This article was originally published in Alaska Beacon. The Alaska House of Representatives voted by a wide margin and with bipartisan support on Friday to ban children younger than 14 from using online social media. House Bill 254, from Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, also requires companies that provide internet pornography to check whether an Alaskan viewing that pornography is at least 18 years old. The bill, which passed on a 33-6 vote, advances to the state Senate for further consideration. Help fund stories like this. Donate now! Vance said the age requirement, which also requires parents to ..read more

Pursuing her passion for a career in medicine, California high schooler Ella Mayor found fulfillment working as a part-time pharmacy technician — tapping into skills she could never practice in school. California high schooler Ella Mayor Mayor, a 12th grade student at Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley, said she is often just going through the motions in her classes where she feels disconnected from her schoolwork. It’s the work after school that excites her. “If you’re not engaged with school and involved in clubs and have a group of friends that help you stay around, I understand why yo ..read more

Imagine a situation where it’s easier for families to enroll their children in some private schools than in some public schools. This is true for Ohio students, especially those from low-income families. As of this school year, most of the state’s families became eligible for EdChoice Scholarships. This means that any Ohio student can access public funds to pay for tuition at one of 462 participating private schools in the state. However, the scholarship can’t be used at public schools, and because of loopholes in Ohio’s open enrollment laws — which are supposed to allow students to transfer t ..read more

A version of this essay originally appeared on LinkedIn. A few weeks ago, many were pointing out the four-year anniversary of the last “normal” week of our lives. Some pandemic-era reflections acknowledged the “silver linings” like more time with family, flexible work arrangements, gratitude for one’s health. With respect to education, however, it’s harder to find such perspectives, as stunted K-12 academic achievement poses serious long-term implications for a generation of learners. This is unquestionable and absolutely cause for concern. But long before that seismic shift in March 2020, a s ..read more

It’s no secret that America’s teaching pool is a fraction of the size it once was 15 years ago, hard hit by the Great Recession and mostly shrinking since.  But new federal data has given researchers some cause for optimism, suggesting efforts to make teaching more financially viable with strategies such as paying student teachers have helped to move the needle.  From 2018 through 2022, enrollment in teacher preparation programs grew 12% nationally, or by about 46,231 more candidates, according to a March report on Title II data from Pennsylvania State’s Center for Evaluation and Edu ..read more

This article was originally published in Rhode Island Current. A lot of Rhode Islanders want to read Kristin Hannah’s latest novel, “The Women.” The e-book version of Hannah’s Vietnam War narrative had 837 holds across the state’s libraries as of April 12. Nearly a week later, on Thursday, April 18, that number had risen to 900, according to the statewide library catalog. At least four physical copies were still available. Libraries don’t pay what consumers do for e-books — they may pay as much as nine times more, according to the Rhode Island Library Association. They’re also not technically ..read more

This article was originally published in CalMatters. Some bills before California’s Legislature don’t come from passionate policy advocates, or from powerful interest groups. Sometimes, the inspiration comes from a family car ride. While campaigning two years ago, Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo’s daughter, then nine, asked from the backseat what her mother could do if she won. Help fund stories like this. Donate now! Schiavo answered that she’d be able to make laws. Then, her daughter Sofia asked her if she could make a law banning homework. “It was a kind of a joke,” the Santa Clarita Valley De ..read more

This article was originally published in Louisiana Illuminator. Several changes could be in the works for how special education programs at Louisiana’s K-12 public schools are monitored. They include a deadline to install video cameras in classrooms that the state funded two years ago. The Senate Committee on Education gave unanimous approval Wednesday to House Bill 153, authored by Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville. It needs only full Senate approval before the heading to Gov. Jeff Landry. The legislation calls for schools to install cameras in classrooms with special education students within ..read more

This article was originally published in El Paso Matters. Talk to some high school and college students about this year’s Free Application for Financial Student Aid, or FAFSA, and they share their concerns as well as their optimism. Few voice anger about the glitches that have made this financial aid season so stressful. Why? Because they understand that FAFSA is the key to $150 billion of college grants, work-study funds and federal student loans that will pay for college. They understand that FAFSA is not the enemy. Regardless, the number of FAFSA submissions are down nationwide, including T ..read more

This article was originally published in Nebraska Examiner. LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen on Wednesday approved a Nebraska lawmaker’s replacement “school choice” measure as opponents now weigh how they will fight the new law. “I’m very excited for a bunch of low-income kids who couldn’t access an education that best fits their needs, and now they’ll be able to,” Linehan told the Nebraska Examiner on Wednesday. While opponents successfully placed last year’s measure on the November 2024 ballot, which would allow voters to decide the fate of the Opportunity Scholarships Act, the status of that refer ..read more