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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

MT: Children's

The union that represents Montana's public school teachers has filed suit to stop a pair of school choice bills in the state. One would create Educational Savings Accounts, the other a charter school system, both of which would be funded with state education money. (Adobe Stock)
MT teachers union files pair of 'school choice' lawsuits

Montana's largest teachers union has filed two lawsuits against "school choice" measures in the state. Montana lawmakers passed House Bill 393 last …

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Montana House Bill 393, which would create Educational Savings Accounts for special education students, is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2024. Critics vow to challenge it in court. (Adobe Stock)
MT teachers oppose special-ed voucher program

The union that represents Montana teachers opposes a move to legalize private school vouchers in the state. Educational Savings Accounts, or ESAs…

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Public schools and colleges are working together to build a pipeline of homegrown talent to help address the teacher shortage in Montana's K-12 classrooms. (Working Nation)
Creating a local pipeline for Montana teaching jobs

By Victoria Lim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Big Sky Connection reporting for the WorkingNation-Public News Service Collabora…

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There were 7,547 charter schools throughout the United States in the 2019-2020 school year, compared with 1,993 in the 2000-2001 school year, according to Statista. (Adobe Stock)
Parents, Teachers Sue Over Montana School Privatization

A coalition of parents and public-school teachers has sued to prevent the privatization of schools in Montana. Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed House …

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Prior to passage of House Bill 648, Montana families paid as much as 14% of their monthly income in co-pays, leaving some less than $2,000 a month to cover housing, food and other expenses. The new law caps co-pays at 9% of monthly family income. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />
MT Advocates Herald Increased Child Care Funding

Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed a bill into law aimed at reducing child-care costs in Montana. This month, the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranked …

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The rate of children under age 19 without health insurance dropped to 5% in 2021, an estimated 4,165,000 million kids nationwide, down from 6% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. (Adobe Stock)
Healthy Kids Study Shows Dramatic Lack of Montana Child Care

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book ranks Montana 18th nationally in overall child well-being. The just-released numbers showed …

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Blackfeet Community College is in Browning, Mont. in Glacier County near the Canadian border. (David Adamec/Wikimedia Commons)
Grant Boosts Student Parents at MT Tribal College

A grant is helping student parents at a college in northwestern Montana. The Aspen Institute has announced Blackfeet Community College and seven …

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Children are feeling the effects of an increase in online harassment. (New Africa/Adobe Stock)
Tools for Parents as Harassment Permeates Online Spaces

It can be challenging for parents and caregivers to shield their children from bigotry and hatred online, but there are a few tips they can follow…

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A survey from this summer found 12% of Montana families
As MT Families Struggle, Child Tax Credit Payments Touted as Solution

A program that sent money to families with children helped pull millions out of poverty early in the pandemic, including about 211,000 kids in …

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About 18,000 Montana kids will experience the loss of a family member by the time they're 18. (Africa Studio/Adobe Stock)
MT Hosts Conference on Supporting Grieving Children

A touring conference from the National Alliance for Children's Grief comes to Montana this week. The event will be in Whitefish on Tuesday. The …

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In the KIDS COUNT
Report: MT 20th in Child Well-Being; Mental Health Remains an Issue

Montana ranks in the upper half of states for child wellbeing, according to an annual report. But mental health among young people remains a concern…

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Despite a limited number across the state, some Montana school districts didn't prioritize counselors with COVID-19 relief funds. (Mr Doomits/Adobe Stock)
Teen Depression Underscores Important Role of School Counselors

More than two years into the pandemic, depression among teenagers is up, and one way to support kids' mental health could be through school …

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