Weekly News Round-Up for November 9th

posted by: Melissa | November 09, 2018, 06:50 PM

Each week, KANAAE brings its members a round-up of what’s happening in education. From big, eye-catching headlines to the stories most papers overlook, we find the news our members really want to see. This week, election results, teacher – student fights, Halloween costumes and more!

Election Results: In case you hadn’t heard, there was a major election this week and in many places, education was on the ballot. The election saw a record number of teachers running for office. In most places, they fell short of a win but in Connecticut, former National Teacher of the Year Jehanna Hayes was elected to Congress. At the state level, many states were electing superintendents and many candidates in governors’ races made education a top issue. Notably in Wisconsin, the governor’s race was run by State Superintendent Tony Evers over current governor and education reformer Scott Walker, while Illinois elected a supporter of early childhood education who promptly filled his transition team with educators. Ballot measures also focused on education. South Carolina chose to keep electing their state superintendent, Utah and Colorado both rejected more education funding, and Arizona blocked the expansion of school vouchers.

California Music Teacher Punches Student: Last Friday, a cellphone video emerged showing a fight between a teacher and a student. The fight allegedly started when the teacher reprimanded the student for being out of uniform and escalated when the student used a racial slur towards the teacher. The fall out was predictable with the teacher being arrested on charges of child abuse, however students and the public were quick to leap to the teacher’s defense. A GoFundMe account to help pay for the teacher’s legal defense raised over $150 thousand. In an apparent mirror of this event, a teacher in Baltimore was punched by a student when she attempted to break up a fight. Again, public support seems to be on the side of the teacher.

Idaho Teachers Cause Controversy with Halloween Costumes: Teachers in Middleton, Idaho are under investigation this week after they dressed up as Latino caricatures and as a border wall that said “Make America Great Again” for Halloween. The school is about 13 percent Hispanic and the school’s principal was quick to apologize in the face of public pressure. The teachers involved were placed on paid leave during the investigation. While most of the public seems to decry the actions of the teachers, there are some who are defending the teachers and say the pictures are being pulled out of context.

Happening Elsewhere:

Houston-area teacher dies after apparent suicide in school classroom

Aide: Lee ‘misspoke’ when characterizing Tennessee schools as bottom of the nation

New MA law promotes civics education in public schools

Malfunctioning heater sparked reports of active shooter at North Carolina high school

DeVos: Technology enables educators to 'rethink' school

Civics lessons: Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch on promoting education in citizenship

Instagram may offer School Stories to create safe space for kids

Utah plans to punish school districts that charge high pay-to-play fees

Board discusses methods to save northern R.I. collaborative

Texas may have again illegally reduced special education funding

Charter school teacher's unions vote to authorize strike