Education
Proposed UW student survey on campus free speech leads to resignation of UW-Whitewater chancellor
A planned survey about campus free speech to undergraduate students in the UW System has caused the interim chancellor of UW-Whitewater to resign and led to dissent from faculty across the system’s 13 campuses. The Student Perceptions of Campus Free Speech Survey, set to be conducted by the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, […]
Pause on federal student loan repayments extended by Biden through Aug. 31
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration Wednesday announced its plans to extend the pause on federal student loan repayments until the end of August. “I recognized in recently extending the COVID-19 national emergency, we are still recovering from the pandemic and the unprecedented economic disruption it caused,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “If loan […]
Conservatives’ school board push yields mixed results in Tuesday elections
Republicans and conservative activists put on a major push to take over school boards in Wisconsin this year, culminating in Tuesday’s nominally nonpartisan elections throughout the state. In 53 school board races in Wisconsin, candidates took a stance on conservative hot-button issues including race in education, coronavirus responses, or sex and gender in schools, according […]
Wauwatosa school district pressured after classroom discussions of ongoing lawsuits
The question of what topics should and should not be discussed in the classroom is a political flash point. But while Wauwatosa’s school district says it hasn’t grappled with debates about so-called critical race theory, or discussions of gender and sexuality in class, one topic has generated complaints. That’s the discussion of the protests for […]
High school Advanced Placement struggles with race and diversity
Across Wisconsin and the nation thousands of high school students will be taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams this spring in hopes of doing well enough to earn college credit. That may not be possible in the coming years at some high schools if those schools remove required AP curriculum on race and diversity. The […]
Student activists demand lunch justice in Milwaukee schools
A new campaign pushing for reform in the school lunchroom was launched in Milwaukee Thursday. Organizers from Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES), a multicultural social justice organization, rallied outside of the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) central office. Joined by allied organizations, the students are calling for food cooked fresh in the school, accommodations for […]
Upcoming U.S. Supreme Court cases could curb colleges’ use of affirmative action
WASHINGTON — A U.S. Supreme Court dominated by conservative justices could fundamentally reshape the college admissions process later this year when it takes up two landmark cases challenging affirmative action in higher education. The court recently agreed to hear two cases that challenge race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, […]
Culture war battles in local school boards aren’t slowing down
For two years, school boards across Wisconsin have been the stage for culture war battles over school closures, mask mandates, education about race and LGBTQ issues. The rapid polarization and nationalization of local education debates has been alarming to some observers as the fights get infused into larger statewide debates and political races. Republican candidates […]
Kenosha’s healing process and school board races shaken up by off-duty cop incident
The Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) has been upended following an incident earlier this month in which an off-duty Kenosha Police officer, serving as a security guard, put his knee on the neck of a 12-year-old girl as he tried to break up a fight. The incident has thrown a wrench in the community’s attempt […]
Latina leadership program takes off
Beatriz Aguilar, chair of the music department at Edgewood College, will sometimes volunteer as a translator at Madison-area schools. One time at Madison East High School, some parents asked her what she does for a living, and when she told them, their high school Latina daughter perked up and asked Aguilar if she had a […]
The gloves are off in school board elections
The time was when school board elections were sleepy affairs. All candidates agreed not to spend more than a few hundred dollars campaigning. The way to win these elections was to get as many yard signs out as possible and knock on a lot of doors — but don’t say much about controversial issues, just […]
Ramthun suggests students are being forced into special ed classes
In his campaign to be re-elected to the Kewaskum School Board, Rep. Timothy Ramthun (R-Campbellsport) suggested that students are being forced into special education classes as a way for school districts to get more funding and control both students and parents. Ramthun, who is also running a far-right campaign for governor, made the comments at […]