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Sixty-five percent of the eighth graders in American public schools in 2017 were not proficient in reading and 67 percent were not proficient in mathematics, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress test results released by the U.S. Department of Education. The results are far worse for students enrolled in some urban districts. Among the 27 large urban districts for which the Department of Education published 2017 NAEP test scores, the Detroit public schools had the lowest percentage of students who scored proficient or better in math and the lowest percentage who scored proficient or better in reading. Only...

Video. 2:02Upper West Side parents angrily rant against plan to bring more black kids to their schools

A state lawmaker from New York City has authored a bill that would end riflery, trap shooting and archery as a sport in public schools. Assemblywoman Linda B. Rosenthal, a Democrat who represents the 67th Assembly District in western Manhattan, introduced the bill on April 20. At this point, there is no co-sponsor for it in the state Senate. The bill, A10428, which was sent to the Assembly's Education Committee, would amend the state's Education Law and calls for the "prohibition of marksmanship and/or shooting programs in public schools" - a change that "shall take effect immediately."

Parents in Orange County, California may not opt their children out of lessons related to gender identity or sexual orientation, according to a memorandum written by the school district’s general counsel. “Parents who disagree with the instructional materials related to gender, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation may not excuse their children from this instruction,” read the memorandum from Ronald Wenkart to the Orange County Board of Education. A school district spokesman confirmed the authenticity of the memorandum sent to us by a parent.

A soon-to-be-released updated edition of an Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History textbook teaches students that white Christian Americans are finding it “difficult to adjust” to becoming a minority and puts forward the perception that President Donald Trump’s election occurred because his apparent “racism connected with a significant number of primary voters.” James Fraser’s By the People: A History of the United States, 2ndEdition, is published by Pearson and has a 2019 copyright date. Alex Clark – co-host of the Indiana-based morning radio Joe and Alex Show– tweeted photos of the cover and several pages of the book that she reports...

FULL TITLE: Texas teacher reveals how 'rude parents, disruptive children and poor pay' have forced her to quit her job in viral post - as she shares photos of classroom items 'destroyed' by her students A teacher has slammed her 'disruptive' students and their 'rude' parents over their lack of respect for her 'poorly paid' profession in a Facebook rant that's gone viral. Julie Marburger, who works at the Rockwall Independent School District in Texas, said she had been pushed to quit her role as she feels as though she has 'no way to do the job I was hired...

Still recovering from Hurricane Maria’s wallop, Puerto Rico residents took another hit Friday as they began to learn that their government is shutting down about a quarter of their children’s schools at the end of the year. The news reached Haydee Del Valle when her son, 12-year-old Nataniel Montañez, arrived home from the Escuela Mercedes Palma, a 1st through 8th grade school in Caguas, Puerto Rico. “They’re closing the school down,” he blurted out just after Del Valle had taken a call from an NBC News reporter.

When 450 students arrived at Anacostia High School in the District of Columbia's southeast neighborhood on April 4, they found that few of the sinks or toilets were functioning and the cafeteria was flooded. They were advised by the Department of General Services to use the facilities at a middle school two blocks away until repairs could be completed. Exasperated teachers organized an impromptu hour-long walkout to protest, which is why this particular dysfunction made the news. A casual reader might note the plumbing fiasco and chalk it up to neglect of poor students and poor neighborhoods. That is the...

“The program, in sum, not only builds physical fitness, but good Americans.” That’s how Look magazine summarized the physical education program of La Sierra High School in January 1962 [PDF]. If you’re wondering how a gym class got a major spread in a national publication—as well as an endorsement from President John F. Kennedy—take a look at this.

**SNIP** At the same time, the fourth generation law enforcement officer with 23 years experience carries a badge and a gun. "My mindset is first and foremost the safety of these children," he said. Dare County is one of just four districts among North Carolina's 115 to have a resource officer in every school, said Michael Anderson, community development and training manager for the N.C. Center for Safer Schools, part of the state's Department of Public Instruction. Expense, district size and lack of resources often prevent placing officers in elementary schools, he said.

Middle school students were assigned to write letters to congress promoting gun control Hampton, GA – A 7th Grade social studies teacher tasked with teaching his students about Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, recently gave his students an assignment to write a letter to Congress supporting gun control. Blue Lives Matter obtained a copy of the assignment. The assignment “topic” was listed as “You are trying to persuade lawmakers to have stricter gun laws to help prevent another school shooting from taking place.” “For this assignment, you are writing a letter to the lawmakers of the United States. The...

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GORHAM — A social studies teacher remains on paid administrative leave but will not face criminal charges in connection with a classroom skit at Gorham Middle-High School in which he gave a knife to a student. The announcement by Gorham Police Chief P.J. Cyr on Wednesday was criticized by Robert Balon, the father of the 17-year old GMHS junior. Balon said his son had unwittingly and reluctantly participated in the March 14 skit, the aim of which was to educate students about the Fourth Amendment. “Chief Cyr is not fulfilling his duty and is failing the kids in the schools,”...

The Trump administration plans this summer to scrap a controversial Obama-era discipline rule forced on schools to close racial gaps in suspensions and arrests but that critics say pressures educators to turn a blind eye to escalating bad behavior. The federal directive, issued jointly in 2014 by the US departments of Education and Justice, warned public school districts receiving federal funding — including New York City — that they could face investigation and funding cuts if they fail to reduce statistical “disparities” in discipline by race. On average, the administration noted, black students are suspended at three times the rate...

There have been numerous reports of students being bullied, pushed to participate in anti-Second Amendment protests they did not believe in, and of being punished for speaking out.  The Second Amendment Foundation today announced a project to help students who have been harassed, intimidated or bullied for resisting peer pressure to join the wave of protests against guns and the right to keep and bear arms. "A student's First Amendment rights should not be violated because they support the Second Amendment," said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. "There have been several reports over the past...

Jihad scammers rightfully tossed out of court. You remember “Clockmed,” aka Ahmed Mohamed. Mohamed took apart an LCD digital clock and stuck it in a box. What he put together resembled a homemade bomb. Even though he admitted it looked “suspicious,” Ahmed brought it to school. When teachers and school administration officials became concerned for the safety of the students, they walked into Clockmed’s trap. Ahmed played the Islamofauxbia victim to the hilt. Lauded by President Obama, the Pope, 97 world leaders, the UN, hailed by NYC Mayor Bill deBlasio, who declared “Ahmed Day,” he became an enemedia icon and...

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Last week they protested gun violence. This week, Rocklin High School students are using social media to organize a pro-life walkout using the hashtag #life. “To honor all the lives of aborted babies pretty much. All the millions of aborted babies every year,” said organizer Brandon Gillespie. He says his history teacher inspired the idea. As thousands of students across the country walked out of class demanding strict gun laws, in honor of the Parkland shooting victims, Benzel was placed on paid administrative leave when she asked students to consider whether there’s a double standard in the...

The Trump administration is being accused of racism for targeting an Obama-era directive compelling schools to ease up on discipline for minority students — even though the policy has made life more difficult for kids, including minorities, stuck in increasingly unruly classrooms. Ask Virginia Walden Ford, who runs a church-based after-school snack program in Little Rock. She was recently surprised when a young, fearful black girl turned up before the end of the school day and admitted she had skipped class. Why? She had been involved in a fight the day before with another girl, but the school had refused...

Julianne Benzel, a teacher at Rocklin High School, asked students if school administrators would permit an anti-abortion protest, gets placed on administrative leave as a consequence A California high school teacher has been placed on leave after she wondered if her school would permit an organized walkout to protest abortion. According to CBS Sacramento, Rocklin High School’s Julianne Benzel said all she did was have a conversation with her class last Thursday and Friday about the “politics of protest” — a lesson ahead of yesterday’s school walkouts. However, this seems to have angered some students and their parents. Benzel said...

Disarming willing and qualified teachers and other school staff is stupid. There has been a lot of talk about “arming teachers” recently, but that's really never been the issue. The real issue is about disarming teachers who would like to be carrying. Like any other controversial subject, any discussion of school safety must begin with some agreement on basic facts and mutual understanding of terms and definitions.We can't come to a consensus on solutions if we can't agree on what the words we are saying actually mean. When gun owners and politicians talk about “arming teachers,” we are not...