Education
Former HOPE Christian School employees discuss concerns about staffing, safety
HOPE Christian School Fortis promises a high-quality education for its “scholars,” most of whom use state-funded vouchers to attend. Its website features photos of joyful students and boasts of a “warm and nurturing community” and “dedicated teachers who are invested in your child’s learning” inside its classrooms. After an accident in gym class in September, […]
Why ‘color-blindness’ is dangerous
In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that “separate but equal” schools and other public accommodations for Black and white people were constitutional. The Plessy decision is also the first time the phrase “color-blind” was used in American political discourse by Justice Harlan in his dissent of the Plessy decision. Harlan […]
UW System President suggests universities with high numbers of low income students should ‘shift away’ from liberal arts
UW System President Jay Rothman suggested in an email to campus chancellors that they should consider cutting liberal arts programs at schools that serve a large number of low income students, the UW-Madison student newspaper the Daily Cardinal reported this week. In the email, in which Rothman lists a number of suggestions campus leaders can […]
Hands off our national myth, er, story – the dynamic driving anti-wokeness
Legitimacy and the fear of losing it. That’s at the root of efforts to whitewash teaching that would otherwise tell stark, uncomfortable truths about U.S. history and the impacts that linger today. I’m referring here to the legitimacy of American exceptionalism. There are many who demand homogeneity even on what we agree is our national […]
Proposed legislation would notify parents of child library checkouts
A nationwide discussion about which books should be kept out of the hands of K-12 students came to the state Capitol Tuesday. Two proposed bills (SB-597 and SB-598) got a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children & Families. The measures would require school boards and public libraries to […]
Raymond’s gay principal denies allegations made against him
This report is republished by agreement with the Racine County Eye, where it originally appeared An anonymous letter urges the removal of Raymond School Principal Jeff Peterson. The letter, which references Peterson’s personnel file, accuses him of various acts of misconduct, including creating a toxic work environment and inappropriate behavior towards children. The letter started […]
School chief resigns from rural Racine County district after months of controversy, division
This report is republished by agreement with the Racine County Eye, where it originally appeared. The superintendent of a rural Racine County school district that has been at the center of controversy and political divisions announced this week he was resigning at the end of this year. Dr. Michael Garvey, superintendent and business manager of […]
State agency makes record contribution to school libraries for 2024
Wisconsin school libraries and media resources will share in a record $65 million in the coming year from the state’s Common School Fund thanks to strong investment earnings from the agency that manages the money. The fund is fed by the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL), which manages state trust funds that were […]
Attempt to kill Biden student debt relief plan tied to income fails in U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans on Wednesday night failed to garner enough votes to block a new Biden administration rule on an income-driven repayment plan for federal student loans. The resolution did not pass, 49-50. Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia was the sole Democrat who joined Republicans in backing the resolution. Sen. Tim […]
Democrats propose state law to help limit book bans
Democrats in the state Legislature are proposing new standards they say could help quell a tide of bans and restrictions on books in schools across the country. “Last year, the American Library Association reported 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources, the highest number of demands since the organization began collecting data 20 years […]
Free speech on college campuses as tensions rise examined by U.S. House Judiciary
WASHINGTON — U.S. lawmakers debated the freedom of speech of students on college campuses during a committee hearing Wednesday. The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee held the hearing amid a rise of antisemitism on college campuses following Hamas attacks on Israel. Many Jewish students and others showing support for Israel have been targets of violence since […]
Wisconsin Assembly passes higher education bills
The Wisconsin Assembly passed several bills on Tuesday that would affect Wisconsin’s higher education system by changing admissions requirements, implementing penalties for free speech violations and ending race-based programs and requirements. While Republicans said the bills would help address ongoing problems throughout the state’s education system, Democrats criticized Republicans for unfairly targeting diversity equity and […]