Every week our newsroom monitors the news for the top stories in education from a variety of sources ranging from the mainstream media to blogs and other analysis, and compile them for you. Here’s the latest in education:
What to Know About How Less Funding Might Affect K–12 This School Year
Ed-Tech
As we come to the end of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds, schools will face troubles trying to maintain educational technology in the classrooms. This requires schools to visit their pre-covid plans and make serious decisions on where funding should go. At this time the E-Rate funding program will remain as a significant federal funding program for technology based resources in K-12 schools. Although there will still be federal funds that go towards mental health, cybersecurity, Wi-Fi, and school safety.
The 74
The FutureEd report examines the rise of universal private school choice programs across 33 states, 12 of which now allow all students to apply for public subsidies regardless of income. Historically targeted at low-income or special needs students, these programs have expanded, leading to varied implementation and significant new state-level costs. Researchers found that while middle and affluent families are increasingly participating, the programs still serve lower-income households. States differ greatly in accountability and performance metrics, with some lacking standardized testing. As policymakers debate the future of these programs, concerns persist over their fiscal sustainability and impact on public education.
The New York Post
Logansport, Indiana, has experienced a surge in migrant arrivals, mostly from Haiti, leading to a nearly 30% population increase. This influx has placed significant strain on local schools, with residents expressing concerns that resources are being stretched thin. Many report that teachers are focusing more on helping non-English-speaking migrant students, which they feel has diminished the quality of education for local children. Some students, like Cheyanne, have even switched to online schooling due to the perceived lack of attention in classrooms. Parents blame the Biden-Harris administration’s border policies for the situation, citing a lack of preparedness to support the community’s educational needs.
Florida Schools Ponder Hurricane Make up Days
Students in the state of Florida have missed hours of school due to the wreckage of the recent hurricanes to hit there. Some children had missed more than 50 hours of school, or 5% of the school year. Officials now need to determine if they would rather make school days longer, cut vacation time, or add school days to the end of the year. Academic officers and officials will continue to work through and weigh these options in the coming weeks.
Colleges enrolled fewer freshmen, first decline since the pandemic – The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, there have been many changes to the education system all throughout the United States of America. This year, 2024, saw the most profound effect at the college level, as schools throughout the country are seeing declines in freshmen enrollment with incoming classes. This indicates that young Americans are changing their views on what education means and the benefits of a college degree itself, such as job prospects and the financial burden of expensive college tuition. The financial aid process can be daunting for first-time college students, where tuition can climb upwards of $70,000 per year at many private institutions and even more in some instances. Many students may be deciding to re-think college all together and go straight into the workforce in order to avoid the debt burden altogether of financial aid. It remains to be seen if this trend will continue into the future or if it will be reversed.
