Weekly News Round-Up for May 25th

posted by: Melissa | May 25, 2018, 06:56 PM

Each week, NWPE brings its members a round-up of what’s happening in education. From big, eye-catching headlines to the stories most papers overlook, we find the news our members really want to see. This week, there’s fall out from multiple shootings, a deadly bus crash, stumbling over an immigration question and more!

Shootings in Texas, Indiana: Last Friday, a school shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas became the deadliest shooting since the one in Parkland, Florida and this morning, there was another shooting in Noblesville, Indiana, this time not fatal. With news like this becoming tragically common place, students are once again seeking action from lawmakers. Others are looking for broader trends. Poltifact reminds us about what is and is not true when it comes to guns and violence, while Voice of America notes that most mass school shootings happens in small towns, not large cities.

Deadly Bus Crash in New Jersey: Last week, a bus crash on a New Jersey highway left two dead and opened up a host of new questions about school bus safety. Since the accident, it’s been revealed that the driver’s license had been suspended 14 times. Critics have pointed out that fact along with the drivers age should have prevented him from driving a school bus and have criticized the district for its lack of vetting. The district said that they checked with the state and were not informed about the driver’s history. Other issues concerning bus safety have also been raised in wake of the accident, including the lack of seat belts.

Secretary DeVos Criticized for Immigration Comments: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos drew criticism after her congressional testimony this week. During the testimony, DeVos responded to a question about whether schools should report undocumented students by saying that it’s a “school decision, a local community decision.” She was immediately criticized for a comment that would seem to allow schools to defy federal policies on immigration. Some claimed that the comments also showed a general lack of knowledge around policy since it seemed to be made in ignorance of a previous Supreme Court ruling concerning immigrants and educational access.

Happening Elsewhere:

Teachers union expects to lose 300k members if high court overturns fees

Few teachers believe unions do a good job representing their views

U.S. court backs transgender student at center of bathroom dispute

Kentucky teacher's win a potential show of educators' political might

Texas education agency penalizes testing vendor over STAAR glitches

Md. governor vetoes three education bills

What’s going on where you are?

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