education

After a group of NJ principals answered questions at a public meeting about the Christie administration's plans to close Newark's schools in favor of corporate-owned charter schools, the educational leaders were suspended indefinitely and almost immediately. In an unprecedented move to silence its critics, Gov. Christie appears to have yet another scandal on his hands — this one impacting the education of thousands of Newark students.

The Wall Street Journal offers a timely and sobering account of the painfully inadequate broadband many of our schools rely on. This is hardly surprising, since the nation that invented the Internet and once led the world in connectivity is now 15th. Schools, particularly in rural America, have crummy broadband connectivity because of a lack of competition in the broadband market.

Austin has long-been a hotspot for growth in Texas, and has especially seen growth over the past 5 years. But with the continued growth has come some major consequences as well. New data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that the number of Austin children living in extreme poverty rose by 11,000 from 2006 to 2012.

To finish out 2013, eight Wisconsin education unions lost their ability to collectively bargain when, seeking recertification, non-votes were counted as “no” votes under the governor’s hallmark anti-union legislation, also known as Act 10. This is despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of those that did vote were in support of each union's rights.

Jo Mannies, a St. Louis Beacon political reporter, caught Rex Sinquefield - the ALEC-friendly, organized labor-hating, retired millionaire - at it again. It may not be the Right-to-Work legislation he failed to have his cronies in the legislature push through earlier this year, but it most certainly is anti-labor - this time attacking teacher tenure at Missouri schools.

Fox News uncritically aired attacks on the approval of an environmental science textbook by the Texas Education Agency, saying its passage will "push particular viewpoints" as a result of "socialized education." But the textbook's passage had nothing to do with the Common Core Standards, and simply contains scientifically accurate information about hydraulic fracturing and climate change.

By wide margins, voters in Colorado declined Amendment 66 - an education finance plan that would have increased the state income tax. The state GOP's message of no-taxes-ever has left the education system struggling, in dire need of funds.

The Newark Students Union has organized a massive student boycott of Newark Public Schools today because many of them are too young to take their vote to the polls — but not too young to exercise their first amendment rights to protest and expose Gov. Chris Christie's real record on public education.

Amid recent attempts to repeal the DREAM Act in Texas, eleven state senators are calling for the preservation of the legislation that offers in-state tuition to students who have lived in Texas for over three years regardless of immigration status. The law has been a popular target for repeal among Republicans.

Texas State Rep. Gene Wu helped lead the fight in the House to restore $3 billion of the $5 billion education cut in 2011. He worked with his colleagues to pass a law that reduces traffic congestion from oil and gas production areas. He was able to get Texas pipeline safety regulations in line with federal standards, no small feat with Republicans controlling the Legislature.