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Tag: education

  • Reliable and relatable resources build confident students: The triple Rs of scholastic esports

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    Key points:

    I know what it feels like to stand in front of a classroom that does not have enough. Not enough computers. Not enough up-to-date software and technical tools. Not enough resources to give every student the experience they deserve. When students notice these gaps, they notice more than the missing tools. They begin to question whether their education and, by extension, their potential really matters. That doubt can quietly drain their confidence.

    This is why dependable resources are not simply a bonus in education. They are a lifeline. In my role leading the Scholastic Esports Academy in the Five Carat Choice Program at Palm Beach Lakes High School, I have watched how access to quality equipment and meaningful project-based learning transforms students from the inside out. It is not only about what they learn but about how they begin to see themselves.

    I have been fortunate to develop partnerships with organizations like Cleverlike Studios, changing the game for my students by bringing advanced technology and creativity directly into the classroom. For example, they learned how to create new characters for Minecraft and designed custom esports jerseys for their Minecraft characters. Students were engaged while learning in games they know and love. These experiences allow them to express their creativity and see their ideas come to life while building complex skills such as coding, digital media, and game design.  

    When students make the leap from simple play to design, careers in technology and digital media suddenly seem accessible, even if they have never seen themselves in these fields before. Scholastic esports is an avenue within the educational landscape that merges the captivating realm of the video game industry with project based learning and educational objectives. It capitalizes on students’ existing interests for STEM subjects, including gamification, digital media, robotics, and financial literacy, directing them towards a structured and educational setting.

    In just five years, the Palm Beach Lakes Scholastic Esports Academy has grown from a small club of ten students to more than five hundred, becoming a full CTE academy that operates both during the school day and after school. Through this experience, students are earning four to five industry certifications along their four year pathway. Their success demonstrates what happens when resources are reliable, relatable, and creativity is encouraged. Students are now able to see themselves in real time through 3D models and their own digital designs, creating new characters for Minecraft and customizing their own esports jerseys.

    Recognizing this success, the Pew Foundation invested nearly $500,000 to expand our infrastructure and transform the program from an after school club into a full daytime classroom experience, creating even greater opportunities for growth and student success. Now, when our students walk into the Esports classroom, they enter a space built around their passions. They see powerful gaming computers, professional streaming equipment, and projects that speak their language. Suddenly, the skills they once thought were only for others become reachable. They begin to realize that their love for video games, robotics, and digital media can open doors to real world careers and college opportunities.

    The results speak for themselves:

    • In FY23 Palm Beach Lakes High School used a Pew Grant to launch the esports course and compared outcomes with a matched group of students.
    • Students who participated in esports had significantly lower rates of in-school or out-of-school suspension, with about half as many incidents as their non-esports peers.
    • Absenteeism among esports students was also slightly lower.
    • While GPA and certification pass rates were similar, the behavioral improvements were clear and meaningful.

    These numbers match what I see every day. Students who once struggled to stay engaged now show up early to practice. They stay late to collaborate. They treat each other with a level of respect and teamwork that carries over into their other classes.

    None of this would be possible without reliable and relatable resources that connect directly to students’ interests and experiences. In a Title I school, these tools make learning meaningful by turning abstract ideas into hands-on projects that students can see, touch, and create. Expanding their minds through hands-on learning and project based materials from companies like Cleverlike Studios, our students gain access to educational tools that connect classroom lessons to real world applications. Coding challenges, game design projects, and digital media activities inspire creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Most importantly, this work helps students see that their ideas and talents have value and that their creativity can open doors to future opportunities. 

    For many of my students’ resources have always been scarce. But in the Scholastic Esports Academy they find more than equipment. They find opportunity. They discover that their skills have value beyond the game and that their voices and ideas matter. They begin to picture themselves as leaders in technology, media, and STEM fields.

    Student Alyssa Chavez said, “Last year, we completed an assignment to design a jersey for our esports teams to wear on Minecraft. The Esports Jersey assignment was very helpful and even inspiring to me because it helped me learn to adapt and appeal to the suggestions and requirements that a client or partner would want me to apply to a project.   The use of the Blockbench program helped me to understand the importance of knowing how to navigate and use a program to do my best work for certain projects. When making the jersey, I took the elements and colors of our ‘Retro Rams’ branding and applied them to the jersey to create a design that represents unity and teamwork, showcasing the unity of our esports team.”

    This is why I believe scholastic esports is not just about gaming. It is about creating a bridge between curiosity and opportunity. It is about giving students in under-resourced communities the confidence to dream bigger and the tools to make those dreams real.

    The ongoing success of our academy is proof that when education is supported with vision, dedication, and the right resources, students will rise. We have created a space where learning feels real, where creativity thrives, and where confidence is built through experience. Partners like Cleverlike Studios have played a part in this progress by providing educational tools that enhance what we do every day. Together, we are demonstrating that reliable and relatable learning environments not only inspire achievement but also prepare students to succeed beyond the classroom.

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    Julius Edwards, Palm Beach Lakes Esports & Sunshine State Esports League

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  • Teacher challenges students to write without ChatGPT as a crutch

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    At a high school in Queens, New York, one teacher challenges his students to write essays without help from artificial intelligence — then brought it back as a learning tool instead of a crutch. Meg Oliver reports.

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  • Trump Partially Funds SNAP, Colleges Scramble

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    In the last week, campuses scrambled to shore up resources as 42 million Americans, including over a million college students, prepared to lose federal assistance to buy food. Payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, didn’t go out on the first of the month as they normally would amid the ongoing government shutdown.

    Now the Trump administration plans to dole out some of the benefits this month—but not all—in response to two federal court orders.

    In court filings Monday, the Trump administration agreed to expend emergency reserves to issue partial benefits this month, but also said the funds will only cover half of eligible households’ current benefits. And for at least some states, payments could take months to come through because of bureaucratic hurdles.

    Erika Roberson, senior policy associate at the Institute for College Access and Success, said she worries students who rely on SNAP will still get less food than they need.

    “Some food is not nearly enough food—especially when students are left to decide between finding their next meal and studying for an exam,” Roberson said in a statement to Inside Higher Ed. “Food should not be a luxury, but today, sadly, many college students are finding themselves in a position where that’s their reality.”

    And while partial benefits are better than none at all, some questions remain unanswered. It’s unclear whether all SNAP recipients will get half of their benefits or whether some will get less than others this month, said Mark Huelsman, director of policy and advocacy at the Hope Center for Student Basic Needs at Temple University. He also expects payments to be delayed.

    “I think that it still holds that campuses and food pantries and community organizations are going to be stretched pretty thin in the coming weeks,” Huelsman said, “even if the courts did the right thing here and stepped in and made sure that people’s benefits weren’t completely withheld.”

    Campuses ‘Plan for the Worst’

    Colleges and universities across the country have been furiously stocking up their campus pantries and expanding on-campus food programs in preparation for a pause in SNAP.

    Southeast Community College in Nebraska typically runs a food drive in November for the food pantries on its three campuses. But this year, the college started its drive a month early, predicting a surge of students in need. Already, the Lincoln campus’s pantry went from serving 49 students two years ago to 505 students this September, said Jennifer Snyder, communications specialist at Southeast Community College. That number is only expected to grow. The college also plans to run a fundraising campaign for its emergency scholarship fund in case more students need aid than usual.

    Ramping up these supports comes with challenges, Snyder said. Campus pantries used to be able to stock up by buying items at a low price from local food banks, but food banks are holding on to more of their goods as they also prepare for increases in demand. As campus pantries become harder to fill, Snyder worries staff members will have to make difficult decisions about how much food students can take.

    “The need is there, and the demand is there, but the supply just keeps dwindling,” Snyder said. “So, how do you make it even? How do you make it fair for everybody so that everybody has access?”

    Snyder said the Trump administration’s promise to partially fund SNAP this month hasn’t changed the college’s plans.

    “If it’s partial funding, that’s a benefit,” she said. But “you just don’t know when it’s going to be taken away, so we should plan for the worst.”

    Keith Curry, president of Compton College in Los Angeles, also sprang into action when he realized his students’ SNAP benefits were at risk.

    The college already offers students one free meal per day through a partnership with the nonprofit Everytable. Starting Wednesday, the college is upping the number to two free meals daily for students participating in CalFresh, the state’s SNAP program, and CalWORKs, a state benefit program for low-income families. CalWORKs students will also get $50 in grocery vouchers per week, and students in either program get an extra $20 in farmers market vouchers per week.

    Compton College also has a data-sharing agreement with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services that helps the college identify students who are eligible for CalFresh and CalWORKs to offer them extra supports, if students sign a waiver allowing it. The college plans to lean on that partnership to verify more students participating in these programs who are now eligible for Compton College’s new supports. The college and Everytable are splitting the costs of the additional free meals, and the college plans to reassess the political situation every Friday to determine whether the extra measures are still needed.

    “We’re moving forward, because we don’t know what the impact will be to our students,” Curry said. “We don’t know how much they will actually receive. And our students need us more now than ever before. People are waiting for their benefits, and they’ve got to figure it out. Students are in a precarious position where they already have other needs.”

    The Foundation for California Community Colleges expects more than 275,000 students in the system will be affected by SNAP payment delays, according to an emergency fundraising campaign launched Monday.

    Grant Tingley, 41, is one of those students. He’s a student at Cypress College and an ambassador for the foundation whose job is to spread information about student food and housing resources. He’s also a SNAP recipient himself. In preparation for SNAP’s lapse, he’s been working with community organizations and other students to create a database of local food pantries and is pushing his campus food pantry to expand its hours.

    Tingley emphasized that hunger makes it harder for the most vulnerable students to focus on their schoolwork. He’s also a student worker at Rising Scholars, a support program for formerly incarcerated students, students with incarcerated family members or students recovering from substance use, like himself. He fears these students in particular are at risk of losing academic momentum.

    “They’re a group of people that have been beaten down repeatedly, time after time, and sometimes a small roadblock can really be a huge impediment for them going forward and continuing on their path,” he said. “Every little roadblock that we put in front of these students is almost make or break.”

    Huelsman, of the Hope Center, encouraged colleges and universities to keep pushing forward plans to bolster student food supports and emergency aid as students divert funds they use for housing and other necessities to groceries. The Hope Center also put out a guide to help colleges navigate how to support students through disrupted SNAP benefits.

    Even with partial benefits flowing, “every contingency plan and every preparation that institutions were making to help students weather this is still live,” he said. “Students are going to still feel a pretty severe disruption. And there’s just general confusion about what’s next.”

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    Sara Weissman

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  • Nash County equips SROs with breaching shotguns for enhanced school emergency response

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    A tool once mostly reserved for SWAT teams is now in the hands of school resource officers in eastern North Carolina.

    Every SRO in Nash County will have access to a breaching shotgun, a weapon designed to break through locks and reach students quickly in an emergency.

    “We’ve got to do what we can to ensure that we are combat-ready to take care of the community and ensure the safety of our kids, and this is just another tool in our toolbox,” said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone.

    Instead of firing traditional projectiles that could ricochet into a classroom, the guns use a special powder.

    Nash County Sheriff’s Sergeant Kevin Bissette helped Stone implement these guns across the district.

    “The powder moves forward, impacts the door, and as soon as it’s released from the barrel, it starts to disperse. So, it’s the gas wave and the powder dispersion that’s actually going through and bypassing the locks,” Bissette said. 

    WRAL News checked with every district in the area. Most of them responded, saying their SROs don’t use these guns.

    Stone believes it’s a tool worth considering because it could save valuable time and lives in the event of a school emergency.

    “Some of the places that have had these bad incidents, the doors have been locked and chained and things of that nature, and EMS and law enforcement cannot get into the schools immediately. Time is of the essence,” he said.

    The addition of breaching shotguns is part of a broader push in Nash County to give school resource officers more tools to protect students. All SROs in the district were recently trained on ballistic shields as well.

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  • WIRED Roundup: Alpha School, Grokipedia, and Real Estate AI Videos

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    The thing that gets me, and I’m really curious about your take on this, Brian, as someone with children, that the guides these people that were brought in, they were actually in the room with students helping them with any technological glitches or settling anything that’s happening in the real world. While some had experience as educators, others did not, and not only that, Alpha actually had often targeted individuals without teaching backgrounds, going instead for folks that were in the entrepreneurship space, because nothing screams early childhood education like Series A funding. I’m so confused as to what the entire point of this is.

    Brian Barrett: It feels reductive, right? It is the idea that school is about grades and grades are about numbers and coding is all that matters. When obviously school is about learning to interact with people, it is a social thing as much as it is a numbers thing. I think too, how do you quantify and nextify art class and finger painting and all the other things that are good for social development, good for mental development that aren’t crunching numbers. And it just feels like that’s not part of the calculus here, which is a shame.

    Leah Feiger: And we didn’t even get into a core WIRED area of interest, which is surveillance issues. These kids are being surveilled.

    Brian Barrett: Yeah. There was a report that our reporter, Todd found that there was eye tracking software involved in this. Again, for some parents, I am sure that this is great, and again, Alpha School has a lot of parents who say, “Yes, this is what we want.” They’ve got a lot of great reviews, a lot of glowing press. What we found in Brownsville was not that.

    Leah Feiger: And as that last little surveillance anecdote, there’s one piece of reporting that Todd shared that really freaked me out of this one student who at home received a notification that she’d been flagged for an anti-pattern or a distraction by the Alpha system while she was working on her schoolwork. It turns out she says that Alpha system sent a video of her in her pajamas, taken from the computer’s webcam that showed her talking to her younger sister. Again, she’s at home. This doesn’t end the minute that they leave the classroom either. This is so beyond. And I’m sure there’s the case that everyone’s making, oh, they’re collecting data. This is a holistic experience. That’s still creepy to me.

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    Brian Barrett, Leah Feiger

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  • Game design and esports curriculum introduced at Anaheim high schools

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    A new game design and esports pathway program is coming to Anaheim high schools.

    The program was launched Monday to prepare students at the Anaheim Unified High School District (AUHSD) with the necessary skills to enter an evolving video game and interactive media industry, district officials said.

    “Video game design is more than entertainment; it’s an emerging driver of the 21st-century economy,” said AUHSD Superintendent Michael Matsuda. “We’re opening doors for students to explore high-wage, high-growth fields with relevance.”

    The pathway program, the AUHSD said, will include hands-on coursework in coding, narrative design and game engines, as well as mentorships with Fullerton College faculty and students and opportunities to participate in district-wide competitions.

    Students can also pursue dual enrollment with Fullerton College for college credit and access to game labs and game design projects, according to the district.

    The pathway will be available to students as early as junior high school and continue through high school, AUHSD said. 

    The curriculum will be available to students at Katella High School and South Junior High School for the 2025-26 school year. 

    The AUHSD also offers pathways in other industries such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and medicine.

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    Robert Westermann

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  • Trump administration pledges to speed some student loan forgiveness after lawsuit

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    NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration has agreed to resume student loan forgiveness for an estimated 2.5 million borrowers who are enrolled in certain federal repayment plans following a lawsuit from the American Federation of Teachers.

    Under the agreement reached Friday between the teachers union and the administration, the Education Department will process loan forgiveness for those eligible in certain repayment plans that offer lower monthly payments based on a borrower’s earnings. The government had stopped providing forgiveness under those plans based on its interpretation of a different court decision.

    The agreement will also protect borrowers from being hit with high tax bills on debt due to be forgiven this year.

    “We took on the Trump administration when it refused to follow the law and denied borrowers the relief they were owed,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a statement. “Our agreement means that those borrowers stuck in limbo can either get immediate relief or finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

    The Education Department said the Trump administration is reviewing forgiveness programs to identify ones that were not affected by court rulings that blocked much of the Biden administration’s efforts to cancel student debt.

    “The Administration looks forward to continuing its work to simplify the student loan repayment process through implementation of the President’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the department said in a statement.

    Several forgiveness programs are included

    According to the deal, the Trump administration must cancel student debt for eligible borrowers enrolled in the following plans: income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, income-contingent repayment plans, Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) plans.

    If borrowers have made payments beyond what was needed for forgiveness, those payments will be reimbursed. The Education Department must also continue to process IDR and PSLF “buyback” applications. Balances forgiven before Dec. 31 will not be treated as taxable income, as they will in 2026 due to a recent change in tax law.

    The administration must also file progress reports every six months with the court to show the pace of application processing and loan forgiveness, according to the AFT.

    How many borrowers are waiting for forgiveness?

    An estimated 2.5 million borrowers in IDR plans will be affected by the agreement, and another 70,000 are waiting for forgiveness through the PSLF program.

    Even with the agreement in place, mass layoffs at the Education Department could factor into processing times for forgiveness, said Megan Walter, senior policy analyst at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

    If borrowers continue to make payments while their application is pending forgiveness, that will be refunded to them if they are successful, Walter said. “But keep really good records,” she said.

    What are the PSLF and buyback forgiveness programs?

    Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which has been in place since 2007, forgives federal student loans for borrowers who have worked at non-profit organizations or in public service after 120 payments, or 10 years. The Biden administration also created an option for borrowers to “buy back” months of payments they missed during forbearance or deferment in 2023, to allow more people to qualify for that forgiveness.

    To determine if you qualify for a buy-back under the PSLF program, consult this page at the Education Department.

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    The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

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  • Florida bill would require public schools to teach cursive writing

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    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — If a bill submitted to the Florida House passes, public elementary school students would be required to learn cursive writing in grades two through five.

    House Bill 127 would go into effect on July 1, 2026, which means the requirement would start in the 2026-2027 school year.

    What You Need To Know

    • If a Florida House bill is passed, students in second through fifth grade would be required to learn cursive writing

    • The bill would require students to be proficient in cursive writing by the end of fifth grade

    • The interim dean for the College of Education at the University of South Florida said teaching handwriting is important

    • If passed, the bill would take effect on July 1, 2026, meaning the requirement would start in the 2026-2027 school year


    The bill would require students to be tested by the end of fifth grade to prove that they are proficient in cursive writing.

    Jenifer Schneider, the interim dean for the College of Education at the University of South Florida, said studies have shown that teaching handwriting is important for students.

    “There is science behind it,” said Schneider, who is also a professor of literacy studies at USF. “There’s research behind it that it shows that it’s beneficial for students to learn letter formation and to do it quickly so that they can ease up their brain power for the things that matter.”

    Schneider said cursive is another tool for students to get their ideas down on paper. Whether it’s print or script, Schneider said, the cognitive benefits of handwriting are similar, but noted that learning cursive adds a cultural benefit.

    “You could read an old document. You could read handwritten notes from different generations,” Schneider said. “So, there’s the ability to read cursive writing, if you learn cursive letters.”

    While instruction on cursive writing is currently required by Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards for English Language Arts for grades three through five, there is no requirement to test students’ proficiency, which would change if House Bill 127 is passed.

    The bill, which was filed by state Reps. Toby Overdorf and Dana Trabulsy, is now in the Florida House’s Student Academic Success Subcommittee.

    The regular legislative session begins in January.

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    Tyler O’Neill

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  • Some Head Start preschools shutter as government shutdown continues

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    The government shutdown is triggering a wave of closures of Head Start centers, leaving working parents scrambling for child care and shutting some of the nation’s neediest children out of preschool.

    Dozens of centers are missing out on federal grant payments that were due to arrive Nov. 1. Some say they’ll close indefinitely, while others are staying afloat with emergency funding from local governments and school districts. The closures mean Head Start students — who come from low-income households, are homeless or are in foster care — are missing out on preschool, where they are fed two meals a day and receive therapy vital to their development.

    “Children love school, and the fact that they can’t go is breaking their hearts,” said Sarah Sloan, who oversees small-town Head Start centers in Scioto County, Ohio. Staff told families they planned to close Monday. “It’s hampering our families’ ability to put food on the table and to know that their children are safe during the day.”

    A half-dozen Head Start programs never received grants that were anticipated in October, but there are now 140 programs that have not received their annual infusion of federal funding. All told, the programs have capacity to assist 65,000 preschoolers and expectant parents.

    Among the preschools closing as of Monday are 24 Migrant and Seasonal Head Start centers spread across five states. Those centers, created to assist the children of migrant farmworkers, typically operate on 10- to 12-hour days to accommodate the long hours parents work on farms.

    Children attending the centers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama and Oklahoma recently came home with fliers warning of possible closures, along with other parent notifications. Those centers serving more than 1,100 children will now remain closed until the shutdown ends, said East Coast Migrant Head Start Project CEO Javier Gonzalez. About 900 staff members across the centers also have been furloughed.

    In the absence of other options for child care, some parents’ only option may be to bring their young child to the fields where they work, Gonzalez said.

    Many of the families that qualify for the federal preschool program also depend on food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP or food stamps. That program also was on track to run dry of money due to the shutdown, although a pair of federal judges on Friday ordered the Trump administration to keep the program running with emergency reserve funds.

    That means many Head Start families have been worried about food aid, along with the child care they rely on to make ends meet. A day without child care means a day without work for many parents — and a day without pay.

    In Kansas City, Missouri, Jhanee Hunt teaches toddlers at a Head Start site, the Emmanuel Family and Child Development Center, where her 6-month-old son is cared for in another classroom. The center said it can scrape up enough money to stay open for a few weeks, but the money won’t last much beyond November.

    At dropoff, she said, parents often are wearing uniforms for fast food restaurants like Wendy’s and McDonald’s. Some work as certified nurse assistants in nursing homes. None have much extra money. The most urgent concern right now is food, she said.

    “A lot of the parents, they’re, you know, going around trying to find food pantries,” she said. “A parent actually asked me, do I know a food pantry?”

    More than 90% of the center’s families rely on SNAP food assistance, said Deborah Mann, the center’s executive director. One construction company offered to help fill the grocery carts of some families that use the center. But overall, families are distressed, she said.

    “We’ve had parents crying. We’ve had parents just don’t know what to do,” Mann said.

    Launched six decades ago as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, Head Start programs provide a range of services beyond early education, such as medical and dental screenings, school meals and family support to children from low-income households who can’t afford other child care options.

    The initiative is funded almost entirely by the federal government, leaving it with little cushion from funding disruptions.

    Some that have missed out on grant payments have managed to remain open, with philanthropies, school districts and local governments filling in gaps. Others are relying on fast-dwindling reserves and warn they can’t keep their doors open for much longer.

    “If the government doesn’t open back up, we will be providing less services each week,” said Rekah Strong, who heads a social services nonprofit that runs Head Start centers in southern Washington state. She’s already had to close one center and several classrooms and cut back home-based visiting services. “It feels more bleak every day.”

    In Florida, Head Start centers in Tallahassee and surrounding Leon County closed Oct. 27, but then reopened the next day thanks to a grant from Children’s Services Council of Leon County. The local school district and churches have stepped up to provide meals for the children.

    “It takes a village to raise a child, and our village has come together,” said Nina Self, interim CEO of Capital Area Community Action Agency.

    But children in rural Jefferson and Franklin counties, where the agency runs two small Head Start centers, were not as lucky. They’ve been closed since late October.

    ___

    The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • Anoka-Hennepin School Board race sees

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    A teachers union president said unprecedented amounts of money are being pumped into the Anoka-Hennepin School Board race, with much of it tied to conservative political groups.

    WCCO combed through campaign financial reports from this year and found more than $237,000 were spent in this election this year, with $220,000 of that for conservative-backed candidates.   

    A recent campaign finance report shows a group called Excellence Minnesota, listed with a Wayzata address, doling out more than $100,000 to various Minnesota school board campaigns, the vast majority going toward advertising in the Anoka-Hennepin School Board race between September and October of this year alone.

    “School board races, maybe in the past, cost $5,000 or $10,000,” said John Wolhaupter, president of Anoka Hennepin Education Minnesota. “You pile the outside groups on top of that, it’s a lot. Based on what we’re seeing, this could almost be a 10-to-1 difference. I know what we’re spending as a local union and it is dwarfed by what’s being spent by these other groups.”

    Excellence Minnesota’s website said it’s “committed to helping parents and communities elect leaders who prioritize student achievement and academic excellence above politics and bureaucracy.”    

    Last week, Kyrstin Schuette was one of dozens rallying against outside money in the school board election.

    “They want to, you know, ban books and other things that are censorship,” said Schuette, founder and director of the School Board Integrity Project.

    Wolhaupter said it’s money that could be better spent.

    “When you think about other things that money could be spent on, we’re in a district that’s looking at budget cuts and we have hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent on school board races and elections,” said Wolhaupter.

    WCCO reached out to Excellence Minnesota for comment.  

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    Jason Rantala

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  • Mississippi woman kills escaped monkey fearing for her children’s safety

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    One of the monkeys that escaped last week after a truck overturned on a Mississippi roadway was shot and killed early Sunday by a woman who says she feared for the safety of her children.

    Jessica Bond Ferguson said she was alerted early Sunday by her 16-year-old son who said he thought he had seen a monkey running in the yard outside their home near Heidelberg, Mississippi. She got out bed, grabbed her firearm and her cellphone and stepped outside where she saw the monkey about 60 feet (18 meters) away.

    Bond said she and other residents had been warned about diseases that the escaped monkeys carried so she fired her gun.

    “I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” Bond, who has five children ranging in age from 4 to 16, told The Associated Press. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.”

    The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a social media post that a homeowner had found one of the monkeys on their property Sunday morning but said the office didn’t have any details. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks took possession of the monkey, the sheriff’s office said.

    The Rhesus monkeys had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to scientific research organizations, according to the university. In a statement last week, Tulane said the monkeys do not belong to the university, and they were not being transported by the university.

    A truck carrying the monkeys overturned Tuesday on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg. Authorities have said most of the 21 monkeys were killed. The sheriff’s department has said animal experts from Tulane examined the trailer and had determined three monkeys had escaped.

    The Mississippi Highway Patrol has said it was investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the state capital, Jackson.

    Rhesus monkeys typically weigh about 16 pounds (7.2 kilograms) and are among the most medically studied animals on the planet. Video recorded after the crash showed monkeys crawling through tall grass beside the interstate, where wooden crates labeled “live animals” were crumpled and strewn about.

    Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson had said Tulane officials reported the monkeys were not infectious, despite initial reports by the truck’s occupants warning that the monkeys were dangerous and harboring various diseases. Nonetheless, Johnson said the monkeys still needed to be “neutralized” because of their aggressive nature.

    The monkeys had recently received checkups confirming they were pathogen-free, Tulane said in a statement Wednesday.

    About 10 years ago, three Rhesus macaques in the breeding colony of what was then known as the Tulane National Primate Research Center were euthanized after a “biosecurity breach,” federal inspectors wrote in a 2015 report. The breach involved at least one staff member failing to adhere to biosafety and infection control procedures, it said.

    The facility made changes in its procedures and retrained staff after that happened, according to the report from the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    Rhesus macaques “are known to be aggressive,” according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. It said the agency’s conservation workers were working with sheriff’s officials in the search for the animals.

    The search comes about one year after 43 Rhesus macaques escaped from a South Carolina compound that breeds them for medical research because an employee didn’t fully lock an enclosure. Employees from the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee, South Carolina, had set up traps to capture them.

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  • Mississippi woman kills escaped monkey fearing for her children’s safety

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    One of the monkeys that escaped last week after a truck overturned on a Mississippi roadway was shot and killed early Sunday by a woman who says she feared for the safety of her children.

    Jessica Bond Ferguson said she was alerted early Sunday by her 16-year-old son who said he thought he had seen a monkey running in the yard outside their home near Heidelberg, Mississippi. She got out bed, grabbed her firearm and her cellphone and stepped outside where she saw the monkey about 60 feet (18 meters) away.

    Bond said she and other residents had been warned about diseases that the escaped monkeys carried so she fired her gun.

    “I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” Bond, who has five children ranging in age from 4 to 16, told The Associated Press. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.”

    The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a social media post that a homeowner had found one of the monkeys on their property Sunday morning but said the office didn’t have any details. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks took possession of the monkey, the sheriff’s office said.

    The Rhesus monkeys had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to scientific research organizations, according to the university. In a statement last week, Tulane said the monkeys do not belong to the university, and they were not being transported by the university.

    A truck carrying the monkeys overturned Tuesday on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg. Authorities have said most of the 21 monkeys were killed. The sheriff’s department has said animal experts from Tulane examined the trailer and had determined three monkeys had escaped.

    The Mississippi Highway Patrol has said it was investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the state capital, Jackson.

    Rhesus monkeys typically weigh about 16 pounds (7.2 kilograms) and are among the most medically studied animals on the planet. Video recorded after the crash showed monkeys crawling through tall grass beside the interstate, where wooden crates labeled “live animals” were crumpled and strewn about.

    Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson had said Tulane officials reported the monkeys were not infectious, despite initial reports by the truck’s occupants warning that the monkeys were dangerous and harboring various diseases. Nonetheless, Johnson said the monkeys still needed to be “neutralized” because of their aggressive nature.

    The monkeys had recently received checkups confirming they were pathogen-free, Tulane said in a statement Wednesday.

    About 10 years ago, three Rhesus macaques in the breeding colony of what was then known as the Tulane National Primate Research Center were euthanized after a “biosecurity breach,” federal inspectors wrote in a 2015 report. The breach involved at least one staff member failing to adhere to biosafety and infection control procedures, it said.

    The facility made changes in its procedures and retrained staff after that happened, according to the report from the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    Rhesus macaques “are known to be aggressive,” according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. It said the agency’s conservation workers were working with sheriff’s officials in the search for the animals.

    The search comes about one year after 43 Rhesus macaques escaped from a South Carolina compound that breeds them for medical research because an employee didn’t fully lock an enclosure. Employees from the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee, South Carolina, had set up traps to capture them.

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  • Mississippi Woman Kills Escaped Monkey Fearing for Her Children’s Safety

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    One of the monkeys that escaped last week after a truck overturned on a Mississippi roadway was shot and killed early Sunday by a woman who says she feared for the safety of her children.

    Jessica Bond Ferguson said she was alerted early Sunday by her 16-year-old son who said he thought he had seen a monkey running in the yard outside their home near Heidelberg, Mississippi. She got out bed, grabbed her firearm and her cellphone and stepped outside where she saw the monkey about 60 feet (18 meters) away.

    Bond Ferguson said she and other residents had been warned about diseases that the escaped monkeys carried so she fired her gun.

    “I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” Bond Ferguson, who has five children ranging in age from 4 to 16, told The Associated Press. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.”

    The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a social media post that a homeowner had found one of the monkeys on their property Sunday morning but said the office didn’t have any details. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks took possession of the monkey, the sheriff’s office said.

    The Rhesus monkeys had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to scientific research organizations, according to the university. In a statement last week, Tulane said the monkeys do not belong to the university, and they were not being transported by the university.

    A truck carrying the monkeys overturned Tuesday on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg. Authorities have said most of the 21 monkeys were killed. The sheriff’s department has said animal experts from Tulane examined the trailer and had determined three monkeys had escaped.

    The Mississippi Highway Patrol has said it was investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the state capital, Jackson.

    Rhesus monkeys typically weigh about 16 pounds (7.2 kilograms) and are among the most medically studied animals on the planet. Video recorded after the crash showed monkeys crawling through tall grass beside the interstate, where wooden crates labeled “live animals” were crumpled and strewn about.

    Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson had said Tulane officials reported the monkeys were not infectious, despite initial reports by the truck’s occupants warning that the monkeys were dangerous and harboring various diseases. Nonetheless, Johnson said the monkeys still needed to be “neutralized” because of their aggressive nature.

    The monkeys had recently received checkups confirming they were pathogen-free, Tulane said in a statement Wednesday.

    About 10 years ago, three Rhesus macaques in the breeding colony of what was then known as the Tulane National Primate Research Center were euthanized after a “biosecurity breach,” federal inspectors wrote in a 2015 report. The breach involved at least one staff member failing to adhere to biosafety and infection control procedures, it said.

    The facility made changes in its procedures and retrained staff after that happened, according to the report from the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    Rhesus macaques “are known to be aggressive,” according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. It said the agency’s conservation workers were working with sheriff’s officials in the search for the animals.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

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  • Describing a Social Trend Is Not an Endorsement

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    In the essay “Misogyny and ‘Hoeflation’ at the National Association of Scholars” (Oct. 28, 2025) John K. Wilson takes aim at me and Minding the Campus. 

    He describes me generously as an “idiot,” but an influential one in the conservative movement. He misinterprets nearly every line of my essay “College Students in a Romance Recession, Boys Blame ‘Hoeflation.’”

    His central charge is that I’m a misogynist. His evidence is that I use the word “hoeflation.” Using a term coined by others to describe a social trend does not mean I endorse it. Reporting or analyzing a phenomenon is not the same as condoning it.

    In my essay, I wrote,

    “And, unfortunately for men, dating algorithms concentrate attention on the top 10 percent—those deemed most attractive—rendering the majority effectively unseen. This imbalance has led young men to coin the term ‘hoeflation,’ the grind of chasing women they might barely fancy, but will date just to escape loneliness. (Young American men experience loneliness at rates far exceeding those of their counterparts across other developed countries.)”

    This was an observation on what is being said among some young men. The term reflects a real cultural phenomenon: Many young men feel alienated from modern dating, seeing it as transactional, unequal or algorithmically stacked against them. It expresses their view that women’s expectations have risen out of reach. 

    Jared Gould is managing editor of Minding the Campus.

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  • USF Crescendo Lab presents jazz song inspired by scientific data on oysters

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A USF St. Petersburg anthropologist is using music and song to share scientific data. It’s a way to educate those who may not understand the science. It’s called the CRESCENDO Lab.

    What You Need To Know

    •  A USF St. Petersburg anthropologist has come up with a musical way to get non-scientists interested in complex scientific data

    •  It’s called the CRESCENDO Lab. CRESCENDO stands for “Communicating Research Expansively through Sonification and Community-Engaged Neuroaesthetic Data-literacy Opportunities”
    •  The latest research focuses on a declining oyster population. USF student musicians will perform “Oyster’s Ain’t Safe” on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at the IPAC Theater at Pasco-Hernando State College in Wesley Chapel

    • The concert will be part of a series called “Water Works” that begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free


    CRESCENDO stands for “Communicating Research Expansively through Sonification and Community-Engaged Neuroaesthetic Data-literacy Opportunities.”

    “If I were to invite you over here on a weekend night saying, ‘Let’s look at this data together,’ I’m probably going to get, ‘No way, I got other plans,’” said USF St. Petersburg anthropology professor Heather O’Leary. “But if we look at this — not like an economist and not like a social scientist — and like a musician, now we’re talking.”

    O’Leary said she got the idea for the CRESCENDO Lab after going to the orchestra with her toddler. She saw how engaged her child was with the music and thought it would be a great way to get more people interested in science. 

    Over the last couple of years, O’Leary has worked with student researchers on musical projects regarding Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease and Red Tide. Her latest project features jazz and oysters.

    “Florida used to be one of the biggest hotspots for the most delicious oysters on America’s coasts,” O’Leary said.

    She was fascinated by how polarizing the delicacies have become over the years. Some people like them. Others don’t. O’Leary wanted to know the financial impact.

    “People are suspicious of them because of their hard work, they are powerhouses that clean our waters. So they are afraid or grossed out about eating them. It seems like it ‘ain’t safe,’” O’Leary said.

    After conducting research, some students made a jazz song about what they discovered. The song is called, “Oysters Ain’t Safe.” The title was taken from a response on one of the surveys conducted during the research.

    “I think what’s really interesting is that it comes with two sides,” O’Leary said. “On one side, oysters aren’t safe. There are a lot of people suspicious about eating oysters, but on the other side, oysters have so many different shocks right now, that they themselves might be safe.”

    O’Leary said the issues oysters face include over harvesting, oyster acidification and the changing amount of freshwater available. The song focuses on some of the challenges.

    “It’s a really interesting way to interpret data,” said AJ Gross, a graduate student with the College of Marine Science.

    Currently, there is a five-year ban on wild oyster harvesting in Apalachicola Bay, Florida. The goal is to allow the oyster population time to recover. That ban ends at the end of 2025. Reopening is expected to be limited in the beginning of 2026, and O’Leary said it all has a financial impact.

    “I don’t think we think about how economics plays into marine science and marine biology,” said USF music student Emma Urbanski, one of the students singing the new scientific melody.

    Student musicians will perform “Oysters Ain’t Safe” in a concert at the IPAC Theater at Pasco-Hernando State College in Wesley Chapel on Tuesday, Nov. 4. It will be part of a series called “Water Works,” which begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.   

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    Dalia Dangerfield

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  • Explosion at Harvard Med School appears to have been intentional, authorities say

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    BOSTON — There was an explosion early Saturday at Harvard Medical School that appears to have been intentional, but no one was injured, authorities said.

    A university police officer who responded to a fire alarm tried to stop two unidentified people who ran from the Goldenson Building before going to where the alert was triggered, university police said in a statement.

    The Boston Fire Department determined that the explosion was intentional and officers did not find additional devices in a sweep of the building, police said.

    Police released grainy photos of two people wearing face coverings and what looked like sweatshirts.

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  • Voters to decide fate of two Lake County school property tax referendums Tuesday

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    Voters will determine the outcomes of two special elections in Lake County on Tuesday, but there are no candidates on the ballot.

    At stake are two school property tax measures in neighboring Lake Central School Corp. and the Hanover Central Community Schools.

    A sign in support of Lake Central’s school referendum sits on a yard north of 93rd Avenue. (Carole Carlson/Post-Tribune)

    The Duneland School Corp., based in Chesterton, is also holding a referendum vote.

    Hanover and Lake Central districts are asking voters to renew operating referendums they say will continue to fund student transportation, teacher and non-certified salaries, utility costs, safety and student programs.

    Political action committees, or PACs, have formed to support both school districts as they seek renewals of previous successful referendums.

    Lake Central’s 2018 referendum passed with 53% of the vote.

    This time, the district increased the rate to 26.14 cents per $100 of assessed value, up from 17 cents.

    Officials said the property tax relief credits and deductions homeowners will see under a new property tax relief law — Senate Enrolled Act 1 — will offset the referendum tax increase.

    The school district’s boundaries for voting includes parts of Dyer, St. John, Schererville and unincorporated sections of Lake County.

    The property tax relief law is expected to cut about $12.3 million in revenue from Lake Central over a three-year span through 2028, according to the state Legislative Services Agency. The district has retained Policy Analytics to do a deeper dive into its revenue picture.

    The new law also specified that districts can only run referendums during general statewide elections, as opposed to a primary or general election.

    If approved, Lake Central’s referendum would raise nearly $17.8 million annually. Officials said $12 million would be earmarked for retaining teachers and staff. Also, the spending plan includes $2 million for maintaining class sizes, $1.7 million for student health and safety programs.

    Lauren Bridgeman, a member of Friends of Lake Central’s political action committee, said supporters have been knocking on doors making sure voters understand what’s at stake.

    She’s been teaching math and science for 10 years at Clark Middle School.

    “Typically, we’ve had a lot of great feedback from the community,” she said.

    She said committee members tell voters with revenue from the last referendum, the district added three police officers in schools, counselors, nurses, reading specialists, and math coaches at all levels.

    The money from the referendum will be used to maintain the spending plan in place, she said. Lake Central has about 9,200 students.

    Bridgeman said more than 2,000 people have already voted.

    She said there’s been confusion with the online calculator that estimates a homeowner’s referendum cost on the state Department of Local Government’s website.

    She said the DLGF calculator was misleading because it led people to believe their taxes would increase dramatically.

    “We have a calculator on our website, and even with the referendum approved, their taxes will go down,” she said. That’s largely because of the new property tax law.

    Friends of Lake Central’s website is supportlakecentral.com.

    Bridgeman said referendum backers also educate voters on the impact of Senate Enrolled Act 1, which reduces money the district will receive over the next three years and gives it back to taxpayers.

    If the referendum fails, officials said they’ll have to make difficult decisions about budget cuts that impact students like larger class sizes, fewer teachers and a reduction in course offerings and extracurricular activities.

    Meanwhile, the Hanover Community School Corp., in Cedar Lake, is seeking its third referendum renewal to raise slightly more than $5 million each year. It passed with 60% of the vote in 2020.

    The property tax levy would remain at 29 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

    Information about the referendum is on the district’s website, hanover.k12.in.us/referendum.

    About $2.5 million in referendum funds would be spent on keeping class sizes small; $1.5 million for bus transportation and $759,000 for school resource officers.

    “I am cautiously optimistic, we have a lot of supportive parents and we’ve done a lot of work,” said Superintendent Mary Tracy-MacAulay.

    She said the revenue for bus transportation was crucial because of the community’s explosive subdivision growth. The small district of about 2,800 students gained 730 students, or a 33% increase, since 2015.

    Tracy-MacAulay said the district had to institute a one-mile walk zone two years ago. “This area is just booming,” she said.

    The boom has been slowed by a town water moratorium, but Tracy-MacAulay expects once it’s resolved that more homes will be built.

    “We’re holding the line but with SEA 1, we’ll lose about $6.1 million over the next three years,” she said of the property tax relief law.

    She said the referendum funds about 125 staff jobs and allowed for an increase in student programs.

    Andy Yakubik, who heads the Friends of Hanover Community Schools political action committee, said voter turnout is key.

    “A lot of people aren’t aware it’s on the ballot and the new state wording is very misleading, pointing to the ballot’s 43% increase wording.

    “It’s frustrating, nobody knows how the state came up with the 43% figure. The state would not show us their work.

    “They’re trying to undercut the ability of districts to have referendums. Now, they’re only in statewide elections.”

    He said SEA 1 also left a 5% decrease in Hanover’s budget and if the referendum doesn’t pass, it will mean an 11% cut.

    “There comes a point there’s nothing you can cut that isn’t necessary,” he said.

    Yakubik said his family moved to the Cedar Lake area about 30 years ago because he and his wife wanted smaller schools for their children.

    “The amount of cutbacks if they lose would be painful. It would really hit bus service, bus costs have nearly doubled,” he said.

    Early voting in both special elections is open until noon on Monday at the Lake County Board of Elections Early and Registration office, 2293 N. Main St., in Crown Point; the St. John Township Assessor’s office, 9157 Wicker Ave.; and the Schererville Town Hall, 10 E. Joliet St.

    Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

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  • Education to Sports: How Nita Ambani REDEFINED India’s growth and culture

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    Nita Ambani Turns 62

    Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani celebrated her 62nd birthday on November 1. She continues to inspire as one of India’s most influential women, balancing leadership roles in business, education, sports, and philanthropy.

    Leader With a Vision

    She is the Chairperson and Founder of Reliance Foundation and the Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS), and also serves as a Director of Reliance Industries Limited. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to empowering people and creating social impact.

    Powering Indian Sports

    A passionate sports supporter, Nita Ambani co-owns the Mumbai Indians men’s and women’s teams in the IPL and WPL. Her efforts have played a key role in promoting sports at both grassroots and professional levels.

    Making History in the Olympics

    In 2016, she became the first Indian woman to join the International Olympic Committee (IOC). She continues to champion India’s growing presence in global sports and supports the nation’s bid for the 2036 Olympics.

    Shaping Young Minds

    At Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Nita Ambani promotes holistic education that blends academic excellence with creativity, leadership, and global awareness.

    Championing Healthcare for All

    Under her leadership, the Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai has become known for high-quality, accessible healthcare. Through the Reliance Foundation, she has launched multiple initiatives supporting rural health, women’s empowerment, and disaster relief.

    Celebrating Indian Art & Culture

    In 2023, she inaugurated the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai — a world-class space dedicated to showcasing and preserving India’s rich art, culture, and heritage.

    Reliance Foundation’s Nationwide Impact

    Founded in 2010, the Reliance Foundation has grown into one of India’s largest non-profit organisations, impacting over 76 million lives through work in education, healthcare, rural transformation, sports, disaster response, and arts & culture.