Weekly News Round-Up for April 13th

posted by: Melissa | April 13, 2018, 06:47 PM

Each week, KANAAE brings its members a round-up of what’s happening in education. From big, eye-catching headlines to the stories most papers overlook, we find the news our members really want to see. This week, the Oklahoma strike comes to an end, while protests elsewhere are racheting up, and the movement to arm teachers sees a number of new setbacks.

Oklahoma Teacher Strike Comes to an End: The Oklahoma Education Association announced an end to its strike on Thursday. The strike, which had taken place in the shadow of the protests in West Virginia, lasted for nearly two weeks. While the union made some gains, it failed to meet its original goals, disappointing some of its members. However, the public was beginning to tire of the continuing walkout and the state’s largest school district had called for teachers to return to classes. The state’s governor expressed pleasure that teachers were going to return to their students after hearing about the end of the protest.

Tensions continue in Kentucky, Arizona: Even as unions in Oklahoma walk away from the picket line tensions and protests continue in other states. Teachers in Arizona have been protesting low wages over the past few weeks. This week, the state’s governor announced a plan to give teachers a 20% pay raise; however, teachers remain skeptical of the proposal. Meanwhile in Kentucky, the governor and the union are butting heads over a new pension reform plan. Educators in that state are holding a ‘day of action’ today, leading some districts to close.

Movement to Arm Teachers Struggles: Broward County Public Schools announced this week that they will not approve arming teachers. The announcement came the same week that news of an arrest of a Stoneman Douglas High teacher broke. Over the weekend, the teacher, who had for the proposal to arm educators, left a loaded firearm in a public restroom. The weapon was found by a homeless man who fired it off. In California, another teacher had to resign after he accidentally fired a gun inside a classroom during a lesson on firearm safety, while an attempt to arm teachers in Louisiana failed.

Happening Elsewhere:

Why American Students Haven't Gotten Better at Reading in 20 Years

NY State education officials ask vendor to fix exam glitch

Alabama school board to pick next superintendent from list of 7

Dayton proposes plan to close special education funding gap

The Teachers’ Movement Goes Virtual

Group backing Philly charter schools sues district, saying new rules severely restrict them

Locking classrooms becomes latest safety measure in Spokane schools

Substitute math teacher ryan fish ran high school ‘fight club,’ police say

Fourth-grader skips school for Cubs game — and runs into his principal

What’s going on where you are?

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