DeSantis defends Florida COVID policy, says data guided school reopenings At a Chamber of Commerce event, Governor Ron DeSantis said he relied on studies and his own analysis to keep schools and businesses open during COVID-19 and argued the feared catastrophic outcomes did not materialize. He defended prioritizing in-person instruction and criticized the media narrative at the time.

Governor Ron DeSantis boldly claims his COVID-19 strategy, driven by data and expert consultations, defied the media's fear-mongering and proved in-person schooling was the key to Florida's success.

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#FL #PublicHealth #EconomicResilience #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy

Why States Are Asking for More Flexibility in Assessment Systems Across the country, education leaders are asking a similar question: Can assessment systems become more useful for instruction without losing accountability…

Assessment policy is shifting. States are exploring through-year models, federal pilots, and waivers to make testing more useful while keeping statewide comparability intact. Here's what schools need to know.

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#EducationPolicy #Assessment

Fragmented instruction undermines learning. Coherence matters.
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#EducationPolicy

Board: no immediate impact expected from city ICE agreement; district outlines procedures Board members asked about a city agreement with ICE. The superintendent said the district does not expect an immediate impact, explained protocols for visits to district buildings and emphasized the need for judicial warrants and specific names; board members and public asked about transportation and jurisdictional limits.

Concerns are rising within the Hazleton Area School District about a new agreement between the city and ICE, but the superintendent insists there will be no immediate impact on schools.

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#PA #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #PennsylvaniaSchools #PublicSafety

Antigo board reasserts control of McKenna Aquatic Center, limits operations to Fund 80 After hearing that the pool has been partly funded from the district general fund in possible conflict with DPI rules, the Unified School District of Antigo board voted to take back oversight of the Clara McKenna Aquatic Center, require that only Fund 80 pay for operations and maintenance, and direct administration and legal counsel to develop a compliant plan.

The Antigo Board of Education has taken decisive action to regain control over the financially struggling Clara McKenna Aquatic Center, ensuring that only designated funds will cover its operations and maintenance.

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#WI #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #CommunityServices

March recap: VET policy gets stronger when it treats participation + retention as system design, not just student behaviour.
Which topic should we unpack next? #VETprep #VocationalEducation #VETReform #EducationPolicy

Senate adopts amendment delaying implementation and passes open‑enrollment athletic eligibility change House file 25 91, moved by Senator Shipley, increases the ineligibility period for new students in varsity athletics from 90 school days to 140 calendar days; the Senate adopted an amendment setting an Aug. 1, 2026 start date and passed the bill, which was messaged to the House.

A new bill has just passed in Iowa, extending the waiting period for new students to compete in varsity sports from 90 days to 140 days—what does this mean for athletes?

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#IA #StudentAthlete #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #SchoolReform #IowaAthletics

Apps are open for the CA Emergent Bilingual Change Agent Network by Teach Plus! Teacher leaders receive coaching, funding, & support to advance equity for multilingual learners. Apply or nominate by Apr 20: teachplus.tfaforms.net/328143

#CREEO #HistoricallyResilient #EducationPolicy

Committee narrows student physicals policy, agrees religious-exemption language aligned to NHIAA The policy committee reviewed JLCA (physical examinations), clarified timing for required exams (one year prior to seventh grade and again before high school), removed intramural requirements, and agreed to add that religious exemptions for sports follow NHIAA guidelines; consultant Karen Upgaard joined by phone for technical clarification.

The policy committee just made significant updates to student physical examination requirements, ensuring clarity and alignment with NHIAA guidelines for religious exemptions!

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#NH #CivicAccountability #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #StudentHealth #NewHampshireSchools

DuPage HSD 88 opens RIF hearing and approves multiple staffing dismissals The Board of Education opened a public hearing on proposed reductions in force and then approved resolutions to issue honorable dismissal notices to a list of part‑time and post–Nov.1 teachers and support staff; administration said the reductions focus on part‑time hires and avoid releasing full‑time staff.

The DuPage HSD 88 Board of Education has taken significant steps towards staffing reductions, focusing on part-time teachers and support staff, as they prepare for an uncertain future in education.

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#IL #PublicHearing #CitizenPortal #StaffingReduction #EducationPolicy

Panel approves bill setting school nurse ratio at 1:750 and raising reimbursement House Bill 22 85 would require at least one school nurse per attended school building, set a staffing ratio of one nurse per 750 students, and increase noncategorical reimbursement to $12.61 per ADM; the committee passed the bill 14–12 amid questions about workforce shortages and lack of penalties for noncompliance.

Pennsylvania's schools could soon see a significant boost in student health services with a new bill mandating one nurse for every 750 students, but will it be enough to combat the growing nursing shortage?

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#PA #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #PennsylvaniaSchools

Committee adopts amendment requiring bullying investigations and faster parent notice The committee passed House Bill 8 30 as amended (A02654), which requires school entities to investigate all alleged bullying reports and to notify parents or guardians of both the victim and alleged perpetrator within 24 hours of a determination that bullying occurred; the amendment passed 25–1 and the bill passed 22–4.

A new amendment in Pennsylvania will ensure parents are notified within 24 hours if their child is involved in bullying, aiming for greater transparency and family involvement in schools.

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#PA #CitizenPortal #PennsylvaniaSchools #EducationPolicy #BullyingPrevention

EPX is the report’s big structural story.
Planned for 2030, positioned as a bridge between vocational/professional orientation and broader upper secondary progression—but still being defined. #VETprep #VocationalEducation #VETReform #EducationPolicy

MSDE representative backs bill to let state superintendent declare localized prolonged emergencies for schools Nick Greer of the Maryland State Board of Education testified that Senate Bill 218 would let the state superintendent, in consultation with the governor and local superintendents, declare a prolonged state of emergency for specific schools or systems to permit temporary transition to virtual instruction when local conditions disrupt in‑person learning; amendments were described as guardrails and the sponsor requested a favorable report.

Senate Bill 218 could revolutionize how Maryland schools respond to emergencies by allowing the state superintendent to declare localized virtual learning when in-person classes are disrupted!

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#MD #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #EmergencyDeclaration #VirtualLearning

Board hears mixed early results on cell-phone ban as students and staff urge more data and consistent implementation School leaders presented state-required discipline-referral data and a high-school student survey about the new cell-phone law. Students described ticket-based and restorative approaches; several board members requested comparable middle-school data before making policy adjustments.

The Ithaca Board of Education is grappling with mixed results from the new cell-phone rules, pushing for more data and consistent practices to enhance student engagement.

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#ITHACASchoolDistricts #NY #DataTransparency #IthacaSchoolDistricts #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy

Cornwall board votes 7–1 to advocate for right to create a health insurance reserve After a lengthy debate over reserves and fiscal accountability, the Cornwall board approved a resolution to advocate for statutory authority to create a health insurance reserve; supporters cited volatility in premiums, opponents warned about masking long‑term costs.

The Cornwall Central School District is pushing for state lawmakers to allow them to create a health insurance reserve to help manage unpredictable premium costs, but not everyone agrees on the best approach.

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#NY #HealthInsurance #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy

Samir Munshi urges commission to protect conscience and speech rights in classrooms after Montgomery County opt-out fight Samir Munshi told a commission that families in Montgomery County, Md., protested in 2023 after the district ended parental opt-outs for mandatory lessons on gender and related topics; he said those efforts led to the Supreme Court case Mahmood v. Taylor and urged protections for freedom of conscience and speech in classrooms.

Samir Munshi reveals how Montgomery County families united against a controversial school policy, leading to a landmark Supreme Court case that could redefine parental rights in education.

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#US #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #MontgomeryCountyFamilies #ParentalRights

Class size limits require sustained investment.

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#ClassSize #EducationPolicy

In today's School Leadership 2.0 --I Can't Learn It For You---The Power of the “Warm Demander” in Today’s Classrooms---We Need to Talk More About What Makes a Book Good--https://conta.cc/40DAOEd

#K12Leadership #SchoolLeadership #EducationPolicy #Superintendents #AIinEducation #EdLeadership

Proposal to add cameras in seclusion rooms pulled amid questions about storage and oversight A proposal to require cameras in seclusion rooms was removed from current legislation after council members and staff raised questions about resources, storage, and governance; members said they plan to revisit the idea next year once guidelines and district capacity are clarified.

The proposal to install cameras in school seclusion rooms has been pulled from legislation as critical questions about storage and oversight remain unanswered.

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#CT #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #GovernanceTransparency #StudentSafety

Contractors and school officials back exempting driver seats from fire‑block requirement to aid retention Sponsors and school-bus contractors told the committee SB 968 would remove the fire‑block upholstery requirement for driver seats while keeping student‑seat protections, arguing it would improve driver comfort and help retention; witnesses said the change is optional for fleets and would save modest amounts on new buses.

A new bill could revolutionize school bus driver comfort by removing strict upholstery requirements, all while keeping student safety intact!

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#MD #MarylandSchools #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #TransportationSafety #DriverRetention

Bossier Parish School Board approves employee and student AI acceptable-use policy (EFAB) The board voted to adopt policy EFAB, an employee and student acceptable-use policy addressing artificial intelligence, after an Administrative Committee recommendation of 5–1; the full board recorded one opposing vote and one abstention before the motion carried.

Bossier Parish School Board just approved a groundbreaking AI acceptable-use policy, paving the way for responsible technology use in schools!

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#LA #AIEthics #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #StudentPrivacy #LouisianaSchools

Nice policy shift in the report: Danish VET is becoming more outward-looking, not only nationally labour-market focused.
Mobility is part of that repositioning. #VETprep #VocationalEducation #VETReform #EducationPolicy

Parent urges board to reject discipline changes tied to walkouts and to adopt policy limiting federal school access A parent and board candidate warned that proposed edits to policy 6.3 could chill student organizing and asked the board to adopt a formal policy requiring valid judicial warrants before federal agents access schools or student records.

A Williamson County parent is raising alarm over proposed discipline changes that could stifle student protests and political speech, urging the school board to prioritize students' rights.

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#TN #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #CivicEngagement #StudentVoice #TennesseeSchools

The U.S. Department of Justice has secured a legal ruling blocking Kentucky from offering in-state tuition benefits to undocumented immigrants. The decision cites alignment with executive orders regarding taxpayer-funded benefits. #US #EducationPolicy

Greeley School District No. 6 board debates dress‑code revisions, asks staff to rewrite draft At a March 23 work session the Greeley School District No. 6 board reviewed proposed revisions to dress‑code policy JICA — including clearer standards for coverage, a separate gang‑apparel section, softer enforcement and religious/cultural exceptions — and directed staff to revise the draft for further consideration rather than vote tonight.

The Greeley School District's latest dress-code revisions aim to create fair enforcement and prioritize restorative practices, sparking a heated debate among board members.

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#CO #RestorativePractices #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #GreeleySchools #CulturalEquity

Good reform design pattern in the report: green transition = equipment + pedagogy + assessment, not just curriculum language. #VocationalEducation #VETReform #EducationPolicy #greentransition #curriculum

This report frames VET as both immediate employability + long-term adaptability.
That’s the right frame for green/digital transition discussions. #VETprep #VocationalEducation #VETReform #EducationPolicy #SkillsForTheFuture

Education Policy Survey This confidential survey is part of a mixed methods research study. The purpose of this research is to get a better understanding of teachers’ experience with recent education policies (e.g., instruct...

To participate in #ClemsonUniversity anonymous survey, go to clemson.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... #EducationPolicy #SCpol

In today's School Leadership 2.0 -

--How to Create a Crisis Handbook to Prepare Your School for Emergencies---Why School Employee Layoffs Are Rising in 2026---Are middle school students too old to be read to? No!-

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#K12Leadership #SchoolLeadership #EducationPolicy