This past month, twenty policy analysts published reports about what occurred in the following states: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
ESSA Implementation
Louisiana: Clancy Ratliff posted Louisiana Department of Education Publishes Public Feedback on ESSA.
Virginia: In Virginia’s Transition to ESSA, Mabel Khawaja examined ESSA implementation through the lens of both K–12 and higher education.
Vermont: Anne Slonaker shared Vermont’s State Plan in response to ESSA.
Ohio: Robin Holland noted that Ohio’s ESSA Draft Plan (was) Now Available for Comments.
Readers may want to visit ESSA Implementation in the States to see what your state is doing.
Higher Education
Idaho: In 60X20 in Idaho: Update on Complete College Idaho, Karen Uehling noted the formation of a task force by the governor, the governor’s “adult complete” scholarships, and a proposed new community college.
Indiana: Katherine Wills described a dual credit program between a Fort Wayne high school and East Allen University that endeavors to ensure that refugee students have the same opportunities to succeed in college as their non-refugee classmates.
Washington: Amanda Espinosa-Aguilar shared concerns about dual enrollment.
Connecticut: Stephen Ferruci analyzed Proposed Legislation Regarding DREAMERs, Illegal Aliens, and Higher Education in CT with legislators proposing bills reflecting both sides of the debate.
Nebraska: Gretchen Oltman wrote about Governor Ricketts agreeing to cut only $13.3 million from the University of Nebraska’s current budget.
Georgia: Janice Walker shared that Senate Bill 79 would create a gaming commission, and a portion of revenue generated by casinos would be directed toward scholarships.
North Dakota: In Updated North Dakota 2017, Ronda Marman reported the following:
- The governor cut the North Dakota University System by 20%.
- A regulation proposing to reduce notice of termination to faculty from one year to 90 days generated a lot of comment.
- A new workforce report was released.
California: In his Report on Contingent Faculty in Higher Education, Dan Melzer wrote, “contingent faculty are now the majority of all faculty at U.S. colleges and universities.”
Kentucky: Mary P. Sheridan encouraged faculty and educators in Kentucky to look at the impact of charter schools as Kentucky decides whether to allow them.
Pre-K–12
Idaho: Darlene Dyer reported that the State Board of Education will oversee the evaluation process, and monies are to be allocated to train administrators and supervisors to conduct the evaluations.
Arkansas: Grover Welch shared that the Arkansas Senate Education Committee passed legislation that would exempt records of “security incidents, emergency planning and those that [can] ‘reasonably be expected to be detrimental to the public safety’” from FOIA.
Minnesota: Ezra Hyland posted a number of reports:
- More Minnesota teachers leaving jobs, new state report shows, a 46% increase of teachers leaving
- The 2017 Legislative Agenda focused on licensure, teacher lay-offs due to budget cuts, accountability, and school choice
- Teaching Tolerance Webinars
- Host an African American Read-In
New Jersey: Kristen Turner wrote that the New Jersey Board of Education rejected proposed amendments that would give charter schools “the authority to grant provisional and standard certificates.”
Pennsylvania: Aileen Hower shared two articles about the following:
- Pennsylvania first lady in Bristol Borough to discuss governor’s pre-K education funding plan;
- Secretary of Education made clear that there would be no changes regarding Common Core.
Pre-K–12 and Higher Education
Michigan: Leslie Roberts discusses the debate in Michigan regarding the retention of the Common Core.
South Dakota: Liza Hazlett posted 2016–2017 Raises for SD Educators Facing Discrepancies and Discord.