National News
Democratic Presidential Candidates Make Their Pitches to Teachers’ Union Leaders
7/5/19- ‘Ten Democratic presidential contenders pledged to bring back respect to the teaching profession and, in many cases, raise teacher pay as they made their pitches to the delegates of the nation’s largest teachers’ union.’
You No Longer Have to Be an Educator to Join the National Education Association
7/6/19- ‘After years of resistance, delegates of the National Education Association voted to open up membership to non-educator “public education allies.”’
The American Federation of Teachers Is Suing Betsy DeVos Over Loan Forgiveness
7/11/19- ‘American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten is suing U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, arguing that she has “done nothing to remedy the gross mismanagement” of a federal loan forgiveness program.’
State News
AL: Alabama School Board Members Weigh In on Plan to Replace Them
7/10/19- ‘State Board of Education members weighed in today about a proposal to eliminate their elected positions and replace the board with an appointed commission.’
AZ: School voucher flap previews coming legislative debate
7/8/19- ‘The Arizona Department of Education took heat from school-choice advocates last week after denying the stepchild of a soldier a state-funded voucher to pay for private-school tuition, and then reversing course.’
NC: Financial Literacy Could Become Graduation Requirement
7/1/19- ‘A personal finance course could soon become a graduation requirement for North Carolina high school students. The North Carolina Senate and House have ratified legislation that would require all high school students to take and receive a passing grade in a full-credit course focused solely on economics and personal finance.’
OK: Official: State emergency teacher licenses up 54% in 2018-19
6/28/19- ‘An ongoing teacher shortage led Oklahoma public schools to hire roughly 1,000 more nonaccredited teachers in the most recent school year compared to 2017-2018, and that number is expected to rise, according to state education officials.’
UT: Salt Lake teachers association, school district reach tentative deal with help of mediator
7/10/19- ‘The Salt Lake teachers association and the school district reached a tentative working agreement after negotiation teams met with a federal mediator for several hours Wednesday.’
WV teachers union says it will sue over charter school bill
7/10/19- ‘A sweeping West Virginia GOP education bill that allows the creation of charter schools violates the state Constitution, according to a teachers union that plans to sue over the legislation.’
Research & Analysis
What does ‘career readiness’ look like in middle school?
7/7/19 – School districts are pushing career exploration into middle and lower grades, convinced the preparation necessary for tomorrow’s jobs needs to begin earlier.
Most College Students Interested in Teaching Never Make It to the Classroom
7/10/19- ‘How likely are those who consider teaching to actually make it into the classroom? New federal data highlight a leaky pipeline for would-be teachers in college.’