The Badass Teachers Assoc.

Alabama State News

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State Administrators - Terri Rector Michal

Twitter: @AlabamaBATs

Alabama: Alabama lawmakers approve teacher pay raise, education budget

Alaska State News

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State Administrators - Andy Holleman and Julie Santaella

Twitter: @AlaskaBATs

Alaska:

Arizona State News

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State Administrators - Kathie Wing Larsyn and Lise Spangenthal

Twitter: @AZBatsA

Arizona:

Arkansas State News

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State Administrators - Tina Andres

Twitter: @ArkansasBATsA

Arkansas:

California State News

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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

$50 million in state funds reportedly stolen in charter school scheme

May was a busy month in California with bills to regulate charter schools making their way to the legislature. AB 1505 passed, it will change the approval process for charters, it passed on May 22nd as teachers rallied and filled the rotunda. Unfortunately, two other charter schools bills failed to go to a vote and will be taken up again next year.

New Haven teachers have now been on strike for 10 days with no end in sight.

Colorado State News

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State Administrators - William Ames Prather

Twitter: @ColoradoBATsA

Full day kindergarten on the horizon.

Connecticut State News

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State Administrators - Jesse Turner and Rose Reyes

Twitter - Coming Soon

Connecticut: Connecticut bill on climate change education advances.

Delaware State News

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Twitter: @DelawareBATs

Delaware:

Florida State News

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

Twitter: @FLBATsA

Florida’s intensifying teacher shortage is the most urgent issue facing the state’s K-12 system –—and perhaps the most urgent issue facing the state altogether.

Georgia State News

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

Twitter: @GeorgiaBATs2

Most Georgia school districts now operate under flexibility agreements with the state that do not require them to pass along the $3,000 raise.

Hawaii State News

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State Administrators - Mireille Christianne Ellsworth

Twitter: @HawaiiBATs

Idaho State News

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Facebook Administrator - Mary Ollie and Levi Cavaner

Twitter: @IdahoBATs

• “Gov. Brad Little’s school improvement task force will hold its first meeting Monday at the Stueckle Sky Center at Boise State University, and the meeting will be both open to the public and available for listening remotely by phone, toll-free.

“All of the meetings will be open,” said Greg Wilson, Little’s senior education adviser.”

Illinois State News

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Facebook Administrator - Diane Barrett King Rener and Millisa Libey Jaycox

Twitter: @IllinoisBATs

Bill Would Require Presence of Parent or Guardian for In-School Interrogations

“Youth brains can’t always comprehend or have a good understanding of what’s going on to begin with because they’re still developing,” said state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego). “Then you put them in a high-stress situation with a police officer and administrator, then all of a sudden it could – and as we saw, it did – have profound consequences.”

A Penny For Your (Kids') Thoughts

Illinois school teachers may see a salary bump thanks to legislation poised for passage in the legislature. In education circles, this measure is nicknamed the “40k bill,” because it would make $40,000 the minimum salary for teachers by the time school starts in fall 2023. That means salaries would begin ramping up in fall 2020, to a minimum of $32,000.

More Little Changes To Big School Funding Law

When Illinois overhauled its school funding formula almost two years ago, it took so much time and effort that lawmakers built in a provision designed to make changes easier in the future. It shows up near the end of the 550-page law, with the creation of the Professional Review Panel — a group of stakeholders and experts empowered to recommend recalibration of the law.

‘Offensive’ Senior Quote Delays Suburban High School Yearbooks

“Any act that disrupts the learning environment or makes our students feel unsafe is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the district said in its statement. The district did not immediately respond to additional questions about when the yearbooks may be handed out or any costs accrued by the distribution delay.”

Indiana State News

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Facebook Administrator: Cathy Sutton

Twitter: @IndianaBATs

Racing to beat deadline for new rules, more than 20,000 teachers have started license renewal

Iowa State News

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Facebook Administrator - Jane Balvanz

Twitter: @Iowabats

Kansas State News

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Facebook Administrator - Anne Pritchett

Twitter: @KansasBATs

Kentucky State News

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State Administrators - Tiffany Benningfield Dunn and Julia Berner

Twitter: @KentuckyBATs

Louisiana State News

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Twitter: @LouisianaBATs

Louisiana:

Maine State News

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Facebook Administrator - Robin Ellen Brooks

Twitter: @MaineBATs

Pro-Collective Bargaining bills in Maine legislature

Maryland State News

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Twitter - coming soon

Hogan refuses to sign Md. education bill, but it still goes into law

Massachusetts State News

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Facebook Administrator - Amy Wolpin, Sue Doherty

Twitter: @MassBATs

Northampton MA teachers May 1 early morning stand-outs for a fair contract.

Thousands of teachers and supporters across the state rallied on May 16 to Fund Our Future - full funding for public education.

Michigan State News

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

Twitter: @MIBATs

Open Letter to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer from the Elected School Board of Benton Harbor Area Schools, Benton Harbor, MI

Minnesota State News

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Twitter: @MNBATs1

Mississippi State News

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Facebook Administrator - Amanda Koonlaba

Twitter: @MississippiBATs

Top (Mississippi) lawmakers carve out millions of dollars for handpicked education vendors and pet projects each year, bypassing state bid laws and steering money to companies that know the right people or hire the right lobbyists.

Missouri State News

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Facebook Administrator - Anne Pritchett, Bob Minor

Twitter: @MissouriBATs

Montana State News

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Facebook Administrator - Cheryl Samson Denton

Twitter @MontanaBATs

Nebraska State News

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Facebook Administrator - Brittany Alexander

Twitter: @NebraskaBATs

State officials (Nebraska) selected Santee in hopes that a successful turnaround there could serve as a model for improving other historically struggling Native American schools. They hoped to apply the lessons from Loup County to other small rural schools.

Based on test scores and other measures, the Nebraska Department of Education classifies public schools as excellent, great, good or needing improvement. Priority schools are selected from among the lowest-performing “needs improvement” schools.

Nevada State News

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

Twitter @NVBATs

The legislative session in Carson City ends June 3, and the Clark County School District hopes one bill will change the current funding formula that divvies up education funds.

New Hampshire State News

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Facebook Administrator: Jena DiPinto

Twitter: @NHampshireBATs

NH lunch lady fired for feeding student who couldn’t pay

New Jersey State News

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Facebook Administrators - Melissa Tomlinson, Judy Strollo

Twitter: @NJBATsA

Senator Sweeney Sweeney delivers twenty seven bills that take on thorny issues in NJ - including education

New Mexico State News

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State Administrators - Sara Attleson and Angela Reynolds

Twitter @NewMexicoBATs

New York State News

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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

North Carolina

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

• School district in NC to offer free breakfast, lunch to all students next year.

North Dakota

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Facebook Administrators: Marguerite Madeleine

United Tribes Technical College to close nursing program

Ohio State News

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Facebook Administrators - Brittany Alexander, Kelly Braun, Brianne Kramer, Karen Linch, Mandy Jablonski, Paula Garfield, Beth Egbert, Debra Fedyna, Tracy Diedrick, Amber Clark, Mary Reed and Sherm Koons., Jessica Bosak, Katie Hauer

Twitter: @OhioBATs

The law allowing state takeovers of school districts is getting enough push back and attention that the bill to repeal it has been added to the state’s budget bill. The Ohio Senate will decide whether to keep or change the repeal language. The first hearing regarding this issue lasted for 8 hours.

Oklahoma State News

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Facebook Administrator - Christa L. Taylor

Twitter: @OklahomaBATs

Oregon State News

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

Twitter: @OregonBATs

• Oregon teachers and state Senators walkout, for and against education bill.

Governor signs education bill into law:

Senate passes PERS bill, teachers/firefighters/other public employees feel betrayed

Pennsylvania State News

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State Administrators - Dana Marie

Twitter: @PennBAT

Six years after the original complaint was filed, PA has reached an agreement with the US DOE to address the disproportionate amount of students with disabilities placed in alternative education programs, as a result of a disciplinary infraction. Unfortunately, the plan doesn't address the racial disparity:

Rhode Island State News

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• State Administrators -
• Twitter @RhodeIslandBats

Rhode Island school district changes lunch policy to prevent lunch shaming

South Carolina State News

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Facebook Administrator - Melissa Soule

Twitter - Coming soon!

South Carolina teachers are likely to see a minimum 4 percent raise next year. The Legislature plans to give newer teachers with fewer than five years of experience as much as a 10 percent pay hike in an effort to stanch the bleeding of young talent.

South Dakota State News

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Facebook Administrator - Suzy Suzanne

Twitter: Coming Soon

South Dakota:

Tennessee State News

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 governor signs controversial education voucher bill into law

Texas State News

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State Administrators - Pamela Ehrlich Smith, Gerald Savoy, Idanis Ramos

Twitter: @TxBats

Dallas ISD considering changes to how it pays teachers.

More tests for elementary kids…

Utah State News

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Facebook Administrator - Jennifer Allen Baker, Chelsie Joy Acosta

Twitter: @UtahBATs

Utah knew the company it picked to create standardized tests had a history of crashes and cyberattacks. It signed a $44 million contract anyway.

Vermont State News

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Twitter: @VermontBATs

Overhaul of Vermont’s special education system may need to wait a year

Virginia State News

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

Twitter @VirginiaBATs

Virginia public colleges agree to freeze tuition next year

Washington D.C.

Facebook: WashingtonDC.BATs

Facebook Administrators - N. Enser, Denisha Jones

Twitter @BATs_DC

Washington State News

Facebook: WashingtonBATs

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

Twitter @WABATs_

West Virginia State News

Facebook : West Virginia BATs

Facebook Administrator - Greg Cruey

Twitter : @WVBATs

Special session revs up just as school year winds down

Wisconsin State News

Facebook: Wisconsin BATs

Facebook Administrator: Debbie Kadon

Twitter - Coming Soon!

Assembly Republicans are pledging an additional $500 million into PreK-12 education, including increases in special education aid, and Senate Republicans are signaling a similar move.

While the proposal falls short of the $1.4 billion that Gov. Tony Evers proposed for K-12, the increase signals a move toward increased funding to support our public schools when it comes to:

More resources for public schools;

More supports for our most vulnerable students; and

Understanding our school districts need relief under Wisconsin’s broken school funding system.

Final details will be unveiled Thursday when the Joint Finance Committee votes on PreK-12 education.

The Assembly GOP plan unveiled includes:

Raising revenue limits by $200 per student in the first year of the budget and an additional $204 in the second year.

$50 million more in funding for special education.

An additional $20 million for student mental health.

An additional $4.6 million for high-cost transportation.

Raising the revenue caps for low-spending districts to $10,000 over the next two years.

Wyoming

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Facebook Administrator:

Twitter - Coming Soon!

Wyoming: