Ohio toxic train derailment upends school baseball, track
As spring sports get underway at East Palestine High School in Ohio, organizers are trying to create normalcy for student-athletes while cleanup from the February train derailment and toxic chemical burn continues just over a mile away.
In Texas Senate hearing, education savings accounts raise questions about accountability and impact on public schools
More than 380 supporters and opponents signed up Wednesday to testify on the proposal, which would allow parents to use state funds to send their children to private schools.
Miami Beach struggles with spring break violence, big crowds
For the third year in a row, Miami Beach finds itself struggling with spring break violence, including two fatal shootings and unruly crowds, despite a massive police presence and activities designed to give people alternatives to drinking and roaming the streets.
Houston Newsmakers: Congressman Al Green on HISD Takeover and concerns about removal of elected officials
Following the announcement of the Texas Education Agencyโs planned state takeover of Houston Independent School District, host Khambrel Marshall sits down with Congressman Al Green to discuss the takeover, banking stability, and calling to embrace what he calls the โConscience Agendaโ to honor those who were formerly enslaved.
Houston ISD families blast the stateโs takeover of the district as an intervention that wonโt improve student learning
Parents and students of the Houston Independent School District decried the stateโs decision to take control of the school system. Despite the news, many questions remain about how it would affect them.
KPRC 2 Senior Scholarship: Cypress Ridge HS senior Yannick Mofor, plans to study medicine in college in hopes of improving healthcare around the world
The eighth $2,500 scholarship winner of the year is Reece Simmons-Miller, who is currently a senior at Cy-Fair High School located in the Cy-Fair Independent School District.
Iowa athletics department to cover full race bias settlement
The University of Iowa's president says a race discrimination lawsuit filed against the University of Iowa by former football players will be settled using funds entirely from the school instead of having taxpayer money cover half of the $4.2 million deal.
Houston Newsmakers: Fort Bend ISD asking for $1.2B, Women of Color Conference hopes to change dismal statistics, and AI ready to take millions of jobs
Voters in Fort Bend County will be asked to approve a $1.2 billion bond issue in May. Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Christie Whitbeck, Ph.D. says there is much to be done that parents and residents need to know about.
Former CPS administrator named new Archdiocese of Chicago schools leader
A former Chicago Public Schools administrator who founded the cityโs charter school program will take the helm next month as the new superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Chicago, church officials said Monday.
chicagotribune.comA home for Charis; dog gets party and adopted after year at Humane Society
May 16โA female dog named Charis recently received a special treat marking her one-year anniversary at the Effingham County Humane Society. But Charis had something else to bark about. She was going to be picked up later by her newly adopted family. Charis was a little feisty at her party. There were quite a few new faces she had never seen before, according to ECHS Adoption Coordinator Angie ...
news.yahoo.comItalian judge accused of arms trafficking after police discover huge cache of weapons
An Italian judge accused of taking bribes to free mobsters from prison is at the centre of an arms trafficking investigation after allegedly amassing a huge arsenal of illegal military-grade weapons. A new arrest warrant was issued for Giuseppe De Benedictis, after police discovered one of the largest private stashes of weapons ever confiscated in Italy. The Bari judge was already facing corruption charges after police bugged gangsters bragging about buying him for 30,000 euros. It comes as Italy reckons with the ongoing influence of organised crime in a mafia "super-trial," in which more than 350 alleged mobsters and their collaborators will face justice. It is the biggest mafia trial since the 1980s. The arsenal was hidden beneath a rural farmhouse among the olive and almond groves north of Bari. When police lifted the cellar's heavy iron lid, which had been soldered shut, they discovered nearly 200 different weapons, including Kalashnikovs, AR15s, UZI, Socimi and Beretta machine guns, pump action shotguns, CZ and other semi-automatic pistols, hand grenades, 100,000 rounds of ammunition, and even an anti-tank mine. Anti-mafia authorities are now investigating whether some military equipment may have been stolen from the Italian army to be sold on the black market. Prosecutors believe Mr De Benedictis and an Italian army officer may have been helping organised crime gangs move illegal arms through the port city of Bari, but the ex-judge maintains the collection was just a side hobby. A known, passionate collector of rare and antique guns, he reportedly firsty told authorities he had dumped any questionable weapons into the Adriatic Sea, but police continued to search for the cache, following leads from wiretapped conversations. According to Lecce prosecutors and the 40-page arrest warrant issued by Investigating Magistrate Guilia Proto, Mr De Benedictis had wiretapped conversations with an Italian Army official in Bari, Corporal Major Antonio Serafino, about how to procure arms and where to hide them. Corporal Major Serafino worked at the passport office of the Italian Armed Forces Mechanised Brigade โPineroloโ in Bari. The brigade has infantry, cavalry and artillery regiments with access to howitzers and other arms. According to court documents, police bugged his car, and the hidden microphone picked up the sound of machine gun fire from Serafinoโs balcony in a Bari suburb on New Yearโs Eve, as he and Mr De Benedictis tested out some of their weapons. The same bugs picked up conversations between the judge and the army officer debating about whether and how to move the cache of weapons from the โwellโ in a rural location. The well turned out to be an underground storage cellar in an outbuilding of a farmhouse near the village of Andria. The arrest warrant issued this week charged the farmhouse owner, Corporal Major Serafino and Mr De Bendictis with illegal arms dealing. It referred to them as โauthentic traffickers of weapons of warโ which they deny. Prosecutors are in the process of verifying the provenance of the arms to determine if they may have been the property of the Italian Army, and if so, what other public officials might have been complicit in aiding their disappearance.
news.yahoo.comTough words, little drama, familiar champ in virtual bee
The upstart ex-spellers who launched an online spelling bee to fill the void left by the canceled Scripps National Spelling Bee had little trouble running an efficient, and sufficiently challenging, competition. When the two other remaining spellers misspelled words back to back before his turn, victory in the closest thing to a national spelling bee in this pandemic-disrupted year was his for the taking. The National Spelling Bee has always been limited to kids in middle and elementary schools, which means Navneeth and six other finalists in the SpellPundit bee will be too old to compete next year. This was also the end of the line for Simone Kaplan, the charismatic runner-up in last year's unusual Scripps bee, which ended in an eight-way tie for first place. Nidhi Achanta, who tied for second in the SpellPundit bee, is also in eighth grade, but the other runner-up, Harini Logan, is a poised sixth-grader who ought to be formidable when the Scripps bee returns.
DeVos defends policy boosting virus aid for private schools
The policy has drawn backlash from Democrats and state education leaders who say it reroutes money from needy public schools to wealthier private ones. The legislation tells states to divide the funding among public schools based on the number and share of low-income students they teach. It also tells public schools to use a portion of the money to provide services, such as busing or tutoring, to students who attend local private schools. On April 30, however, DeVos issued new guidance telling public schools to divide the coronavirus aid based on the total number of students at local private schools, not just low-income ones. In the state's Orleans Parish, at least 77% of its relief allotment would end up going to private schools.
Fort Bend ISD to hold in-person high school graduations in June
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions:Yes, in order to maximize social distancing, the district says the ceremonies will be ticketed events, and guests will be limited to four tickets per graduate. Fort Bend ISD says they will not grant requests for additional tickets to the 2020 Graduation ceremonies. The district said ceremonies will also be available to view on Fort Bend ISDs Youtube channel a couple of days following the ceremony. Makeup SlotMonday, June 8, 20208 a.m. Makeup Slot
For trade students, online classes can't replicate hands-on
But unlike students at traditional colleges, their learning can't easily translate into Zoom courses, they learn through hands-on demonstrations. But unlike many, she cant finish her classes online her cosmetology program, like the coursework at many technical and trade schools, requires hands-on training. Those specialized skills, known as career and technical education, require hands-on learning. About 8.4 million students are seeking postsecondary certificates and associate degrees in career and technical education fields, according to the Association for Career and Technical Education. Ferguson was heading into a hands-on area of instruction when schools began to close and shift to online learning.
Loughlin, Giannulli plead in college scam but await fate
Under their proposed deals, Loughlin, 55, hopes to spend two months in prison and Giannulli, 56, is seeking to serve five months. Loughlin and Giannulli were among dozens of wealthy parents, athletic coaches and others charged last year in the bribery scheme. Prosecutors say they funneled money through a sham charity operated by college admissions consultant Rick Singer, who has pleaded guilty to orchestrating the scheme. Loughlin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Giannulli pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud.
Colleges plan fall opening, but campuses wont look the same
And at some smaller schools, students may be barred from leaving campus. At West Virginia University, President E. Gordon Gee said students dont want to wait for a vaccine, and the school cant afford to. Some plan to make decisions this summer, including Princeton University, where officials say it's too soon to make a call. At many schools, students who test positive would be placed in dorm rooms reserved as quarantine space. Some research universities say they have the lab equipment to analyze virus tests, but not enough swabs and testing chemicals.
Loughlin, Giannulli to serve prison time for college scam
Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, are scheduled to plead guilty Friday via video conference before a federal judge in Boston, who must approve the deal. They agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud in a plea agreement filed in Bostons federal court. Giannulli will also plead guilty to a charge of honest services wire and mail fraud, prosecutors said. Simon said the couple's lawyers may think that Loughlin and Giannulli have a chance of avoiding prison altogether and serving their punishments at home because of the coronavirus pandemic. Loughlin and Giannulli were among 50 people arrested last year in the case dubbed Operation Varsity Blues that rocked the word of higher education.
Top educator taught Kansas preschoolers alongside retirees
\In this Nov. 8, 2019 photo,Tabatha Rosproy, 2020 National Teacher of the Year, is shown with her pre-school students in Winfield, Kansas. The Winfield school district in which Rosproy teaches established the early childhood program two years ago inside Cumbernauld Village, a retirement community and nursing home that sits on 44 acres (17.8 hectares) in south-central Kansas. With thousands of COVID-19 nursing home deaths around the world, Cumbernauld Village also began restricting visitors. Not only was it a fun thing to have and a happy thing, but they felt they were making a difference in childrens lives, said Linda Voth, executive director of Cumbernauld Village. But amid the coronavirus, Rosproy plans to take advantage of digital platforms and media appearances to continue that same work.
Cuomo: Summer school in New York state will be online
(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK Summer school students will not be reporting to the classroom. New York City will deliver 1 million meals a day to fight hunger during the outbreak. Two young boys and an 18-year-old woman diagnosed with the syndrome have died in New York state. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday said instruction in the citys public schools will be online this summer. The total number of people hospitalized has been slowly declining statewide since mid-April, driven largely by lower numbers in New York City and the downstate region.
Pomp and masks: Graduations draw thousands despite pandemic
School officials in Hoover announced the ceremonies in the city's open-air baseball stadium, after Gov. As a precaution, the graduates are being given face masks and told not to hug friends, exchange high fives or linger afterward. The Spain Park graduates, in their black robes and masks, spread out in chairs across the baseball infield. Another 690 will graduate Thursday from Hoover High, so some 3,450 people could be inside Hoover Metropolitan Stadium then. But parents pleased their children could have a traditional graduation flooded the school's social media feeds with thanks to school officials.
Cambridge University scraps in-person lectures for 2020-2021
LONDON Cambridge has become the first university in Britain to cancel all face-to-face lectures for the 2020-21 academic year because of the coronavirus pandemic, after 800 years of welcoming students to its cloisters, quadrangles and classrooms. Cambridge said late Tuesday that all lectures will be held virtually and streamed online until summer 2021. Cambridge sent students home and moved all its teaching online in March as the U.K. went into lockdown, and exams are being held remotely. California State University announced last week that it will hold a virtual fall semester and keep classrooms closed, becoming the first major U.S. college to cancel lectures for the fall. The University of Manchester said it has moved all lectures online for the fall term, but still expects students to move into its halls of residence.
UK pledges June 1 rollout of contact-tracing amid criticism
In this handout photo provided by UK Parliament, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London, Wednesday, May 13, 2020. Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the contact-tracing pledge after more criticism of his government's failure to have a national system in place over the past 10 weeks. Being able to track contacts is considered a central plank of the government's plan to ease further lockdown restrictions. Johnson said there will be 25,000 trackers in place, able to trace the contacts of 10,000 new cases a day. Tommy Sheppard of the Scottish National Party went further, charging Rees-Mogg with being reckless, cavalier and downright dangerous."
HISD launching curbside summer meals program for students on June 1
HOUSTON As the school year comes to a close, Houston ISD is transitioning to a curbside summer meals program for students. Children are not required to be present, but the driver must show proof of enrollment in any school district (report card, student id, etc.) By modifying our traditional summer meals program, we can continue to feed our students in a safe way.Mandated by the state, the transition to the summer meals program marks the end of the districts community feeding efforts, held in partnership with the Houston Food Bank. For a list of current weekday community distribution sites, visit www.HoustonISD.org/HealthAlerts. For more information on the summer meals program and to see a map of food distribution sites, please visit houstonisd.org/summermeals.
Fear of the future: Class of 2020 enters a world in crisis
For the Class of 2020, the future looks grim. And the benefits are so good.Mere months ago, the graduates of the Class of 2020 seemed all but assured of success. For working-class students who defied the odds to get a college education, its hard to be optimistic about the future. Historically, college graduates entering the work force during a recession have faced setbacks that can last a decade or longer. Whether the Class of 2020 will face long-term setbacks depends on the severity of the recession and the speed of economic recovery, he said.
Spring ISD Early College Academy named a 2020 Best High School by U.S. News & World Report
Spring ISD Early College Academy at Southridge has been named a 2020 Best High School, according to rankings published by U.S. News & World Report. Early College Academy ranks 305th nationwide and is considered one of the top 50 high schools in Texas, and ranks 14th in the Houston region. According to Spring ISD, this is the schools fifth year making the Best High Schools list since opening in 2011. Spring ISD Early College Academy at Southridge has been named a 2020 Best High School, according to rankings published by U.S. News & World Report. At Early College Academy the total minority enrollment is 87%, and 60% of students are economically disadvantaged, the publication reports.
Historically black colleges work to help students amid virus
In this Tuesday, May 5, 2020, photo, Morehouse College senior Lanarion "LTL" Norwood Jr., of Atlanta, works on his computer in a hotel room in Atlanta. Then Bennett, a small historically black womens college in North Carolina, saw Johnsons potential and offered her a full scholarship. HBCUs have the added challenge of educating a large population of low-income and first-generation students who now need more help than ever. Morehouse College President David Thomas said after the last recession enrollment at the all-men's school in Atlanta dropped from about 2,800 to 2,100. It was kind of magical when I first stepped onto the Morehouse campus, Norwood said.
Lathan: All HISD graduations will be virtual; several education options being considered for next year
HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan provided updates on plans for this years graduation and what is being considered for the 2020-2021 school year. GraduationAll 45 HISD graduation ceremonies this year will be held virtually on June 14, Lathan said. Summer schoolLathan said summer school will be held virtually this year, starting June 8. She also encouraged parents and students to take advantage of summer enrichment programs that will be available this year. Lathan said officials are still trying to determine how things like attendance and academic performance will be tracked if virtual classrooms are necessary next year.
Some US schools are pulling the plug on distance learning
The small district in rural Georgia is among many around the U.S. that have pulled the plug on distance learning, all citing familiar reasons. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)CUSSETA, Ga. After the Chattahoochee County school district called an early end to the school year, seniors lined up one day last week to complete their graduation paperwork. Honestly, remote learning, I dont think was my favorite thing, said 18-year-old Isabella Branson. We didnt cut any class time out, Chattahoochee County High School Principal Josh Kemp said. But Chattahoochee County Superintendent Kristi Brooks was already trying to think about the next school year, despite uncertainty on whether in-person classes will resume.