1. Ten Commandments Legal Clash
READ: Louisiana’s new law requiring Ten Commandments posters in public schools has reignited debates over religion in education. Critics argue it violates the separation of church and state, while supporters claim it reflects America’s historical roots. The legal battle, now blocked by a federal judge, may soon force the Supreme Court to clarify its stance on religious displays in schools. Joshua Dunn wrote for Education Next about the impact the decision could also have on school choice:
For parents who believe a display of the Ten Commandments is a religious reference too far, school choice would allow them to find a more amenable environment for their children. Conveniently, Governor Landry signed a law creating Education Savings Accounts on the same day he signed the Ten Commandments mandate. It will be interesting to see how many parents who object to the in-school religious displays will now take advantage of ESAs to escape them.
Read more here.
2. FAFSA Fears Grow
READ: Fears of immigration enforcement under the incoming Trump administration have made families without proper immigration documents hesitant to fill out the FAFSA. College advising groups are divided on how to advise families about potential risks, causing counselors to worry that this uncertainty will discourage more students from applying to college:
“Fears are heightened and with good reason,” said Astou Thiane, director of policy at ImmSchools. “You have an administration that has been on the record saying they will pursue a policy of mass deportations against undocumented and immigrant communities. I think that will have far-reaching effects on immigrant people, period.”
Read more from Ariel Gilreath in The Hechinger Report here.
3. Pre-K Dreams Deferred
READ: Universal pre-K once seemed inevitable, backed by bipartisan support and evidence of its benefits for kids, families, and society. Despite its promise as a transformative policy, progress has stalled, with enrollment stagnant and political momentum fading. Conor P. Williams took to the pages of The 74 to argue that there’s one core reason universal pre-K remains a distant dream:
Let’s not overthink this. The main problem is politics. During the campaign, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris maintained her party’s support for large national early education investments. If she’d won and Democrats had enough votes in Congress, universal pre-K would already be rolling out.
Read more here.
4. The Child Care Gamble
READ: Child care deregulation is sweeping the country, with states attempting to address staffing shortages by increasing class sizes and reducing training requirements. Jackie Mader at The Hechinger Report examined new reports from states considering these changes, uncovering troubling cases of neglect, abuse, and unsafe conditions. Experts warn that loosening standards further could harm children, but despite these concerns, deregulation efforts are gaining traction — even as providers argue that weaker regulations won’t solve their biggest challenges:
They needed more funding, higher salaries, support dealing with challenging child behavior and professional respect — not less. Raising group sizes and ratios, in particular, will hinder a teacher’s ability to give each child ample attention and support, educators and experts told me, something that is especially critical during the first pivotal years of brain development.
Read more here.
5. Balancing AI and Student Safety
READ: As teachers increasingly use AI tools to support tasks like lesson planning, experts caution that they may need more training to use these tools safely. School districts concerned that sensitive student data could be exposed have stepped in with guidelines and training to ensure students remain protected:
In recent years, teachers have been investigated for accidentally sharing students’ grades on social media, and even fired for sharing students’ information via email.
“Many of the risks posed by AI are similar to the ones other ed-tech tools already presented, but on a much larger scale,” said Calli Schroeder, Senior Counsel and Global Privacy Counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
Read more from Wellington Soares in Chalkbeat here.
6. Filling School Choice Gaps
READ: Linda Jacobson took a closer look at a new paper from the Center for Reinventing Public Education that examined the explosion of education choice programs and the challenges families can face in accessing them. The report found that barriers like confusing policies and limited supply have disproportionately impacted minority and low-income families and families of students with disabilities. Jacobson spoke with Colleen Dippel at Families Empowered in Houston, who says technology is partly to blame:
Dippel said that parents benefit from having someone to field their questions.
“We have underinvested in people in the school choice space and overinvested in technology,” she said. “People trust people, not institutions.”
Read more in The 74 here.
7. Regional Roundup
KANSAS: The Kansas State Board of Education voted against including support for universal free meals for Kansas public school students among its 2025 legislative priorities. Meal debt in public schools in Kansas skyrocketed to $23.5 million in 2023. Read more from Jason Alatidd in The Topeka Capital-Journal here.
MICHIGAN: Detroit schools may sue Michigan to use millage revenue to pay off its $348 million in state loan debt. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti says this would allow the district to fund urgent repairs and reduce financial burdens on residents. Read more from Hannah Dellinger in Chalkbeat here.
RHODE ISLAND: Christopher Shea reported on the city of Providence’s decision to freeze discretionary spending and all hiring after a court ruling mandated increased school funding, sparking fears of service cuts and a potential property tax hike. Mayor Brett Smiley has criticized the state’s control of schools and called for local oversight. Read more in the Rhode Island Current here.
TENNESSEE: Memphis Schools approved a $4.6 million contract to temporarily fill its 312 teaching vacancies with 100 virtual teachers. Dima Amro reported on the impact on student outcomes and engagement in Chalkbeat here.
Imbroglio will take a short break for the holidays. We’ll be back January 11!