Texas Enacts $1 Billion School Voucher Program, Igniting Statewide Debate
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed into law a sweeping $1 billion school voucher program, marking one of the most significant shifts in the state’s education policy. The legislation, known as Senate Bill 2, establishes Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) that allocate public funds for private school tuition and other educational expenses. Under the new law, […]
Texas Faces Growing Teacher Shortage as Uncertified Educators Fill Classrooms
Texas public schools are grappling with a significant teacher shortage, leading to an increasing reliance on uncertified educators to fill classroom vacancies. Recent data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) reveals that of the more than 350,000 teachers currently employed in the state, 12% lack official certification, equating to approximately 42,000 individuals whose training backgrounds […]
Judge Orders New Mexico to Fix Education System Failing Native American Students
A New Mexico judge has mandated the development of a comprehensive plan to rectify longstanding educational disparities affecting Native American and other at-risk students in the state’s public schools. On April 29, 2025, State District Court Judge Matthew Wilson ordered the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) to collaborate with plaintiffs from the 2018 Yazzie-Martinez […]
Rio Rancho and CNM Launch Rio TECH to Prepare Students for Skilled Trades
Rio Rancho Public Schools and Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) have officially opened Rio TECH, a new career and technical education (CTE) high school designed to equip students with both a high school diploma and trade certifications. The 70,000-square-foot campus, located at 7001 Zenith Court in Rio Rancho, offers programs in welding, carpentry, HVAC, […]
New Mexico Expands Free Summer Reading Program to Boost Literacy Statewide
New Mexico is expanding its free Summer Reading Program this year, aiming to reach up to 15,000 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The initiative follows the success of last summer’s pilot, which saw over 9,000 participants improve their reading skills by nearly 5 percentage points on average. The program offers four weeks of structured […]
Executive Order Sets New Standards for U.S. Higher Education Accreditation
On April 23, 2025, the White House issued an executive order aimed at reforming how colleges and universities in the United States are accredited. The order introduces changes intended to improve accountability, ensure better student outcomes, and shift the focus of accreditation agencies toward measurable educational quality. Emphasis on Student Outcomes and Transparency The executive […]
Florida Teacher Fired for Using Student’s Chosen Name Without Parental Consent Under New State Law
A Florida high school teacher has lost her job after using a student’s chosen name without parental consent, marking the first known case under a 2023 state law that restricts such actions in public schools. Melissa Calhoun, an English teacher at Satellite High School in Brevard County, was informed that her contract would not be […]
Albuquerque Public Schools See Graduation Gains, But Gaps Persist for Native American and Low-Income Students
Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) reported a notable rise in graduation rates for the Class of 2024, achieving a 75.9% graduation rate—up 4.3 percentage points from the previous year. This improvement surpasses the state’s overall increase, as New Mexico’s public high schools saw a 1.3 percentage point rise, reaching a 78% graduation rate. Among APS high […]
Federal Government to Resume Collections on Defaulted Student Loans Starting May 5
The U.S. Department of Education will resume collections on defaulted federal student loans starting May 5, 2025, ending a pause that began in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This move affects over 5 million borrowers currently in default and another 4 million who are severely delinquent, meaning nearly a quarter of the federal student […]
ERIC Faces Major Cutbacks as Federal Funding Stalls
The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), a key repository of education research managed by the U.S. Department of Education, is facing significant operational changes due to funding constraints. Effective April 24, 2025, the number of actively cataloged sources in ERIC will be reduced by approximately 45%, decreasing from 1,200 to 700 titles. This reduction stems […]
