The Signal in Education News
Federal agents conducted searches at the home of Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and at district offices as part of an ongoing investigation. Authorities have not disclosed the focus of the probe, and district officials did not immediately comment.
The raids are reportedly linked to a $6.2 million contract with the company AllHere, which developed a chatbot for the district. The board will resume its meeting Friday.
Houston ISD’s state-appointed board voted unanimously to close 12 schools, prompting backlash from parents and officials who criticized the lack of community input. District leaders cited declining enrollment and aging facilities as the reason for the closures.
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.
Superintendent Tony Watlington is set to present the district’s school closure plan at a marathon board meeting. Hundreds of community members are expected to show up, many in protest.
The Philadelphia school district has proposed closing 18 schools. Members of the Board of Education say they need more information before they decide whether to support the plan.
Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington says the district is no longer proposing to close Conwell Middle School and Motivation High School. That means the district still wants to close 18 schools.
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.
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.