Become more informed in minutes....

State education leaders across the U.S. claim that the Department of Education is delaying reimbursements for tens of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds. At least seven states, including California, New York, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Utah, have reported significant delays in processing reimbursements for programs like ESSER, EANS, GEER, and Homeless Children and Youth assistance. Illinois, for example, is awaiting $8m for services such as tutoring and special education resources. Kansas is waiting on $630,000; Missouri, $5.6m; and Kentucky, $4.7m. The delays follow a February policy change requiring manual approval of reimbursements and a mass layoff that eliminated nearly half the department’s workforce. States must now submit receipts via a newly assigned email process, which has led to confusion and backlogs. Though not all states are affected, legal experts say the disruptions could breach the federal Cash Management Improvement Act.

 

Education Week News

A Ready-to-Teach Science Sampler—Yours Free!

Want an easy way to bring hands-on science into your classroom? Experience Science™ K-5 makes it simple with ready-to-use science station centers that get students thinking, exploring, and reading like scientists. Each station engages students in hands-on investigations while diving into rich, phenomena-based informational text to build literacy skills.

Request your free Take and Teach Sampler to try a full topic with your students! You’ll get teacher-friendly, ready-to-use materials, including station and vocabulary cards, a student activity companion, and a Teacher Guide—plus full online access to videos, interactivities, and more. Science has never been easier to teach!

Request Your Free Sampler

 

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the Trump administration will not penalize states that choose not to adopt school choice legislation, stressing that education remains a state function. While promoting school choice, she said the federal government is focused on offering guidance and encouraging state-level action. This comes as President Trump signed an executive order to begin dismantling the Department of Education and shift power to states. The administration has, however, threatened federal funding to states over other issues, including transgender student participation in school sports, with Maine under investigation for potential Title IX violations. McMahon rejected claims that school choice harms public education, pointing to Iowa, where Gov. Kim Reynolds implemented universal school choice in 2023 and saw public schools improve. McMahon also advocated for local control, saying: “There’s just no one-size-fits-all in education,” and emphasized collaboration among governors, educators, and parents to improve outcomes through tailored solutions like charter, magnet, and homeschool options.

 

Fox News

The Florida Senate has passed SB 296, a bill that would repeal a 2023 law requiring middle and high schools to start later by 2026. The original law mandated start times no earlier than 8 a.m. for middle schools and 8:30 a.m. for high schools, aiming to improve student sleep. However, school districts raised concerns about logistical hurdles, including bus driver shortages, financial costs, and safety issues for younger children waiting for buses in the dark. Under SB 296, districts must still educate the public on the importance of sleep and document their considerations for later start times in a report to the Department of Education. The House companion bill, HB 261, is also ready for floor consideration.

 

Florida Politics

NBC Miami

Tallahassee News

Senate Bill 166, presented by Sen. Corey Simon, aims to enhance flexibility for Florida school districts by reducing testing and funding requirements. The bill modifies high school graduation criteria, making Algebra One assessments 30% of the final grade instead of a graduation requirement. It also expands assessment options for fourth-grade promotion and allows districts to create personalized evaluations. Sen. Simon stressed that the bill is designed to ensure that "our kids get all that they need to be successful and open up doors." Additionally, it introduces a three-year teacher contract, a 10-year professional certificate, and allows the use of Title I funds for STEM education, as supported by Sen. Rosalind Osgood.

 

Florida Politics

Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has expressed “personal concerns” regarding a proposal to relax child labor laws in Florida, which would allow teenagers to work overnight on school days without meal breaks. The proposal, currently advancing in the Florida Senate, aims to eliminate restrictions on work hours for teens aged 14 to 17, raising alarms about the potential impact on their education. The debate gained traction after Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested that a younger workforce could help fill gaps left by migrant labor. While the proposal has passed through one Senate committee, it faces challenges in the House, where a similar bill has yet to be heard.

 

The Miami Herald

Tampa Bay Times

Florida House Speaker Danny Perez has proposed a sales tax cut from 6% to 5.25%, aiming to make the state more affordable. “Our greatest priority of the House is to make sure that Florida becomes more affordable,” Perez stated. This reduction could save taxpayers $5bn, despite the current higher rates in some counties. Perez emphasized that the budget proposal includes the highest funding for K-12 education in Florida's history, with increased funding per student and for veteran teachers. While competing with Governor Ron DeSantis's property tax relief proposal, Perez noted that any changes to property taxes must be made at the local level. The legislative session is ongoing, and the sales tax cut will be reviewed in the Senate, with the new budget set to take effect on July 1.

 

NBC Miami

Duval County Public Schools is facing a $100m budget shortfall for 2025-26, prompting urgent concerns from Superintendent Chris Bernier. Declining enrollment, losing over 4,000 students in four years, and reduced federal funding are key factors. Florida's voucher program, diverting nearly $4bn to private and charter schools, is exacerbating the crisis. Guest columnist John Longfield-Smith argues this financial strain threatens educational quality and undermines public education's role in fostering informed citizens. He stresses the need for community action to ensure equitable investment and protect the future of Jacksonville's public schools.

 

The Florida Times-Union

Florida AG James Uthmeier has announced he will not defend the state's law prohibiting individuals under 21 from purchasing firearms, diverging from his predecessors. Uthmeier said: “Men and women old enough to fight and die for our country should be able to purchase firearms to defend themselves and their families.” This decision has raised questions about his responsibilities, especially after Gov. Ron DeSantis removed two state attorneys for similar perceived failures. Legal experts, including Neal Devins from The College of William & Mary, suggest that Florida law does not mandate Uthmeier to defend all state statutes. The law was enacted following the tragic Parkland shooting in 2018, and while a federal appeals court upheld it, the future of the law remains uncertain as the Florida Legislature considers reversing the age restriction.

 

The Miami Herald

Marisa Mowat, executive director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County, has urged Florida lawmakers to prioritize funding for maternal and infant health programs. Writing in support of the Florida Healthy Start initiative, Mowat stresses that access to quality prenatal and infant care is vital not just for health, but for long-term educational and economic outcomes. Florida’s 32 Healthy Start coalitions offer home visits, education, and health resource connections. In Hillsborough County, the 2023 preterm birth rate was lower than the state average of 10.7%, a success partly attributed to Healthy Start services. However, challenges remain: 20.8% of women in Florida lack adequate prenatal care, with rural and underserved communities most affected.

 

Tampa Bay Times

Tammi Madison has spent nearly 20 years addressing food insecurity in Osceola County, notably through her work with the St. Cloud Food Pantry and her own initiative, Pantry Planters. Recently, she received a $30,000 donation from the Grand Chapter of Florida Order of the Eastern Star, which will help her provide food resources to local schools. She plans to establish food pantries in schools lacking them and train operators on effective management. Debbie Rosenthal, Worthy Grand Matron of the Grand Chapter, expressed her support, saying: “It is our hope that, by giving these funds, we can help a bunch of kids.” Madison aims to ensure that students have access to nutritious food to take home, addressing the needs of families beyond school meals.

 

Osceola News-Gazette

While concerns about AI harming student writing and tutoring continue, edtech expert Michael Feldstein has spent the past year quietly leading an open-source project to develop the AI Learning Design Assistant (ALDA), a chatbot designed to guide educators step-by-step through the course design process. Aimed at making instructional design more accessible beyond elite institutions, ALDA helps teachers clarify learning goals, identify student misconceptions, and create assessments. When launched, ALDA will be free. It draws on the expertise of about 70 educators, including skeptics and AI enthusiasts, to build a tool that mimics the role of a human instructional designer—without replacing them.

 

The 74 (Online)

Florida's public universities are increasingly appointing political figures as presidents, marking a shift from traditional academic leaders. Steven Mintz, an ethics expert, noted that the "era of the scholar-president is fading." This trend, particularly under Gov. Ron DeSantis, reflects a growing political influence in higher education. Recent appointments include Adam Hasner at Florida Atlantic University and Jeanette Nuñez at Florida International University, both with political backgrounds. Marybeth Gasman, a professor at Rutgers University, emphasized that these politically driven appointments often align with specific agendas, potentially affecting academic freedom and campus culture.

 

Daytona Beach News Journal

In a Miami Herald opinion piece, David A. Armstrong, president of St. Thomas University and vice chairman of ICUF, urges Florida legislators to increase funding for private higher education, emphasizing its economic and workforce benefits. Armstrong highlights the Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) grant, which provides $1,750 per semester to students at nonprofit private colleges, yielding a $3.83 return for every dollar spent. He argues that private institutions like St. Thomas are essential to closing labor gaps in critical sectors such as nursing. 

 

Miami Herald

A new UNESCO report underscores the importance of school meals in the health and learning of children. Education and Nutrition: Learn to Eat Well, developed in partnership with the Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition, reveals that in 2022, nearly a third (27%) of school meals worldwide were not designed in consultation with nutritionists. Only 93 countries out of the 187 that were evaluated had legislation, standards or guidelines on school food and drink. The report goes on to highlight initiatives to improve nutrition at school, including Nigeria's Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, which aims to provide a free, balanced meal every day in all public primary schools, and has increased the primary school enrolment rate by 20%. This year, UNESCO will develop a series of tools for governments and education professionals aimed at better integrating these health and nutrition issues, including a practical manual and a training programme.

 

UNESCO