Education
More Missourians dissatisfied with public education, latest poll shows
A recent survey found growing displeasure with Missouri schools. A majority of respondents — 56% — rated their local schools as only fair or poor, and 71% said that about public schools generally in the state, according to SLU You/Gov poll results released last week. More of the voters surveyed also said that charter schools […]
Commission recommends more leadership opportunities for Missouri teachers
Statewide teacher development programs could curb educator burnout, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s blue ribbon commission concluded in its latest set of recommendations. The commission, which is studying teacher recruitment and retention, presented its recommendations to the State Board of Education for review last week after speaking to teachers, administrators and community […]
Here’s what to know about new federal policies for repaying student loans
WASHINGTON — Following the Supreme Court’s summer ruling against 40 million federal student loan borrowers who would have qualified for debt relief, the Biden administration crafted a year-long delay in repayments. The policy, known as an on-ramp, is set to begin next month. Additionally, hours after the Supreme Court’s decision, the Department of Education unveiled […]
Enforcement unclear as Missouri approaches transgender athlete restrictions
Students are returning to the classroom around Missouri this week, and new laws go into effect Monday. But state officials are still not clear on how they will enforce restrictions on transgender athletes – one of the most controversial new laws approved by Missouri legislators this year. Neither the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education […]
Nearly half the states now allow in-state tuition for immigrant students
When Cristian Dubon Solis was getting ready to graduate from a Boston high school in 2020, he started planning to apply to college. It was only then he realized that as an immigrant lacking permanent legal status, he wouldn’t qualify for in-state tuition at Massachusetts state universities, nor for state-sponsored financial aid. With no way to […]
Missouri education board approves ‘innovation waivers’ for districts to opt out of state tests
The Missouri State Board of Education unanimously approved an exemption for 19 districts and one charter school to measure student achievement using alternative assessments instead of the state’s prescribed methods. Students in these districts will begin to see changes this fall as districts in the Success Ready Students Network implement their plan. “Progress monitoring during […]
Parents can face jail time over unexcused school absences, Missouri Supreme Court rules
The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the convictions of two single mothers who were charged with violating the state’s compulsory attendance law after their children missed school without a documented illness. Oral arguments in May focused on what “regular attendance” means and whether the state law was too vague. Ellen Flottman, a public defender […]
Biden administration provides guidance on diversity in college admissions
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice and Department of Education jointly released guidance on Monday to colleges and universities about how to consider race in admissions decisions, following the Supreme Court’s summer decision that struck down affirmative action in higher education. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, on a call with reporters, said higher education institutions can continue to participate in […]
20 Missouri school districts seek ‘innovation waivers’ to move away from state tests
A network of 20 Missouri school districts is asking the state to implement a more responsive assessment system in order to personalize student learning. The state Board of Education is considering the districts’ proposal to change testing at its Aug. 15 meeting. If approved, it would be the inception of a shift in Missouri’s education […]
Missouri colleges say their undergraduate admissions never used affirmative action
Missouri’s public universities told state lawmakers Thursday that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling ending affirmative action won’t affect their undergraduate admissions. The June 29 ruling decreed that colleges can’t consider race when deciding if to admit a student. Missouri’s Joint Committee on Education, led by last year’s chair Rep. Doug Richey, held a discussion […]
Students blocked from campus when COVID hit want money back. Some are getting refunds
Thousands of college students will get hundreds of dollars in compensation as colleges and universities move this summer to settle multimillion-dollar lawsuits stemming from canceled classes and activities during COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. While some of the class-action suits against the colleges and universities are still in litigation, and still others dismissed, several major cases have […]
St. Louis schools face one of the steepest post-pandemic climbs anywhere
When she enrolled her fourth grader at a St. Louis public school last fall, Krystal Barnett knew she was doing something that has become increasingly rare. Abandoned by thousands of families and dogged by a well-earned reputation for poor performance, the local school system shrank over the past few decades to a fraction of its […]