opposition. Critics argue that merging the institutions could deprive USF of vital programs that support the local economy.

 

The Bradenton Times

France's Department of Education has launched a national campaign to increase awareness among students about the dangers of cybercrime, by sending them a fake phishing email. According to the government, young people aged 11-18 are particularly susceptible to exposure to digital risks, and often show "an excess of confidence in their digital uses." Operation Cactus saw more than 2.5m students in more than 4,700 middle and high schools receive an email on their digital workspaces, encouraging them to click on a link that would lead them to a website where they could download pirated video games and cheats for free. More than 210,000 students clicked on the malicious link. Instead of pirated software, they got to see a video educating them on the risks of illegal actions on the internet. The Commission Nationale de l’ Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL), France’s data protection authority said in a statement that the authorities are committed to protecting students from engaging in cybercriminal activities by organizing awareness sessions in classes.

 

Cybernews

After 44 years of parent-teacher conferences for her three children, author Alina Adams shares why they still matter. Her key advice: listen first, ask for data, and know when to trust—or challenge—teachers and your child. She recalls times when teachers saw issues she missed, and others when she had to push back on misjudgments. Despite a sharp drop in attendance since the pandemic, Adams says conferences remain vital—not just for tracking academic progress, but for holding schools accountable and showing kids someone’s paying attention. Her final conference wasn’t about grades—it was to thank the teachers who made a difference. Conferences, she writes, offer “a chance to see your child through fresh eyes... and thank the people who helped them grow.”

 

The 74 (Online)