This is the first academic year when districts in Washington are required to teach a stand-alone civics education course, not just something embedded in existing social studies classes. It’s the result of a bill approved by legislators three years ago. Read More
Ever since the pandemic closed the nation's schools in March 2020, there has been no official national source for understanding where schools have reopened, how many hours of live instruction students are getting online and just how unequal the access to learning has been over the past 11 months. Read More
Public schools with Native American-themed mascots and logos would need to find new team names under a proposal that drew supportive testimony to the Washington Legislature on Friday. The pending phase-out bill hews closely to an earlier, hard-fought policy in Oregon to change names and mascots. Read More
News reports and social media feeds have been crowded lately with demands by teachers in Seattle and elsewhere around the state and the country to be vaccinated before they step from behind the computer screen and back into the classroom. Vaccine availability is something not even the governor can guarantee, but teachers are in one of the groups in line for vaccination in Read More
On Wednesday, lawmakers will have some tough questions for Miguel Cardona, President Biden's nominee to be the next U.S. education secretary. The Connecticut educator will no doubt have to navigate the choppy policy waters of school choice, how to close opportunity gaps and, most critically, how he would help schools reopen as the pandemic rages. Read More
If you've been riding an emotional, politics-fueled rollercoaster in 2021 (not to mention 2020), believe us: Your kids have noticed. Here's a quick primer from Life Kit on how to talk with your kids about politics — and, even get them thinking about civics. Continue Read More
As school districts across the state scramble to transition their classrooms safely from the online world back to the real world, they may benefit from the advice of the dozens of Washington districts that welcomed students back into their halls this past fall. Read More
Idaho’s teachers and school staff serving students in grades pre-K through 12th are cleared to start receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Brad Little and public health officials announced Tuesday afternoon. Continue Reading Idaho K-12 Read More
Since the beginning of this pandemic, experts and educators have feared that open schools would spread the coronavirus further, which is why so many classrooms remain closed. But a new, nationwide study suggests reopening schools may be safer than previously thought, at least in communities where the virus is not already spreading out of control. Read More
Rachel Jameton struggled as a new teacher at Lewis Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. Her colleague, Jane Finan, co-taught biology with her. The two talk about mentorship and how disappointing a teacher can be transformative for a student, in this episode of StoryCorps Northwest, recorded virtually. Read More
Some school districts are reporting a higher level of failing grades this fall. A report from the consultant McKinsey & Company estimated that students were three months behind in math when they started the school year. And another study said learning losses were minimal, but left out many students from the analysis. Read More
Idaho’s colleges and universities logged more than 5,400 coronavirus cases during a turbulent fall semester. All 11 public and private colleges and universities managed to maintain some form of face-to-face learning during the semester — but not without problems: Read More
Case numbers have shot up lately in rural America, which skews older and tends to have huge inequality gaps in health care. But there's still resistance in places such as Bruneau, Idaho, which has a population of 500. Here, there's also a pervasive sense in the community that kids need to be physically in classrooms for their education and well-being yet stiff opposition Read More
Students aren’t seeing much of an effect, at least not yet. But by spring, they could start tapping into internships and apprenticeships at the University of Idaho, Boise State University and Idaho State University. Continue Reading Read More
The pandemic put a spotlight on health care workers and inspired many to pursue a career in medicine. The record number of applicants comes as the U.S. faces a projected shortage of physicians. Continue Reading ‘Fauci Effect’ Drives Read More
Congress hit pause on federal student loan payments in the CARES Act. The latest extension of this relief will last until after President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Continue Reading Education Department Extends Student Loan Payment Freeze Read More
A new report offers the clearest picture yet of pandemic learning loss among U.S. students. But researchers warn that many of the nation's most vulnerable children aren't represented in the new data. Continue Reading New Report Read More
On Tuesday, Boise State will host a national digital summit for Project Launchpad — an effort to support students who are struggling during the pandemic. Continue Reading National Summit Hosted By Idaho University Read More
This year Thanksgiving comes as chronically under-resourced Native populations are contracting COVID-19 at record rates. In August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Native Americans are 3.5 times more likely to get COVID-19 than white people. Read More
Education, a cornerstone of society, turned upside down by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Continue Reading The Impact of Coronavirus on Education – A Dual PerspectiveRead More
The panel of judges upheld a federal district court's decision from last year, teeing up a possible case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Continue Reading Appeals Court Rules Harvard Doesn’t Discriminate Against Asian Read More
In 1960, she braved death threats and racial epithets to accompany her daughter to the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, desegregating the school. Continue Reading Lucille Bridges, Mother Of Anti-Segregation Read More
Idaho public schools are serving 4,554 fewer students than they did last school year, marking the first time since 1997 that the state has seen a decline in enrollment. Continue Reading Idaho Public School Enrollment Read More
Budget cuts + rising pandemic costs + zero federal relief = a school funding crisis. Back in May, school funding experts predicted a looming financial disaster for the nation's K-12 schools. Continue Reading America’s School Read More
All told, the U of I reported fall enrollment of 10,791, a 9.5 percent decrease. But in a Tuesday news release, the university said the decrease was “reasonable,” given students’ reluctance to enroll or return to campus during the pandemic. The U of I reopened in August with a blend of face-to-face and online learning, and has continued face-to-face learning despite Read More
Like most colleges, the University of Idaho in Moscow is dealing with how to control rising coronavirus cases around campus. Recent cases connected to the University’s Greek system have made the school push for more testing. Unlike nearby Washington State University in Pullman, the UI has a hybrid in-person and virtual model this fall semester. Read More
The coronavirus pandemic and a controversial sex education mandate are casting a shadow over the race for Washington state education chief in the November election. Continue Reading COVID Response, Sex Education Read More
Coronavirus cases are rising at the University of Idaho, but face-to-face classes will continue. The University of Idaho reported another 116 new coronavirus cases on campus last week. The outbreak still seems to be centered on fraternity and sorority houses. Read More
Some Washington counties hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic are now looking toward the possibility of reopening schools for in-person classes. It’s thanks to metrics like hospital bed capacity and the virus incidence rate that continue to improve in Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties. Read More
Across the country as American schools struggle with whether to reopen or stay virtual, many rural districts are worried their students will fall even further behind than their city peers. Continue Reading In Internet Read More
Robert Norwood of Walla Walla went to a one-room school then joined the Navy on a whim. After service he enjoyed a rewarding career as a school counselor. He talked to his son, Mike, about his schooling experience for StoryCorps Northwest, recorded virtually. Read More
A federal judge says U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos overstepped in trying to send more CARES Act money to help students at private schools. Continue Reading Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Loses Latest Read More
It was common through the 1800s for American school children to attend a one-room schoolhouse. In 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the Swanson family in rural north Olympia will attend a one-garage schoolhouse. Continue Read More
Idaho Gov. Brad Little says individual school districts will decide whether to bring students back to the classroom this fall. But he says the expectation is that schools will not be closed for an extended period. Read More
Gov. Jay Inslee said Wednesday that schools in the majority of Washington’s counties should strongly consider online-only learning for students this fall due to COVID-19 and canceling or postponing sports and all other in-person extracurricular activities. In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little is urging schools to reopen where it's deemed safe. Read More
Spokane Superintendent Adam Swinyard says parents in his district can choose full-year distance learning or an option that allows for a transition to classroom learning, if that becomes possible later. Both would involve live instruction with teachers. For other districts, like Pullman, there's still an open question about what the fall term will look like, at least in the Read More
About a month after her divorce last year, Scott signed a pledge to donate the majority of her fortune in her lifetime. Now, the Seattle author, philanthropist and mother of four is providing a glimpse at how she will give her money away. Read More
In recent days, health officers in Snohomish and Thurston counties have recommended against reopening school buildings this fall. And some districts, including the Olympia district, have already announced they will stick with remote learning for now. Read More
The U.S. Supreme Court has put a halt to the Reclaim Idaho K-12 initiative drive. Thursday’s ruling represents a legal victory for Gov. Brad Little and Secretary of State Lawerence Denney, who requested a stay of a lower court ruling allowing Reclaim Idaho to gather online signatures for its “Invest in Idaho” initiative. Read More
Gov. Brad Little still wants to see Idaho schools reopen next month — but he’s not sure that can happen in the state’s coronavirus hotspots. “I think the answer is, it depends,” Little said during a news conference Thursday morning, one day after the state reported its highest one-day death toll from the coronavirus outbreak. Read More
Parents raised concerns about racism with the Lewiston School District board of directors last October, citing personal experiences and reports that students made a Nazi-salute before a football game, TV station KREM reported. Parents Christine Jorgens and Sarah Graham told the board that their children have experienced harassment, physical aggression and heard racial Read More
State And Governor Question Security Of Reclaim Idaho’s Signature Gathering For Education Initiative
It will be up to the Ninth Circuit to decide whether Reclaim Idaho can continue gathering online signatures in a final attempt to get its K-12 initiative on November’s ballot. Reclaim Idaho suspended face-to-face signature gathering on March 18 — a few days after the state reported its first cases of coronavirus. Read More
The 75-year-old author of more than 250 books for children — including The Magic School Bus series, which became a beloved staple of PBS' children's programming, died July 12. Continue Reading ‘The Magic School Bus’ Series Read More
Idaho Gov. Brad Little wants the U.S. Supreme Court to stop Reclaim Idaho from gathering signatures online, as the group tries to get its education funding initiative on November’s ballot. Continue Reading Idaho Read More
A federal judge announced on Tuesday that ICE has reached an agreement with schools that sued it over the rule change. The directive will now be rescinded nationwide. Continue Reading ICE Agrees To Rescind Policy Barring Read More
In a new statement made jointly with teachers unions, the American Academy of Pediatrics now says "science and community circumstances must guide decision-making." Continue Reading Nation’s Pediatricians Walk Back Support For In-Person Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is responding to President Donald Trump’s threat to penalize states that don’t reopen schools this fall. At a news conference Thursday, Inslee pushed back hard on the president and said the state won’t be bullied. Read More
With the first day of school less than six weeks away, the Idaho State Board of Education on Thursday unanimously adopted school reopening guidelines that set expectations for students to return to school in the fall. Continue Read More
Travis Bristol, an assistant professor of education at the University of California at Berkeley, explains how teacher training and the presence of Black teachers can help reshape education. Continue Reading Effective Anti-Racist Read More
New federal rules will prohibit international students from completing fully online courses of study while in the U.S. Monday's announcement comes as more colleges release their plans for the fall. Continue Reading ICE: Read More