Education
Family of student who inspired new anti-hazing law visits University of Missouri
The parents of Danny Santulli, a former University of Missouri student who was the victim of a fraternity hazing incident his freshman year, came back to Columbia as the Mizzou school year begins and Danny’s Law goes into effect. Mizzou’s Interfraternity Council held an event for fraternity representatives that included a screening of the first […]
Lawsuits challenge ‘deceptive’ summaries for Missouri public education ballot measures
Two initiative petition campaigns seeking constitutional protections for public education are suing Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins alleging he crafted “deceptive and prejudicial” summaries that will appear on the ballot. One campaign, called “the Missouri Right to Education Initiative,” hopes to amend the state constitution to declare education a “fundamental right.” The other, filed […]
Palestinian student group files suit over exclusion from University of Missouri homecoming parade
Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine filed a lawsuit Wednesday in federal court challenging its exclusion from last year’s Homecoming parade. The lawsuit was filed against University of Missouri System President Mun Choi. It claims he violated students’ First Amendment rights by barring the group from participating in the parade because of their views on […]
‘We are sweating’: Missouri kindergarten vaccination rates fall below immunity threshold
The percentage of kindergarten students in Missouri vaccinated against diseases like measles and whooping cough is dropping each year as more parents turn in non-medical exemptions prior to their child’s first day of school. Only 90% of Missouri kindergarten students were immunized against measles, mumps and rubella last year, according to the Missouri Department of […]
Cole County judge denies request to freeze Missouri private-school voucher payments
The Missouri State Treasurer’s Office can continue to subsidize private-school scholarships from a $51 million allotment of state revenue while a lawsuit challenging the fund’s constitutionality makes its way through the system, Cole County Circuit Court Judge Brian Stumpe ruled Monday morning. Stumpe rejected arguments by the Missouri branch of the National Education Association that […]
Missouri teachers union asks judge to freeze private-school-voucher payments
Attorneys for Missouri’s largest teacher’s union are hoping to stop tax dollars from pouring into the state’s voucher program, arguing in Cole County Circuit Court Thursday that payments should be paused until a judge rules on the legality of the program’s funding. The State Treasurer’s Office has already begun dipping into a $51 million appropriation […]
Missouri districts begin new school year with state-mandated cell-phone ban
Amidst a plethora of back-to-school reminders, Missouri public schools are making a special effort to inform parents about a new state law banning cell phones during the school day. The law, signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe in July, requires school districts to set a policy barring students from using mobile devices except for in emergencies […]
Audit finds Independence school board violated Missouri Sunshine Law
A state audit of the Independence School District found the board discussed the four-day school week and other topics during closed meetings, violating the Missouri Sunshine Law. The district also had problems with cash handling procedures and hadn’t created policies on retaining electronic records, the Aug. 18 audit report said. But overall, the audit “has […]
AmeriCorps is under siege. What happens in the communities it serves?
SILVER SPRING, Md. — Daniel Zare worked one-on-one as an AmeriCorps member with students going through rough times in school, lightening teachers’ workload in the classroom. At AmeriCorps Project CHANGE, based in Silver Spring’s Sligo Middle School, Zare was one of several in his group who tracked adolescents’ emotional and social wellbeing over months using […]
Trump’s DEI ban in K-12 schools, higher education ruled ‘unlawful’ by federal judge
WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Maryland has struck down the U.S. Education Department’s attempts to do away with diversity, equity and inclusion practices in schools. The Thursday ruling marks a blow to President Donald Trump’s administration as it continues to take significant strides to try to crack down on DEI efforts across the federal […]
Microschools are growing in popularity, but state regulations haven’t caught up
When Siri Fiske founded the Mysa Microschool in Washington, D.C., in 2016, there wasn’t a widely accepted term for her small, one-room schoolhouse model. Now, the school is referred to on its website as one of the first microschools in the nation, and Fiske has seen a growing microschool movement since the COVID-19 pandemic. In […]
Missouri educators await increase in starting teacher pay amid high turnover rates
Summertime may almost be over, but for teachers like Audra Day, the work has been nonstop. Day is a kindergarten teacher at Hillsboro Primary School during the academic year, but has spent her break as a summer school teacher and mentor while also preparing for the upcoming school year. She said one of the misconceptions […]