The Every Library Institute has just released a report contending the Republican Party's conservative agenda outlined in the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 takes aim at places where students can read, discover, and explore.

Conservatives call it a matter of accountability. Montana's public libraries hold almost 4.5 million items and the state library association said people visit an average of 4.5 times during the year.

Peter Bromberg, associate director of the Every Library Institute, said Project 2025, a 900-page strategy to overhaul the federal government, would take direct aim at libraries and the people who work there.

"Librarians and teachers are highly trusted and well known and well-loved in their communities," Bromberg pointed out. "It's really kind of a shocking and extreme attempt to twist our democratic society and our institutions into more of a totalitarian theocracy."

Republicans have said librarians need more accountability for what is on their shelves. A bill in Alabama, which would have criminalized librarians for allowing content defined as "obscene," narrowly missed becoming law this year. A similar measure has already been filed for next session.

Bromberg noted Project 2025 promotes book bans, restricts LGBTQ+ content and undermines the intellectual freedom and the inclusivity libraries are known for. He added it would ultimately threaten a student's educational quality and could presage the end of libraries serving as open and inclusive spaces for people who want to learn, especially when it comes to book bans.

"That's the bad news," Bromberg explained. "The good news is Americans are increasingly becoming aware of what's happening and organizing. And it doesn't often take very much in terms of organizing and pushback on -- whether it's school boards or county councils -- to get the books back on the shelves."

Project 2025 goes well beyond libraries. It would reshape the federal government and consolidate executive power should Donald Trump win this year's presidential election.


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Educators in Massachusetts say the MCAS high school graduation requirement is disproportionately affecting English language learners, the fastest growing student population in the state.

Failure to pass the required English, math and science tests means students do not receive a diploma, which can limit future college and career opportunities.

Kellie Jones, director of bilingual education for Brockton Public Schools, called it a barrier to students' civil rights.

"They're being identified as failures by the state," Jones contended. "I don't see English language learners as failures."

Jones noted a proposed ballot initiative for November would ask voters to keep the tests in place but allow students who fail to still receive a diploma if they have passed their required courses. Opponents of the measure, including Gov. Maura Healy, argued it would lead to a lack of uniform standards statewide.

Massachusetts is one of only eight states still requiring students to pass a standardized test to earn a diploma. Roughly 700 students fail each year and the vast majority are English learners and students with disabilities. Many have had their education experiences interrupted and face housing and food insecurity.

Jones pointed out their MCAS scores fail to reflect the challenge of mastering a new language as well as academic content on a limited timeline.

"If the students are not yet proficient in English, they may not have an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge on this assessment," Jones explained.

Jones added there is a critical shortage of qualified teachers to handle the influx of English learners who have arrived over the past year. A report from the Annenberg Institute notes the number of students who never pass the MCAS is likely to increase as more arrive and a higher passing threshold for the English test takes effect in 2026.

The African American Museum in Dallas is offering a series of classes on African American history.

The classes are part of a national program called Freedom Schools, sponsored by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

Association President W. Marvin Dulaney, Ph.D, said they're offering the classes because some state legislatures are limiting Black history taught in public schools.

"We're teaching freedom," said Dulaney. "We're preparing people to challenge the legislation by these 22 states that are trying to restrict the teaching of slavery, the teaching of the civil rights movement."

Classes are from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The Freedom Schools series is also being taught in Florida and Illinois.

Dulaney said they hope to expand to more states.

The series is named after the original Freedom Schools developed during the 1964 Freedom Summer in Mississippi.

In the schools, Black students learned a school curriculum, as well as how to vote in the upcoming Democratic primary.

Dulaney said the courses will focus on eight topics of African American history.

"We're going to look at African history, slavery," said Dulaney. "We will look at the American Revolution, Civil War, Reconstruction, race relations in this country in the early 20th century. We'll look at the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement and of course obviously we'll do the Civil Rights Movement."

Florida state officials ended Advanced Placement classes in African American history, claiming they were a form of indoctrination.

Dulaney said he hopes educators will use the curriculum in their classrooms.

The classes are free to students and teachers. Others are asked to make a donation to the African American Museum.





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Four-year universities aren't always able to serve every student, so Washington state has found a way to ensure students have other options through community and technical colleges.

Unlike some other states, all 34 community and technical colleges in Washington are authorized to offer applied bachelor's degrees.

Valerie Sundby, the director of transfer education for the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, said many of the schools offer teacher certification programs.

"For our rural communities that have a very hard time attracting teachers to their areas," said Sundby, "it creates an opportunity for them to really 'grow their own.'"

Sundby said the bachelor's degree programs at these community and technical colleges have high retention and graduation rates, and have led to employment opportunities at high rates, as well.

The state has 165 degree programs, including nursing.

Sundby said these programs ensure students get hands-on work training.

"They are very focused bachelor's degrees," said Sundby, "that - although they have the breadth of a bachelor's degree, and give them some of those general educations and things like that - they also have a very clear technical and employment outcome at the end of it."

Sundby said it's no accident that students are able to find a job when they graduate from the bachelor's programs at community and technical colleges in the state.

The schools themselves ensure there's a need in the region before deciding to offer degrees in a certain field.

"Our colleges do a lot of work with their local economic development groups, with their local workforce boards," said Sundby, "looking at all of that workforce data and understanding, what is the current gap and then, what is the projected future gap? And making sure that there are clear employment outcomes and opportunities for students."

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




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