This week in education news: To mask or not to mask in schools, Shelby County School Board issues call to action to halt local gun violence, and CA & Federal budgets.

Editor's Note: This weekly media report covers national news in K-12 education, with a focus on Los Angeles and Memphis. Please be in touch with [email protected] with any questions. 

News

• Today was the Senate confirmation hearing for Catherine Lhamon to be the US Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. Reports indicate it was “tense,” and folks dwelled on Title IX issues: sexual assault and transgender students’ rights. (The 74 Million, EdWeek, The Hill Opinion - Arne Duncan, Chalkbeat, US Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor & Pensions Full Committee Hearing)

 

• The hot topic this week relating to back to school was how to navigate mask wearing policies. The CDC says masks aren’t required for vaccinated students and teachers (EdWeek), but LAUSD will require masks nonetheless (EdSource, NBC LA, LA Times Opinion). Shelby County has already made mask wearing for vaccinated individuals optional. (WMC 5 Action News)

 

• The Shelby County Schools Board issues a call to action to the community and legislators to end the increasing gun violence and crime against children. (WMC Action News 5, Commercial Appeal, Commercial Appeal 2, WREG, Fox 13) 

 

Views

• Wall Street Journal (Jennifer Calfas, US Reporter) : Schools Face Unfamiliar Quandary: How Should We Spend All This Money? 

 

• Politico (team of reporters): Free lunch, immigration, more Medicare: What’s in the mix for Democrats’ ‘go-big’ bill

 

• Chalkbeat Tennessee (Ian Round, guest author): For Hispanic boys in Memphis, the pressure to work full-time comes with a cost: lower graduation rates