(The Center Square) - The University of California system has rolled out a new harassment prevention mandate requiring all students to complete training that affirms transgender policies — or face class registration blocks. UC’s SHAPE program - Sexual Harassment, Anti-Discrimination, Prevention and Education - requires students to complete mandatory training on gender identity and nondiscrimination policies. The program is designed to uphold the commitment by UC for a safe and inclusive environment for transgender students and states that those who do not use the correct transgender pronouns may create a hostile environment and are accused of harassment.

(The Center Square) - A vast majority of Americans do not believe the federal government should have control over education policy, according to a new poll. The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll found that only 11% of American voters think the federal government should set standards for curriculum, testing and school choice. Instead, 33% of American voters said local school districts should set curriculum, testing and school choice standards. About 23% of voters said parents should set educational standards.

(The Center Square) – The leaders of Wisconsin’s Senate Committee on Education are demanding answers from the state’s Department of Public Instruction following a report showing that 200 investigations into teachers for sexual assault and grooming were shielded from the public. Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, said that she plans to draft three bills in response to the report to create a grooming law, standards for communication between students and faculty and to end a "loophole" where educators can surrender their teaching license rather than facing further investigation. Senate Committee on Education Chair John Jagler and Vice Chair Romaine Quinn asked a series of 12 questions of DPI Superintendent Jill Underly and demanded to get a response within 24 hours on if she will be willing to testify before the committee.

(The Center Square) – On the day remaining Israeli hostages were released by Hamas and reunited with their families and friends after more than two years, much of the free world celebrated the peace deal between the Jewish state and the terrorist organization. But on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, a pro-Palestinian group continues to press for the reinstatement of more than 20 students who took part in a major vandalism incident in May, earning their subsequent suspension. The vandalism resulted in a federal review.

(The Center Square) – A bill that would require Wisconsin school districts to confirm they have filed their required financial paperwork to the state before going to referendum was the subject of a public hearing in the Assembly Committee on Education on Thursday. The bill was aimed at districts such as Milwaukee that fail to fulfill their financial reporting obligations and then ask district residents for more funds through a referendum, according to sponsor Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, who referred to Assembly Bill 457 as “my MPS bill.” Milwaukee passed a $252 million referendum in April 2024 and it was later revealed that Milwaukee Public Schools had not filed the paperwork with the Department of Public Instruction. The district missed the deadlines by eight months and had $42 million withheld.

(The Center Square) - The President of Texas A&M University, Mark Welsh, resigned last week amid controversy over a viral video between a professor and a student debating gender ideology. Welsh stepped down officially on Friday, September 19, according to a press release where the Chancellor Glenn Hegar thanked Welsh for his service to the university and the nation.

(The Center Square) - U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon emphasized literacy, artificial intelligence, civil discourse and education funding at the Reagan Institute Summit on Education. Indiana Education Secretary Katie Jenner asked McMahon questions at RISE in Washington, D.C., on education subjects, such as school choice, innovation, literacy and best practices for schools at the local and state level.

(The Center Square) - The U.S. Department of Education, along with private organizations, launched this week the America 250 Civics Education Coalition, in an effort to revive civic education in American schools. First Liberty Institute joined the department, along with 40 other organizations such as Turning Point USA, in launching this coalition on Constitution Day, commemorating the document’s signing on Sept. 17, 1787. This coalition’s goal is “to ensure every young American understands the beauty of our nation and is equipped with the civic knowledge required to contribute meaningfully to its future,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said.

(The Center Square) – The college student loan balance in the United States is $1.66 trillion, according to a WalletHub report. To determine the best and worst states with student debt, the WalletHub's report compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia. WalletHub also graded on a 100-point scale focusing on metrics such as the state's cost of living, unemployment rates and paid internship opportunities for students.

(The Center Square) - The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Free Speech Rankings crowned California's Claremont McKenna College with a grade of B- as the best college in the U.S. for free speech, while a string of other California schools received F grades amid anti-free speech environments across campuses. FIRE released its sixth annual College Free Speech Rankings, which pulled responses on free-speech topics from 68,510 students attending 257 American colleges. The survey highlighted a decline in support for free speech among all students. Students on both sides of the political aisle are showing a deep “unwillingness” to face controversial ideas, the press releases stated.

(The Center Square) – Virginia is the No. 1 state for teachers' pay and public spending per student. At the same time, it's No. 51 for students' math scores, behind 49 states and Washington, D.C. More pay for teachers and more spending for schools don't necessarily equal better performances by students, according to a Center Square comparison of reports from various sources. A report released by WalletHub Monday revealed the best and worst states for teachers, as student testing performance continues to decline nationwide.

(The Center Square) - The White House announced the Presidential AI Challenge, a new initiative to unite innovation and education. Launched on Aug. 26, the initiative is a project that encourages K-12 youth, educators and mentors to solve real-world problems in their communities using artificial intelligence solutions. It provides an opportunity to showcase their solutions at a national level.

(The Center Square) - A Chicago student launched a petition to restore bathroom doors after Oak Park and River Forest High School removed them. At the start of the school year, students noticed that the exterior doors to the bathrooms had been removed. In response, students were outraged, calling it a violation of privacy. High school junior Laila Rosenthal launched a “We Need Doors” petition to restore bathroom doors. The school’s decision to remove bathroom entry doors came as a crime prevention measure.

(The Center Square) - Following the Beverly Hills Unified School District board's vote to display Israeli flags on all its campuses, Superintendent Alex Cherniss overruled the decision, citing safety concerns. “In light of heightened safety concerns around the displaying of flags on our campuses, I have made the decision to take immediate action for the safety and security of our students,” Dr. Cherniss wrote in a statement. “Until further notice, no flags will be displayed on our campuses other than the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the state of California.”

(The Center Square) - The California Senate Appropriations Committee sent Assembly Bill 495 on its way to the Senate floor, despite strong opposition from Republicans. The committee Friday voted 5-2 to send AB 495, known as the “Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025," to the full Senate for consideration. If approved, the bill, authored by Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez, D-San Fernando, will move directly to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

(The Center Square) — Arizona lawmakers violated the constitutional requirement to fund public schools, ruled Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Dewain Fox. In a 114-page decision, Fox stated on Aug. 11 that Arizona schools did not meet the minimum standards in providing adequate equipment for building repairs, even though the Arizona Constitution requires the Legislature to organize and fund a “general and uniform public school system.” The case, Glendale Elementary School District v. State of Arizona, was filed in 2017 by Glendale Elementary School District, Crane Elementary School District, Chino Valley Unified School District and Elfrida Elementary School District, alongside Arizona School Boards Association, Arizona Education Association and Arizona School Administrators.

(The Center Square) – According to event officials, a July 26 event held at Donald Eismann Elementary School, part of the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District in Washington state, that included a “Drag Queen Story Hour” and other controversial drag performances, has inspired death threats against organizers and participants. In the meantime, school board members have been getting an earful from community members concerned about the event. Some parents spoke out at Wednesday’s school board meeting.

(The Center Square) — Virginia Public Schools in Loudoun County voted this week to keep their gender policy, allowing transgender students to use facilities, despite the U.S. Department of Education finding the policy violates Title IX. According to the federal law, sex-separated spaces are required on federally funded school campuses, but with Loudoun County rejecting this compliance, almost $46 million in federal funds may be cut. In July, the Education Department found five Northern Virginia schools in violation of Title IX over policies that allowed transgender students to access bathrooms and locker rooms.

(The Center Square) — California schools are providing resources for students if immigration officials visit their campus. As students get ready to go back to school, Southern California schools are taking proactive measures to protect students from federal immigration agents on campus. After federal agents detained a 15-year-old boy outside his Los Angeles high school last week, many families are fearful of immigration raids within schools. Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, said there should be restrictions on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement near schools so that students can focus on their education.

(The Center Square) - A California bill that aims to provide a solution to immigrant families poses a legal loophole for kidnapping children, says the California Family Council. Assembly Bill 495, known as the “Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025,” authored by Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez, D-California, claims to give immigrant families that face deportation solutions in taking care of their children. Rodriguez argues that AB 495 protects children and ensures that they are not left vulnerable if a parent is unexpectedly detained by immigration officials.