With President Trump back in office, his plan to cut the U.S. Department of Education will significantly impact public education. K-12 enrollment is down from pre-pandemic levels. Ohio’s proposed state budget will cut funding for public schools while boosting vouchers and charter school funding. Cities like Denver and Rochester are closing public schools, raising concerns about resource management and the future of education. Immediate action is needed to help struggling preschoolers and older students, especially now that federal COVID relief funds are gone.
A bipartisan bill would require school districts to send a student’s disciplinary record to their new school within three days of their transfer date. Educators say this would help teachers and districts better prepare to serve students’ needs and keep classrooms safe. Under Tennessee law, a student’s disciplinary record is supposed to follow them to their new district; however, educators say that often doesn’t happen. “Their academic records will get transferred over, but their behavior records don’t go with them,” JC Bowman, CEO and Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, said. “What ends up happening is kids are going to another school system after being expelled, many of them for violent offenses.” https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/tn-bill-would-require-student-disciplinary-records-be-transferred-to-new-school-within-3-days/
In Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee is pushing for vital changes to Tennessee’s charter school law. These changes allow operators to bypass local school boards and apply directly to a state commission for authorization. The Republican majority in the legislature has introduced a bill to establish three new pathways for state approval. Starting July 1, if a local school board denies a charter application and the state overturns that decision three times within three years, the operator will bypass the board and apply directly to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission for five years. Public colleges and universities will also be empowered to seek approval from the state commission to establish K-12 charter schools. Operators with an authorized charter school that has been in operation for at least one year can replicate their models and create additional schools. If enacted, this bill will considerably reduce local control over Tennessee’s charter school sector and strengthen the authority of the Charter School Commission to oversee publicly funded, independently operated charter schools.
Public education will face many changes in 2025. So, what is going on in your neck of the woods?
