Education Headlines

‘I love it’: How a ‘Log-Off Lunch’ helps high schoolers break away from phones

A stack of cell phones, headphones, and airpods are stacked on a table of students at Two Rivers High School on March 19 in Mendota Heights. who signed up to give up cell phone use during lunch in the school’s cafeteria. Tables marked by orange cones indicate the students have agreed to give up their phones. All students who participate in the Log Off Lunch Challenge are entered in a raffle to receive free pizza the following Wednesday.

Judy Griesedieck | MPR News

The nominee is ready to dismantle the Department of Education and steer federal funds away from public schools to pay for private school vouchers and tax cuts for the rich.

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Protect—don’t wreck—our children’s futures

As President Donald Trump and Elon Musk swing a wrecking ball at the U.S. Department of Education, I’m wondering if it’s due to a lack of understanding of the department’s vital functions, or because funding tax cuts for the wealthy is more important to them than building our future, or because they simply don’t care about the collateral damage to our students, public schools and country. As a civics teacher, I want to use this teachable moment to describe what the Education Department does (and doesn’t do)—and what’s at risk if Trump and Musk succeed. Read the full article here.

Minnesota voters overwhelmingly support students’ freedom to learn in school board races

ST. PAUL, Minnesota. Nov. 8, 2023 – Minnesota voters overwhelmingly elected school board candidates on Tuesday who rejected book bans and supported students’ freedom to learn in safe, welcoming public schools. https://educationminnesota.org/news/press-release/minnesota-voters-support-freedom-to-learn-in-school-board-races/

Public education shouldn’t be at the mercy of politics. But the reality is, elected officials are constantly weighing policies on testing, standards and funding that affect our schools, children and educators every day. www.edmnvotes.org