Education | Pennsylvania
GOP Sen. Dan Laughlin Claims to Support Public Education, But Voted to Slash Funding
During a debate last week, GOP Pennsylvania State Senator Dan Laughlin claimed to be “totally on board with public education” despite supporting legislation that would cut funding for public schools and funnel money to private schools.
Coronavirus
Trump’s Attempts To Force In-Person School Puts Lives At Risk
With the 2020 school year fast approaching, President Trump’s threats to withhold federal funding from schools who do not resume in-person instruction in the fall belie his lack of a clear national strategy to safely reopen schools in the midst of a global pandemic. Despite the expert testimony of scientists and public health experts, in addition to the pleas of teachers and parents nationwide, Trump has continued to insist upon reopening schools for in-person instruction, despite repeated warnings that this move could put millions of lives in unnecessary risk and lead to a dramatic spike in coronavirus cases.
Education | Texas
GOP Rep. Lynn Stucky Oversees Extremist Anti-LGBTQ Organization
Since 2002, Texas Republican Representative Lynn Stucky (HD-64) has been a member of the Board of Directors of The Kanakuk Institute, an extremist anti-LGBTQ religious education program that requires students and staff to abide by a homophobic and discriminatory code of conduct.
Accountability | Louisiana
Rispone Holds Fundraiser with Private Education Executive Involved in State Program that Let Him Save $300K on Tax Bill
Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Eddie Rispone held a fundraiser Wednesday with a charter-school advocate who participates in a scholarship program that allowed wealthy donors -- including Rispone himself -- to avoid paying taxes.
Education
Betsy DeVos Brags About Giving to the Special Olympics, but Her Charity Has Only Donated 0.006% of the $17.6M She Wants to Cut
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos this week defended the Trump administration’s effort to wipe out the $17.6 million in federal funding for the Special Olympics, telling congressional panels the nonprofit should depend on the private sector and contributions from wealthy patrons like herself. But the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, which doles out tens of millions of dollars to her and her husband’s favorite causes, has given just $1,000 (or 0.006 percent of the funding she wants to cut) to the Special Olympics of Michigan since 2001, according to its filings with the IRS.
Education | Montana
Rosendale Calls to Eliminate Education Department, And the $481M It Sent to Mont. Last Year
Matt Rosendale has called to eliminate the federal Department of Education, which last year provided nearly $500 million for Montana’s students — from kindergarten to college — and helps fund thousands of teaching positions.