The Signal in Education News
The U.S. Department of Education contends that California's policies violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, known as FERPA, which grants parents the right to request and review their children’s educational records.
The Department of Justice is investigating whether parents are allowed to opt their kids out of lessons on “gender ideology” in Detroit schools and two other districts.
As Illinois faces a $2 billion budget shortfall, Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposes a statewide fee on social media companies, with monthly charges tied to their number of active users in the state and larger companies paying more.
One Knox County teacher asked lawmakers if they wanted schools to focus on academic achievement or to be an “instrument of immigration enforcement” against Tennessee students.
Amendments to exempt school districts and school resource officers from the provisions of the bill failed. Education groups are still trying to determine how SB 76 could affect cooperation with immigration enforcement and school policies.
Districts warn they’re near breaking point after years without state baseline funding adjustments. Many say cost falls to local taxpayers.
Pritzker is proposing increases to K-12 funding, but union leaders want him to fully fund the main education formula by next year — a multibillion-dollar cost.
NYC has spent $1.6 billion in recent years cushioning schools from enrollment-related cuts. As Mamdani warns of a $7 billion budget gap, officials have yet to say what he’ll do.
Houston Independent School District proposes closing 12 schools in 2026-27, citing declining enrollment from 189,901 to 176,693 students and aging infrastructure. The district's Board of Managers will vote on the closures on February 26 as part of its "Accelerate Houston" initiative.