Education / Public News Service

Research by economist Raj Chetty and colleagues at Harvard shows Black men's outcomes disproportionately determine economic mobility, with the racial wealth gap linked more to male than female trajectories. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Howard University program addresses Black male enrollment crisis

As historically Black colleges and universities grapple with declining Black male enrollment, Howard University's "Kings of Campus" initiative is …

Students attend Crossroads Elementary in Quantico, Va. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Lawyers for two VA students ask judge to pause book bans in Pentagon schools

The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday asked a federal judge to pause the removal of books from Pentagon-run schools that pertain to diversit…

Ohio ranks eighth nationally in the number of children in rural communities who rely on Medicaid for health coverage, with 30% of rural kids enrolled. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Health coverage holds up Ohio’s child care

Ohio's child care system is under strain and a new national report highlighted how Medicaid helps support the workforce behind early childhood care…

Latino students make informed and pragmatic choices to pay for college and the institutions intentionally serving them are making strides to ensure the price of a college degree is affordable. (Kateryna/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

AR Latino students use various forms of aid to pay for college

Latino students in Arkansas and nationwide apply for financial aid at higher rates than some other ethnic groups but receive the lowest average awards…

In 2023 in Tennessee, 26% of Hispanic adults had an associate degree or higher, compared to 40% of white, non-Hispanic adults. (Cambo27/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Report: TN Latino college students rely less on financial aid

Latino students in Tennessee and nationwide apply for financial aid at higher rates than some other ethnic groups, according to new research but they …

In a statewide survey about Library Media Specialists for Minnesota's K-12 schools, some respondents reported using their personal funds to support the library where they work. (Adobe Stock)

Nearly half of MN school libraries lack licensed media specialist

Minnesota law requires K-12 school libraries to be staffed by a licensed media specialist but survey results indicated almost half of districts have d…

The Ohio Education Association estimates Ohio public schools would be underfunded by $2.75 billion under the House version of the state budget. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Public school advocates look to OH Senate to restore Fair School Funding

As Ohio lawmakers debate the state budget, advocates for public schools are voicing concerns proposed cuts and policy changes could harm children's …

Eduardo Mata Montessori in Dallas received a technology award package valued at $1,000, which included their choice of tech

National program makes sure TX students are technology ready

Across Texas, 63 schools are participating in a Parent Teacher Association digital literacy program known as "PTA Connected: Ready, Tech, Go!." The …

More than 40% of families with an early childhood educator rely on one or more public assistance programs. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Report: Medicaid cuts could hurt VA early childhood education workforce

As Republicans in Washington, D.C. consider steep cuts to Medicaid, a new report showed the early childhood education workforce in Virginia heavily …

Some 1.2 million Coloradans rely on Medicaid, including pregnant mothers, people with disabilities, working families and nearly 60% of people in nursing care facilities. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Medicaid cuts could impact 1 in 4 CO child care workers

CORRECTION: The name of the spokesperson from the Center for Law and Social Policy is Suzanne Wikle. She had been incorrectly identified as Suzanne …

Maryland ranks ninth in state spending per child on preschool education. (Adobe Stock)

MD preschool enrollment fails to keep pace with high spending

A new report finds Maryland spends more on each child in preschool than nearly every other state but still falls short of certain preschool quality st…

Prison book censorship is increasing nationwide, according to a 2023 report from PEN America. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Project focuses on literacy in Appalachian prisons

There are more than a dozen state and federal prisons in Central Appalachia, with some located in remote areas of West Virginia. Connie Banta…

As of May 1, 2025, a total of 935 confirmed measles cases were reported by 30 jurisdictions nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)<br />

KY confirms second measles case, doctors urge vaccination

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services is reporting a second confirmed measles case in March, in a child who was traveling through the …

The net loss of college educated people through migration from Nebraska to other states has more than quadrupled in the last decade, according to the Aksarben Foundation. (Adobe Stock)

Omaha counters NE 'brain drain' with 'brain gain'

A new report shows housing and transportation are key factors that can keep young professionals from leaving Nebraska for opportunities elsewhere…

The National Institute for Early Education Research conducts studies to strengthen the early childhood care workforce through evidence-based recommendations. (bernardbodo/Adobe Stock)

Federal funding uncertainty puts preschool pressure on Michigan

Michigan's Great Start School Readiness Program enrolled more than 41,000 preschoolers in the 2023-24 school year, almost 3,000 more than the year …

Researchers said a new SkillsUSA and Northern Illinois University study is the most comprehensive to date on how many students are involved in apprenticeships, internships, courses and other work-based learning activities. (Adobe Stock)

IL apprenticeships on the rise but disparities remain

A new report shows Illinois youth now have more apprenticeship and internship opportunities, with an increase in women and minority participation but …

In Spring 2023, Arkansas created the Office of Early Childhood within the Arkansas Department of Education, which unifies the Arkansas early-childhood system. (Monkey Business/Adobe Stock)

Report: AR pre-K suffers from funding gap

A report by the National Institute for Early Education Research shows Arkansas needs to improve its reach with pre-K students. The state fell from …

In 2023, nearly 18% of U.S. households with children faced food insecurity, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio lawmakers consider free meals for all K-12 students

By Lauren Cohen / Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State NewsLab-Ohio News Connection Collaboration. S.B. 109, a bill that …

Families in Colorado and across the nation spend up to 60% of their income on child care, the equivalent of a second mortgage or rent payment. (Adobe Stock)

Lack of affordable child care costs Colorado $2.7 billion annually

The lack of quality child care for infants and toddlers costs Colorado nearly $3 billion each year in lost earnings, productivity and revenue but an …

Eleven states and Washington D.C., serve at least half of 4-year-olds in state-funded preschool, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Kentucky’s federal preschool funding faces uncertain future

The number of Kentucky children enrolled in preschool increased in 2024, along with state spending per child, according to new data from the National …

Between the 2023-2024 school year and this year, average annual teacher pay in South Dakota increased by more than $3,000. (Adobe Stock)

SD makes noticeable jump in teacher pay rankings. Can it last?

New national rankings out this week show South Dakota jumped a few spots higher in teacher pay for each state. However, there are questions about …

The Buffalo Soldiers were the first Black professional soldiers in a peacetime army. The recruits came from varied backgrounds, including former slaves and veterans from service in the Civil War. The museum was founded in 2001. (serhiibobyk/Adobe Stock)

Federal funding cuts hit Houston's Buffalo Soldiers National Museum

The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in Houston is one of many historic and cultural institutions across the nation to lose access to federal funding…

Healthy School Meals for All serves up more than 600,000 meals every school day in Colorado, regardless of a student's ability to pay. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado voters could decide fate of Healthy School Meals for All

As Colorado lawmakers grapple with $1.2 billion in budget cuts, child nutrition advocates are turning to voters to protect funding for the state's …

Wyoming teachers, firefighters and postal workers are some of the groups expected at the May Day rally Thursday in Casper. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming teachers, workers gather in Casper for May Day

Wyoming labor unions will gather Thursday in Casper in honor of May Day, a holiday celebrated in 80 countries commemorating the labor movement and …

The bill would also establish a prison education task force to implement consistent programs across state correctional facilities. (Adobe Stock)

Prison education bill to expand opportunities for incarcerated people in VA

A bill passed by Virginia lawmakers would expand higher education opportunities to incarcerated people across the state. House Bill 2158 aims to …

The Here to Observe and Here to Storytelling program helps students show their workforce skills on their resumes, making it easier for them to succeed when applying for internships, graduate school and jobs. (Gorodenkoff/Adobe Stock)

Funds cut off from Kutztown U.’s NASA program amid DEI crackdown

President Donald Trump's executive order dismantling diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs has led to the defunding of Kutztown …

Medi-Cal pays for a range of health services in schools, including aides and equipment for disabled students. (Ermolaev Alexandr/Adobe Stock)

Advocates warn proposed cuts to Medi-Cal will cripple school budgets

Medicaid is in the crosshairs, as Republicans in Congress are expected to lay out proposals in May to cut $1.5 trillion from the federal budget…

Florida's school vouchers program, which lawmakers expanded in 2023, is projected to divert nearly $4 billion this year from public education, according to the Florida Policy Institute. (Pixabay)

Florida PTA fights charter school expansion, cuts to mental health funding

Jude Bruno, president-elect of the Florida Parent Teacher Association, is leading a charge against two controversial education bills which would …

The 2+2 international business degree program is the first collaboration of its kind between the University of Northern Iowa's Wilson College of Businessand an international university. (Adobe Stock)

Northern Iowa launches international student exchange

Despite pushback from the Trump administration on colleges and universities recruiting foreign students, the University of Northern Iowa is part of a …

Data show 25% to 35% of first-year college students do not return for their second year. (NMSU)

NMSU's 'ringtone strategy' helps keep students enrolled, engaged

Today's college students may prefer communicating by text but New Mexico State University still finds person-to-person phone calls from faculty and st…

About 9% of Virginians receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. (Adobe Stock)

VA students, local economies would suffer from possible SNAP cuts

As lawmakers on Capitol Hill discuss trillions in spending cuts, opponents warned students on SNAP and free school meal programs would suffer…

Universities across the country have protested against the Trump administration's actions targeting higher-ed funding, speech and international students. (Adobe Stock)

Higher ed supporters rally on two IL campuses for students' rights

It has been a busy week for supporters of higher education in Illinois, with two separate protests at Northern Illinois University and Northeastern …

A report from the mental health advocacy organization Inseparable found Delaware has met 61.3% of its goal of hiring school psychologists but has fallen far short on hiring school-based social workers. (Adobe Stock)

Report: DE makes strides bolstering school mental health

A new report showed Delaware is making strides in building its school mental health services. The report found the state has expanded its ratio of …

The Individualized Education Account Program helps Tennessee families by offering funding for approved educational expenses customized to support each student's individual learning needs. (Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock)

Tennessee educators warn against dismantling U.S. Department of Education

Tennessee educators are expressing concern over President Donald Trump's push to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and return control to the …

A nationwide poll reveals that mental health is a priority for Americans, regardless of political party, with 90% of voters saying expanding mental-health care should be a priority for elected officials. (JenkoAtaman/Adobe Stock)

Report card: PA making steady improvements in student mental health

Pennsylvania is making progress in supporting youth mental health, according to a new report from Inseparable. The state now has about half the …

New Jersey only has half of the recommended minimum number of school social workers, and three-fourths of the recommended minimum number of school psychologists. (Adobe Stock)

NJ improves in school-based mental health policies

A new report finds that states like New Jersey have made progress in providing school mental health services to its students, but work still remains…

About 500,000 children in the U.S. are exposed to lead, disproportionately on poor and Black and brown families. (Adobe Stock)

Experts say lead in Milwaukee schools is an environmental justice issue

As the city of Milwaukee continues to grapple with addressing unsafe levels of lead across public schools, experts are calling it an environmental …

In 2021, Ohio passed Senate Bill 1, requiring all high school students to take a standalone half-credit personal finance course to graduate. This applies to students entering 9th grade on, or after July 1, 2022 (i.e., the Class of 2026). (Adobe Stock)

Ohioans urged to reset budgets during Financial Literacy Month

Ohio families dealing with the lingering effects of inflation and post-pandemic economic shifts may be looking for ways to regain control of their fin…

According to a 2024 report from Mental Health America, Wyoming ranked 51st in the nation for adult mental health and 28th for youth. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming K-12 mental-health coordination program nears expiration

Wyoming consistently ranks in the bottom 10 of all states on mental health indicators. COVID-era funding has helped provide resources but it is …

The report found Washington needs to almost double its number of school psychologists in order to meet the recommended minimum. (peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

WA investments in school mental-health services slowly helping

Washington has done well enacting some policies that improve school mental-health systems in the last year, while still falling short in other areas…

Many international students have said they did not know their visas were revoked, or that their status had been changed, until they were notified by federal officials. (Mediteraneo/Adobe Stock)

Visas revoked, status changed for international students in TX

Hundreds of international college students in Texas are fighting to stay in the country after their visas were revoked and their legal status changed …

Illinois was one of the first states to implement annual mental health screenings in schools. (Adobe Stock)

IL school mental health investments leave gaps in provider ratios

Despite making major policy strides to strengthen school-based mental health services for Illinois students, a national report card showed the state …

Utah is meeting the nationally recommended standard for minimum number of school mental health staff, according to the mental health policy advocacy organization Inseparable. (Adobe Stock)

Report: UT fares well in offering school mental health resources

Utah has made investments in mental health resources for school-age children a priority and they appear to be working to help more kids in crisis…

Performances at Teatro Visión in San Jose are part of the 7th annual Arts, Culture and Creativity Month, a statewide celebration sponsored by the nonprofit California for the Arts. (Christian Pizzirani/Teatro Visión).

Advocates hope to teach CA lawmakers an art lesson

Supporters of the arts are gathering Wednesday in Sacramento for Arts Advocacy Day in order to lobby lawmakers on a range of issues. Educators are …

Colorado's I Matter program can connect students with a therapist for up to six free counseling sessions, which are completely confidential. (Adobe Stock)

Report card: Colorado making improvements in student mental health

Colorado has made significant improvements in connecting young people with the mental health care they need, according to the mental health advocacy …

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of all serious mental health conditions begin by the age of 14 and 75% by age 24. (Adobe Stock)

Alaska lawmakers work to improve in-school mental health care

A new report card on in-school mental health services found some states, including Alaska, are making significant progress toward meeting policy …

Florida is one of 16 states not requiring annual mental health screenings in schools, according to the advocacy group Inseparable. (Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio)

Report: FL schools face mental-health staffing shortfalls

Florida schools still face critical mental health staffing shortages with less than 25% of needed psychologists in place, despite expanding …

Texas House lawmakers passed a proposal for a private school voucher program. Two Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill. (zimmytws/Adobe Stock)

TX private school voucher opponents worry about effect on public schools

The Texas school voucher program is on its way back to the Senate, after it was approved by members of the House of Representatives in an 85 to 63 …

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PNS Daily Newscast: Afternoon Update - May 9, 2025

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Education

Howard University program addresses Black male enrollment crisis

Lawyers for two VA students ask judge to pause book bans in Pentagon schools

Health coverage holds up Ohio’s child care

AR Latino students use various forms of aid to pay for college

Report: TN Latino college students rely less on financial aid

Nearly half of MN school libraries lack licensed media specialist

Public school advocates look to OH Senate to restore Fair School Funding

National program makes sure TX students are technology ready

Report: Medicaid cuts could hurt VA early childhood education workforce

Report: Medicaid cuts could impact 1 in 4 CO child care workers

MD preschool enrollment fails to keep pace with high spending

Project focuses on literacy in Appalachian prisons

KY confirms second measles case, doctors urge vaccination

Omaha counters NE 'brain drain' with 'brain gain'

Federal funding uncertainty puts preschool pressure on Michigan

IL apprenticeships on the rise but disparities remain

Report: AR pre-K suffers from funding gap

Ohio lawmakers consider free meals for all K-12 students

Lack of affordable child care costs Colorado $2.7 billion annually

Kentucky’s federal preschool funding faces uncertain future

SD makes noticeable jump in teacher pay rankings. Can it last?

Federal funding cuts hit Houston's Buffalo Soldiers National Museum

Colorado voters could decide fate of Healthy School Meals for All

Wyoming teachers, workers gather in Casper for May Day

Prison education bill to expand opportunities for incarcerated people in VA

Funds cut off from Kutztown U.’s NASA program amid DEI crackdown

Advocates warn proposed cuts to Medi-Cal will cripple school budgets

Florida PTA fights charter school expansion, cuts to mental health funding

Northern Iowa launches international student exchange

NMSU's 'ringtone strategy' helps keep students enrolled, engaged

VA students, local economies would suffer from possible SNAP cuts

Higher ed supporters rally on two IL campuses for students' rights

Report: DE makes strides bolstering school mental health

Tennessee educators warn against dismantling U.S. Department of Education

Report card: PA making steady improvements in student mental health

NJ improves in school-based mental health policies

Experts say lead in Milwaukee schools is an environmental justice issue

Ohioans urged to reset budgets during Financial Literacy Month

Wyoming K-12 mental-health coordination program nears expiration

WA investments in school mental-health services slowly helping

Visas revoked, status changed for international students in TX

IL school mental health investments leave gaps in provider ratios

Report: UT fares well in offering school mental health resources

Advocates hope to teach CA lawmakers an art lesson

Report card: Colorado making improvements in student mental health

Alaska lawmakers work to improve in-school mental health care

Report: FL schools face mental-health staffing shortfalls

TX private school voucher opponents worry about effect on public schools