State News Highlights - January

Alabama

Facebook: Alabama BATs

State Administrators - Terri Rector Michal

Twitter: @AlabamaBATs

Education Legislation: What Can we Expect From the State House

California

Facebook: California BATs

Facebook Administrators: Tina Andres, Karen Wolfe, Jeanne Berrong, Owen Jackman, Sherry Skipper-Spurgeon, Jed Idan, Lisa Palmer, Heather Poland, Paula Meyer, Lance Wren, Virginia Tibbets, Jose del Barrio.

Twitter: @CaliBATs

Newsom’s budget includes $900 million to address California teacher shortage

Florida

Facebook: Florida BATs

Facebook Administrators - Donna Yates Mace, Lisa Yurkin, Marcus Hochman

Twitter: @FLBATsA

"We'll remember in November" ~ Approximately 15,000 teachers and public ed supporters marched and rallied in Tallahassee asking for adequate funding for traditional public education.

New standards? Proposed budgets, union busting legislation, blatant discrimination in voucher schools, BOE vacancy, and grading our littles.

Illinois

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Facebook Administrator - Diane Barrett King Rener and Millisa Libey Jaycox

Twitter: @IllinoisBATs

Chicago - City won’t give in to union in fight over veteran teacher pay, mayor says

Kentucky

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State Administrators - Tiffany Benningfield Dunn and Julia Berner

Twitter: @KentuckyBATs

School choice advocates pushing for scholarship tax credits

Massachusetts

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Facebook Administrator - Amy Wolpin, Sue Doherty

Twitter: @MassBATs

Lawsuit Withdrawn Over Massachusetts Public Education Funding

Missouri

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Facebook Administrator - Anne Pritchett, Bob Minor

Twitter: @MissouriBATs

Teacher pay starts below $32K in half of southwest Missouri districts

New Hampshire

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Facebook Administrator: Jena DiPinto

Twitter: @NHampshireBATs

New Hampshire rejects charter school money

North Carolina

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Facebook Administrators: Angie McLeod Barbour, Melanie Miday-Stern, Jenn Martin

In a Wake County, the judge presiding over the Leandro case signed a consent order which requires the state and the State Board of Education to “work expeditiously and without delay” to create and implement major changes to North Carolina’s public education system.

Oregon

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Facebook Administrator: Kathleen Hagans Jeskey, Pete Teller, Anna Riddels, Jennifer Dorsey, and Tricia Snyder.

Twitter: @OregonBATs

Oregon Graduation Rates Hit 80%, An All-Time High

South Dakota

Facebook: South Dakota BATs

Facebook Administrator - Suzy Suzanne

Twitter: Coming Soon

Senate Majority Leader Kris Langer of Dell Rapids introduced legislation to ban faculty from entering into collective bargaining agreements with the state’s six public universities.

Vermont

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Twitter: @VermontBATs

Lawmakers pitch first-in-the-nation plan for free school meals

West Virginia

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Facebook Administrator - Greg Cruey

Twitter : @WVBATs

Lawmakers continue to send mixed signals on role in public education

Alaska

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State Administrators - Andy Holleman and Julie Santaella

Twitter: @AlaskaBATs

The Alaska Reads Act has been introduced. What are we hearing? Disappointing.

Colorado

Facebook: Colorado BATs

State Administrators - William Ames Prather

Twitter: @ColoradoBATsA

Denver school board votes to require gender-neutral restrooms: Staff also must use students’ preferred names and pronouns

Georgia

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Facebook Administrators - Lynda Wolfe Smith, Lisa Morgan, Peter Toggerson

Twitter: @GeorgiaBATs2

Georgia facing another voucher battle.

Indiana

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Facebook Administrator: Cathy Sutton

Twitter: @IndianaBATs

Indiana House committee advances bill taking test scores out of teacher evaluations

Louisiana

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Twitter: @LouisianaBATs

Louisiana’s COMPASS Teacher Eval System Goes Down Following Statewide Cyberattack

New Orleans High School Records Are Finally Audited. There Are Holes.

Michigan

Facebook: Michigan BATs

State Administrators - Linda K. Eastman, Rebecca Lehnert Armstrong, Mary Genger Kieft Bouwense, Carina Hilbert, Jonathan Marceau

Twitter: @MIBATs

Rochelle Riley, former Free Press columnist, takes a deep look at the the children in Michigan’s classrooms, the impact of trauma, and the lack of resources available to help educators address it.

Children in Crisis.

Montana

Facebook: Montana BATs

Facebook Administrator - Cheryl Samson Denton

Twitter @MontanaBATs

Billings Residents Speak About SD2 Budget Cuts

New Jersey

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Facebook Administrators - Melissa Tomlinson, Judy Strollo

Twitter: @NJBATsA

LGBTQ education is now mandatory in New Jersey schools. Here’s how teachers are prepping

North Dakota

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Facebook Administrators: Marguerite Madeleine

Pennsylvania

Facebook: Pennsylvania BATs

State Administrators - Dana Marie

Twitter: @PennBAT

Environmental contamination shuts down Pennsylvania schools

Tennessee

Facebook: Tennessee BATs

State Administrators - Lee Ann Pepper Nolan, Tikeila Rucker, Larry Proffitt, Jennifer Navarre, Mary Holden, Jenee Hewlett Peters, Neshellda Johnson, Lu Howard, and April Waltrip Jeffries

Twitter: @MemphisBATBa

Tennessee voucher participants could face taxes

Virginia

Facebook: Virginia BATs

Facebook Administrators: Cheryl Gibbs Binkley, Sue Goncarovs, Erin Rafferty, Justin Kern

Twitter @VirginiaBATs

‘Red4Ed:’ Teachers lobby for education

Wisconsin

Facebook: Wisconsin BATs

Facebook Administrator: Debbie Kadon

Twitter - Coming Soon!

Wisconsin school board association rejects Native mascot ban

Arizona

Facebook: Arizona BATs

State Administrators - Kathie Wing Larsyn and Lise Spangenthal

Twitter: @AZBatsA

#LegislativeLegit: Education bills heard this week

Connecticut

Facebook: Connecticut BATs

State Administrators - Jesse Turner and Rose Reyes

Twitter - Coming Soon

Legislators talk about the importance of early childhood education

Hawaii

Facebook: Hawaii BATs

State Administrators - Mireille Christianne Ellsworth

Twitter: @HawaiiBATs

Veteran public school teachers could get a big one-time salary increase

Iowa

Facebook: Iowa BATs

Facebook Administrator - Jane Balvanz

Twitter: @Iowabats

Iowa educators press top presidential candidates on public education

Maine

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Facebook Administrator - Robin Ellen Brooks

Twitter: @MaineBATs

Sen. Collins confirms school threats; FBI and state police investigating

Minnesota

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Twitter: @MNBATs1

Teacher of the Year, from Minnesota, takes a knee during college football championship

Nebraska

Facebook: Nebraska BATs

Facebook Administrator - Brittany Alexander

Twitter: @NebraskaBATs

Ann Hunter-Pirtle, executive director for Stands for Schools, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and highlighting public schools, and others have expressed concerns that if Nebraska were to adopt a similar publicly funded private option, it would lose accountability for school funds. A scenario she says has already played out in other states.

New Mexico

Facebook: New Mexico BATs

State Administrators - Sara Attleson and Angela Reynolds

Twitter @NewMexicoBATs

Legislation introduced in New Mexico to address teacher shortage

Ohio

Facebook: Ohio BATs

Facebook Administrators - Brittany Alexander, Kelly Braun, Karen Linch, Mandy Jablonski, Paula Garfield, Beth Egbert, Debra Fedyna, Amber Clark, Jessica Bosak, Katie Hauer

Twitter: @OhioBATs

EdChoice Scholarship forum

Most students who benefit from Ohio EdChoice vouchers have always attended private schools

Rhode Island

Facebook: Rhode Island BATs

State Administrators -
Twitter @RhodeIslandBats

Fund created to support public education in Rhode Island

Texas

Facebook: Texas BATs

State Administrators - Pamela Ehrlich Smith, Gerald Savoy,

Twitter: @TxBats

Texas will not be able to seize power of Houston ISD's school board until the state judge issues a final ruling on the lawsuit challenging the takeover

Washington

Facebook: WashingtonBATs

Facebook Administrators: Becca Ritchie, Susan DuFresne, Michelle Murphy Ramey, Linda Myrick, Amy Hepburn, Karen Adlum, Sheri Fingeroot Kittay

Twitter @WABATs_

Charter schools are new to Washington state. How strong is the law behind them?

Wyoming

Facebook: Wyoming BATs

Facebook Administrator:

Twitter - Coming Soon!

Campbell County School Board Begins Discussion On Draft Conceal Carry Policy In Schools

Arkansas

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State Administrators - Tina Andres

Twitter: @ArkansasBATsA

Two new campuses built in Central Arkansas are under scrutiny for equity.

Delaware

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Twitter: @DelawareBATs

Brandywine School District seeks to change state student testing

Idaho

Facebook: Idaho BATs

Facebook Administrator - Mary Ollie and Levi Cavaner

Twitter: @IdahoBATs

Authorities awaiting audit results in financial probe of Blackfoot Charters.

Kansas

Facebook: Kansas BATs

Facebook Administrator - Anne Pritchett

Twitter: @KansasBATs

Kansas considers requiring ‘In God We Trust’ in classrooms

Maryland

Facebook: Maryland BATs

Twitter - coming soon

A push for equitable funding.

Mississippi

Facebook: Mississippi BATs

Facebook Administrator - Amanda Koonlaba

Twitter: @MississippiBATs

BAT Amanda Koonlaba named top 40 under 40

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has signed his first bill into law: a measure to ensure that teachers receive the full pay raise they were promised this school year

Nevada

Facebook: Nevada BATs

Facebook Administrator - Lisa Muntean, Phil Sorenson, Stacey Wolff, Chet Miller, Cindy Darden, Sarah Sunnasy, Carmen Andrews, Mary Beth DeNigris-Franzeo, Jennifer Petrie

Twitter @NVBATs

Long-Term Substitutes Fill Hundreds Of Teacher Vacancies In CCSD

New York

Facebook: New York BATs

Facebook Administrators - Beth Glazer-Schettino, Terry Kalb, Eric Olsen, Jamy Brice Hyde, Jake Jacobs, Eve Shippens, Rosemary Pearce, Tara Molloy-Grocki, and Dave Greene

Twitter: @NYBATs

@NYStateBATs

Teachers unions protest state education funding shortfalls at NYC schools