Educators and families across Minnesota urged ICE to stay off school property, citing anxiety and safety concerns after agents were seen near campuses and incidents at Roosevelt High. Union leaders described detentions and pepper spray near schools, prompting calls for accountability and for protective networks (rides, groceries) for immigrant students. DHS said the Roosevelt incident used targeted crowd control and that no tear gas was deployed. Minneapolis Public Schools offered online learning through Feb. 12 as in-person classes resume, while communities organize support to keep students safe.
Many UK students opt to live at home to save money, with over 700,000 commuters attending universities like Manchester, which has led to dedicated social spaces for them. While commuting involves long travel times and some social limitations, students like Amelka Zambrzycka find the cost savings and benefits to mental health worth the daily journey, though some are considering living closer in the future.
The Trump administration and Louisiana officials have successfully ended a decades-old court-ordered school desegregation case in DeSoto Parish, reflecting a broader effort to dismiss outdated desegregation mandates, despite ongoing debates about their necessity to combat racial disparities.
The District 65 school board in Evanston/Skokie voted unanimously to begin the process of closing Kingsley Elementary School, as part of a broader plan to address a significant budget deficit, with hearings scheduled for January and a reevaluation of Lincolnwood Elementary planned for October. The district aims to stabilize finances by meeting specific fiscal and utilization targets, but faces community concerns and debates over the impact of closures.
California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed shifting oversight of the Department of Education from State Superintendent Tony Thurmond to the State Board of Education to streamline governance, a move that surprised Thurmond and faced criticism for potentially reducing accountability and funding for schools.
The school pool at Trentham Academy in Stoke-on-Trent has been barricaded and heating issues persist due to unfinished repairs after the end of a 25-year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract, which led to the liquidation of the maintenance company and left schools with unresolved issues and financial concerns about the management and profits of the contract.
Austin Peay State University reinstated professor Darren Michael, who was previously fired after a social media post about Charlie Kirk, and settled for $500,000, citing issues with due process and external pressure affecting academic freedom.
Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation requiring New Jersey schools to implement policies restricting cell phone and internet-enabled device use during school hours, effective in the 2026-2027 school year, aiming to improve student focus, mental health, and classroom engagement.
West Virginia University has appointed Beverly Wendland, a distinguished cell biologist and academic leader with extensive experience at Washington University in St. Louis and Johns Hopkins University, as its new provost and vice president for academic affairs, aiming to enhance academic excellence and research at the university.
Governor Newsom proposes a major overhaul of California's education governance system to improve support, accountability, and policy alignment from early childhood through college by consolidating oversight and strengthening the role of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, addressing long-standing fragmentation and inefficiencies in the system.
Children in Gaza are returning to basic education in makeshift tents after two years of war and destruction, with efforts led by UNICEF to provide limited schooling and psychological support amidst ongoing conflict and aid restrictions.
Texas A&M University is implementing new restrictions on discussing race, gender, and sexuality in courses, affecting around 200 classes, including cancellations and content revisions, amid political and social backlash.
Dr. Ray Jayawardhana, a renowned astrophysicist and academic leader, has been appointed as Caltech's tenth president, starting July 1, 2026, bringing a strong background in research, administration, and public engagement to advance the institute's mission of fundamental research and exploration.
Teacher Patrick Lawler, who expressed extremist views and made offensive comments about Islam and others, has been banned from teaching indefinitely after a disciplinary hearing found him guilty of professional misconduct and bringing the profession into disrepute, citing his involvement with far-right groups and inappropriate classroom behavior.
Utah has banned the novel 'Wicked' by Gregory Maguire from all K-12 schools, citing its adult content, along with other books like 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' and 'Nineteen Minutes,' due to their themes and content, as part of a statewide effort to remove books deemed inappropriate or pornographic.
