ReportWire

Tag: education

  • The Right-Wing Nonprofit Serving A.I. Slop for America’s Birthday

    [ad_1]

    PragerU is also supplying the multimedia content for the Freedom Truck Mobile Museums, a travelling exhibition of touch-screen displays, Revolutionary War artifacts, and A.I. slop that will chug across the country on tractor-trailers throughout 2026, in celebration of the two-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It seems that the battle over who defines good and evil—or, at least, over who defines American history—will be waged, in part, from the helm of an eighteen-wheeler.

    Prager, who is seventy-seven, is an observant Jew who sees evangelical Christians as natural allies in his pursuit of “transforming America into a faith-based nation,” as he once wrote. (He has also lamented what he termed Jewish “bigotry” toward evangelical Christians, whose “support, and often even love, of the Jewish people and Israel is the most unrequited love I have ever seen on a large scale.”) In 2009, decades into a successful career in conservative talk radio, he co-founded PragerU, in order to provide what he called a “free alternative to the dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media, and education.” PragerU has received major funding from hard-right benefactors, including Betsy DeVos’s family foundation and the billionaire fracking brothers Dan and Farris Wilks. According to its most recent tax filing—which describes PragerU’s purpose as “marketing and producing educational content for all ages, 4-104, with a focus on a pro-American, Judeo-Christian message”—it received more than sixty-six million dollars in donations in 2024. (In November of that year, Prager sustained a severe spinal-cord injury in a fall that left him paralyzed below the shoulders; he has since resumed making video content for the PragerU website, and composed part of “If There Is No God” by dictation.)

    Prager’s nonprofit is just one of dozens of conservative organizations, many of them Christian, that are named as “partners” in the America 250 Civics Education Coalition, which is overseen by Linda McMahon, the Education Secretary. The coalition has the secular task of developing programming for America’s birthday, such as PragerU’s Founders Museum and the Freedom Trucks, the latter of which received a fourteen-million-dollar grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. (In March, President Trump signed executive orders to dismantle both the I.M.L.S. and the D.O.E.; they remain alive, albeit in shrunken, ideologized versions of their former selves.) Other America 250 partners include both of the major pro-Trump think tanks (the America First Policy Institute and the Heritage Foundation), a Christian liberal-arts school (Hillsdale College), the Supreme Court’s favorite conservative-Christian legal-advocacy group (the Alliance Defending Freedom), the Christian-right-aligned church of Charlie Kirk (Turning Point USA), and something called Priests for Life.

    According to a D.O.E. press release, the America 250 coalition is “dedicated to renewing patriotism, strengthening civic knowledge, and advancing a shared understanding of America’s founding principles in schools across the nation.” Of course, one of America’s founding principles, taught in every civics class, is the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which might seem to frown on the knitting together of so many religious organizations and public funds intended to advance civic education.

    “Real patriotic education,” McMahon said, at the opening of the Founders Museum last year, “means that, just as our founders loved and honored America, so we should honor them, while deeply learning and earnestly debating, still, their ideas.” One way to take McMahon up on this challenge is to deeply learn what James Madison wrote, in 1785, after a bill arose in Virginia’s General Assembly to establish a taxpayer provision for “Teachers of the Christian Religion.” In a petition to his colleagues in the Assembly, Madison asked, “Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects?” He abhorred the proposal as “a melancholy mark” of “sudden degeneracy.” “Instead of holding forth an Asylum to the persecuted,” he wrote, “it is itself a signal of persecution.” A governing body that would permit such an incursion on the free exercise of religion was one that “may sweep away all our fundamental rights,” Madison warned. The bill died.

    Although PragerU has won fans at the highest levels of federal and state government, its educational content and short-form videos are reviled across many chambers of the internet, where the Prager name—attached to videos with titles such as “DEI Must Die,” “Preferred Pronouns or Prison,” “Multiculturalism: A Bad Idea,” and “Is Fascism Right or Left?”—has become synonymous with MAGA-brand disinformation. (PragerU claims that its videos receive tens of millions of views per quarter, but these metrics have not been independently verified.) A PragerU Kids video called “How to Think Objectively,” which was reportedly shown in Houston public schools, provides the thinnest façade for a lesson in climate-change denial. Democratic socialism and, especially, immigration are scourges of the Prager-verse, which has attempted to undermine the constitutional provision of birthright citizenship and cranked out endless pro-ICE videos since the Department of Homeland Security began its violent occupations of Minneapolis and other major U.S. cities.

    [ad_2]

    Jessica Winter

    Source link

  • From high school to career: 6 CTE trends to track in 2026

    [ad_1]

    Key points:

    Without a doubt, career and technical education (CTE) is priceless for high school students wanting to get real-world, hands-on job skills before they graduate and turn their interests into career paths. Increased support for CTE programs at the federal and state levels, coupled with evolving technology and new research-led learning approaches, has placed CTE programs on center stage for 2026. 

    There is growing evidence that CTE functions as an early talent pipeline for employers, not just a preparation program. It is with certainty, employers value CTE experience, actively hire participants, and see partnerships with CTE programs as a way to build a skilled workforce aligned to real business needs. As a result, states and employers are increasingly integrating CTE into broader workforce and talent development strategies. 

    Here are six CTE trends to watch in 2026.

    1. AI literacy becomes a baseline (for entry-level jobs). Practical exercises using AI tools will be essential in pathways like IT, engineering, and manufacturing, but not only those educational focuses.

    2. CTE programs increasingly align with national reindustrialization. Skilled workforce/trades are viable options to improve economic viability. Plus, many high-demand and high-paying careers now prioritize specialized skills, certifications, and hands-on experience over a general academic degree.

    3. Enhanced employability. Today’s companies value durable skills like critical thinking, communication, and collaboration just as much as–or even more than–technical skills. Look for more CTE programs to focus on these skills, and online learning platforms like KnoPro to sharpen these interpersonal and behavioral qualities essential for workplace success.

    4. Alumni trajectories. CTE providers will see an increased value in alumni trajectory studies that track graduates’ success in careers and further education, showing they often have higher graduation rates, better wages, and smooth transitions to work or college programs.

    5. Work-based learning (WBL) expansion. While fewer hiring managers think high school graduates are ready for the workforce. More states are incorporating WBL standards into their graduation requirements. Look for more students to take advantage of comprehensive job shadowing, worksite tours and internships to build skills, social capital, and informed career choices. 

    6. Dual enrollment and industry certifications on the rise. It’s no secret that dual enrollment is experiencing significant growth in American high schools, where students are earning college credits and industry-recognized credentials to accelerate their path to the workforce or a degree. Also, look for more students earning industry certifications to gain specialized skills, improve employability, and potentially increase wages and lower college debt.

      Latest posts by eSchool Media Contributors (see all)

    [ad_2]

    Dirk Butler, NAF

    Source link

  • Go Ahead: Hang Your Paper on Your Office Door (opinion)

    [ad_1]

    Last year, after finally publishing a paper I had been working on for months, I did something I had never done before: I printed it out, added a QR code linking to the open-access version and taped it to the outside of my office door.

    It felt strange at first. Was I showing off? Would anyone care? But within a few days, a student stopped by and said, “Hey, I saw your paper, congrats! I wondered if this could be a theme for my thesis.” That conversation reminded me of why I became a scientist in the first place: to share the joy of discovering new things.

    In academia, we often share our achievements online. Social media has become a common place to announce new papers and celebrate milestones. But there’s a difference between digital sharing and physical presence. A tweet can travel far, but it cannot spark a spontaneous conversation in the hallway. Conferences offer in-person engagement, but they are infrequent and often exclusive or too busy. Hanging a paper on your office door? That’s immediate, local and quietly powerful. It is a symbolic gesture that brings your research into the physical space of the university, something rarely done in today’s digital culture.

    We also live in an age when our work, mainly publicly funded science, is under increasing scrutiny. While the broader public might not be strolling through university hallways, our colleagues, students and visitors are. Making our research visible to them is a subtle but meaningful act of responsibility. It reminds us that, as scientists, we are not just scholars: We are also stewards of public trust and investment.

    Hanging a paper on a door is a small gesture. But it’s a visible one. It says: Here’s what I’ve been working on. This is how your investment in science is paying off. It’s not about boasting; it’s about transparency, accessibility and maybe even a bit of joy.

    And yet, this simple gesture can feel surprisingly loaded. Many of us may hesitate. It might come across as self-promotional or draw unwanted judgment. These anxieties run deep in academic culture, where humility is expected and visibility can feel like a risk. But maybe it’s time to challenge that assumption. What if, instead of viewing it as showing off, we saw it as showing up? And if we approach it intentionally, there are ways to make the gesture more inviting than intimidating, ways that could help shift the culture without feeling performative.

    Here’s a more innovative way to do it: include a QR code that links to the full text of your paper, a press release or even a short video summary for a general audience. Make it easy for anyone—students, colleagues or visitors—to dive in. Rotate papers quarterly or at least at the end of each semester. Not only does this keep things fresh, but it also turns the ritual into a routine. It becomes just another way to reflect on and share progress. And use the door as a conversation starter. Add a short note beside the paper: “Curious? Let’s talk!”

    Science doesn’t need to hide behind paywalls or institutional walls. The more we share, the more we invite engagement, collaboration and understanding. Posting a paper on your door may not change the world, but it might change the hallway. And that’s a start.

    So next time you publish, consider skipping the humble silence. Print the paper. Add a QR code. Tape it up. You never know who might stop by.

    Alan Crivellaro is a researcher at the Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences at the University of Torino. His work focuses on plant science and wood anatomy, and he is passionate about interdisciplinary, transparent and bottom-up research practices.

    [ad_2]

    Elizabeth Redden

    Source link

  • Colorado bill backed by students could provide kids with free passes to the zoo, museums, and more

    [ad_1]

    Politics

    Denver has offered free enrichment programs since 2013 through the MY Denver Card. Students hope lawmakers will create a similar My Colorado Card to expand access statewide.

    Sujie Kim reads to her daughter, Emerie, in a reading nook within the Denver Art Museum’s “Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak” exhibit. Oct. 10, 2024.

    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters

    By Jason Gonzales, Chalkbeat

    Thomas Jefferson High School junior Mai Travi has visited Denver’s zoo, museums, recreation centers, and much more, thanks to the city’s MY Denver Card.

    The card has provided Denver youth ages 5 to 18 with free access to those opportunities since 2013. But she thinks more of her peers could benefit.

    “Students who live outside the Denver area often have fewer opportunities to explore the cultural, educational and enrichment experiences that help shape who they become,” she said.

    There’s a chance lawmakers will end up agreeing. House Bill 1055 would create a pilot program in a limited number of communities outside of Denver to give students in grades 6-12 a similar My Colorado Card. The card would essentially be a free pass, not a voucher with dollars attached to it.

    The bill passed its first hearing in the House Education Committee on Tuesday with a 7-5 vote.

    Students involved with a Denver-based nonprofit organization called FaithBridge helped craft the bill that’s sponsored by state Rep. Mandy Lindsay, an Aurora Democrat. FaithBridge is an advocacy organization that helps students advocate for educational improvements.

    “When students have access to out-of-school activities such as public museums and recreation centers, they’re able to explore their interests and find a passion, same as I was,” said Jack Baker, who is also a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School and is involved with the nonprofit.

    The program would be administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and sunset in 2031. The participating communities would be selected in December.

    Denver school board member Marlene De La Rosa, who testified in support, said the city has provided over half of Denver’s 90,000 students with a MY Denver Card, which is funded by Denver tax dollars approved in a 2012 ballot measure.

    “They represent safe spaces, friendship, physical activity, cultural exposure, academic reinforcement, and community connection,” she said. “And if one program and the city can reach 45,000 youth, imagine what a statewide investment can do.”

    The My Colorado Card program would have to be funded through gifts, grants, and donations, the amended legislation says. It would cost about $250,000 in its first year and about $80,000 in subsequent years, according to a legislative analysis. The bill would also require a report to lawmakers that would evaluate the program.

    Although no one testified against the bill during the Tuesday committee hearing, some lawmakers expressed reservations about the program, including its cost and whether it represented an appropriate role for state government.

    Rep. Lori Garcia Sander, an Eaton Republican, said she wanted to know more about how the card would be used and what data would be collected on students.

    Lindsay said the MY Denver Card helped her kids figure out their interests and more youth deserve that opportunity.

    “I think we really need to listen to young people when they are telling us and asking us for what they want,” she said.

    Correction: Feb. 25, 2026: A previous version of this story misstated the first name of student Jack Baker.

    Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at [email protected].

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Fourth annual Day of Remembrance at SJSU emphasizes activism and solidarity

    [ad_1]

    Gordon Yamate, who serves on the Los Gatos Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission, spoke about inspiring solidarity and activism for a panel at this year’s Day of Remembrance of Japanese American incarceration at San Jose State University.

    Feb. 19 nationally commemorates the anniversary of Executive Order 9066, a 1942 decree that ordered the removal of all people of Japanese descent from the West Coast to camps in remote areas of California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Arkansas. San Jose State held an event on that day to acknowledge the Japanese American experience and the campus’ connection to it. In 1942, Yoshihiro Uchida Hall, which used to be the university’s men’s gymnasium, was used as a registration center for Japanese Americans in Santa Clara County before they were sent to the incarceration camps.

    [ad_2]

    Nollyanne Delacruz

    Source link

  • Tuition for in-state undergraduates is going up across UNC system. What to know

    [ad_1]

    The University of North Carolina Board of Governors voted to increase the cost of tuition for in-state undergraduate students. This is the first tuition hike for the UNC system in nine years.

    What You Need To Know

    •  The University of North Carolina Board of Governors voted Thursday morning to increase the cost of tuition for in-state undergraduate students

    •  Tuition costs will be raised 3%, with an average increase of $125 per student starting with the 2026-27 school year

    •  The increase will not apply to current students, only new students


    The board voted in favor of the 3% increase Thursday morning. Officials say the hike amounts to about $125 per student, but is more or less depending on the university.

    The average cost of tuition systemwide will increase from $4,684 to $4,809 in 2026-27, according to a release, and will only apply to new students. Current students will not see a change in their tuition cost.

    “Low tuition is at the heart of our compact with the people of North Carolina,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “We’re focused on reducing administrative costs, keeping student debt down, and making sure every UNC degree delivers value for our graduates.”

    Officials say the increase is in response to rising operating costs and inflationary pressures.

    “For so much of the UNC System’s history, the debate was not about if tuition would go up, but about how much it would go up,” said UNC Board of Governors Chair Wendy Murphy. “This Board, working with our president and our chancellors, changed that expectation. We created a new affordability baseline for North Carolinians, one that prioritizes families and their needs.”

    In addition to the tuition hike, the board also approved an increase in mandatory student fees. “Fees during the 2026-27 academic year will increase by an average of 1%,” a release said.

    The hikes only apply to the 12 universities across the UNC system that are not designated NC Promise schools. Officials say in-state undergraduate tuition at NC Promise schools will stay at $500 per semester.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

    [ad_2]

    Justin Pryor

    Source link

  • Veteran students hope for changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill

    [ad_1]

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Logan Cappelli is a Coast Guard veteran and also a student at St. Pete College in Pinellas County and thanks to the Post-9/11 GI Bill, or Chapter 33, Cappelli has had the financial support he needed to attend SPC since 2024.  

    What You Need To Know

    • HR 1965, better known as, The Veteran Education Assistance Adjustment Act, was introduced to legislation in early March 2025 

    • The bill would raise stipend amounts to $1,400 for books and supplies. The program is estimated to assist almost 1 million participants with $13.4 billion in benefits 

    • The amount of money provided through this stipend has not changed since 2009; the new stipend raise will respond to changing inflation and costs for tuition

    • Current Post-9/11 GI Bill regulations require veterans to take at least one in-person class to receive full benefits, a rule veteran students like Logan Cappelli find outdated as programs shift online


    Focused on providing needed benefits to eligible service members and veterans who served on or after the events of September 11, 2001, it supports veterans by paying tuition, offering a book stipend, and a living expense stipend.

    “It definitely pays for a lot of things that I wouldn’t be able to pay for,” Cappelli said.

    However, the GI Bill isn’t perfect, and Capelli said many parts feel outdated or tied to regulations that aren’t realistic anymore. That includes the requirement to take at least one in-person class to keep GI benefits.

    Many of Cappelli’s classes for his major are offered virtually online.

    “I ran into a problem in the summer where I couldn’t take any classes because none of them were going to be in person,” said Cappelli. 

    Additionally, Cappelli thinks stipends for education support need to provide more money to keep up with rising costs.

    The Post-9/11 GI Bill book stipend has stayed at $1,000 since 2009. But with an inflation increase of over 50 percent the last 17 years, that money is now worth a total of $1,500.

    “One textbook could be $300 or more just for one textbook,” Cappelli said. “So, I definitely don’t think that it’s kept up with modern times. Nor do I think I’d be able to afford my Wacom tablet with it.”

    That’s what New Mexico Rep. Gabe Vasquez wanted to target when he introduced the Veteran Education Assistance Adjustment Act in 2025. The new legislation would raise the book and supplies stipend to $1,400 and tie future adjustments to inflation.

    He sent Spectrum News the following statement:

    “Currently, the GI Bill’s annual book stipend no longer reflects today’s costs and falls woefully short of meeting the financial needs of our veterans today. At a time when millions of veterans are already working to make ends meet, Congress should not allow outdated policy to become yet another barrier to their success.”

    SPC Veteran Student Advisor, Trevor McGilvery, said a vast majority of veterans at the college in Pinellas County use the GI Bill for education assistance.  

    He said this potential increase could make a big difference for many veterans or service members looking to go back to school.

    “The last thing I want any of my students to have to do is take out a loan to pay for books or a computer or any of their mandatory educational supplies when the GI Bill, its original purpose was to ensure that they didn’t have to do that,” McGilvery said. 

    Spectrum News reached out to the Department of Veterans Affairs as well. They directed us to their testimony to the House committee last summer, which stated:

    “While this stipend has remained constant since the Post-9/11 GI Bill was initially enacted in 2009, the cost of books has increased every year. Thus, VA fully supports an annual adjustment to the stipend, similar to the adjustments that are made for tuition and fees payments.”

    [ad_2]

    Matt Lackritz

    Source link

  • Larry Summers Resigns as Epstein Files Fallout Continues

    [ad_1]

    Summers has said he is “deeply ashamed” of his actions and takes responsibility for continuing to communicate with Epstein.

    Kevin Dietsch/Staff/Getty Images

    Former Harvard University president Larry Summers will resign from his faculty position at the end of this academic year and will remain on leave until then, a university spokesperson confirmed to The Harvard Crimson on Wednesday. The decision is the latest of Summers’s efforts to scale back his public commitments after the extent of his longtime friendship with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was revealed.

    In a statement to the Crimson, Harvard’s student newspaper, Summers said the decision was “difficult” and that he was “grateful to the thousands of students and colleagues I have been privileged to teach and work with since coming to Harvard as a graduate student 50 years ago.”

    “Free of formal responsibility, as President Emeritus and a retired professor, I look forward in time to engaging in research, analysis, and commentary on a range of global economic issues,” he said.

    Summers corresponded with Epstein for years after his 2008 conviction, at one point seeking advice about how to pursue a younger colleague and calling Epstein a “very good wingman.” Over the last several months, Summers has also stepped down from his teaching role at Harvard and resigned from the OpenAI Board of Directors. The New York Times declined to renew his contract with the Opinion section, the Center for American Progress ended his fellowship and Summers stepped away from an advising role at the policy research center Budget Lab at Yale University. In past public remarks, Summers has said he is “deeply ashamed” of his actions and takes responsibility for continuing to communicate with Epstein after he was convicted of soliciting sex from a minor in 2008. Summers has not been implicated in any of Epstein’s crimes.

    Also Wednesday, Harvard placed mathematics professor Martin Nowak on paid administrative leave while the university investigates his ties to Epstein, the Crimson reported. The university previously sanctioned Nowak in 2021 for facilitating Epstein’s presence at Harvard. The sanctions were lifted in 2023.

    Richard Axel, a professor of pathology and biochemistry at Columbia University, announced Tuesday he would step down from his role as co-director of the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute to “focus on research and teaching in my lab.” He will also resign from his role as an investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

    Axel first got to know Epstein in the 1980s, The New York Times reported. In a 2007 New York magazine profile about Epstein, Axel described him as “extremely smart and probing” and said, “He has the ability to make connections that other minds can’t make.” Axel also had dinner with Epstein and helped the children of Epstein’s associates try to gain admission to Columbia. Axel has not been implicated in any criminal activity.

    “My past association with Jeffrey Epstein was a serious error in judgment, which I deeply regret,” Axel wrote in a statement. “I apologize for compromising the trust of my friends, students, and colleagues. I recognize the problems this has caused, and I will work to restore this trust. What has emerged about Epstein’s appalling conduct, the harm that he has caused to so many people, makes my association with him all the more painful and inexcusable.”

    Also in recent weeks, Bard University announced it had opened an external investigation into the communication between Epstein and university president Leon Botstein. The university is also delaying a New York gala celebrating Botstein.

    [ad_2]

    Emma Whitford

    Source link

  • FFA grows in popularity while the farming industry faces challenges nationwide

    [ad_1]

    TRIAD, N.C. — The student organization Future Farmers of America is growing in popularity. The program has more than one million participants nationwide and is celebrating National FFA Week this week, but it comes at a time when farming is facing its share of challenges. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The N.C. Chamber estimates agriculture alone has an $111 billion dollar impact on the state’s economy

    • N.C. has fifth largest FFA membership in the country

    • USDA: number of farms nationwide was at its lowest total in a century in 2024

    • U.S. Senate report: farming has the oldest workforce in the nation, with the average age being nearly 60 years old


    “People kind of don’t realize how big agriculture is,” said Makayla VanMeter, vice president for the senior team of the Davie County High School FFA.

    Agriculture is one of the leading industries in North Carolina. The N.C. Chamber estimates agriculture has an $111 billion impact on the state’s economy. Student leadership organizations like FFA are educating the next generation about the importance of this field.

    “I feel like a lot of people aren’t educated on things that happen in agriculture and how our food is produced and how our animals are handled,” said Lillian Ragan, northwest regional and chapter officer for the Davie County High School FFA. “I think that it’s just something important for everyone to know, whether you’re going into the industry or not.”

    Nearly 90 students participate in the FFA program at Davie County High School in Mocksville. The school has a greenhouse and a barn with a variety of livestock including cows, chickens and pigs. It all helps students learn about topics like animal science, horticulture and agricultural mechanics.

    “It just shows awareness of how deep agriculture is in Davie County, and that it’s not going to go away any time soon,” VanMeter said.

    In Randolph County, the Asheboro High School Zoo School has the only FFA chapter headquartered at a zoo. It’s home to 1,700 animals and 2,800 acres of land. Students are able to work alongside zoo employees on one-of-a-kind projects and take unique courses like animal behavior, zoology and natural resources.

    “When it comes to animals, [we have a] higher diversity, instead of cows, chickens, birds,” said Alex Soto, vice president of the Asheboro Zoo School FFA Chapter. “I get to look at alligators, polar bears and discuss things about those.”

    Both programs are part of more than 370 FFA chapters in 99 counties statewide.

    North Carolina has the fifth largest FFA membership nationwide at just under 49,000 members, but the program’s popularity comes at a time when the agriculture industry is facing challenges.

    A U.S. Department of Agriculture report shows the number of farms nationwide was at its lowest total in a century in 2024 at just under two million. It also shows the amount of acres of farmland has shrunk from 900 million in 2017 to 876 million acres in 2024.

    According to a U.S. Senate Committee on Aging report, farming has the oldest workforce in the nation, with the average age being nearly 60 years old. It shows 40% of U.S. farmland is owned by farmers who are 65 years or older. Experts believe the global population will increase to more than two billion by 2050. If that happens, the report says farmers will need to increase production by 70% to meet the demand. 

    “It’s hard for students to get into the agricultural industry because of the cost associated with it,” said Jesse Ledbetter, agricultural education teacher at Davie County High School. “It’s important for us, as teachers, to show them how they can be profitable and the opportunities through different types of niche markets.”

    Organizations like FFA are helping address these issues. The program prepares high school and middle school students for more than 350 careers in agriculture.

    “It teaches you work ethic,” Ledbetter said. “It teaches you time management. It teaches you how to be efficient and resourceful. I think that the goal of our program is to help those students in any career choice.”

    FFA has more than 794,000 alumni members across the country that help support and mentor current members.

    The Davie County High School FFA chapter will host a plant sale fundraiser at the school on April 18. 

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

    [ad_2]

    Zach Tucker

    Source link

  • In proposal to close 20 Philly public schools, district says it’s learned from mistakes it made in 2013

    [ad_1]

    © 2026 WWB Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved

    [ad_2]

    Molly McVety

    Source link

  • DOJ Sues UC, Alleging ‘Hostile Work Environment’ for Jews

    [ad_1]

    The Trump administration began targeting UCLA last year through research funding cuts.

    Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

    The Justice Department sued the University of California system Tuesday, alleging it has tolerated antisemitism to such an extent that it’s created a hostile work environment for Jewish and Israeli employees at UCLA, violating federal law banning employment discrimination.

    The case continues the Trump administration’s targeting of the campus through allegations that it failed to properly respond to pro-Palestinian protests that followed Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which sparked the recent Israel-Hamas war. The administration previously cut off research funding for UCLA, but lost in court.

    “Swastikas, calls for the extermination of Jews and the Jewish state of Israel, antisemitic violence, and open harassment of Jewish students, faculty, and staff: this was the grim scene at the University of California Los Angeles,” the new lawsuit begins. It says “the general atmosphere of antisemitism was, and remains, so severe and pervasive that UCLA’s own official Task Force on Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias concluded that the University’s failures to protect Jewish staff and faculty constituted a hostile work environment.”

    The DOJ already concluded, last July, that UCLA violated other laws—the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—in its response to alleged antisemitism at a spring 2024 pro-Palestinian protest encampment. Multiple federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation, promptly began freezing funding; UC estimated it lost $584 million.

    The Trump administration further demanded that UCLA pay $1.2 billion and make other concessions, including that it stop enrolling “foreign students likely to engage in anti-Western, anti-American, or antisemitic disruptions or harassment” and cease “performing hormonal interventions and ‘transgender’ surgeries” on anyone under 18 at its medical school and affiliated hospitals.

    But after UC researchers sued, U.S. District Court judge Rita F. Lin of the Northern District of California ordered almost all of the frozen funding to be restored. In November, Lin further ordered federal agencies to end their “blanket policy of denying any future grants” to UCLA and ruled that the administration can’t seek payouts from any UC campus “in connection with any civil rights investigation” under Titles VI or IX. Lin also prohibited the DOJ and federal funding agencies from withholding funds, “or threatening to do so, to coerce the UC in violation of the First Amendment or Tenth Amendment.”

    Now, the DOJ has sued in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California under Title VII, a different law that bans employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Among other things, it’s asking a judge to force the UC system to pay damages to Jewish and Israeli employees and “modify and enforce its anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation policies and procedures to effectively prevent and correct antisemitic discrimination and retaliation at UCLA.”

    Mary Osako, UCLA’s vice chancellor for strategic communications, noted in a statement that the university has taken “concrete and significant steps to strengthen campus safety, enforce policies, and combat antisemitism,” including hiring a dedicated Title VI/Title VII officer within the Office of Civil Rights.

    “We stand firmly by the decisive actions we have taken to combat antisemitism in all its forms, and we will vigorously defend our efforts and our unwavering commitment to providing a safe, inclusive environment for all members of our community,” she wrote.

    In a statement, Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, wrote that “allegations of antisemitism must be taken seriously, but this lawsuit comes amid a broader pattern in which the federal government has increasingly weaponized antisemitism to pressure and reshape higher education institutions towards a far right agenda, including through prior federal attacks on UCLA. Civil-rights enforcement should protect people from discrimination without becoming a vehicle for political overreach that undermines academic freedom, shared governance, and the independence of universities.”

    [ad_2]

    Ryan Quinn

    Source link

  • Bishop Fenwick names new president

    [ad_1]

    PEABODY — Dr. Michael Volonnino will lead Bishop Fenwick High School and St. Mary of the Annunciation School as their new president.

    Volonnino will take over the role on July 1 from current President Tom Nunan, Bishop Fenwick said in a statement Tuesday morning.

    This page requires Javascript.

    Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

    kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]D2=6>?6HD]4@>^?6HD^3:D9@A76?H:4<AC6D:56?EE@DE6A5@H?^2CE:4=605a_dgc3a73eac23b25d6c44dee26_7hg]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?A6?5:?8 56A2CEFC6 😕 ~4E@36Ck^2m[ D2J:?8 2E E96 E:>6 E92E 96 2?5 9:D H:76 H:== 36 >@G:?8 @FE @7 E96 2C62 E@ 36 4=@D6C E@ 72>:=J] w6 😀 D6E E@ 7:?:D9 @FE E96 D49@@= J62C 367@C6 92?5:?8 @G6C E96 C6:?D]k^Am

    kAm’@=@??:?@ H:== 36 E96 D49@@=D’ D64@?56G6C AC6D:56?E] w6 😀 4FCC6?E=J E96 AC:?4:A2= @7 pC493:D9@A (:==:2>D w:89 $49@@= 😕 qC2:?EC66[ H96C6 “96 92D 96=A65 =625 D:8?:7:42?E 6?C@==>6?E 8C@HE9[ >2;@C 42A:E2= :>AC@G6>6?ED 2?5 >:DD:@?46?E6C65 24256>:4 2?5 DA:C:EF2= 56G6=@A>6?E[” 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am

    kAm“%96 q@2C5 @7 %CFDE66D F?2?:>@FD=J 277:C>65 E96 $62C49 r@>>:EE66’D C64@>>6?52E:@?[ C67=64E:?8 2 DEC@?8 2?5 F?:7:65 4@?7:56?46 😕 sC] ‘@=@??:?@’D =6256CD9:A[ G:D:@? 2?5 492C24E6C[” q:D9@A u6?H:4< D2:5 😕 E96 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am

    kAm’@=@??:?@ H2D 9:C65 😕 2 ?2E:@?2= D62C49 7@C 2 ?6H AC6D:56?E E92E H2D 42CC:65 @FE @G6C E96 =2DE 7@FC >@?E9D] p=@?8 H:E9 @E96C 7:?2=:DED 7@C E96 A@D:E:@?[ ‘@=@??:?@ >6E H:E9 724F=EJ[ DE277[ DEF56?ED[ A2C6?ED 2?5 2=F>?: @G6C EH@ 52JD @? q:D9@A u6?H:4<’D 42>AFD[ E96 D49@@= D2:5]k^Am

    kAmw6 92D 2 !9]s] 😕 65F42E:@? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 7C@> E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 %6I2D 2E pFDE:?[ 2 >2DE6C’D 😕 65F42E:@? 7C@> #FE86CD &?:G6CD:EJ 2?5 2 32496=@C’D 568C66 😕 9:DE@CJ 7C@> w2CG2C5 &?:G6CD:EJ] ‘@=@??:?@ 92D 2=D@ AC6D6?E65 2E }2E:@?2= r2E9@=:4 t5F42E:@?2= pDD@4:2E:@? 4@?76C6?46D 2?5 92D AF3=:D965 D49@=2C=J H@C< @? :?DECF4E:@?2= =6256CD9:A 2?5 65F42E@C 67764E:G6?6DD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am

    kAm“x 2> :?4C65:3=J 8C2E67F= 2?5 6I4:E65 E@ ;@:? E96 u6?H:4< 2?5 $E] |2CJ’D 4@>>F?:EJ[” 96 D2:5 😕 E96 DE2E6>6?E] “%96C6 😀 2 G:D:3=6 >@>6?EF> 96C6 E92E 😀 92C5 E@ :8?@C6[ 2?5 :E’D 366? :?DA:C:?8 E@ D66 9@H 566A=J E96 >:DD:@? 😀 =:G65 @FE 6G6CJ 52J]k^Am

    kAm“|J 7:CDE AC:@C:EJ 😀 E@ =:DE6? 2?5 =62C? 7C@> 2== @7 J@F 2D H6 >@G6 7@CH2C5 E@86E96C[ DE2J:?8 7@4FD65 @? H92E >2EE6CD >@DEi AC6A2C:?8 @FC DEF56?ED 7@C =:G6D @7 =6256CD9:A[ D6CG:46 2?5 AFCA@D6]”k^Am

    kAmq:D9@A u6?H:4< 2?5 $E] |2CJ’D 92G6 4C62E65 2 4@>>:EE66 E@ 2DD:DE 😕 E96 =6256CD9:A EC2?D:E:@? 36EH66? }F?2? 2?5 ‘@=@??:?@ 😕 E96 4@>:?8 >@?E9D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am

    kAmk6>mr@?E24E r2C@=:?6 t?@D 2Ek^6>m k6>mk2 9C67lQ>2:=E@irt?@Do?@CE9@73@DE@?]4@>Qmrt?@Do?@CE9@73@DE@?]4@>k^2mk^6>m k6>m]k^6>mk^Am

    [ad_2]

    By Caroline Enos | Staff Writer

    Source link

  • A+ Teacher shares classroom experiences with parents

    [ad_1]

    NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Avery Ortiz teaches first grade at Moon Lake Elementary. She has been teaching there for four years.

    Before graduating from St. Petersburg College, she started at the school as an instructional assistant and then became an intern. She says she was hired as a teacher after graduating.

    What You Need To Know

    • Avery Ortiz teaches first grade at Moon Lake Elementary. She has been teaching there for four years

    • Ortiz started at the school as an instructional assistant and then became an intern – all before being hired as a teacher
    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? 🍎 Click here

    “I love watching the kids grow throughout the entire year. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing how much they can learn in one school year and getting to watch kids learn how to read is the most rewarding journey,” said Ortiz.

    “I love being here. It’s my favorite part of my day.”

    Ortiz faced a challenge earlier this school year when she broke her leg and had to miss some days in the classroom. She said she couldn’t wait to get back.

    “I couldn’t imagine not being with them. For two weeks, especially first-graders, that’s a really long time to be without them. And the entire time I kept thinking, they need me and I need to be back,” said Ortiz.

    A parent nominated her to be featured as an A+ Teacher, saying her child is now happy to be at school thanks to Ortiz.

    “I do it all for the kids and honestly just making sure that they feel loved and safe in the classroom is my biggest job. And I’m glad to know that I am doing that for the kids,” said Ortiz.

    Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher for a future story? Click here and fill out the submission form.

    [ad_2]

    Jorja Roman

    Source link

  • School board OKs closings, consolidations to adjust to declining enrollment

    [ad_1]

    LARGO, Fla. — Tuesday, the Pinellas County Schools board unanimously approved a series of proposals to close and consolidate a handful of schools.

    The move, the district officials say, will help it save money and adjust to declining enrollment.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pinellas County school board members voted to approve a number of changes the district says will help it adjust to declining enrollment

    • Disston Academy and Cross Bayou Elementary will close, Bay Point Elementary and Middle will combine to form a K-8, and Oldsmar Elementary will expand to a K-8

    • According to the district, the changes will save $7.7 million in recurring annual expenses

    • Read previous coverage: Final word on Pinellas schools closings and consolidations likely Tuesday


    The board approved combining Bay Point Elementary and Middle Schools into a K-8 and expanding Oldsmar Elementary to eighth grade. Cross Bayou Elementary School and Disston Academy will both close at the end of this school year.

    For some, it was an emotional decision.

    “I’ll only ask you one more time: Please save my school,” said Michael Gerke, a parent of a Cross Bayou student and volunteer at the school.

    Gerke says Cross Bayou Elementary should not be on the chopping block. He previously told Spectrum Bay News 9 the school’s 250-student population makes it easier for educators to know the kids than at a bigger school.

    He also said he doesn’t think the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program should be disturbed.

    In the end, that proposal, like the others, passed with a 7-0 vote from the board. Gerke and his son were visibly upset afterwards, walking out of the meeting and declining an on-camera interview.

    “Any closure is impactful for the communities we serve. We certainly heard from Cross Bayou Elementary School community members who are not happy with this recommendation, and we should expect that,” said Superintendent Kevin Hendrick. “Our schools should be places that are loved and remembered fondly. It is my responsibility, though, and obligation to provide our families with excellent academic choices and programs while maintaining a balanced budget.”

    Hendrick told board members Cross Bayou is only at 40% utilization and needs $5 million in maintenance. According to the district, closing it, along with the other changes, can save $7.7 million on recurring annual expenses. Another is expanding Oldsmar Elementary to a K-8.

    One parent told the board he supports it.

    “Three more years, my kids get to be together as siblings. That increases the togetherness, the bond, the psychological safety. Not only, though, is it stability for them, it is stability for my wife and I as parents,” said Oldsmar Elementary parent Curtis Campogni. 

    The superintendent said expanding Oldsmar will take it from 57% utilization up to 95%.

    Board member Eileen Long said she’s heard from parents who asked for closer options for middle school.

    “When your child goes to Carwise and you work until 5 p.m. and then want to go to open house at 6 p.m., a lot of parents didn’t make it. We have a lot of support for this,” Long said.

    The Oldsmar expansion will happen in phases beginning next school year. Bay Point K-8 will begin in 2027-28, and Disston Academy will close at the end of this school year. 

    According to district information, more comprehensive recommendations are expected this fall. They wouldn’t go into effect until the 2027-28 school year.

    [ad_2]

    Sarah Blazonis

    Source link

  • Final word on Pinellas schools closings and consolidations Tuesday

    [ad_1]

    PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Parents and students at a handful of Pinellas County schools should have a final answer Tuesday night on whether their school will be closing or consolidating at the end of the school year.

    What You Need To Know

    • Final answer likely Tuesday on closures and consolidation of a few Pinellas County schools

    • Cross Bayou Elementary is the only elementary school recommended for closure
    • District says the Deaf/Hard of Hearing program, which is run out of the school, would be relocated to Walsingham Oaks K-8
    • Low enrollment, aging building cited as reasons for potential closure 

    • Pinellas County Schools: Planning For Progress (.pdf)

    School board members in Pinellas County are slated to vote Tuesday on five recommendations made by Superintendent Kevin Hendrick and district staff.

    They include closing Cross Bayou Elementary School, closing Disston Academy, combining Bay Point Elementary and Bay Point Middle into a K-8 school, expanding Oldsmar Elementary to a K-8 school, and expanding the employee child care program to McMullen-Booth Elementary.

    Hendrick said the move to close or consolidate schools is in an effort to cut operational costs and reduce the amount of student seats available due to declining enrollment.

    Cross Bayou Elementary is the only elementary school recommended for closure. District staff said the aging building is in need of roughly $5.1 million in capital improvements in the coming years, including a new roof. If approved, the district hopes to sell or lease the property as-is after students depart for the final time in May. They expect to save about $3 million a year by closing the school.

    This school year, Cross Bayou Elementary has 245 students with a maximum capacity of 610 students. This is a big drop from its peak of 427 students during the 2018-2019 school year. The school also houses the district’s Deaf/Hard of Hearing program, which would be relocated to Walsingham Oaks K-8.

    If the closure is approved Tuesday, most students would be rezoned to nearby Pinellas Central and Bardmoor elementary schools.

    During a parent and family meeting earlier this month set at the school, more than 100 parents attended and many pleaded with district staff to keep the school open. They cited concerns with their students entering into larger schools and relocating the Deaf/Hard of Hearing program.

    The school community, parent Jovanniece Morales says, is so accepting of students with different needs. Those students included her young son with vision problems.

    “He’s done great since the teacher found out, and we all found his vision’s gotten worse, everybody’s been very helpful to make him feel welcome,” she said. “Like if we need to raise money to fix the roof, we’ll do that. We’ll raise the money to fix the roof.”

    Parent Michael Gerke is also a school volunteer and says he knows most of the kids at Cross Bayou. He says school board members need to understand how unique Cross Bayou is. 

    “They’re just in a really hard decision right now with what they want to do, and what they think is best,” Gerke said of Tuesday’s decision. “I do think they care — I don’t want to speak ill of them. I just think they picked the wrong school because of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing program and everything these kids face with everyday challenges.” 

    Tuesday’s vote is set to take place at a school board meeting set for 5 p.m.

    [ad_2]

    Angie Angers

    Source link

  • Florida cabinet set to vote on land gift to Hillsborough College

    [ad_1]

    TAMPA, Fla. — The Florida Cabinet are expected to vote Tuesday on gifting Hillsborough College 22 acres of land.

    The move would give the college the land needed for a proposed Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium.

    What You Need To Know

    • Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet are expected to vote Tuesday on gifting Hillsborough College 22 acres of land. The move would give the college the land needed for a proposed Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium

    • Hillsborough College says it is working on plans to allow a quick relocation of the campus, and later a move in to a new permanent home 

    • Local leaders are still conducting economic impact studies on a new Rays Stadium

    • The Rays have told local leaders it wants to be playing in a new stadium by the start of the 2029 MLB season 
    • PREVIOUS STORIES on Rays stadium pursuit

     

    The team is envisioning a mixed-used entertainment district that would include a domed stadium that can seat about 31,000 people. According to a team release, the entire development would stretch about 130 acres across the campus.

    Gov. Ron DeSantis has publicly signaled support for the project and discussions have been underway behind the scenes for months. The proposal would relocate HC’s oldest campus, a move that carries both promise and uncertainty for thousands of students and staff.

    The Dale Mabry campus is adjacent to Raymond James Stadium. Most of the campus buildings are more than 50 years old, making maintenance increasingly costly.

    Freshman Dania Arauc said she sees opportunity in the proposal but also has concerns.

    “I do think it’s a great opportunity, especially if it means it is going to improve the campus or things like that, like make it more modern and stuff like that,” Arauc said. “The only thing is, how will it look during the transition?”


    That transition is now the focus for campus leadership.

    Campus President Paige Niehaus said HC has been intentional about planning for both temporary and permanent solutions.

    “We’ve been very, very intentional in making sure that what works good here on Dale Mabry Campus and our thriving campus, carries over into a temporary space and then eventually a new permanent home,” Niehaus said.

    Relocating an entire college campus is no small task, especially under a tight timeline. The Rays hope to open a new stadium by the start of the 2029 season. To meet that deadline, construction would need to begin within months.

    “It will probably be a very rapid move into a temporary space,” Niehaus said. “So we are taking all the time that we have now to make sure that we are prepared for when that happens.”

    While the governor has cited ongoing maintenance costs as a reason to support the relocation, college leaders stress the importance of collaboration.

    “I think for not only the Rays to be successful, Hillsborough College Dale Mabry Campus needs to be successful as well,” Niehaus said. “And I think everybody has that in their best interest.”

    Behind the land discussions lies a much larger financial question: How to pay for a new stadium.

    Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa are still conducting economic impact studies to determine funding sources.

    The projected cost of the stadium itself is just over $2 billion. 

    However, some estimates suggest the total cost, including surrounding development, could climb to $8 billion.

    State approval of the land transfer would mark the clearest signal yet that Tampa is positioning itself as the Rays’ long-term home. 

    If the vote goes through today, the team would have five years to start building a stadium, or else the state could take the land back.

    [ad_2]

    Jason Lanning

    Source link

  • AI didn’t break homework: It exposed what was already broken

    [ad_1]

    Key points:

    Who among us has never copied a homework answer in a hurry? Borrowed a friend’s paragraph? Accepted a parent’s “small correction” that eventually became a full rewrite?

    Long before generative AI entered the classroom, homework relied on a quiet, fragile assumption that what was submitted reflected independent understanding. In reality, homework has always been open to outside influence. While some students had parents who edited essays or tutors who guided every response, others worked entirely alone. This unevenness was tolerated for decades because it was manageable and largely invisible.

    Generative AI has made that invisibility impossible.

    Tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini can now draft essays, summarize readings, and solve complex problems in seconds. What once required a knowledgeable adult now requires only a prompt. AI did not invent the outsourcing of schoolwork; it simply scaled it to a level we can no longer ignore. In doing so, it has forced educators to confront a deeper, more uncomfortable question: What has homework actually been measuring–understanding or compliance?

    The design problem we avoided

    Homework has traditionally served as a catch-all for practice, accountability, and reinforcement. However, in many classrooms, completion gradually became a proxy for learning. Neatness signaled effort, and submission signaled responsibility. Whether the work reflected authentic reasoning was often assumed rather than examined.

    AI exposes the fragility of that assumption. If a task can be successfully completed through reproduction rather than reasoning, it was always vulnerable, whether to a search engine, a sibling, or a chatbot. This is not primarily a cheating problem; it is a design problem.

    From Product to Process: The Research Pivot Educational research suggests that the solution isn’t more surveillance, but a shift in what we value. Durable learning depends on metacognition, a student’s ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own thinking.

    The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) identifies metacognitive and self-regulated learning strategies as among the most impactful approaches for improving student outcomes. Their research suggests these strategies are most effective when embedded directly within subject instruction rather than taught as a separate “study skills” unit. Similarly, John Hattie’s Visible Learning synthesis highlights that feedback and self-regulation have effect sizes that far exceed the gains associated with surface-level task completion.

    In other words, what drives long-term achievement is not the polished output, but the visible thinking that produced it. Yet, many traditional assignments remain stubbornly product-driven:

    •  Write a summary.
    •  Complete the worksheet.
    •  Submit a finished essay.

    In an AI-enabled world, polished products are cheap. Reasoning is the new currency.

    Levelling the field for ELL and SPED learners

    This shift toward “process over product” is a matter of equity, particularly for English language learners (ELLs) and students receiving special education services.

    Traditional homework often privileges surface-level fluency. An ELL student may grasp a complex scientific concept deeply but struggle to express it in perfect academic English. When grading centers on the final product, their linguistic struggle can overshadow their cognitive mastery. Similarly, many SPED students, particularly those with executive functioning or processing differences, benefit from structured reflection and chunked reasoning. A single, polished submission rarely captures the massive cognitive effort they put into the “middle” steps of a project.

    By redesigning homework to focus on the “how” rather than the “what,” we begin to ask more meaningful questions:

    • How did the student navigate a point of confusion?
    •  What misconceptions did they revise during the process?
    •  How did they use available tools, including AI, to clarify their own understanding?

    Draft comparisons, reflection notes, and verbal explanations reveal a landscape of learning that a perfected final draft hides. For linguistically and cognitively diverse students, this shift values growth and strategy over the “veneer” of a perfect assignment.

    Redesigning for the AI era

    The answer is not to ban the technology, as students will inevitably encounter it beyond the school gates. Instead, we can redesign homework to cultivate discernment. This might include:

    • Critique and edit: Asking students to generate an AI response and then use a rubric to identify its factual errors or lack of nuance.
    • Artifact collection: Requiring the submission of “thinking artifacts” such as brainstorming maps, voice notes, or early drafts that show how an idea evolved.
    • The “exit interview” model: Following a take-home assignment with a brief, two-minute in-class dialogue or peer-review session to verify the reasoning behind the work.

    A necessary reckoning

    AI did not destroy homework, but rather removed the illusion that homework was ever a pure measure of independent work. We are now in a period of necessary reckoning. We must decide if we are willing to design assignments that prioritize cognition over compliance.

    In an era where text can be generated instantly, the most valuable evidence of learning is no longer the finished product sitting on a desk or in a digital inbox. It is the human reasoning behind it. For our most diverse learners, this shift away from “the polish” and toward “the process” isn’t just a reaction to technology, it’s a long-overdue move toward true equity.

    Latest posts by eSchool Media Contributors (see all)

    [ad_2]

    Nesreen El-Baz, Bloomsbury Education Author & School Governor

    Source link

  • Del Couch gives aspiring musicians the tools they need

    [ad_1]

    PALMETTO, Fla. — Through his Del Couch Music Education Foundation, a Manatee County man is helping young people pursue their goal of being musicians, singers or even recording studio engineers.

    What You Need To Know

    • Dell Couch started the Del Couch Music Education Foundation to give back to the community after a career in music and real estate

    • The foundation provides musical instruments, lessons and opportunities to perform

    • Couch operates a production studio for student training inside the Manatee School for the Arts


    Longtime musician Del Couch said an act of kindness in high school motivated him to start his nonprofit — his band instructor gave him a trumpet so he could play in the high school band. Couch went on to play in the United States Air Force Band for several years, and then performed in bands for decades.

    Couch eventually transitioned into a real estate career, but in the 1990s he went to the Berklee College of Music and got a master’s degree in music production. He opened his own music production studio and started his foundation.

    In 2012, the Manatee School for the Arts allowed Couch to move the studio into the school.

    Couch now teaches students how to use the studio to produce music. His foundation also provides students with musical instruments and lessons, among other things.

    “It’s an opportunity rare to get,” Couch said. “Especially at no cost. That’s the biggest thing. No parent or student pays for anything.”

    On a recent morning Couch was in the studio with high school senior Jayden Bell to work on the mix for some Latin-style music.

    “And we are doctoring the mix,” Couch said. “So, he is going to add a little sparkle to the drums. And a little bottom to the bass.”

    Bell has been training in the recording studio for four years and sees it as invaluable.

    “Well, I get the opportunity to do stuff that you can’t really do anywhere else in the country with people that have been doing this a long time that want to do this for the love of it,” he said.

    Dell also works with lots of the students at the school who are forming bands. He gives them advice on their performances and sets up music events where the bands can play in front of large crowds.

    “They get an opportunity to play in these events on major stages that they would never get before,” he said.

    Many of Couch’s students have gone on to success in the music business.

    “For example, Bella Garland, who is our latest girl in Nashville, won the Bluebird Café songwriting competition,” Couch said. “It is huge and is recognized by the national songwriter’s competition.”

    Couch said he gets a great deal of satisfaction from working with the students.

    “The biggest thing is their enthusiasm,” he said. “They are willing to learn. They want this knowledge and to see them become successful.”

    [ad_2]

    Rick Elmhorst

    Source link

  • Iranian Students Protest for Second Day at Some Universities

    [ad_1]

    DUBAI, Feb 22 (Reuters) – Students held ⁠protests ⁠which led to ⁠clashes at several Iranian universities for a ​second day on Sunday, according to local news agencies and ‌social media posts, with ‌Iran facing a U.S. military buildup as ⁠it seeks ⁠to reach a nuclear deal with Washington.

    The fresh unrest ​follows anti-government demonstrations last month in which thousands of people were killed in the worst domestic unrest since ​Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

    Iran’s state TV carried videos of ⁠what it ⁠said were individuals “pretending ⁠to ​be students” attacking pro-government students in Tehran who were taking ​part in protests ⁠to condemn January’s disturbances, with these individuals allegedly injuring students by throwing rocks.

    Protests also took place at universities in Mashhad in the northeast, according to ⁠videos published by the U.S.-based rights group HRANA, which said ⁠the intervention of security forces in the protests led to injuries.

    On Saturday a video purportedly showed rows of marchers at Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology condemning Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “murderous leader”, and calling for Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s toppled shah, to ⁠be a new monarch.

    The recent protests, which started in December over economic hardships and quickly turned political, were repressed in the most violent crackdown ​since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

    (Reporting by Elwely Elwelly, ​Editing by William Maclean)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • Why adults pursuing career growth or personal interests are the ‘new majority’ student

    [ad_1]

    FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Interested in starting a business, learning about artificial intelligence or exploring a new hobby? There’s a class for that.

    Millions of U.S. adults enroll in credit and non-credit college courses to earn professional certificates, learn new skills or to pursue academic degrees. Some older students are seeking career advancement, higher pay and job security, while others want to explore their personal interests or try new things.

    “They might have kids, they might be working full-time, they might be older non-traditional students,” said Eric Deschamps, the director of continuing education at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. But returning to school “opens doors to education for students that might not have those doors open to them otherwise.”

    Older students, many of whom bring years of work and life experience to their studies, often are juggling courses with full-time jobs, caregiving and other family responsibilities. It is a challenging balancing act but can also sharpen priorities and provide a sense of fulfillment.

    Here’s what experts have to say about returning to school, what to consider beforehand and how to balance coursework with work and personal commitments.

    UCLA Extension, the continuing education division of the University of California, Los Angeles, offers more than 90 certificate and specialization programs, from interior design, early childhood education and accounting to photography, paralegal studies and music production. Individual courses cover a wide range of topics, including retirement planning, writing novels, the business of athletes and artists, and the ancient Japanese art of ikebana, or flower arranging.

    About 33,500 students — nearly half of them older than 35 — were enrolled during the last academic year. UCLA reported a full-time enrollment of about 32,600 degree-seeking undergraduate students during the same period.

    “I prefer calling our (adult) learners not only continuous, but the new majority student. These are learners who tend to already be employed, often supporting a family, looking for up-skilling or sometimes a career change,” Traci Fordham, UCLA’s interim associate dean for academic programs and learning innovation, said.

    Higher education experts say some adults take classes for professional development as economic concerns, technological advances and other workforce changes create a sense of job insecurity.

    “A great example of that is artificial intelligence. These new technologies are coming out pretty quickly and for folks that got a degree, even just 5 or 10 years ago, their knowledge might be a little bit outdated,” Deschamps said.

    Adults interested in becoming students again may want to assess their time and budgets, and weigh the potential benefits and consequences, including the financial impact, the potential for burnout and rewards of education that may take a while materialize, academic advisors say.

    Deschamps suggests asking where you want to be in 5 or 10 years and how the training and knowledge received through an additional class or certificate can help get you there. For example, if you want to start a microbrewery, learning to brew your own beer or launching a business will help. If a promotion or career change is the goal, training for a new job, refreshing skills or understanding a different industry may help show you are qualified.

    Schools like UCLA and Northern Arizona University are working to make continuing education courses accessible by keeping the cost low in comparison to degree-track classes and offering financial assistance. A variety of learning environments usually are offered — in-person and online classes, accelerated and self-paced instruction — to help adults integrate schoolwork with their home and work lives.

    Katie Swavely, assistant director for academic advising and student success at UCLA, started at community college before transferring to UCLA to study anthropology. She said it took her 10 years after graduating to go back for her master’s degree in counseling with a focus on academic advising. Swavely completed that degree in 2020 and credits access to the program through employer-sponsored tuition assistance from her job at the time.

    “I felt like in so many ways I didn’t really know who I was or what I wanted to do other than just pay the bills and survive,” said Swavely, who is married and has two children. “It was hard. And I thought about quitting many times. We had to budget to the extreme and find additional ways to make it work.”

    She added: “There are questions of how are we going to make it work and do we have the money. As a parent, sacrifices are there all the time. You make those judgment calls every day. But making sure that you’re investing in yourself. There’s always gonna be reasons why it’s not today, not this month, not this year, but it’s also OK to just jump in and go for it and see how it works out.”

    As an avid book lover, Swavely now wants to take a book editing course and hopes to continue her education and enroll in that through the university soon.

    Some experts say one of the main barriers to returning to school is psychological. There might be concerns that their writing skills are rusty and that they don’t know enough math or technology, bringing up feelings of uncertainty or failure.

    “I think this is tied to access. Many of our learners, not all of them, haven’t imagined themselves in any kind of higher education, post-secondary education environment,” Fordham said.

    Swavely said it was important for her to build a support network and take advantage of the counseling and advising options that were available to her as a student.

    She encourages adults who are furthering their educations to spend time “finding your community.” Having people around who helped build up her confidence at home and during classes got her through graduate school, Swavely said. She also suggests setting boundaries and giving yourself grace when you need need help.

    “The biggest piece of advice is for people to realize you’re never too old to learn,” she said.

    [ad_2]

    Source link